Book picks similar to
No New Friends: A Naptown Hood Drama by Tamicka Higgins


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A Cornish Carol: A Short Story


Fern Britton - 2014
    But Pendruggan’s Mr Rochester is in danger of becoming its Ebeneezer Scrooge when he is driven to distraction by the villager’s over-the-top Christmas celebrations. How could the cringeworthy amateur village production of Aladdin bring seasonal cheer to anyone, he wonders? And do the village children really have to arrive at his cottage door every single night in December with their terrible recorders and discordant singing?But when Piran’s bad temper risks spoiling Christmas for everyone, something drastic needs to be done. So, over one Christmas Eve, three very special people pay Piran a visit, determined to show him what Christmas is really all about…

The 1st Female King: The Beginning


Arabia - 2013
    Nothing came easy for her and everything she had, she had to fight for. The battles seem endless until she meets Sincere, who seems to be the perfect man for her; but once again life gets in the way of her being happy. Join Brianna as she weaves her way through life and be there for her triumphs and her downfalls as she tries to play the hand that life has dealt her.

This Game Has No Loyalty


Brooklyn June - 2010
    It quickly became the most sought out employment for street kids who learned how to distribute, package and sell it for a profit. What no one anticipated was the havoc and destruction it would bring to their hood because of the unlimited potential of stacks of money they stood to make. Murder, betrayal and disloyalty surfaced without prejudice and took young lives almost immediately. Welcome to Bushwick and Bed-Stuy Brooklyn where Junior catapults you into life in the drug dealer game and takes you on an up close and personal voyage that will have you smelling gun smoke and running for your life. Being a kingpin in a hood you're not from is usually unheard of but for Junior it wasn't. He's the boss of Baptiste projects and believes there are two reasons he's avoided drama from the locals. For one, he hired dudes from Baptiste to help him and the second was because his girl Shondra was born and raised in Baptiste and had mad love and respect in her hood. Junior enjoyed getting money relatively with no consequences but nothing remains the same for long. He gets his first taste of disloyalty from within his camp and that compromises his once solidly run drug empire. Junior's first instinct is impulsive and he rushes to deal with the betrayal with lethal intentions, but his premeditated move proves to be the wrong move and he finds himself in a deadly gun battle with KB and his crew. He barely escapes and flees Baptiste to Bed-Stuy to plan his next strategic move. He turns to Shondra to give him inside information on what is happening in Baptiste in his absence while he temporarily turns over the reins of his business to one of his trusted workers who was with him during his gunfight with KB's crew. Shondra finds out some information that will help him eliminate his enemies but it jeopardizes her relationship with her best friend Gloria. While Junior is plotting his revenge he runs into Muffin, a girlfriend from his past. He decides to use her as a part of his team but their emotions cause romantic turmoil that eventually leads to a love triangle although he tells Muffin he's in a relationship with Shondra. Muffin plays as if she respects the boundaries placed in front of her but has her own plans on taking Shondra out of the picture so she can claim her place as Junior's main girl. Junior's goal is to change the way the drug game is played but after being set up he's on a mission to stay alive and make everyone involved pay for their disloyalty. He also tries to find a balance between his love for Shondra and his business/love relationship he developed with Muffin. When Shondra finds out about Junior's affair with Muffin her anger is temporarily derailed when they find themselves in the middle of a deadly shootout. The massacre affects everyone's life in a dramatic way, spilling all secrets out in the open. Junior and Muffin's infidelity is revealed, Gloria discovers Shondra's disloyalty to her and KB's life hangs in the balance. Junior's empire, life and relationship are at stake as he executes his deadly plan of revenge. One Brooklyn neighborhood tells a gangster love story that is fueled by murder, betrayal, unfaithfulness, revenge and remarkably, love. To live the so called drug life, don;t try to find loyalty in something you believe in if you are not willing to commit to it completely.

Luxury Tax


T. Styles - 2013
    Her memory loss continues to hold her recollection hostage as she constantly deals with Child Protective Service, a distant boyfriend and a crush on her Stick Up Kid neighbor, Gerron. If someone does not clue Ginger in or her memory doesn't come back, Ginger will go down for reasons she doesn't have one clue on. To top it off, a local thug named Bodie, who use to "Run & Gun" with Gerron, has turned enemy and kidnapped a close family member for ransom. The only way Gerron can raise the money is by doing what he does best, by taxing other people. But because his name rings out in the DMV area, he has to take his talents elsewhere. Las Vegas is the perfect place to get paid. But time is not on his side.

A Miami Love Tale 3 : Thugs Need Luv Too


Diamond D. Johnson - 2015
    Relationships are still being tested and enemies are popping out left and right, this time they’re not playing fair either.What happens when Sharice pops back up on the scene trying to make peace this time around? She has a big secret that needs to be addressed but will it be enough to make Dontae go against his word and give her that last wish before she leaves?Not only does Imani have Shard’s heart, but she also has his baby and that’s not sitting well with an old secret lover of his. Determined to get Shard back by any means necessary is the plan for her. Will Imani willingly give Shard away or will she be pushed to the point of no return? What also happens when Rashard has a secret enemy that is close to him all the time that is secretly trying to take him out and steal his girl?Sincere and Nae are doing well. No drama on their end but how long will that last before things go downhill for them? How long will Sincere be able to behave himself until he winds up getting himself in trouble? Or has he already learned from his mistakes and is doing right by his wife this time?In this last installment to A Miami Love Tale, get a good look into their lives. Filled with that thug love, die hard friendships, and it wouldn’t be good without the drama. I even have a few guest up my sleeve with this one. The question that the fans have been wanting to know will be answered. Did Breesha really die? You got to buy it in order to find out.

