Hennesey, a brilliant straight-A student, is soon off to college on a full scholarship. She's in a strong relationship with Rafe, a recently released convict who's trying to turn his life around after being unjustly jailed. He took a drug rap for his old friend Smoke, who has since become the most ruthless drug dealer in Chicago. Rafe wants nothing more to do with his old friends -- especially when he falls for Hennesey. On the other hand, Alizé is perfectly comfortable relying on her undeniable sex appeal to get what she wants. When Livvy, the girls' mother, announces that they have to move out of her apartment because she is getting a smaller place to save up money and go back to school, Alizé panics as she is in desperate need of some money of her own. She and her girlfriends come up with an outrageous plan to score some fast cash -- persuading the men with fat pockets they meet at clubs to take the girls to a hotel and then drugging them and making off with their wallets and jewelry. Unfortunately for Alizé, one of their first victims is none other than Smoke, Rafe's old buddy. Once robbed, he's bent on revenge -- and the violent chain of events that follow will change the Rodgers family forever.

    From this Essence bestselling author comes a sexy, fast-paced novel about astreet-smart girl determined to make it big in the glitzy nightclub business.288 pp.

    They?ve never been afraid to share everything about their lives and definitely keep each other's secrets ? including hiding Dana's On-The-DL affair from her husband, Jonathan. Though Sylvia is uncomfortable with her participation in the cover-up and despises the man Dana's creepin? with, she remains a loyal friend. That is, until she finds herself attracted to the very man her friend is deceiving. As the lines of friendship and matrimonial territory erodes, all hell is about to break loose! Choices have to be made with serious repercussions at stake. If loving you is wrong, I don?t wanna be right!

    He’s married to his college sweetheart, Leah, and they have two children and a dream home in Los Angeles. But an injury has sidelined his hot career, and prescription medication and depression are pulling him into a downward spiral, leaving Leah feeling emotionally distanced and lonely. Their fighting escalates, and one night Dell commits an act of violence that changes the course of their lives forever. But Angel Lopez, the cop who arrests Dell, decides to take the law into his own hands. Determined to teach the famous athlete a lesson, he drives Dell to the worst part of town and tries to kick him out of the car. The men struggle and the car crashes. When Angel comes to, Dell is gone and no one knows if he’s dead or alive.Leah is grateful when a guilt-stricken Angel offers to chase the media away from her home and help out around the house, “just until Dell comes home.” She and her family grow to trust him, and Angel falls in love with the Roadrunner’s lovely, grieving wife. Will Dell find his way home? Will Angel replace him? And what really happened that dark night the Roadrunner disappeared?

    She gave it all up to gamble on her talent, and found success she'd never imagined as one of New York's hottest painters. But when she returns to her South Carolina hometown to care for her ailing father, she gets an even bigger surprise. That "bow-legged" neighbor's boy she used to play with has grown up into Darius McRae, a lawyer who gave up the D.C. fast-lane to get back to his roots. Now, Darius' dark-chocolate build and slow, easy smile are proving to be just as tempting as any city lights...The last thing Darius was looking for was a relationship. He'd been burned by too many women who put finance over romance--including his conniving ex-girlfriend Cortina. But Celina's sense of humor and unpretentious ways are igniting more than his passions. And when Cortina starts stirring up a mess of trouble, Darius will do whatever it takes to show Celina a home-grown love is a dream worth everything...

    Now she takes you to Washington, D.C.'s most notorious neighborhood, where a young woman has one chance to escape-and too many ways to lose . . . SILENCED She gets lost in the fantasy of books and poetry. But in Tinka Hampton's all-too-real world, her mother Nicola has lost her job and is struggling to stop her family's fall into poverty. With her sons turning to drug dealing-and worse-Nicola wants better things for her daughter. Yet the more pressure she puts on Tinka to do everything right, the more she drives her away . . . straight into the arms of Nine, a man as irresistible as he is lethal. Now Nicola must make unimaginable choices that will put Tinka at a dangerous crossroads. Will standing up for her seemingly impossible dreams be her way out-or will they trap her on D.C.'s merciless streets forever?

