No, boosting is a way of life for the four best friends, bringing money in to help them to survive. With three of the friends having children and one trying to get more studio time, extra money is always good, especially at Christmas time. When a joking idea turns into a formulated plan, the stakes rise to a higher level as the friends go from boosting corporations to robbing people. After selecting their targets, the quad put their plan into action. However, unbeknownst to them, they inadvertently rip off the wrong kingpin, putting all their lives in danger. Will the four friends get to enjoy the type of Christmas that they always imagined? Or will this Christmas be painted red instead of white? Get lost in the grind with Stasi, Celeste, Shad, and TRaw in this gritty African American Urban Fiction novella, Christmas in the Trap: The Bay Style.

    I don’t intend to be the latter anymore.” –Law Calloway They say friends make the worst enemies, but what about family? The Calloway family secret was supposed to be taken to the grave. Now that Raquel knows the two feuding families are intertwined in more ways than one, and the man she loves is presumed dead, she has to figure out her next move. Whatever she decides, she has to be careful. After all, she’s carrying around his family’s biggest secret, along with what happened to Nashiya. Will Raquel succumb to the fast and dangerous life of the man she loves as part of her vengeance against Dallas, or, will Derrick, the one skeleton from her past, spill the secret that unravels everything? Everyone thinks that dead men tell no tales, but that is a deadly mistake. Now that the people Law loves and those who hate him the most think he’s out of the picture for good, he can make his moves in silence as he continues to lay out his plan on the path to ultimate respect. He plans to leave no stone unturned when it comes to getting Detective Mason and the Price family off his back for good, because this time around, he’s playing for keeps. In the blink of an eye, Blaze finds himself faced with new responsibilities, and the weight of the world is on his shoulders now that he thinks he’s the only Calloway man left to redeem his family’s name. With a baby on the way and a new relationship blooming with Nevaeh, he has to be more mindful of the moves he makes. Thinking with his mind and not with his gun for the first time may be one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do. Even with Nashiya gone, Dallas still held up his end of their final bargain by giving Law a wedding gift he’d never forget. What he doesn’t know is he may be playing right into Law’s hand. Dallas has his own ulterior motives in this cat and mouse game, and wants proof of the information Raquel revealed to him to save her life. Because now he knows the Price’s and Calloway’s were more than just enemies, they were family. In the finale of this ride or die love story, everyone is seeking their own revenge by any means necessary. As secrets come pouring out like rain, will love conquer all, even when it’s foundation is shaky? For both families, it’s not the beginning of the story that concerns them, it’s not knowing how it will all end.

    With dreams of making it big, she is already on the right track to a new life after building a following by doing make-up tutorials and posting sexy photos of herself on her Instagram page. Though a good girl, she’s infatuated with the violent and merciless street king, Polo, the head of the city’s most notorious gang. She wants nothing more than to help him drop his current girl so that she can be the woman in his life. But Star gets more than she bargained for when a series of events lead her to not only be Polo’s main chick but forces her to be the leader of the female counterpart to his gang. Tragedy strikes when Star’s own dope fiend of a mother robs Polo’s trap house and the act sends Mink, Polo’s baby brother, and Kato, Polo’s right-hand man, blasting right through Star’s front door. When the night ends with Kato shot and Mink murdered at Star’s hands, Polo demands to know who is responsible for killing his brother but she quickly covers her own tracks to save herself from his wrath. Unfortunately, Star doesn’t know there is a witness to her crime. Kato, who she thought she’d killed is actually alive and in a coma fighting for his life. When he suddenly awakes, Star is afraid that her fate will be sealed as soon as he tells how Mink really died. However, Kato is not the same man that he was before and things between the two quickly begin to change. When sparks fly and Star feels she’s found true love in the one man she thought she hated more than anyone on Earth, will the real truth of her lies come to light and ruin it all? This is the first part of a series written not for the faint at heart. Brace yourselves for a story of love, loyalty and survival on Chicago's Southside.

    And whether you were there by choice or circumstance, there were lessons to be learned as well as taught. Nobody knew The Bricks better than the women who lived between them. These are their stories of lessons, blessings, love, and loss, brought to you brick by brick. Ladies, and fellas too, you ever invested time in somebody that you knew was no good for you, holding on and waiting for them to change because you thought that you were special? Well I have, and I’m here to tell you that there’s a one percent chance of that change ever taking place, a two percent chance of them becoming a better person than they were before you found them, and a staggering ninety-seven percent chance of someone more deserving coming along if you’ll open your eyes, stop being stupid, and sit down with a common-sense calculator to tally up your worth. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to waste a little time, because contrary to popular belief, there can be a happy ending on the other side of stupidity. And to prove it, I’m gonna take you for a walk through my own experience. I’m Camille, by the way, a resident here at The Rose Palms, aka The Bricks, apartment B17. Glad you stopped by.

