After two failed marriages and numerous short-term relationships, she’s ready to wave the white flag and give up on love. Yet, with Christmas quickly approaching, she dreads spending the holiday alone. Will a chance encounter with a handsome stranger make all of her Christmas wishes come true? After thirty years of a nearly perfect marriage, widower Lincoln Richwood struggles to move on with his life. The idea of dating at his age seems daunting … until he meets the vivacious Carolyn Jenkins. Normally a straitlaced kind of guy, there’s just something about the woman that tempts him to walk on the wild side. Opposites attract, but will their differences derail their relationship and keep them from embracing the love they both desire? A Jenkins Family Novella

    A decade later, a bit of fate has brought them back into each other’s lives. ** This is a short story. If you prefer longer stories, please check out another Té Russ title

    Though she knows it won't be easy turning their bachelor-pad mansion into a home, she is determined to handle any obstacles, while maintaining a separate life for herself and her daughter. But Alexis isn't at all ready for the red-hot chemistry crackling between her and Telford—or the fact that she's suddenly caught in a maze of unexpected secrets and deep mistrust. But if she and Telford find their way through it—together—can they both embrace the love they so deeply desire?

    That’s how her widowed mother raised her. But when Emily’s mother dies, her quiet life is shaken to its core, leaving her devastated—and ready for a fresh start. With the encouragement of her bolder, wilder best friend, Samantha, Emily moves to Washington, D.C. Samantha is sure D.C. will bring Emily her heart’s desire. But that’s exactly what Emily is afraid of…Since she was eighteen, Emily has fought a fierce longing even Samantha doesn’t know about—a love for a man that would break just about every rule she’s spent her life following. And each step closer to D.C. is a step closer to him—and a choice that could destroy not just her life as she knows it, but the image of the woman, and the friend, everyone believes her to be. Now, facing the ultimate test, only Emily can decide if the losses will be worth the gains...

    What was supposed to be a summer fling turned into a toxic love affair. With Trayon away, how will she be able to cope? Does she wait for him or run into the arms of another man? Set on a path of revenge, Trayon wants nothing more than to get what he is owed and that's the throne. On his journey of revenge, he discovers some shocking secrets; family secrets that will cause him to lose sight of his original plan. Will he reach a point where not even, Asayi's love can save him? Stacy is stuck trying to balance his time between two women. When he finds himself giving one woman more time than the other, he might just regret that choice. Will he risk everything him and Tuchie built over a childhood love? This is the second installment to a heart-wrenching, tear-filled and an emotional journey. Secrets, lies, deceit and murder. Everyone has experienced damages in their love life. Will they overcome it or will they remain damaged? Get ready for a gritty and urban hood love novel.

    It is not meaning that the individual searches for in their life, but at the ground level, what the person is seeking is hope, life-lessons, the truth and a dash of motivation every now and then. All this search makes one feel a sense of fulfilment in their life. Learning is a part of life and man’s quest for life-lessons will never cease until death. Presenting you a collection of short stories, which is an attempt to make you see life and its subtle messages through a different lens.

    One night when Zoe's cousin invites her out to stop moping, live a little, and have some fun; fate steps in with both feet and offers up a remedy. West Jameson is a typical ladies man, who is out for a good time, has no clue what it means to be in a relationship or in love. But one memorable one night stand, for both good and bad reasons, sends Zoe and West down a spiraling path neither one of them has anticipated. Take this journey with these two as they discover that love isn't always easy but it's worth it. Chances are never given, they're taken...& sometimes love happens purely...By Chance

    At twenty-two years old, Jholee had given up everything, including her full-time hours at school, her apartment, her expensive bags, and her car after her drug dealing dad's indiscretions put their family in a bind that blindsided them all. With everything that Jholee had given up, that still wasn't enough for her family to get back to normal, and after her dad shut down the thought of her taking her clothes off for money, she only had one thing left to sell: her virginity. Kiandre 'TK' Kincaid has had the Jacksonville streets secured when it came to moving weight, but after years of watching his father make money off women lying on their backs, he decided to try his hand at building his own legacy without stepping on them to get there. In order to make his dreams of owning a strip club a reality, TK finds himself moonlighting at his father's sex shop from time to time. When circumstance leads him to working the front desk, it's there that he meets the very impressionable Jholee. After realizing that Jholee isn't cut out for being a sex worker, he trashes her application and literally takes matters into his own hands. Jholee and TK's worlds collide faster than they both would like to admit, but just as there are things keeping them together, there are just as many pulling them apart, including but not limited to Jholee's best friends, Riley and Octavia, her parents, TK's parents, and TK's girlfriend Cheyenne. But there is something about fate: You can't stop it.

    Essence Bestselling Author Brenda Hampton presents Don't Even Go There, the story of Chase Jenkins, a troublemaking, backstabbing diva, who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, even going after her boss's husband.

