Tim Hudson was determined to demonstrate his recovery from a recurring injury. Barry Zito had to show the world that after a ho-hum 2003, his 2002 Cy Young Award was not a fluke. Mark Mulder missed the 203 playoffs entirely with a stress fracture, but the way he saw it, he simply needed to be himself-the natural-born pitcher.Given unprecedented access to the Big Three , Mychael Urban recreates their tumultuous season through their eyes. he explores the nuts and bolts of major league pitching, examining each player's unique approach to this craft while revealing how three very different personalities cope with the demands, rewards, and challenges of sports stardom.Now with a new afterword on the 2005 seasonUrban traces the fortunes of the Big Three after Hudson was sent to Atlanta and Mulder to St. Louis, trades which held the dramatic promise of them being reunited again-as opponents-in the playoffs."Written with great color, style, humor, and grace, Aces takes readers on a captivating ride." - Mike Silver, Sports Illustrated"Mychael Urban's book is a fabulous read... This is hardly just a baseball book. It's about life, and he tremendous burden each pitcher carried while trying to lead the Oakland A's to the playoffs. I absolutely loved it." - Bob Nightengale, Senor Writer/Columnist, USA Today Sports Weekly"From the southern fried heat of Tim Hudson to Mark Mulder's cool aloofness to Barry Zito's cerebral wanderings, Urban captures the engine of Oakland's Little Engine That Could of a team with grace and aplomb." - Scott Miller, National Baseball Columnist, CBS.SportsLine.com

    The suspense continues in this captivating story of the twins’ new neighbor, Alexa Morrison, who discovers the turmoil in her life is about to become a whole lot worse. Holly returns to school and wreaks havoc with her partner in crime, Ronnie. At the same time, Alexa discovers her mother is responsible for something so despicable that it becomes more difficult than ever to cope. Added to this is her dilemma over Mike. Does she stand a chance with him or not? What will be the outcome for Ali and Mike and will they finally put the new girl in her place? The story builds up to a suspenseful conclusion that involves our favorite twins. It’s another fabulous addition to the New Girl series, a wonderful book for girls 9-12 and beyond.

    She was the light in my dark underworld… I’ve never tried to deny who I am.Where I come from.And who I’m expected to be.But I am not my don father.It’s on me to change things.Take the “family business” in a more lawful direction.But that’s not my only game plan.I have other unfinished business in this city. And her name is Evelyn Davis. It’s been almost sixteen years.And she’s haunted my dreams ever since I left.I knew it wouldn’t be easy winning her over again.Convincing her that I was on the straight and narrow.However, I wasn’t the only one keeping secrets… Evelyn has a teenage daughter. I’ve done the math.And the resemblance is uncanny.The kid’s mine.Now, no matter what it takes, I will close up shop.To hell with the consequences… Note: Mafia Boss's Unknown Black Daughter is a steamy second chance romance between a mafia boss and his long lost lover.

    Sharnard, born Josiah Jones, is the eldest brother of Jacobi, Jamari and Joriah. Not only that but he is the adopted brother of Zaii, Joriah’s girlfriend. After successfully gunning those two down but not killing them, he is now on the run trying to get out of Dodge. Not only do Jacobi and Jamari have to worry about Joriah recovering, Luna has now been contacted by her ex, Jose, who is threatening to murder her parents if she doesn’t come to Mexico to save them. Although she seems distraught, everything is not what it seems. Jamari and Piper seem to be going pretty strong, besides crazy Trina who keeps popping up and causing problems in the couple’s new relationship. Jamari has never felt this way before over any woman. This is new to him but he is beginning to like it. He just needs to get Trina out of their life for good, but when she drops a bomb that could make Piper leave him for good, he’s torn as to what to do.