    

     Colton “Colt” Harris is the epitome of a real man. Not only does he pride himself on being a real man, but he’s got a heart that won’t allow anything less from the men who cross his path. While Colt may be a little rough around the edges, he loves hard, and with just cause. Colt’s world is full of women who need him, and when Giana finds herself on the cusp of a life changing decision, it just so happens to land her at the center of it. With Colt’s love in high demand and Giana’s love being something she’s not sure she wants to give, these two find themselves in a drama-filled whirlwind that not even a love like Colt’s may be able to weather until the end.

    Some would say she is stupid or even gullible for putting up with him for so many years, but she sees it as a way to keep her family together. However, crossing paths with the infamous Antonio Anderson causes her to question whether keeping her family together is worth the hassle. Antonio is a business man by day and a dope boy by night. He finally has everything he’s ever wanted in life except a woman to share it with. All of that changes when he meets Storm. Something about her immediately draws her to him to the point that he wants to make her his. Does Antonio have what it takes to make Storm see her worth, or will she continue to be naive and wait for her baby’s father to get it together? Find out in Issa Hood Love Story, where lies and secrets are revealed.

    Tariq knows he messed up and tries to fix things with Naudia but she's too stubborn to allow him too and reverts back to old habits. When Naudia finds herself in a dangerous situation, Tariq is the one who must save her. Will she use the traumatic event as an eye opener, or will she continue to walk on the wild side? Renee and Brady are in a weird place in their relationship right now. Brady's trying to show Renee he wants the two of them to work out, but she's still determined to push him away. He starts to grow fed up with her antics and gives her an alternative. Will Renee miss out on love or will she finally be able to let her past hurt go? Lucas is blown away by the secret he just heard Trevor confess about him and Trinity. What he wasn't expecting was his child mother to betray him like she did. Now he's left side eyeing her leaving their relationship at a standstill. Trinity tries to write her wrongs and explain herself to Lucas, but he isn't trying to hear it. When someone from the past and someone new makes their way into both Trinity and Lucas's life they must decide if trying to fix their broken home is worth it or is it truly time to walk away. Along with everything else the guys still are trying to find out who the snitch is working with DEA to take them down. More secrets are revealed, and loyalty will be tested. Will the crew be able to withstand the challenges being thrown their way?

    After graduating from private school with honors, Amiah was ready to move on with life and start college. Most of all, before summer ended, she had some other goals that she wanted to achieve, which was release her first R&B mixtape to show off her beautiful singing voice. But, before graduating, she meets a guy named Oxy and that changed everything around her. Oxy isn’t your average dude from the hood. Outside of his street life, he had goals of his own. After the death of his mother and his 6-month-old son, he promised to get his life on track with a legit business, and even settle down and get married. After Oxy met Amiah, he knew she was the one for him. However, he isn’t sure if he is the one for her, with all of the burdens in his life. Will Oxy be able to remove all the distractions in his life to be with Amiah, or will all his baggage run her away from his love?

    Her mother was strung out on drugs, and Liberty was on her on. Roaming the streets searching through trash cans just to feed her brothers. Life had dealt Liberty the short end of the stick; she was a victim of her circumstances. With everything around her was so negative, Liberty is one step away from suicide, but everything changes when she gets close to a smooth looking boy named Sincere. Sincere was neighborhood dopeboy, with dreams of being king. The only thing missing was a loyal woman to help him along the way. Sincere fell deeply for Liberty and nothing could stop them. He shows her a side of herself that Liberty never knew existed. Now, running the street as king and queen, people are out to see them lose. Ex-boo thangs and betrayal from best friends brings along a set of problems. Tune in to this classic standalone to see if Liberty and Sincere’s love can stand the test of time. Is their love strong enough to survive lies, deceit, temptation and greed. Luvin my Lil’ Mama will have you on the edge of your seat.

    Especially when the two men you love are brothers at heart. Gizelle learns that everything that's done in the dark will eventually come to the light, after she catches the love of her life, Moe cheating with one of her friends from the past. However, she didn't expect the rule to apply to her so soon. As her relationship with Waka intensifies, the one she's attempting to build with her unborn child's father is deteriorating to the point where she's almost ready to throw in the towel. The last thing she expected was to get caught up in this love triangle between two men who have played a major part in her life at some point in time. But now that Waka is home, he's ready to claim what he feels, rightfully belongs to him. Old feelings have started to resurface and their bond is becoming stronger than ever. That is, until a secret is revealed and he doesn't want to deal with her anymore. Gizelle and Moe are still working on their relationship for the sake of their unborn child but Gizelle is unaware that he's battling with his own demons and he's still up to his unfaithful ways.

