That saying holds true for Yasmeen Thomas, a successful beauty who thought that she had the perfect marriage to Kadeem. But Yasmeen soon learns that she’s married to a complete stranger. Now that her husband’s mask is off, Yasmeen is forced to make a decision, either accept who he is or start planning her future without him. Kadeem thought that he could he have his cake and eat it too, but what happens when his indiscretions catch up to him? Although he’s aware of his wrong doings Kadeem never prepared himself for the repercussions that he is bond to face. He’s forced to wonder if Yas will fight for their marriage or will she gain the courage to finally leave him after having enough? Sierra and Dominic were the ideal couple along with Yasmeen and Kadeem, but they’ll soon face issues that makes them question the foundation of their marriage as well as :trust. What happens when a blast from their past reappears, bringing drama to the happy couple? Will they remain strong or will the secrets break up a happy home? Lives are forever changed, trust is broken, and betrayals are at every turn as you follow on this journey of love. .

    After all, she was a hustler’s girlfriend. Riding side by side with her man while he ran the streets of Philly, she stayed down until those same streets sent him to the grave. This in turn, causes her to reevaluate her life and start anew. Months later, she finds herself in South Carolina with her family and has gotten a job as a correctional officer. After a few months of working at the state Prison, Camille meets someone from her home city of Philly and immediately they develop an astronomical bond. While adjusting to this new life of hers, Camille learns that the people closest to her may not be as they appear. Can she handle her new life of greed, betrayal, envy, secrets and power? Find out in Every Thug Needs A Down Ass Bitch.

    Cobra will stop at nothing to find his daughter and if that means bodies are gonna drop, then so be it. After a tip comes through on Nikki's whereabouts, Cobra rushes over to get the shock of his life. Nikki is on top of the world. She has $2.5 million in cash and is ready to get the hell out of town. But when a monkey wrench is thrown in her plans, she finds that she has a fight on her hands as well. Who will live through this tornado called Cobra? Will Keisha live to see her baby grow up? Will Nikki be able to talk her way out of getting killed? Find out in the final episode of Her Baby Daddy; My Bae 4...

    THE LONELY POLE - A TWO PART MEGA NOVEL BY TAKERRA ALLEN! We’ve all got dreams… How far are you willing to go for yours? Baby, Nyema, Portia, and Rocsi couldn’t have any less in common than what meets the eye. But under dire circumstances and through different walks of life, they all end up in the same place. Dreamz, a seedy strip joint in the backstreets of Dirty Jerz, conceals some of the darkest secrets and holds captive the souls of many pretty girls lost. In a day and age where the strip life is glamourized and celebrated, take a walk with four women who will tell the tale a bit differently. Lost loves, broken hearts, dreams deferred, all in the name of the almighty dollar and it’s only a pop, twerk, and grind away. But how far is too far, and when do you know you’ve gotten there? And even more important, how can you find your way back? At the sad realization that the pole has no mercy, these women must come to grips with their reality. The pole is cold, the pole is greedy, the pole is wicked, the pole is deceiving, the pole… is lonely.

     Twenty. Twenty-one. Twenty-two. What really happened? No one has a clue. Twenty-two people are questioned, but nothing is found. So one by one, Pepper narrows the suspects down. It becomes clear that everybody has something to hide. The closer Pepper gets to truth, the more everyone lies. Somebody saw something. Someone knows the truth. Someone is a murderer. The question is…who?

    The intelligent, charismatic, and handsome Constantine "Cue" Saldana. He's everything she ever wanted in a man...but there's only one problem. She already has a man of her own. A ruthless Caribbean king pin serving a 10-year bid that's not willing to let her go without a fight. Aubrey will stop at nothing to keep his fiancé Khari right where he wants her--even if it means using manipulation and murder. As far as he is concerned, she belongs to him and he'll go to great lengths to ensure that everyone knows it, including Cue. Kylie has been wrapped around Jamaal's finger for as long as she can remember. He's used and abused her at every turn but for some reason she just can't seem to stay away. When he pops back up in her life with a get rich quick scheme, Kylie cannot resist. Will her love and devotion for the bad boy she can't let go of be her ultimate demise?

    Dionne's music mogul husband, Rod Knight, is having an affair with a stripper/rap artist named Peach. Sydney's turning thirty, and Lucas, her old flame from medical school is trying his best to get back in her good graces. It's going to be a long road for Lucas, because Sydney can't get the image of him cheating with her sorority sister out of her mind. Oldest sister, Camille has named and claimed a financial blessing straight from the throne of grace. So what if the blessing came from the Bingo table and the slot machine? That doesn't mean it wasn't God, right?When the lies and alibis come to light and spiral out of control, it's going to take a lot of prayer to put everything back together again. Lies and Alibis is a novella.

    Best friends since childhood they have experience highs, lows, and everything in between together. Evan is one of the country's most sought after wedding and event planners. Cee is an a-list celebrity hair stylist. Joey is the East Coast's most popular female club promoter. Combining their talents they form The Luxe Group Conglomerate. At the height of The Conglomerate's success a series of mysterious fatal events. It is soon discovered that the secret past of one of the girls has come back to haunt them. In this tale of luxury, betrayal and lies, the girls friendship is put to the ultimate test. Lives are forever changed as the future of their lucrative conglomerate hangs in the balance.

    It left him to take care of his two younger sisters. He had to grow up fast and become the man of the house so that his sisters wouldn’t be forced into the foster care system. When the bills begin to get overwhelming for Muscles to pay, he does the unthinkable. He gets trapped into the street life and causes his self to have beef with the notorious Jamaican drug crew known as the Junkyard Crew. They’re known to place their victims in cars and crush them into tiny pieces. Now Muscles is stuck and tries to pull away from the streets while trying to survive, making his sisters understand that everything he does is for the love he has for them.

