Then the way to fame was leading him toward a mistake that could send him straight to hell...She never looked back.Lies, drugs, too many men-- golden skinned singer Topaz Black would do anything to get a hit to the top of the charts, even walk away from her friends and family. But surrounded by greed and lust, the love the longed for seemed to be slipping away forever.He broke all the rules.Brought up in South Central L.A., movie producer Gunther Lawrence learned early how to get the wealth and women he wanted-- and to turn his back on his roots. Now, blinded by Hollywood's glitter, his illusions may shatter when he discovers who really controls his career.As their lives touch, ignite, and explode, three talented African-Americans pursue fame at any cost...and the price may be their happiness...or their lives..An alternate selection of the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club

    Having moved from Chi-town to Charlotte, North Carolina at an early age, Justice and her younger brother, Monk decide to take the streets of the Queen City by storm. All is well, and their hustle is fruitful until Justice's ex-boyfriend, Carlos (a vicious drug dealer), is robbed and all fingers point toward Justice and Monk. Subsequently, a war ensues between Monk and Carlos' clique of dealers and killers. No one is exempt from the bloodbath! Life begins to spiral out of control for Justice, and she swears off hustlers and is determined to find a guy with a legitimate job to settle down with. She meets JT, a handsome businessman who becomes her every fantasy. JT rescues her from a deadly and cruel world, and Justice thinks she has moved into a safe haven, only to find out that she has actually landed in a snake pit! She decides that her only escape is to leave Charlotte behind altogether. However, this may leave Monk with no one to watch his back. Justice refuses to leave without punishing all those that caused her harm, but her past soon catches up with her. She is confronted with a bare truth that explodes her world into a million tiny pieces. As her thirst for money grows, so does her appetite for revenge. However, she soon realizes that some thirsts can NEVER be quenched!

    Sometimes referred to as the Murder Capital for the huge murder rate that never ceases to surprise us, The Murder Mitten, or The Dirty Glove for the state’s shape on the U.S. map. Detroit is home to many; scholars, rappers, athletes, parents, and concerned citizens, but the streets belong to those in the underworld; addicts, dealers, and the women who help run the show from behind the scenes…The Real Hoodwives of Detroit! No! You won’t see these ladies on any television show, but you will see them make appearances in court for their mans’ hearing, or at the county jail on visiting day. You might even catch them riding shotgun, with a nine tucked in their Fendi bag…waiting to pop off and protect their men at any cost. And of course, they make appearances in the hood, twenty-four seven…three hundred and sixty-five days of the year! Follow Nikki, Tonya, Chloe, Mina, and Gucci as they ride you through Detroit, one city-block at a time. Watch as the tales of the black and dangerous unfold right before your eyes. In Detroit, only the raw and real survive - living to see another day. These streets are known for breaking the weak and leaving them helpless, they aren’t made for everybody! Scared? You should be….WELCOME TO DETROIT!

    From the "Essence"-bestselling author of "All That and a Bag of Chips" and "What Goes Around Comes Around" comes a riveting page-turner about an NFL coach who's forced to choose between his love and his freedom.

    It is a story of temptation, love, lust, anger, and betrayal. Ms. Stimpson writes a fictional novel that is inspirational and full of hope." --Urban Reviews Sensible single mother Patricia "Peaches" Miller isn't about to follow in her mama's footsteps and become dependent on a man. But when she doesn't see eye to eye with the man she wants to marry, she knows that returning to a life of girls' nights out, retail therapy, and chocolate peanut clusters just won't do for her. Then Raphael, her son's father, steps back into the picture--and clearly his attraction to Peaches is stronger than ever. There's just one problem. Raphael has already pledged his heart to another woman.Peaches has been praying for a perfect family for a long time. Deep down she knows this can't be God's idea of an answer--but can you blame a girl for hoping? Now, as she battles with temptation, and with her faith, she's not sure which will win..."Michelle Stimpson will have you laughing, crying and relating to each of her vivid, vocal characters." --AAMBC Book Reviews "Michelle's characters always have their own vibrant personalities--this one will keep talking in your head long after the book is through!" --Kendra Norman-Bellamy

    Ramon again finds himself amongst his loyal crew of thieves, who hold him down while mobbing his way to the top of one of Kansas City s most lucrative empires. But two women have their own agendas for Ramon. Yawni, a 38-year-old diva with intentions of becoming wifey and Jayde, a 22-year-old sack-chaser whose seductive ploys weigh heavy on Ramon s pockets and wellbeing. After repeatedly neglecting the loyalty of his friends in pursuit of youth, fortune and fame, Ramon finds that even thieves must honor the code of the streets or pay the piper. When old friends turn to enemies and the streets greed comes calling, will Ramon realize if there is still honor Amongst Thieves?

    The third installment continues with veteran Urban Books author Brittani Williams. Dontay had it rough growing up in the projects with a mother who forced him to become a man at the young age of fifteen. His father was a rolling stone, having multiple children with many women. He always fought for his father’s attention, until taking his spot became more important than gaining his love. Now Dontay is the leader of one of the most successful and most feared drug organizations in the city of Philadelphia. From the outside looking in, he appears to have it all—tons of money, respect, and women falling at his feet—but it all comes with a hefty price. He meets Desire, a biracial beauty, and instantly vows to make her his queen. Unfortunately, trouble is lurking, and Desire may not be the woman she claims to be. A war ensues with a rival drug gang, and Dontay reigns supreme, but he begins to lose the tight grip that he has on his organization as he struggles to find the person responsible for leaking details of his activities to the feds. With jealousy, envy, and revenge as motives, one of his most trusted understudies moves forward with a plan of takeover that quickly leaves Dontay without the things that he’s worked his whole life to attain. In this fast-paced tale of deceit, nothing is what it seems, and Dontay learns that even his own family can’t be trusted. Filled with drama, lies, sex, and police corruption, Carl Weber’s Kingpins: Philadelphia makes it clear that even for a kingpin, more money means more problems.