    Being the eldest of three children and the only male in his family, he hustles hard to take care of them. The only thing missing from his life is a loyal female companion. The on again/off again relationship with his ex, Star, is becoming a battle that he is no longer willing to fight. When he and his younger sister, Story, make a Spring Break trip to visit their sister, Taylin, he may just find the perfect girl. Ezra is also on the hunt for a new connect, so while in Houston, he links up with an old friend about business. What he doesn’t know is that the very thing he needs is right under his nose. Emerald is sophomore at Texas Southern University. She is the first in her family to attend college, and a very important asset to her family’s drug business. Since the death of her first love, she hasn’t been able find a guy to capture her attention the way that he had. Plus, her mother is always in her ear about not letting boys distract her. She has done a good job of playing dodge ball with guys, but that all comes to an end when she is approached by Ezra. His confidence and persistence are a force that she can’t escape. Although she plays hard to get, it doesn’t take long for her to give in to his charm. Taylin is a little on the wild side. She and her friends like to turn up and party on the regular. Now that she is dating her crush, college basketball star McKinley Staton, she couldn’t be happier. Being McKinley’s girlfriend comes with more than just bragging rights; it come with groupies and an ex that can’t let go. Her run-in with McKinley’s ex quickly becomes a physical, aggravated assault. Will dating McKinley be more trouble than she bargained for, or will she be able to roll with the punches? Hollywood is little brother to Emerald, but little is something that he is not. At the age of 17, he stands at 6’3” and 200 pounds—truly a lady’s man. When he takes a trip to visit his sister for Spring Break, he has no problem with pulling college girls. The college girls aren’t the only ones that want a piece of Hollywood, though. Stormy has her young eyes on him too. His eyes are on her also, but that comes to a screeching halt when an unexpected turn of events changes everything. Hollywood is forced to make a decision on what to do while trying handling a little drug business for his father. Will he really be able to avoid Stormy, or will she take what she wants? Come take a journey to H-Town, where it all goes down. Sex is had, secrets are revealed, jealousy is felt, and drama follows each character as new relationships are formed. After reading about Ezra, Emerald, Taylin, and Hollywood, you will find out who’s really the Low-Key Boss.

    Their great chemistry makes taking a man down easy work and they trust each other with their lives, each being the other’s ride or die. Beneath their stellar working relationship is a smoldering mutual attraction that has always been waiting to claim them both. When Bounce has a conflict with her and finds that his baby’s mama, Amina, may have committed a serious violation against him with a hot shot dope boy from the other side, he becomes obsessed with killing him before he has a chance of doing the same thing. When he finally rids himself of the problematic Amina, he and Eden finally get the chance to build something with each other that they’d each been searching for. They don’t realize it at the time, but that one confrontation with Amina sets off a chain reaction of events that will remold their lives for better or for worse, making them experience love, pain, and extreme loss, and Bounce will discover dark secrets hidden from him for his entire life. It’s hard for love to survive in the best of times… can it make it through the worst?

    Timmy Ralph, a hot shot attorney is living life at the top of the corporate ladder. Happy wife, happy life is the saying that he's heard many times before, but what about his happiness and his peace? Although, Timmy loves his wife Patrice wholeheartedly he questions does she feel the same. In Another Woman's Husband: A Sinful Love Affair, will Timmy and Patrice tackle their growing obstacles? Or will he walk away from his marriage and began a new life with Michelle? In this drama and suspenseful stand alone novel from Author Johnazia Gray, questions will arise, problems will surface and tragedy will strike. Is it wrong to fall in love with Another Woman's Husband if he fell in love with you first?

    That’s how Jameleah feels once everything starts to go wrong. It’s close to holidays, and all she wants is to give her son the best Christmas. She’s your average single mother, striving to provide a better life for her son. With no help from his dad, she is facing some pretty tough times. Finally, at her breaking point, she’s about to give up, until she runs into Winter. Galico Winters is your everyday business man, trying to keep his nose clean. His businesses are doing great, and he has his woman, Lacey, by his side. Nothing could get any better than that, or so he thought. Then a blizzard comes in and shakes his whole world upside down. Jameleah has given him a different insight that causes him to reevaluate things. Will Lacey let her come in and spread some holiday cheer? Will Jameleah’s wish for Santa to send her a real man show up and save Christmas? Or will she accept defeat, and the let the Grinch steal Christmas?