    They’ve reached the top and are proving that they deserve to be there, even if life hasn’t been as picturesque as they imagined that it would be. The ups and downs of the streets, marriage, and family have presented them with lessons they never thought they needed to learn. Through it all, one thing remains consistent, and that's the bonds and loyalty that they share with one another. As they struggle to keep their Hood Legacy intact, the Karsens, Grants, and Masters journey into adulthood on a mission to succeed. Will the Young Royals survive Valentine’s Day with their legacy intact? Only one way to find out... **This book is not a continuation of Hood Legacy. It's simply a holiday themed short in which I provide an update to let you know how life played out for the Young Royals. Thanks for your support and enjoy!**

    She will do anything to keep Violet and Miguel away from one another; even if it means murder. If she can't have him then no one will. Violet is holding back a secret from Miguel so big their relationship may not be able to be repaired once he finds out what it is. Miguel still has an Empire to run; but his family remains the number one priority in his life. However, his deceit and betrayal will cause Violet to run into the arms of another; sending Miguel in a fit of rage so bad that he reveals a side to her she never thought she'd see.

    The past is bringing every deceit to the forefront, and it’s hard for Kolyon, Dortch, Ivy, and Gin to weed every snake from the grass. With Chris meeting his demise, their troubles seem over, but unfortunately, they have another threat right under their nose—mainly Ivy. When she’s taken by her own man, it’s up to Kolyon to get her and Legacy back safely. While Ivy is in danger, Gin and Dortch weave their own web of troubles that they may not live to tell. When Gin wakes up with a gun to her head, she’s certain that her secret affair has come full circle to bite her. With all their troubles brewing, no one has yet to figure out Chris’ killer. That one person is steady making moves without their knowledge, and just may be the match to ignite everyone’s lives up in flames. Will everyone make it through the fire unscathed? In this final installment, these two groups of friends will realize who is really for and against them... including each other.

    She lived to create and enjoy her carefree bohemian lifestyle. Life was good, until her father died leaving her to continue his legacy of Thornton Industries. She was an engineer, not some corporate shark. Therefore, she didn’t know where to begin, especially managing the day-to-day operations of retaining TI's successful multi-million dollar status. Before she could regroup to handle the inherited responsibilities, she started receiving personal threats against her life. When they escalated into life-threatening attacks, she had to accept around-the-clock protection from a man whose nearness was dangerous to her self-imposed celibacy. Olen Davidson was assigned to protect Zulayka. From the beginning, he made it known he was not happy with what he called "a babysitting assignment," but he went along "taking one for the team." He was even more disappointed when he met the woman in person. She was a twenty-first century hippie, with a high IQ, a smart mouth, and an eccentric personality. The easy assignment soon turned into international espionage with Zulayka’s company as the targeted prize. Olen’s cavalier attitude in protecting Zulayka almost caused her serious injuries. Now Olen is determined to put his life on the line to protect her. What he hadn’t asked for were the feelings he was starting to have for the unconventional nerd who wasn't his type. Hadn't watching her prevented him from a reunion with the woman who held his heart?

    Travel with a woman through her last day of using hard drugs. Stay tuned til the end, for the hope that a clean and sober life can give.

    But with the longest tenured don on his death bed and the other families on the brink of civil war, greed threatens to destroy The Commission. Enter Marion Holloway, leader of the wealthy and prestige Holloway family, a shrewd and persuasive business man with strong political connects and stronger street ties. The man the FBI says is the most powerful black gangster in the country. With his oldest son, Mason, campaigning for mayor of New York City and his illegitimate son, Yasin “Sin” Kennedy, overseeing his lucrative drug operation, he is poised to seize control of the city. But when the war between the Mafia families hit close to home, the unrelenting power struggle between his sons, jeopardizes everything their father has built. Keys to the Kingdom introduces readers to urban fiction’s newest crime family, the Holloways, and the powerful legacy of tradition and blood, the seduction of power and the ultimate game of sibling rivalry.

    The couple finds themselves at a roadblock and both have families who will stop at nothing to tear them apart. Do they allow it or is love enough to keep them together against the odds? However, most importantly, was Dior helping her dad all along? A’Moya was hit with a truth she never saw coming - Legion killed his mom! Was he right when he said that he was a damaged monster? Does A’Moya run for the hills or is she ready for the heavy burden Legion dropped on her? Wrath and Kanada could no longer fight the inevitable - they belong together. After all that she’s been through, it seems that Kanada has finally found her knight in shining armor, and life starts to get better for her. But is her past really behind her? She soon finds out that it’s not, and one mistake may cost her everything. Her returning baby father doesn’t seem to help matters. These women had no idea what was going to happen when they crossed paths with the Ramsey men. In part two, secrets, lies and exes come out of the shadows. Which couples will survive? Plus, we find out who Guns’ love really is!