    Then you met the femme fatale of all industry chicks, Chantal Morgan, as she desperately tried to go from Hooker to Housewife. Now prepare yourself for the ultimate showdown as their lives collide in Superstar. The sequel to the bestselling Hooker to Housewife.

    She thought she was better than everybody, or rather you thought it. But remember the day you found out that she lived in the projects/ghetto/hood just like everybody else? You were shocked, and now less envious of her, knowing she came from exactly where you did. Well, Trouble is that chick! Spoiled rotten by her brother, who has a complex occupation, and her boyfriend, the star B-ball player at their high school being sought after by colleges across the map who don't mind lacing him with SUVs and putting money in his pocket to sway him towards attending their university to play ball--Trouble seems to have it all. And what she doesn't have, she manages to get. But unlike some of the chicks in these other street lit tales; she doesn't have to use her body to get things. She uses the ghetto diva attitude that makes people believe she deserves the best and therefore they do back flips trying to provide. This urban novel has a completely different twist than any other written thus far. In Trouble's journey, she loses her brother, who she is closer to than bark on a tree, and feels as though it's the end of the world. But when she finds out that the person who murdered him had once tried to get with her, a huge scheme comes to mind in order for her to seek revenge. She pretends to like her brother's killer in order to get him right where she wants him, but her plan backfires when something happens that she never saw coming. She falls in love with her brother's killer.

    The story takes you away from the bright lights of the big cities. Where drug deals take place on city blocks and Street corners, to the backwoods, dirt roads and trap houses of the south. Q a well known and respected hustler faces all the problems that come with the life. Torn between Van a childhood love who has been down from day one. And Tee the well educated and upscale women he believes he needs. He wished all he had to worry about was the law.

    Ty and Terry share everything, including their women, until they meet Megan Saint James, a beautiful Jamaican temptress. Megan isn't just beautiful; she's smart, classy, and a con woman who has set her sights on the boys from Hollis in a big way. She plans to divide and conquer the two inseparable young kingpins."Love Seldom, Trust Never" by Ty Marshall: While attending his estranged father's funeral, East is approached by the legendary Ricardo Wheeler, who offers him the opportunity of a lifetime. Wheeler takes the young man under his wing, but when Wheeler's son and heir-in-waiting becomes jealous, his excessive ambition and quest for power lead to betrayal. A treacherous war is set in motion that will force the powerful legend to choose between his two sons. Anything built on a lie will eventually crumble. When no one and nothing are what they seem, who can you trust?"The Bag Is In" by Marlon PS White: Slow grinding for years, Greedy and GiGi are ready to step up their game, with a thirst to be Detroit's King and Queen of the Trap. The struggle is real, but the payoff will be major. After cashing out their middleman up front, the couple's hood dream tragically turns into a nightmare. The middleman is popped, and the infamous Mexican pipeline is broken. Greedy and GiGi devise a seemingly flawless plan to not only recoup their invested cash, but to link up with one of the most notorious cartels across the border. What seems like sunshine quickly turns to rain, however, and chaos erupts.

    Essence Bestselling Author Brenda Hampton presents Don't Even Go There, the story of Chase Jenkins, a troublemaking, backstabbing diva, who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, even going after her boss's husband.

    Louis Kingpin, King David, has left a vacuum in the underworld. He leaves behind his vast empire to his surviving heirs, David Jr. and Davita. Born barely ten minutes apart, they were raised very differently.David Jr. is college educated. His mother always pushed him to do the best he could so he could one day legitimize and run the East St. Louis crime family. She thinks she's above and beyond the game. All she wants is the money that she believes she and her son are due.She taught Davita a different set of rules. Davita has been raised to use anybody and everything to get that money by any means necessary. She has embraced the business of the streets, and she is ready to ascend to the throne that her father has unexpectedly left behind.The question remains: will the family ties that bind keep the family together, or will sex, greed, drugs, and their mother's divisive ways tear it all to hell, bringing St. Louis down with them? David Jr. and Davita have decisions to make!

    For a 17-year-old, Amina has a decent life. But after meeting her father and 23-year-old brother for the first time, things take a turn for the worse. Amina ends up alone, trying to fend for herself and save her boyfriend, Kayne, from 3 years in jail. Amina must prove her loyalty to Kayne, but can you be a Down Chick without being locked down yourself? This is a question that never crosses Amina’s mind, leading her to make the ultimate mistake of her life. Author Mallori McNeal began writing Down Chick at age 14, during the summer before she began her first year in high school. She completed Down Chick and was accepted for publishing at age 16. Mallori currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

    Emery is reminiscing over the love she had with Wise. She is being pulled two places and she wonders if it is possible for you to love two men at the same time. The feelings that she buried are now bubbling over and she doesn't want anyone to get hurt. Wise is back and ready to claim his rightful place. His time away from Emery did nothing to make his love calm down. She is his soulmate and his prison time couldnt change that. In his opinion there is no competition. So the guy that she is with now is the least of his worries. Wise is sadly mistaken if he thinks that Shad is just going to sit by and let the love of his life go that easily. Shad is ready to go toe to toe because Wise's lost was his gain. He will play dirty if he has to, but he will not let her slip away. Secrets will be revealed, plotting is at an all time high and everyone's life will be changed