    Who will come out on top? “Family isn’t everything; it’s the only thing,” has been the code Tyrik Anderson, aka, Tye has lived by since his first child came into the world and breathed his first breath twenty-one years ago. However, just because Tyrik lives by codes and morals, that doesn’t mean his son Shy does. When Tye’s connect Carlos is viciously robbed, Carlos vows vengeance against all involved. Circumstances causes Tye to exit the game, however, he soon learns that he’s more involved now than ever before. Tye has no idea what’s going on around him, but he’ll soon find out that the same person he’s willing to take a bullet for, also happens to be the same one behind the gun. Although raised by one of the city’s most respected drug dealers, Shy just can’t seem to stop fucking up. Cars, clothes, and trust funds aren’t enough to an ungrateful Shy, who seems to would rather trade the streets over his comfortable lifestyle. Instead of listening to his father, Shy chooses to embrace the streets with his two friends Drama and Rum. Up to no good, and with ill intentions, they soon begin what will ultimately be a bloody war in the streets. Tye’s daughter Tasha seems to be doing it all right, and to her, it’s finally paying off. Enrolled in college and successfully running her dad’s business, she still finds time to make room for love. Rich is like a dream come true to a naive Tasha. However, just like her father and brother, he’s tied to the streets in more ways than one. More titles coming soon from UPTOWN BOOKS. If you enjoy reading titles by MESSIAH RAYE, check out his colleague SHONTAIYE

    After the divorce, her father relocated from Jacksonville to Miami for work. Kimora's world drastically turned upside down. Even though her father was still a part of her life, she missed him terribly. She was forced to grow up quickly and care for her ten-year-old brother, Kennard, while her mother celebrated her newfound freedom, by running the streets and neglecting her children for men and money. Thankfully, her best friend, Gabriela, was there to pick up the pieces and keep her sane. Neron Lopez was the jock and class clown of ninth grade, and Kimora despised him. It wasn't until she was compelled to work with him for a school project that she began to see a different side of him. Neron and Kimora quickly became an item and were inseparable. He dreamed of marrying Kimora after high school, but his dream was crushed when an unexpected twist tore them apart. Neron tried to move on with his life and forget about Kimora, but a drunken one-night stand at a party puts him on the path to fatherhood. He ultimately ends up with the baby mama from hell. Kimora and Neron can't seem to stop thinking about each other and want to rekindle their relationship but, with a crazy baby mama, is that possible? Follow Neron and Kimora and see if they can find their way back to each other.

    Betrayal, lust, lies, murder, and love all come into play in this urban love story.The Alton brothers run the Detroit drug game, and it was a long time coming! Now these boys have their act together and plan on going all the way letting nothing or no one get in their way.When Sacario, the second youngest of the four, fall for an insecure waitress in the men’s popular hot spot- things get hectic.Will they stand the test of time or will the game of love prove to be just too Hard?

    At just the tender age of fifteen, she's experienced a life filled with agony. After being viciously raped and abused by her mother and step-father for years, Novel becomes withdrawn from life. She didn't think life could get more cruel until she becomes pregnant with her rapist's child. After being placed in foster care, Novel thought she was safe until she discovers the foster care's deepest, darkest secret. Jaded and wanting to be delivered out of the dark life she's been given, Novel started to give up until she then meets a man by the name of Lance, who becomes the real father-figure that she's never had. After being a victim for so many years, will Novel finally break free of the shackles of pain or will she let it torment her for the rest of her life?

    Their loyalty to each other has no boundaries, until it starts to affect India's relationship with her boyfriend. Will she have to choose between her friends and her man, or will he chose for her?

    Their circle is tight, and no one comes before family. Keys being the oldest holds the family together since all they have are each other. However, each brother often takes the leading role when it comes to business and life decisions. Together, they run an empire that has allotted them money, respect and power, which of course fuels tensions and has enemies lurking in the shadows. Either way, they stand tall and they stand together. After surviving a traumatic childhood, all three brothers are left a little unstable, with hearts of stone. It drives them to succeed in the streets, but creates a void where matters of the heart are concerned. Yetti especially was dealing with some serious demons, one of which was forced by his mother choosing his life over hers. His past has made him unwilling to open up, and his motto in life has basically been hit and run as far as women were concerned. Their only benefit to him was to satisfy his needs. No connection, no emotional commitments. Reelle was exactly what Yetti needed, although neither of them realize it at the time. She is the ying to his yang, so to speak, and the peace in the middle of a storm. After being burned by the one person she put her all into, Reelle, much like Yetti, had no plans to give her heart away, but unfortunately the universe had other plans. Keys is set in his ways and enjoying life by his own terms. His status has placed him in the position to have just about any woman he sets his sights on until he runs across Asha. Their first encounter was one for the records. She took control and forced him to play by her rules This only fueled Keys’ curiosity and had him chasing her for more. Asha has no intention of being any man’s fool, not even the infamous Keys Masters. As much as she’s drawn to him, she fully intends to make him earn a role in her life, but little does she know, that attitude is what wins him over. Hayes is the baby of the family and seems to have it all together, with a long term girlfriend and beautiful baby girl, you’d think life should be perfect, however new struggles seem to be finding the two of them daily. These brothers and the women they’ve crossed paths with have a few life lessons to learn. It could either make them or break them especially when you add jealousy, and envy from outsiders. The streets aren’t kind when it comes to matters of the heart and defending your empire. Hopefully they will all find their way out with their hearts intact.