    She finds out that the happy life she once thought she lived was nothing but a façade when it comes to light that her fiancé, Deondre has been anything but faithful. Not only has he been cheating, but he had been doing so with the people who are closest to her. Overcome with grief from the shocking new information, Dominique lashes out the only way that she knows how, and finds herself in a world of trouble. As she’s carted off to jail, she reflects on her life and decides that she is through playing the fool. The only problem is, Deondre isn’t used to losing, and he doesn’t plan on letting her go that easy. Kaleb is tired of playing the backup boyfriend, and choses to step away and allow Dominique to work on her family life. Now single, he realizes that he was a fool to put his love life in jeopardy over something that he knew deep down would never be. Like all men he wants his old thing back, and tries to repair the relationship that he had with Tiera. When she reveals that he is going to be father, Kaleb vows to right by his child. Things are great between the two of them, until Dominique comes back around. Will Kaleb keep his word and stay away, or will his love for her cause him to lose everything?

    While Janelle is away living in the lap of luxury, Myria finds herself becoming a byproduct of the streets, ending up in serving a five-year prison sentence for robbery. Deciding that it’s time to turn over a new leaf, Myria reaches out to Janelle, who offers her a warm bed until she manages to get on her feet. While Myria heads to Miami excited to rekindle her relationship with her sister, Janelle has other plans in mind. Tired of being the long suffering and abused wife of the King of Miami, Janelle spends her days poolside plotting Dom’s downfall. With one elaborate plan after another fails, Janelle decides to go back to the basics and figures that she could pull her own version of a “bait and switch.” The bait? Myria. The switch? The life of luxury she once loved. Not one to be worried by guilt, Janelle places a sleeping Myria in her bed and leaves her waking up in a living nightmare. With her identity stolen from her, Myria is forced to navigate the inner circle of Miami’s elite as Janelle. With Janelle’s Ice Queen façade in place, Myria makes friends, enemies, and ultimately finds herself falling in love with an unlikely ally-Julio, Dom’s brother. Just when she thinks she has a handle on the situation, Myria discovers a secret regarding Janelle's marriage that makes her think different about who the real abuser is. Will Myria be able to beat Janelle at her own game or will she end up suffocating in Janelle’s bed of lies?

    In the second installment of Queen of Bankhead series the drama picks up right where it left off. After suffering from a life threatening hit, Cheyenne is bound to make her shooter pay for what she did and will kill anybody that gets in her way. Eli has been ripping the streets of Atlanta to shreds, he was dead set on finding Chy's shooter; the only thing standing in his way is Atlanta PD. Passion is tired of trying to rekindle her love for Amp with his unfaithful ways, and when somebody pops up pregnant, she is finally done. With all that's going on, she finds a new boo, but he has a few secrets of his own. When her son's life is put on the line, she falls victim of his deadly hands. Take a ride with Chy as she fights off jealousy disloyal and betrayal just to become the Queen, where weakness isn't allowed, but all challenges are accepted.

    The secret about Reese being Camryn’s biological father had gone on too long, and now it’s finally been revealed. How will something like that end? Sticks has been raising Camryn as his own for the past four years, so can he so easily just give her up? To his best friend at that. Then there’s Treasure. We are three books in to the broken-hearted girl series and baby girl still cannot catch a break. What’s going to be the final outcome of William and Treasure? Will William finally fess up to his wrong doings? Will Treasure’s mom, Terry finally believe her child after all of these years? In part 3 to the broken-hearted girl series, there are definitely going to be some broken hearts and Treasure took the biggest loss of everyone.

    To uncover the names of her attackers who played a brutal role in her abduction and vicious assault over a year ago, then lure them—one by one, to their demise. As fate would have it, there’s someone else who has also been scheming for information about the events leading up to her kidnapping. And in one night, Pasha’s life is suddenly turned upside, refueling her desire for revenge. As a result, unsuspected alliances are formed, new friendships are forged, and Pasha finds herself entangled with someone who may be as ruthless as she is fabulous. Suddenly, as lies unfold and truths are told, Pasha’s thirst for payback takes on a dramatic new twist, causing her to weave a dangerous web of seduction—using her greatest assets: her mesmerizing beauty and sexual prowess—to get what she wants, by whatever means necessary. But before she can take down the cold-blooded man she once loved and his goons, she must first confront the one person who deceived and hurt her the most. And those around her will soon learn that betrayal can cost you everything, including your life.

    Trying to get Miracle to see her wrongs in this horrible situation is draining but not as draining as trying to get Mira to see that she’s as loyal as they come. That along with Heart getting himself in a sticky situation has La at her wits end. If that wasn’t enough, in order for her to help Heart, she has to go through the one person that hurt her the most, her mom. Will she be able to get over the hurt to help Heart or will she be stuck in her ways and left out in the cold. There has never been a time where Mira thought anything other than it would be her and Lake til the end of time, so when Miracle said those dreadful words her world was turned upside down. The answers to all of her questions lie with the one person who is unable to answer them, Lake. Will he wake up from his coma in enough time to save his family, or better yet will he wake up at all? Miracle has never felt more alone, than she feels right now. Her whole world is crashing down around her and all because she loved a man. Her love and loyalty to Lake my not be enough for her to get through the trials that are headed her way. When the smoke clears who will be by her side helping her through it all? The only thing on Heart’s mind is getting revenge, and he vows to do just that. With tempers flared and guns blazing no one in Mooresville is safe. Find out who makes it out alive.