A first novel. Reprint.

    Just when she thinks she's got it all, times get tight, and her body is put to work in the bedroom. Between sexin' married men for hire and searching for the man who would get her out the game; her life is shattered when her cousin Oshyn, pulls in a drug dealer with deep pockets. Oshyn knows her conniving cousin would do anything to walk in her shoes, so she flaunts glamorous gifts and icey diamonds, given to her by new love, Brooklyn Jones. Chloe gets senseless and resorts to desperate measures when she can't steal Brooklyn from Oshyn. When her wild sexual escapades don't work, she uses the ultimate betrayal as her weapon. But her plan is destroyed when a tragic moment happens that shocks everyone. Will Chloe look past her evil ways and change for the better, or will their fate be a replica of their dark family secret? There's a reason why their mothers are locked down and six feet under.

    This Essence bestseller from an author to watch takes an unforgettable look at love, lust, and secrets that can break hearts--and destroy homes.

    Despite the exceptional qualities and his obvious interest in her, things are moving too slow between them. Unlike most men who can’t wait to get in her pants, this particular man refuses to take things to the next level.DARYL JACKSON has grown tired of the nightclub scene and wants to settle down, but he has a secret that always seems to interrupt any potential love connection once he reveals it. He believes Michelle is the ideal woman, but can she handle the truth?After six weeks of dating, and still no attempt from him to get her “horizontal,” Michelle grows sex-starved. She is driving herself crazy trying to figure out Daryl’s problem! During a weekend getaway in Palm Springs, Michelle finally puts an end to the what’s-wrong-with-Daryl guessing game and demands to know what’s up. Not only does Daryl answer all her questions, Michelle learns first hand that you really need to be careful with what you wish for!

    Reprint.

    But the road back will mean facing the hardest truths - and risking everything to discover what her life could really be.

    ONE REASON TO LIVE. THREE WAYS TO DIE. Trill Johnson has five years of jail time under his belt, two women trying to get inside his pants, and one mission: Get the suckers who sold him out. And get ’em good. Sunni James will do anything for Trill. Lie, cheat, steal. Even risk losing her successful beauty salon to save him from the mean streets of Richmond. Precious Pay will do anything for Trill, too. She cribbed his kid while he did his time; now she wants Trill to pay for the leg she lost in a robbery gone wrong. But when love is a lie, who do you trust? When the deals turn dirty, who do you betray? And when the guns start blazing, who’s going down?

    Later that night, Kennedy gets a call that Nina is being beaten up by her boyfriend- again. Kennedy rushes over to help, but it's too late: Nina dies in Kennedy's arms after making her promise to take care of her children.Stepping up to the plate, Kennedy becomes the mother of three more kids and moves them into a Harlem brownstone. She knows she needs to refocus her life, and gets her chance when she meets Chaz, a successful hip-hop artist who sees star quality written all over her. She's offered the chance to become a rapper and leave the streets behind- or at least shift to another kind of grind. But once in the music world, Kennedy realizes that the setting may have changed, but the hustle remains the same.

     Cola has that special something that makes all men want to have her. Her unstable ex-boyfriend, Zell took betrayal to another level with the things he did behind her back. After a tragic event caused Cola to lose her unborn child, she starts to fall out of love with Zell and in love with a man named Baker. Baker is the man in the streets and he knows how to treat his woman. He has no secrets and he tells no lies. Baker is a protector, provider and everything else a woman can dream of. Life is good for Cola until she gets the shock of her life when Baker’s cousin comes into the picture. Will Baker’s cousin keep Cola’s scandalous secret from her past? Or will the cat be let out of the bag? After being silent for years, Zell reappears and tries to wreak havoc on one of the people that means the world to Cola, but Zell makes the fatal mistake of not seeing things through himself. Will relationships and friendships end when things that were once done in the dark come out in the light? Come take a wild ride with Cola, Baker, and their crew as they plot revenge against the man who has caused turmoil in their lives.

