Just a couple of decades ago, we took it for granted that inner cities were the preserve of immigrants and the poor, and that suburbs were the chosen destination of those who could afford them. Today, a demographic inversion is taking place: Central cities increasingly are where the affluent want to live, while suburbs are becoming home to poorer people and those who come to America from other parts of the world. Highly educated members of the emerging millennial generation are showing a decided preference for urban life and are being joined in many places by a new class of affluent retirees. Ehrenhalt shows us how the commercial canyons of lower Manhattan are becoming residential neighborhoods, and how mass transit has revitalized inner-city communities in Chicago and Brooklyn. He explains why car-dominated cities like Phoenix and Charlotte have sought to build twenty-first-century downtowns from scratch, while sprawling postwar suburbs are seeking to attract young people with their own form of urbanized experience. The Great Inversion is an eye-opening and thoroughly engaging look at our urban society and its future.

    And yet all is not well, Richard Florida argues in The New Urban Crisis. Florida, one of the first scholars to anticipate this back-to-the-city movement in his groundbreaking The Rise of the Creative Class, demonstrates how the same forces that power the growth of the world's superstar cities also generate their vexing challenges: gentrification, unaffordability, segregation, and inequality. Meanwhile, many more cities still stagnate, and middle-class neighborhoods everywhere are disappearing. Our winner-take-all cities are just one manifestation of a profound crisis in today's urbanized knowledge economy. A bracingly original work of research and analysis, The New Urban Crisis offers a compelling diagnosis of our economic ills and a bold prescription for more inclusive cities capable of ensuring growth and prosperity for all.

    A woman of scienceA man of magicHunted for their HeartsBloodA love taken to its dangerous conclusionIncluded in this OMNIBUS collection is the entire 1st cycle of the saga...Blood Oath - the prequel short story to HeartsBloodHeartsBlood - the #1 urban fantasy/paranormal romance that started the phenomenaBlood Ties - the bridge short story between HeartsBlood and DeadBloodDeadBlood - the full length sequel to HeartsBloodBlood Lines - the bridge short story between DeadBlood and LiveBloodLiveBlood - the stirring conclusion to the trilogyBlood Letting - the "Wrap-Up" short story to the saga

    Already at the beginning of the century, we became 50% urban as a global population, and by 2050 we're going to be up to 70% urban. So cities could either be our coffin or our ark.Leo Hollis presents evidence that cities can deliver a better life and a better world in the future. From exploring what slime mold can tell us about traffic flow, to looking at how traditional civic power structures are being overturned by Twitter, to investigating how cities all over the world are tackling climate change, population growth, poverty, shifting work patterns and the maintenance of the fragile trust of their citizens, Cities Are Good for You offers a new perspective on the city.Combining anecdote, scientific studies, historical portraits, first-hand interviews and observations of some of the most exciting world cities, Hollis upends long-held assumptions with new questions: Where do cities come from? Can we build a city from scratch? Does living in the city make you happier or fitter? Is the metropolis of the future female? What is the relationship between cities and creativity? And are slums really all that bad?Cities Are Good for You introduces us to dreamers, planners, revolutionaries, writers, scientists, architects, slum-dwellers and kings. Ranging globally and through time in search of answers--from the archive to the laboratory, from City Hall to the architect's desk--it is above all driven by the idea that cities are for people and by people.

    How would you feel if you found out your best friend was really your foe? The one person you thought had your best interest at heart was really plotting against you, waiting for your downfall.Khloe and Carrie have been friends since elementary school. Carrie has a secret she's been hiding from Khloe. Will Carrie keep blaming Khloe for what happened? Will she share her secret or make Khloe's life a living hell?Trina has betrayed so many people its hard to keep count. Breaking up Khloe's relationship with Dre wasn't enough for her. She wants everything Khloe has. Will Trina succeed in sabotaging Khloe's life or will Karma catch up to her first?Khloe was devastated when she caught Dre in an uncompromising position. She thought life was over until she met the handsome dread head, Jason, from New York. She goes against her better judgment and decides to give him a chance. Will he prove to be her knight in shining armour or her worst nightmare?

    A chance meeting at one of the lounge bars that he owns, was all it took for him to fall head over heels in love with her. Fast forward two years later, Toby and Niecey are happily engaged and ready to become man and wife. That is, until her ex boyfriend Will pops back up into the picture causing some trust issues between the two. The only man that could possibly cause ShaNiece Taylor to ever doubt her love for Toby is the man who she will always know as her first love; William “Big Will” Davis. Their childhood romance wasn’t an ordinary fairy tale love, but it did come close. The on again, off again relationship was a normal routine for them until Will fathered a child with her twin sister LaNiece. Even with all of the drama centered around that situation, can you fully take your love away from someone, after years of giving it away so freely? When you stop listening to your heart and start to entertain the thoughts in your mind, don’t be surprised if you end up loosing the best thing that has ever happened to you. One night of pleasure can lead to a lifetime of regret, especially if it isn’t the right kind of love.

