But despite an unsavory upbringing, Mercy vows to make something of herself–at all costs.Working as a concierge at a hotel notorious for its shady clientele, Mercy meets and falls hard for a notorious dealer who keeps her living large in Gucci clothes and off-the-hook apartments. Then she lands a real lucrative deal: running drugs up Interstate 95 from Miami to New York.But Mercy doesn’t want to live the gangsta life forever. She’s got bigger dreams. She turns legit and makes her mark, yet despite a new, cleaned-up career, she can’t get the streets completely out of her blood. A sexy hustler named C-Note steals her heart. And as their relationship heats up, Mercy discovers that their pasts are hopelessly–and tragically–entwined.

    The fiercely devoted one she uses for her best friend, the one of a lover and confidant to her fiancé, and the real one she keeps reserved for looking in the mirror and battling her inner demons. Life is fairly normal for Vixen until her verbally abusive mother reenters her life, dredging up traumatic childhood memories, and bringing a handsome stranger into the mix with her devious antics causing Vixen to reprise her role as caregiver and bread winner.Gino Romano is infamous for many reasons: his notoriety for being one of the youngest king pins in New York City, the cold manner in which he handles business, and the notable political ties he's managed to create along the way through "profit sharing." However, the most prominent thing he's known for is the ice fortress he's built around his heart. Because of his past, Gino keeps women at an arms length, believing it hard to find one who could accept the scarred past he comes with. Until he lays eyes on Vixen.Brought together for all the wrong reasons, Vixen and Gino find a common ground that not only develops into a budding friendship, but sparks a love affair. From the moment they become one they must fight to protect their love from those who plan to destroy it by any means necessary, one of which being the very reason Vixen ran away from home ten years ago in the dead of night.Will the forces determined to see Gino and Vixen destroyed win? Or will their love prevail? Set in a spicy Brooklyn backdrop, A Brooklyn Love Affair brings to life pain, forgiveness, and the never ending possibility of finding love.

    She cannot forgive him for breaking her heart, but can she really learn to let go? More importantly, will he allow her go?

    Raelyn soon finds herself battling with the decision to stay or leave. Will this power couple be able to overcome their trials and tribulations? Canyon and Symba have decided to start over in a new city together with their newborn son. There's only one problem...Kaleesi isn't ready to let him go so easily... Lamont and Blue's budding relationship was quickly blossoming before an ex unexpectedly returned. In spite of his father's opinion, Zac isn't ready to let his girl go without a fight. Who will end up with the person they love? And who will wind up heartbroken in the end? Find out in the fourth installment of "When a Rich Thug Wants You 4".

    Coming from a family who has always been wealthy, she's never had to go without. Her parents wanting the best for her sheltered her from the gritty and grimy streets. She didn't know what living on the other side felt like until she met him... Dre aka Gunna. Dre, the bad boy that every woman lusts after, spots Serenity and has to have her. The attraction brewing between the two creates a chemistry so strong that they can't hide their feelings any longer. Sparks ignite between them leaving Ashley, Serenity's best friend, in shambles. Ashley, on the other hand, has a big secret that she doesn't want anyone to know... or does she? In this urban tale of Grit and Grime you'll find out that everyone has a little secret of their own... but which secret will cause the most turmoil in the end?

    I continue to rub my hands through her ponytail as I look over at her. “No, I will have this job and they gon’ love me. I’ll be the best Krystal they’ll ever know.” She looks over towards me not smiling as she says with trembling lips, “What…do you…mean?” With one shove of my hand I slam her face into the steering wheel, not once, or twice, or three times, but four or maybe five. I lose count as blood oozes out her nose, mouth and eyes. Her body stops shaking and sudden the car starts moving slowly forward as she takes her foot off of the brake. I reach over placing the car in park quickly. Removing my other hand from the back of her head, I look around on the quiet street, not seeing anyone in sight. Tossing my book bag into the backseat of her green Toyota, Camry, I lean over grabbing her, pulling her lifeless body over toward the passenger’s seat. Opening the passenger’s door I get out, placing her in the seat I just escape from. With her head slouched down, I close the door and run around to the driver’s door. Opening the door, I look down seeing all her blood splashed on the steering wheel.