    With Stacks gone, she decided to take a seat on his throne and run his cartel. Out for blood, Lala turns into this ruthless bitch as she sets out to take over the drug game while carrying a baby bag. Life for Lala is going great until a new love interest comes in the picture and stir things up. Old enemies resurface as well as new ones with one motive; to take down the new queen pin. There’s only one question, is Stacks really dead???

    Trina is left in the dark about who has her baby, but everything isn’t always as it appears and now she has to deal with the aftermath of the accident and unsuspected delivery of her daughter. Nike is over the irrational decisions that Shonni makes and he’s trying to decide if their relationship is worth it or should they just stick to co-parenting. Duke is trying to keep it together for Trina, but he feels like he’s losing her. How will they make it work and deal with aftermath of the accident? Take one last ride with each couple and see if they overcome the obstacles thrown their way.

    You don’t even gotta bring ya paper out… we the dope boys of the year, drinks is on the house…” The infamous Rock Boyz; D’Mari, D’Mani, J.R., and Corey set out to take over the streets of Atlanta, but just like life, things never go as planned. With the problems in the streets, and personal problems stacked on top, it appears that the guys are in over their heads. J.R. is excited about his life with Lexi and becoming a first-time father. However, an old associate has declared war on J.R. and his boyz, causing him to focus on his street ventures when he suffers a personal tragedy. Will J.R. be able to survive the streets long enough for him to enjoy fatherhood? Making the transition from NYC to the ATL, D’Mari finds himself adjusting quickly. Not only that, he is stepping into a new role of being a husband and a father to twins simultaneously. With his wife’s mood changing every second, will D’Mari be able to keep his head in the game while maintaining peace on the home front? D’Mani is making great strides in his new environment and loving his life with Anastasia and Kyler. However, a trip to Wal-Mart brings him face to face with his not so distant past, revealing a well kept secret. Will this secret have severe consequences and disrupt his life at home? After getting his dream job and moving to the ATL, Corey quits his job and joins his boyz in building their family empire. However, Corey’s new moves put not only his life but his family’s lives in danger and have him betraying those that he holds close, creating dissension in his circle. Will Corey be able to right his sins and restore respect and trust with those he holds dear? Enemies are on the inside and outside. Secrets are revealed. Trust is broken. With the entire deck stacked against them on their quest for money, power, and respect, will the Rock Boyz prevail? Check out this blazing new African American Urban Fiction read by best-selling and award-winning authors Twyla T., Patrice Balark, Dani Littlepage, and J. Dominique.

    With six mouths to feed, she realizes that a simple nine to five just wouldn't cut it, forcing her to look to the top dealer in Detroit for guidance. British, with a by any means necessary mentality, ultimately takes over, becoming the top drug distributor in Michigan. With great power comes jealously, and with jealousy comes the FEDS. On top of the opened investigation, a new dealer comes to town with cheaper prices, causing more problems for British and her cartel. British being a no nonsense type of woman, orders a hit out on him, careless to the fact that her best friend is in love with him. Abel took one look at British and thought: I've gotta have her. Little did he know, British wasn't the type of woman to be easily smitten. Unbeknownst to him, the stubborn pit bull in a shirt he's interested in is his connect. Tazia Barrett is in a dead end relationship with her boyfriend, Hustle, and is waiting for the perfect time to end things. Perfect timing comes in the form of a sexy out of towner named Threat. Tazia falls hard for the sexy thug and forgets all about Hustle, but Hustle feels that he's invested too much time and money into Taz and he's not willing to let her go so easily. Taz's newfound love brings drama into her life in more ways than one. Especially after she learns that her best friend isn't who she thought she was.