    He had to grow up at an early age and take on the role of becoming an adult way before his time. Starting off as a dope boy, he soon rises up the ranks before becoming the right-hand man inside of his uncle's drug empire. Kank has it all; money and the women, yet still he feels like his life is not fulfilled. That is until his best friends twin sister Montana comes back into town shaking up his life. Montana Mason has been through a lot in her life. After leaving Dallas for school, she finds herself head over heels for Isaac Thompson and soon she gives him the greatest gift a woman can give a man, her heart and a beautiful daughter. But everything that glitters aint gold and Montana soon realizes that Isaac isn’t all he made himself out to be. Now, Montana finds herself escaping an abusive relationship and ends up back home around the people she loves most. She finds love in the form of a child-hood crush. Kano and Montana are both trying to navigate their newfound relationship while still dealing with the upsides of life. Will they ever get it together or is their love not meant to be?

    Being physically and emotionally abused by the woman she once called her Aunt, left her with scars. Having her innocence stripped from her has left her with insecurities. Then being lied to her entire life has left her with trust issues. But even as a young girl she managed to not allow her past to affect her present. Entering her senior year of high school, she is determined to make the best of it. She wanted new friends, adventures and memories. She wants to have fun and live her life. That may have been her plan but it is far of what is sure to come. She is told new lies, old truths and seeing old faces that she thought she erased from her memories. She thought she could escape her past but it’s like a repeating cycle. On top of that, she has an encounter with the most popular boy in school. She may think its all roses and rainbows but little did she know, it was more to the encounter than she thinks. Zoovier aka Zoo is the star running back on the football team. He has the good looks, the talent and the rude boy demeanor that makes the girls go crazy. He has no worry or care in the world until his feelings gets rattled up in a sweet girl that he barely noticed. After making a bet with a friend, that sweet girl becomes more to him than he intended. His focus was only on football until he has to face hard life challenges and make even harder decisions. With no father figure, a hard working mother, a needy girlfriend and football, his plate of responsibility it high. Love was the last thing he wanted to add. Quisha is a hood girl that has the attitude of a grown woman. Every day she deals with rejection from her father and every day she sweeps her feelings under the rug. She longs for the relationship and the need pushes her in the arms of a man that’s no good to her. She was already faced with the challenge of being pretty for a dark skin girl as the public calls it. Now she will have to deal with her father issues, old flames, new love and her education. A bunch of issues she never wanted to address but when tragedy strikes, she’s forced to. Enter the lives of these three teenagers that have to go through up and downs with school, family and love. Will Amber finally be happy? Will Zoovier make the right decision when it come to love or his career? Will Quisha deal with her deep rooted issues and a possible new love interest? Find out in this dramatized standalone that is filled with, betrayal, lies, power and love. Wish them luck.

    She’s on her way to being great. Having the one person who has always supported her, was making it possible. She feels like there’s nothing that can stop her. What happens when she’s stopped, and lost? Regaining who she is unlocks secrets of epic proportions. What happens when the one who’s always been there for her, hurts her? Will who she once was crash and burn under all the scrutiny and drama surrounding her, or will she rise up and reign supreme? Jahquil Duvall is the one everyone wants. He’s the man who unlocks the realness of a song by placing it in motion. By being one of the biggest choreographers in the industry, his name holds weight. Dancing, and his woman, are his two greatest passions. Tragically, he loses one in the most unbelievable way. Restoring what he felt he’s lost, is the hardest thing, but at the same time, he feels it’s worth it. Fighting to get back what some deems as impossible, is a fight he doesn’t plan on losing. But when there’s an unknown force against him, will he prosper? Or will the damage done be too much to recover from? In this intriguing standalone, trials and tribulations push those to the point to prove whether ‘A Love That Belongs Together,’ is worth the fight.

    He learned not only how to survive amongst the deadliest criminals but how to rise to the top, from growing up in the gritty streets of Brooklyn. Nico used those survival tactics to become the leader of a multi million-dollar drug empire. But with money and power, come the so-called friends and enemies, ready to take it all away. Before Nico became Precious Cummings first love, he won the heart of the streets. Follow his story in Nico Carter.