    In this stunning debut novel, Jenoyne Adams, a PEN Center USA West Emerging Voices Fellow, displays a rare talent for a first-time author: the skill and courage to write about some of the most controversial issues today in an absorbing and compulsively readable manner. Mingus Browning is a successful, young, beautiful lawyer whose life is falling apart. After a thirty-five-year marriage, Mingus's African-American father has suddenly left her Irish mother for a black woman. A daddy's girl, Mingus is torn between the father she has always been closer to, the mother she may have to defend in divorce proceedings, and a sister hell-bent on winning their lifelong sibling rivalry. Mingus is caught in middle of the three, a woman alone, and, in turn, realizes that she has probably always felt more comfortable that way because she is part of no one group, let alone a united family. Juggling her parents' grief with her own proves to be too much for Mingus as she stumbles from one questionable relationship to another, further complicating her life.After years of isolating herself from those who have tried to care for her, Mingus finally meets someone who rips through her protective defenses and exposes her need to be loved. Eric Simms, a smooth-talking television producer, is through playing dating games and is looking for love for real this time. With Eric, Mingus finally learns to forget the fear of a broken heart and opens herself completely. That is, until word starts circulating that her new love has his secrets as well, and suddenly what was a perfect relationship begins to look like yet another minefield of hurt, as Mingus is forced to choose between her man, her sister, and the truth.After facing a long, sad string of heartaches and betrayals, Mingus finally reaches the point in her life where she realizes who she is, what she wants, and how she doesn't need another man to get it. Marked by raw images and poetic prose, Jenoyne Adams's affecting first novel candidly explores the bonds of family, faith, and finding someone to love when you can't even find someone to trust.

    However, deep down Solána knew her stubbornness had sent her mother to an early grave. After tragedy strikes, she gets back on the right path and focuses solely on herself… until she stumbles upon a bewitching addiction like no other, with not a single cure in sight. 
Kisan, known to many as Mace, on the surface appears to be a collected, handsome, and prestigious young man. And he is… among many other things. Those that know more, know him to be bold, calculated, and extremely cold-hearted. They know how crazy he truly is; how he can lay one finger on a trigger and aim perfectly without fail; a gentle giant to not one single soul but the only woman who has his heart—his three-year-old.
 Kisan and Solána are immediately drawn to each other, sparking an uncontrollable fire between them that neither party are able to put out. However, when the attractive heavy hitter and stubborn beauty’s worlds collide, it sets off a cascade of life-changing events. Events that not only change their lives but the lives of everyone around them. Loving a man like Kisan could potentially be the most intense and intimidating thing of Solána’s life, but is she willing to risk it all for a man she should be running far away from? And is Kisan willing to let a woman access the deepest, darkest parts of him?
They say the purest love is hard to find… but now that Kisan has found it, can he make it last? Or will his inner demons get the best of him?

    Handsome, ambitious Jamal-a street-savvy crack dealer-is the son of North Philly's most notorious drug kingpin. A history of violence and betrayal lies between their fathers, who are now bitter enemies. After one of his church members is gunned down-with a bullet he is sure is meant for him-Pastor Anderson goes after Frank Nichols, determined to drive him from the neighborhood for good. There's just one problem: Keisha and Jamal are in love.When the families face off on opposite sides of an anti-drug demonstration, a high-ranking police official is killed in the crossfire, and Jamal becomes the prime suspect in the murder. Keisha is left with a choice. Will she stay with her father, in the confines of the sheltered world she's known, or will she venture into the unknown in order to help Jamal clear his name? She chooses Jamal, and in a whirlwind flight across the seamy underside of Philadelphia, Keisha will risk everything for love. Even her life.

    Nakhai loves Quinn as if she was his little sister, and wants nothing but the best for her. When Quinn makes the decision that she wants to help Nakhai run the “business” while DJ is locked up, he is reluctant, butagainst his better judgment, he brings her in and teaches her everything. Khai has just stepped up from the world of marijuana and into the world of cocaine and has linked up with the only other team that can make as much money if not more than he can. When Khai links up with Stylez and Mar, the streets of Buffalo don’t know what hit them. After running into Quinn in the mall, Stylez wants nothing more to make her his, but can he handle the fact that she’s the other half of the duo that’s serving him his product? Will Quinn ever tell Stylez that she is his supplier, or will she remain a silent partner until her brother comes home and bow out gracefully without ever saying anything to him?