    . . Set in the highest ranks of the music industry’s fame machine, Diamond Life is an intoxicating story of love, sex, ambition, money, betrayal, and the surprising realities of making it big. Alex Maxwell’s career as a journalist and celebrity ghost writer is taking off, despite the slightly embarrassing authorship of hip-hop super-groupie Cleo Wright’s memoir. And while Alex’s star is on the rise, it pales in comparison to her husband Birdie’s multiplatinum debut and world tour. Slowly but surely, everything they swore would never happen begins to come true, like leaving Brooklyn for a mansion in suburban Jersey and letting a reality TV crew into their home. Birdie is confronted time and again by the sexy groupies who pursue famous rappers like heat-seeking missiles and he’s forced to make some life-changing choices. Meanwhile, aging rapper Z, in recovery from drug addiction, is too busy trying to repair his marriage to leave much time for his son Zander, newly signed to Z’s label and struggling to maintain his appeal in the wake of a domestic violence scandal with his diva girlfriend Bunny. Record label president Jake is trying to deal with the death of his wife, multiplatinum R&B artist Kipenzi Hill, by drowning his sorrows in alcohol and women. When he meets Lily, a beautiful, quiet waitress, he can’t get her out of his head. But Lily has her own problems to handle and she wants nothing to do with the fame, drama, and baggage that Jake carries with him. This juicy follow-up to Aliya S. King’s Platinum is a scintillating roman à clef that takes readers behind the curtain once again for the real scoop on the biggest players in the hip-hop game—and the first ladies who hold them together.

    The original “Maintenance Man” followed a litany of releases, including “Men Cry In The Dark,” “God’s Gift To Women”, “Do Men Know What They Want” and solidified his stance as one of the most successful self-published male authors on the literary scene.With “Maintenance Man II,” Baisden broadens the storyline as Tremell comes out of retirement to not only rebuild his contact list of high-end female clientele, but also franchise a male escort service worldwide. Intrigue, drama and danger quickly come into play when Tremell liaisons with the wife of a powerful and corrupt Republican senator. When they unwittingly uncover the senator’s underhanded deal with the powerful Kross brothers for political control, Tremell will have to tap his military training and street smarts to not only save his life, but also those closest to him.Baisden, once again educates as he entertains, brilliantly engaging his readers. Utilizing Malcolm Tremell as the ultimate Renaissance man protagonist, he brazenly unveils several harsh and dark realities behind the current political process. He skillfully touches on some of the most critical political issues to date, including voter suppression as well as corporate greed, seamlessly interspersing them between a romantic and politically charged plot. The novel’s tone is captivating and inviting, whisking the reader into a non-stop escapade of sex, action and adventure.After years of being out of the gigolo lifestyle, Malcolm has to rebuild his list of contacts and high-end clientele. But he still has his good looks, his Rolodex, and his reputation. This time he vows that nothing will stand in his way of getting back on top and creating a franchise of escort services worldwide. He disguises his gigolo lifestyle as a nightclub owner in Miami—the perfect cover to mix business with pleasure.

    After all of the drama that ensued when she discovered that Aric McHale—her former boss, lover, and father to her son—was married, Chyanne has found a man to call her own. She has it made in the shade . . . or so she thinks. Stephanie, Aric’s ex-wife, may have been found guilty of attempted murder, but she hasn’t been sentenced yet. She is still free to walk to the streets. Gabriel, Aric’s best friend, is trying to deal with the fallout from Stephanie’s conviction. He has to face issues surrounding his mother and father’s secret relationship, as well as keep a secret from Aric that could ruin their friendship. Aric thought he didn’t want to be with Chyanne, until he saw how happy she was with Jamie. Now he’s rethinking his decision to leave her alone. When it comes to Chyanne, what Aric wants is what Aric gets. Jamie has some skeletons of his own that are about to fall out of the closet. With all of the lies that will be exposed, Jamie and Chyanne’s seemingly perfect relationship just might come unraveled.