    Will they finally get their happily ever after? Or is there somebody out there that refuses to let them be happy? Part three of this heart-pounding saga picks up right where it left off with Ghost still searching for answers as to who killed Henry and turned snitch. Will Tommie choose to let Rodney be apart of his child’s life? Or is that chapter in her life finally closed for good? Jasmine and Dom have an on again off again romance, that's mostly off because Jasmine is hesitant when it comes to giving Dominic all of her. Will she put her pride to the side and get her man? Or will she wait till it too little too late? Dom, fed up with Jasmine's flip-flopping love decides he's done with her for good. Will he stick to his word and kick her to the curb when a new love interest captures his attention? Or is the love he had for Jasmine too strong to just let slip away. Rodney, pissed off that his cousin not only stole his girl but has staked claims to his child, isn't so willing to let go of them both without a fight. Will he continue to fight for their love until he succeeds? Or will he finally give up and focus on his relationship with Kelly? The plot of this crazy story once again thickens as rules are broken, bonds are bent, and no one is to be trusted, as enemies become friends, and friends become a thing you regret you ever had. Jump back into the saddle and take another ride with the gang as Tommie, Ghost, Dom, Jasmine, and Rodney are once again racing against the clock to stay alive while they battle with lies, treachery, deceit, and a little thing called love. Each battling with their own demons, will everybody come out on top, defeat their enemy and manage to stay alive long enough to find their happily ever after? Or will they all once again find out the sad truth that all is fair in Love and Hennessy?

    In its place, he could add paid, successful, well-dressed…maybe even a good man, but definitely nothing that would accentuate his good looks. That was the one thing he just didn’t have. Well, not personally anyway. Thanks to his thriving career as a fitness trainer, he’s surrounded by women every day. They just don’t belong to him, and honestly, he’s okay with that. After continuously being turned down, looked over, and frowned upon, Killian has chosen to block off the avenue to his heart until the right woman can find him. He is done looking for love, so if a female wants to pursue anything serious, they would have to approach him first. Had he known the beautiful young, vibrant, East, would be that person, he would have run for the hills. Just as crazy, just as mean, and just as guarded as Killian, East quickly becomes the challenge he’s been avoiding. However, unlike Killian, East is ready for love. One bad relationship after the next, her heart should be too damaged to mend, but not for Killian. A self-made broken-hearted guru, Killian is the man for the job. A small skill he’s acquired after stitching the pieces of his own heart back together too many times before. Though East is ready for happiness and open to loving Killian, she’s no easy target. With a horrible attitude and a terribly rude mouth, Killian isn’t the easiest person to get along with, unless you’re a self-assured spitfire named East. Take a chance and fall in love with another one of A’zayler’s page turning romances. Killian and East are a love story for the ages.

    Subsequent to his father's troubles spilling over into their home-life, he and his mother migrated to the United States when Deon was only six years old. For the two immigrants, making a living in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn was not an easy task. Suhati, his mother, worked extremely hard trying to sustain a stable lifestyle and shield Deon from all the negativity that surrounded them. After an altercation Deon got into with a bully at school he befriended a neighborhood hustler by the name of Jayson "Jay-Roc" Washington. Jay-Roc familiarized Deon with the street-life and schooled him on the necessary skills needed to survive in the concrete jungle. He taught him that fear equals control and Deon soon adapted to his environment like a chameleon. It didn't take long before Deon became immersed in the exact same lifestyle his mother once tried to shelter him from. He was taking steps in the same shoes his father had previously walked in, down that similar extended road to danger and he was too blind to realize it. When he finally opens his eyes to what life is really about, is it too late? KING is a grimy, heart felt, street tale of lust, envy, and hate. When the pressure is applied, only the strong will subsist and everything done in the shadows will come to light. Love is blind, karma is real, and vengeance is the sweetest joy. How long will it take Deon to learn that jealousy destroys from within? Brace yourself for the ride of your life. He who embraces the crown is considered KING!

    

     Tassana is on the right path for the sake of her son. The problems between Osari and Tassana might cause her to go back to her old ways. Osari is trying to make it right for the sake of his family until his secret comes out. When all has been revealed, will it drive Tassana away permanently? Shimmy and Dez are young and in love until Kiwanna comes back into the picture. Dez is forced into making a tough decision leaving Shimmy with a lot of questions. Armory is a guy with a motive, will Shimmy figure it out before its too late? Kyree is stuck between two men, Osari and Pernell. Pernell does everything he can to get Kyree back. Kyree is torn from her past with Pernell, which is causing her to fall in love with another man. The man Kyree falls in love with is in love with another woman. Every hood has its dilemma, even when one dilemma ends many more occurs. Everyone is in a love triangle, but there is only room for one, who will they choose? This is an urban tale of love, heart-breaks, secrets and lies.