The Circle: Dayvid


Ty Marshall - 2014
    After years of terrorizing the streets of Baltimore through murder, armed robbery and extortion and frustrating every law enforcement agency in and around the state of Maryland. Dayvid and his infamous band of siblings are on the verge of accomplishing what so many before them had failed to do…retire on their own terms, at the top of their game. But as with most things in the life, nothing goes as planned, when ATF raids their safe house following their final heist. After escaping the Solitary Housing Unit of a federal prison and a for certain death penalty. Dayvid is offered an unimpeded fresh start from an unlikely ally but spurns the opportunity when it is told to him that the woman he loves could not be included. Returning to Baltimore he discovers that his woman and his money have gone missing. In his search to recover them both David learns the old adage that No man can serve two masters, when he is forced to choose between love and money. Follow Dayvid’s journey to be reunited with his siblings in this fast paced, action packed, gangster love story.

Hold You Down


Dominique Thomas - 2014
    By chance she meets Ameer. He’s everything that she wants but doesn’t need. Married to not only the streets but to a woman as well. Sophie’s sees that Ameer is trouble from the start but she can’t seem to stay away from him. Ameer slides into Sophie’s life and changes things instantly. Some for the better and some for the worse. With an enemy determined to take Ameer and his family out trouble falls onto Sophie and the ones he loves. Ameer has a plan and good intentions but getting to the finish line is going to be a lot harder than he thought. All he wanted to do was hold Sophie down. Will he be able to have the new woman and new life or will he succumb to his old one?

Lady's Night


Mark Anthony - 2005
    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?

Love Is Blind


Kyoshi - 2014
    She meets Cordae Thomas aka Black at the tender age of sixteen. He was her escape from the fighting at home between her parents, he gave her what she had been longing for. But somewhere along the lines things changed, he became controlling, demanding and very abusive. Will she get out before it's too late? Or will she become another statistic? Take this emotional ride with Kaylen as she learns the true meaning of "Love Is Blind".

The Pussy Trap 2


NeNe Capri - 2012
    Meanwhile Monique Kayson's mother, reveals hidden secrets that will set a chain of events into play that may cause her whole world to come crumbling down. With treachery thick in her midst and new targets in sight, KoKo sets her traps for her enemies that may ultimately end her life.Will KoKo be able to maintain the empire that Kayson left behind? Or will the secrets and deception destroy her?

Queen


Cynthia White - 2007
    Born and raised as Princess of The Black Mafia, an organization founded by her father, she wants for nothing except the love of her cruel, cold-hearted mother. When the police arrest Queen's father for her mother's murder, Queen's perfect life is shattered. Holding a dark secret, Queen must decide if she can reveal the true identity of the killer in order to spare her father's life. With her father gone, she searches for security in the arms of a series of lovers, who all have their own agendas. Just as her life seems to be spinning out of control, she learns to face her own demons and take control of her destiny. But when Queen finally realizes that she is so much more than the criminals and thugs who surround her, it may already be too late.

Lies and Alibis


Tiffany L. Warren - 2013
    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.

Emmanuel


Shantaé - 2020
    On the streets of Houston it holds major weight and is never to be taken lightly. In their hood it brings status, garners respect, and defines loyalty. To break bread with a Broadus is an honor but to actually be a Broadus is to be part of a brotherhood. A legacy. A bond so unbreakable that it would take several armies of adversaries to penetrate it.Emmanuel, the quick tempered baby boy, has easily lived up to every expectation there is when it comes to carrying the Broadus name but history has shown that during the reign of every great King, there is always someone looking to knock them off the throne.Being solid and thorough doesn’t guarantee immunity to post traumatic stress and that’s the exact state he finds himself in months after being gunned down on New Year’s Eve. In the midst of his storm, he encounters another troubled soul who despite her own struggles, brings him a peace he’s never known. With her, he’s at ease and free to be himself but between the stresses of the street life, managing an up and coming singing sensation, and battling his own inner demons, Emmanuel must figure out a way to balance his love for Kambré while still living up to his surname.Accustomed to getting what he wants, Emmanuel finds himself unable to deal with Kambré’s indifference when it comes to their relationship. Advice from different sources on his situation tends to go in one ear and out the other but when his plus sized beauty becomes fed up with his antics and walks away, will Emmanuel find himself at risk for spiraling even further down a dark road or will her departure be the wake up call he needed all along?

Making Love to a Boss 3


Nat Love - 2020
    Calif, a fine, underground rapper is starting to finally feel fame. After booking a tour along the coast of the great state of California, he feels like he is finally getting somewhere, but not without Natia, of course. After a lot of convincing, and a little bit of drama, Calif finally has Natia cuffed. Slowly realizing that everyone is not for him, Calif comes face to face with betrayal and can only think of one way to end it for good. Will Calif turn cold hearted after being the one with the most love? Natia never planned to fall so hard for Calif, but she did. After an incident occurs, and she has to be protected by Calif, she decides to give him another chance. Natia finally realizes that she and Calif will have haters wherever they are, simply because they are a powerful couple. After going on tour with Calif and getting the opportunity of a lifetime, Natia feels like she is in heaven. But not everyone is happy about their relationship. Will Natia be strong enough to overcome the haters? Sara has been through something that she never in her life wanted to experience again, which causes her to take a step back from her wild choices. Nas is there for her in more ways than one when she finds herself in a dangerous situation, and it brings them closer than ever. Sara’s life can never be normal, of course, so drama is sure to follow, and it does, in a big way. Nas still can’t believe that Dre is his blood brother. Unfortunately, he may have to kill him for betraying the entire crew behind a toxic, obsessed female. Although it’s code, Nas is still torn between blood and loyalty. Dre has run into someone he never expected to see again, and it changes everything. He starts to realize how wrong he was to betray his friends and prepares to right his wrongs. The thing about karma is that it doesn’t miss a beat, and the cost to Dre may be his life. The rollercoaster ride with the squad continues as life comes at them fast.

The Takeover: a Son's Betrayal


Messiah Raye - 2016
    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

Animal V: Executioner's Song


K'wan - 2021
    Armed and Brokenhearted.In this final installment of the widely popular “Animal” series, we find our anti-hero on a hunt for the woman who forced him to pick his guns back up when she burned his entire world down. The traitorous, Red Sonja. She alone holds the key to saving his children and avenging his murdered wife, Gucci, but first he has to find her.To do this, Animal reassembles his old gang: The Dog Pound for what will prove to be their most dangerous mission yet. The stakes are higher than ever and not everyone is expected to make it, but the members of the Pound readily accept the task and the risks that come with it. With his old friends, and a few new ones, Animal is on the hunt for his elusive prey. Then the unthinkable happens and there is an earth-shattering discovery that will change everything, including loyalties.Meanwhile, the Black Lotus finds herself a prisoner in a place she had once called home. Having been branded a traitor by the Brotherhood of Blood, she is remanded to the mountain fortress while awaiting trial for the crimes she stands accused of. Unbeknownst to her, there are some within the Brotherhood who would rather see her dead than exonerated. Kahllah has unearthed a dark conspiracy which could clear her name, but at the cost of destroying the Brotherhood of Blood, which makes her a threat to the conspirators and a moving target. The hunter finds herself the hunted and her only chance of surviving the mountain will be to place her fate in the hands of an unlikely champion.The table is set finally set and the meal served. Pull up a chair, because this will be the “Last Supper.” #TeamAnimal