    

    After serving a 3 year bid, Marquez swore to himself that he would never step foot in another prison. Determined to turn his life around, Marquez occupies his days working at a local car shop. Despite the low pay and endless hours, Marquez does not let that deter him. His world is then shaken up the moment he meets Breanna, a cute, around the way girl, whose main focus in life is attaining her degree and escaping the gritty projects of Brownsville, Brooklyn, for good. Both from troubled pasts, they find themselves drawn to each other in ways they would’ve never fathomed. Breanna becomes the light to Marquez’s life as she opens his heart to something foreign to him. Love. Marquez then begins to realize the possibilities of obtaining a better life outside of the hood. It is until he is faced with an unexpected tragedy that shatters his world for the worst. His dark past now becomes a reality as the grim streets claw at every ounce of his sanity. Now, Marquez must decide whether to continue on the right path he vowed to take or succumb to the dangerous lifestyle he has always known. The streets.

    She manages to make a life for herself on the streets, with money, sex, respect, power, notoriety, and even love, and she feels that the choices she has made to get there are the right ones. No one can stop her or tell her otherwise.But it all comes crashing down when one of the choices she has made comes back to haunt her. While living the life of a drug dealer’s girl, entering the game and scheming her way through to get what she wants, she learns that success in this game and the choices she has made do not matter—especially when she faces Him, and He shows her how her choices have altered her destiny. Will Sasha get a second chance to make the right decisions? Or will it be too late?

    Now she turns her eye to matters of the heart, with an endearing main character who can’t seem to keep bad men out of her life. Bernita Brown is a quick-thinking, tireless social worker who is good at practically everything—except love. Her first marriage ends in divorce, a painful experience Bernita refuses to think about. Instead, she dives into a series of sad relationships and overwhelming commitments to community and church. But not even church can keep her from being courted by dogs; Bernita’s married pastor begins making passes at her, then blames her for his backsliding. Along the way, the ghost of Bernita’s aunt Babe weighs in with plenty of advice (after all, Aunt Babe says, “You don’t need to be alive to tell folks how to live”). When a marvelous man finally enters Bernita’s life, only time can tell whether she will be able to trust him. Written with Berry’s signature warmth and reliance on African-American ancestors who deliver homespun healing, When Love Calls, You Better Answer addresses a host of powerful topics, from abusive relationships to corrupt church leaders. Ultimately, Bernita’s story will inspire readers to find the love they need, especially the love that can only come from within.

    Los Angeles-based cosmetics tycoon Steven Chase has come a long way from his humble beginnings. Steven's family, including socialite wife, Janet, and four grown children, live a life of privilege in exclusive View Park. But when Steven wants to expand his empire by adding a chain of hair salons, one woman stands in his way. Once Steven realizes he can't seduce her with money, he tries a different approach: his handsome attorney son, Carter... Meanwhile, spoiled debutante Haley Chase is busy getting into high-profile trouble on her lover's yacht, pediatrician Leigh Chase is determined to start a free clinic—against her parents' wishes—and Michael Chase is busy doing Daddy's dirty work. His only soft spot is for his wife, Kimberly, who has her own ambitions—plans that may one day shake the very foundations of the Chase dynasty—and change their view from the top forever...

    Lucy is thirty-five, single, and in great shape thanks to her career as a fitness manager for a string of Texas health clubs. Adel is the vice president for human resources at American Oil, pulling in a six-figure salary and annual bonuses. Unfortunately, neither is happy.Lucy struggles with her emotional and spiritual dreams. Her boyfriend Spencer, a basic kind of guy who loves his mama, sports, fried chicken, and Lucy in that order doesn't seem to measure up. So she decides to get out of her rut with a Sexy Soul Psychic named Kuba. Self-assured and sensitive, Kuba seems to know exactly what women want. Or does he?Adel struggles with a husband, Thad, who refuses to grow up and a job that is less than satisfying despite its financial gains. She is eventually forced to reexamine her faith as she searches for a life that brings her closer to happiness and fulfillment.Filled with the humor, passion, and pathos of modern relationships, Colored Sugar Water tells the story of two women who discover the power of their unique spiritual gifts. It further establishes Venise Berry as one of the freshest, wittiest, and wisest writers on today's fiction scene -- as New York Times bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey wrote, "magnificient and honest, Venise Berry's writing comes from her soul."