    . . Gorgeous, successful executive Teri Stewart spends her days working for L.A.'s hottest record company--and her nights all alone. Her best friend Nicole is determined to find Teri a man, but she hasn't had much luck. . .because Teri wants more than Mr. Maybe. She's holding out for Mr. Right and won't settle for anything less. Just when Teri is ready to give up, a man from her past returns to reignite their romance. With his sultry smile and easy-going charm, radio DJ Harrison Starr is one-of-a kind--and Teri can't deny she's fallen hard for him again. With her life finally falling into place, Teri thinks her dreams might come true after all. But Harrison may have a secret that could change everything. . .

    Big, bold, and beautiful are three adjectives that describe Erika to a tee. Named after her mother's favorite soap opera vixen, Erika Kane is self-assured, headstrong, and opinionated. But Erika is also unlucky in love. Whenever she thinks she's found everlasting love, it always ends up being short-lived--literally. She has three dead husbands to prove that point, and it has earned her the title of The Black Widow. Just when Erika is about to give up on true love, she learns that, like it does in the soaps, love sometimes shows up when you least expect it--though sometimes it can be deceiving. Once again, life has gone wrong for Artemis Clay. It seems like she's always been unlucky in love, and this time is even worse than she could imagine. Her own family looks down upon her, and everything looks hopeless. Artemis decides to leave everything behind for a last-minute getaway. While she's enjoying her newfound freedom, she comes across not one, but two reminders that maybe not all hope is lost. Is she ready to take a chance on love again?

    Losing herself in him, she vowed that the last time was indeed the last time. Too many chances had been given, and the respect she had for him was slowly dwindling. Pleading for a sign from God, he provides Shanae one that rocks her to her core, leading her into the powerful arms of her childhood crush, Levi. Kali, a mother of one, is simply fed up. Getting pregnant at twenty-one was never in her plans, and neither was having to deal with an emotionally unstable baby daddy for the rest of her life. In a perfect world, she envisioned them under one roof, raising their son to be a king. The reality of that happening is slim to none. Over the single life, Kali pursues a relationship with her a classmate Rondo, not realizing the struggles that lied ahead while satisfying her desires. After a break up that causes Layla to question every man's intentions, her promiscuity heightens. She stopped longing to be accepted and became selfish with her time, placing her needs above all. With the thoughts of being abandoned again, Layla swore off relationships. That is until her smooth-talking neighbor Brody breaks that barrier she built between them. Somewhat interested in why he'd pursue her, Layla falls hard with no restraints, unleashing years of pain while doing so. Sometimes in life, the people we love the most hurt and betray us in ways we'd never imagine. Shanae, Kali, and Layla know that all too well. To the woman who has given her unwavering devotion to a man… a man who should've never had the privilege to even get close to you, this book is for you. You deserve more. More than what he's giving you. More than what you're allowing yourself to receive. Reclaim your time and your heart. And remember, that man is your ex for a reason…there's no need to double back.

    Now Lady must find a way to survive on the cold, hard streets. After landing a dead-end job at a donut shop, Lady wonders how she will ever make it out of a six-dollar-an-hour existence. Then she meets Cream, the leader of one of the most notorious gangs in New York City. Cream quickly decides that he wants to own this beauty and recruits her for his prostitution ring. Lady joins the "Cream Team," but she has no intentions of working the streets forever. In fact, she plans to run the show and she's willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. But the streets don't love nobody, and it's not long before Lady is deep in a game she can no longer control. The question is: Will she be able to get out of the game before the game claims her?

    She is a nice girl with an attraction to the wrong types of men. No one seems to understand why she would get involved with a notorious criminal. After settling into a dangerous relationship with Devon, her life takes a drastic change for the worse. Caught between his material gifts and controlling behavior she searches for a way out. The battle to save Carlie from Devon's grip puts the lives of many people in jeopardy. By the time she realizes that force is needed when going up against Devon, it is too late. Carlie's fight to stay alive will keep you on edge. Will she give in? Or die trying?

    Sequel to This Can't Be Life