Yo' Boo Been Creepin' With Me


Angie Hayes - 2015
    She gave her up dreams in college just to follow him as he pursued his. Kema knew that with fame and money would come the thirst of the groupies, but she never would have imaged his biggest sideline chick would be her very own cousin. Rashaad loves Kema and plans to marry her someday, but right now he's just having too much fun with his new found fame as a pro athlete. With money and unlimited women at his disposal Rashaad is having second thoughts of truly being a one woman man. When he fumbles off the field and ends up getting Kema’s cousin pregnant, he now has to decide what's more important; keeping his woman or raising his child. Katrina has always been the chick who was used to getting what she wanted by any means necessary, and her cousin’s man Rashaad is no exception! When she finds out that she's pregnant by him she knows that she has hit the jackpot. The baby will be her meal ticket and Katrina will do whatever is necessary to make sure that no one gets in the way of not; including her cousin.

Another Rumble (The Rumble Series Book 2)


Rayven Skyy - 2011
    Milk’s most recent brush with death forces him to re-evaluate not only his street credibility, but also his relationship with estranged ex-wife, Sabrina Wright, whom soon finds out that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Old scores are settled with new vendettas on the horizon which ignites the fire for Another Rumble!

FeMALE TRAITS "The Trilogy"


Lurea C. McFadden - 2011
    She is married to a successful, loving husband but somehow she requires more attention than this fine upstanding man can offer. She plays hard; in fact she is a playa in her own right. But Grace forgets that Game recognizes Game when she runs into Sonia, her husband’s best friend. This is the tale of Grace’s extra-marital love affair, love and support of good friends, and lessons learned along the way.

BLACKBONE


Caryn Lee - 2014
    Growing up for seventeen year old Ciara was hard. Dealing with a alcoholic Mother who physically, mentally, and verbally abused her. Being sent to live in a group home was only the beginning of another nightmare. That is until she meets Eric aka Smooth and he turns her life from shit to sugar. It's all good until the sweet turns bitter. Growing up to fast and living in the streets was fine with Jasmine. She didn't want to listen to anyone and loved to break rules. She later found out in life that all rules aren't meant to be broken. Stick and stones don't break her bones. Kelly was a small girl from the block who wasn't to be played with. She did what she had to do to survive. She meets Ant and he chills her heart. Things get hot and heavy when she has to deal with the consequences that comes with the lifestyle.

Loss Leader


Simon Haynes - 2010
    Join the crew as they discover all is not as it seems...Originally published in Andromeda Spaceways #3

Hidden Memories


Jennifer Hayden - 2015
    His struggle to find a way out of the darkness that has enveloped his family has been heart wrenching. He has almost given up hope of ever seeing Katie again, when suddenly the mystery of her disappearance begins to unravel. After twenty long years, a mysterious stranger brings forth a most chilling discovery, forcing Jase and his family back into a nightmare he has tried for so long to leave behind. Murder, betrayal and unexpected love reinforce undeniable ties as two families come together after decades of emptiness and sorrow and search among their own for the answers that will finally lay their anguish to rest.

She Use to Be the Sweetest Girl


Linette King - 2016
    It comes from those you would have never expected it to come from, like your friends and sometimes your family. For Nichole Jackson it came from both. Amber, Nichole and Bianca had been best friends for a few years but neither of them really knew the other. They all pretty much only shared the information that they wanted them to know. The scariest thing to have in your life is a best friend that doesn’t really like you. With a friend like that, who needs enemies? Darnell (Murda) Jones runs the streets of Memphis with an iron fist. He prides himself on leaving no stone unturned by killing off any and everyone that poses a threat to his empire. His organization came first until he ran into a damsel in distress, literally. All of a sudden, his focus began to drift away as the overpowering need to save her took over. When life constantly throws you hardships, it changes you. Follow the She use to be the sweetest girl series to find out how quickly it changed Nichole Jackson.

Bombshells


T. Elliott Brown - 2011
    Six-year-old Birdie Adams wants to run away and join the circus but guesses she’ll have to go to the first grade and hang around with her new baby brother instead. Maybe her big sister needs a little help, too. The circus will have to wait.Twelve-year-old Melanie Adams wants her friend to stop bugging her to get her first kiss. Melanie’s already had her first kiss, but won’t spoil the special secret by talking about it. Norah Adams is a good mother and wife who wants to keep her family safe and happy, but tucking the order form for dogtags in her daughters’ lunch boxes is a big change from the everyday bologna sandwiches.Lola Carter wants the life her sister, Norah, has. Instead she has a factory job, an alcohol and prescription drug addiction, and an abusive boyfriend. Even if President Kennedy prevents World War III, these women’s lives will be changed forever.

Looks Great Naked


Sandi Hutcheson - 2013
    True, she can’t order anything through the mail for fear her dachshunds, Laverne and Shirley, will intercept and eat the contents, and she’s still carrying a few extra pounds from the birth of her kindergartener, but the rest of her life – marriage, kids, house, even her tennis game – is picture perfect.At least it is until the day her mother hands her a diet and exercise book called Look Great Naked and says, “I think your husband’s having an affair.” As the façade begins to crumble, Grace realizes that looking great naked means having nothing to hide. It’s accepting yourself exactly the way you are -- right here, right now, flaws, wrinkles, knots, bumps, lumps, bad attitude and all.