    After finally deciding that she had enough of her on again off again relationship with Ant, she meets Diego Kingston known as King in the streets and her whole world changes. Free quickly falls for Diego but soon learns she has to accept both sides of him and King proves to be more that she can handle. The women in his past and his life in the streets makes her question what she’s gotten herself into. Free has been sheltered all of her life and as the daughter of District Attorney Wesley Evans her whole life has been country clubs and private schools but from the second she lays eyes on Diego she knows that her whole life is about to change. Secrets come out about her mother’s death that challenge her relationship with her father leaving the only person that she can depend on to be Diego. Can Free adjust to his lifestyle and fit into his world and will she be able to accept that fact that there are things about King that she has a hard time dealing with? King, Royal and Shine pretty much own the state of North Carolina so he has his hands full running his street empire but Free walks into his life it changes his world. He tries his best to be what she needs but the streets control his life and he knows that will never change. With his father in prison and his mother incapable, King is trying to balance running an empire, raising his sister and loving Free. Will it prove to be more than he can handle especially after running into Free’s father and realizing that he knows secrets about Frees past that will change her life forever? Free is changing King in a way that he’s not used to. Her love makes him weak which means that she is a liability and causing him to make mistakes that could cost him more than he’s willing to lose. Trying to stay true to the streets and being in love with Free are putting him in constant conflict so will he figure out how to handle them both or will he have to let one go. King and Royal have been down since birth and when enemies began to appear out of nowhere to settle a score passed down from their fathers who will be left standing.

    At a young age, Tyler was forced to grow up and become the man of his family. Always the protector and provider for his sister, Tyler turned to the streets early on in order to survive. Despite her beauty, Skyler is insecure and unsure of herself. With no one to turn to except her brother, she often feels lost in Tyler’s crazy lifestyle. Tori is Tyler’s ride or die, but like most young girls involved with a street nigga Tori is struggling to hold on to her sanity while trying to deal with all the b.s. and drama that comes with being Tyler’s leading lady, as well as dealing with her own demons. Friends will turn into enemies. Secrets will be revealed and love will be tested. Only the strong survive, so who will be left standing?

    But now that Snake, Duke and Bear have all been killed, she figures it's time to skip Virginia and heads to Atlanta.

    Done with the thug life, she has everything a ghetto girl would want: plenty of money, drop-dead-gorgeous looks, and two thriving legitimate businesses. Until she falls in love with Sincere Montega, a powerful drug dealer whose down-and-dirty money pulls Kisa back into the world she is trying so hard to leave behind. With lies, cheating, and conflict, Kai, their newborn, may be the only reason for this couple to stay together, but their lives are inevitably changed in the most unexpected way, the only way the streets of Harlem can.

    I was guilty. And I used to not feel bad about having those feelings. My husband was evil and most days I hated him. I used to come up with outlandish schemes in my head to get rid of him without evidence coming back on me. I’ve watch Snapped many times. You had to play that shit careful or a jury wouldn’t believe your word.Ironically, now that my husband Marcos Beauchamp was laid up in the hospital, hanging on for dear life, I kind of felt guilty about my vindictive feelings. Did all of my hopeful wishes bring this about? I can’t lie; a part of me was laughing inside. Not a giggle laugh either. It was one of those deep from the belly that worked its way up to the throat and came out forceful like you had heard the funniest shit ever. That’s wrong; I know, but you don’t understand. This man has taken me through hell and it serves his ass right.~~ Nephia Beauchamp, mother of seven and wife of a woman beaterHate to Love You takes you deeper into the life of Nephia as she recalls a traumatic past that leads up to the near fatal death of her abusive husband. She finds herself at a crossroad and unsure of what direction she will go. Take this journey along with her and see if Nephia’s faith will allow her to stand by him or simply walk away and start anew.