What sparks between them is just as unavoidable as it is life-changing.Halle Temple is a good person; she doesn’t know anything as surely as she knows that. A successful black woman who uses her expensive law degree to work full-time at a women’s legal aid center, she has no doubt that her entire existence is being spent in the service of others. That perfectly normal life takes a deadly turn, however, when she crosses paths with a man who is willing to go to extreme measures to take possession of her.After he sets his threats on her family, Halle begins to question every moral she has ever held dear as she realizes that there is only one way to get him out of her life for good. To do that, though, she needs a bit of help.Callum Byrne is an Irish-American hitman who has made a life out of robbing others of their own. Darkness has always lurked inside of him and he has no qualms about setting it free - especially for profit. Halle enters his life suddenly, bringing with her an intensity that he has never felt before. It isn’t long before Callum’s narrow view of himself is twisted and challenged.As the job she’s given him becomes more complicated by the minute...so do Callum’s feelings for her.Content Warning: this book contains themes of violence and murder as well as mentions of domestic violence.

    Thanks to that never-back-down spirit, they're about to share more than they bargained for.The game is gay chicken. The rule: get as close as possible without kissing, and the one that pulls away first is the loser. The problem: neither of them likes to lose. It isn't long before the game becomes an excuse to touch and kiss in every possible forbidden way. And after they pose for a gay website to earn extra money, things really heat up.Suddenly Duke is talking lifetime commitment, and Mav is backpedaling as hard as he can, not sure if he's ready to accept all his best friend is offering him. Or the truth about what he is.

    Just when she's resigned herself to her fate, she sees a movie that will change her life--Sixteen Candles. But in her case, life doesn't imitate art. Tormented in school and hopelessly in unrequited love with a handsome football player, Davie finds it bittersweet to dream of Molly Ringwald endings. When a cruel school prank goes too far, Davie leaves the life she knows and reinvents herself in the glittery world of Hollywood as a beautiful and successful lounge singer. Just as she's about to ride off into the L.A. sunset, the past comes back with a vengeance, threatening to crush Davie's dreams--and break her heart again.With wholly original characters and a cinematic storyline, 32 Candles introduces Ernessa T. Carter, a new voice in fiction with smarts, attitude, and sassiness to spare.

    – I am writing to express my gratitude for your gift. There are no sufficient words, but please accept my sincerest thank you. Yours, R. She writes me back. I didn’t expect that. She tells me she’s a lover of chicken pizza and video games, a hot sorority girl with the nickname Sloth. She wants to know something about me in return. She says I owe her. This is how she saves my life. She doesn’t even know it. We’ve never even seen each other. But I need a reason. Just one reason to continue. She becomes mine.The anonymity is good. She doesn’t need to know me, but I need her kindness. We both live our lives: a letter here, a post card there. For three years, I escape my demons. And then one day I’m pulled back in. I’ve resigned myself to what I know is coming. Until the girl I’m spanking gives her safe word: Sloth. And then the lie I’m living starts to unravel. --Sloth is a 500-page, 150,000-word stand alone novel with many twists, one huge secret, and a non-cliffhanger ending. It will wreck you, but you'll like it. BTW: Part of the fun of reading this book is trying to guess the secret. I would appreciate it if you could avoid spoilers in reviews and review headlines, so others will be able to enjoy the guessing game.*Sloth is part of a collection of stand-alones inspired by a sin, and centered around a terrible secret. The second stand-alone, My Heart for Yours, is inspired by the sin of murder, and is the story of Kellan's oldest brother, Barrett Drake. It's free via Kindle Unlimited and also for sale here in the Kindle Store.*This book was updated and re-edited in fall 2017, and now includes a bonus story.

    On their return to the city, she's hurt when Jeff suggests they upgrade their relationship to one of friendship with benefits. She refuses and then does the unthinkable--starts dating his chief and business and romantic rival. After outbidding Jeff to win a lucrative government contract, the handsome owner of Fra-tech sets his sights on Sharde. Jeff is forced to admit his true feelings or risk losing her.

    Fresh from the battlegrounds of Iraq, reporting on a bunch of overgrown boys playing pro football is just the change of scenery she needs. If trying to be taken seriously in the world of sports writing wasn't hard enough, Ryan, her college crush, is only making it harder. As a tight-end for the team she's covering, he is strictly off limits. Ryan Terell is a playmaker on and off the field, but when Samantha uncovers his moves, he throws out the playbook. Just as he claims his sweetest victory, Samantha's investigation into a steroid scandal involving his team forces him to call a time-out to their off the record trysts. But then a life threatening injury on the field will force them both to decide just how far they'll go to win the game. Winner of the NERWA First Kiss Contest A Kindle Bestseller.

    Should Anything Else Matter?Zora Nella Hampton Johnson knows exactly where she comes from—and her daddy won't let her forget. Of course for that privilege he keeps her in Prada and Kate Spade, Coach and YSL. He chooses her boyfriend, her car, her address, and ignores her love of painting, art, and the old ways of her grandaddy's soulful AME church—where the hymns pleaded, cajoled, and raised the roof. Her daddy may be a preacher, but some-where among the thousands of church members, the on-site coffee house, and the JumboTron, Zora lost God. And she wants Him back.Nicky Parker, a recent graduate of Berkeley and reformed playboy, also suffers the trials of being a preacher's kid, and he can't remember the last time he saw eye-to-eye with his white, racist, Southern Baptist father. What he does remember—and it will be forever burned in his brain despite myriad prayers to Jesus—is the way Zora looked the first time he saw her. Like Nefertiti. Only better. When they meet at a bible study far from their respective home churches, the first churlish, sarcastic sparks that fly sizzle with defensiveness. But God has a special way of feeding the flames and though of different flocks, these two lost sheep will find Him and much, much more.Click Here to listen to an interview with Claudia Mair Burney.

    Hate. Love. Lies.Which four letter word will change their lives forever?Sydney Paige was never so mortified to hear the words "wrong number" in her life. She meant to tell off the guy who broke her best friend's heart but unleashed her anger on a perfect stranger instead. And now her world is turned upside down by the captivating man who wants to keep her on the line.Brian Savage is living a life he's quickly come to hate-until Sydney's wild rant has him hooked and hungry for more. Soon the sexy woman on the phone becomes the lover in his bed. But Brian has secrets, and the closer he lets Syd get, the harder it is to shield her from the devastating mistakes of his past . . .

    Due to sexual content and heavy subject matter, this book is intended for mature readers. “If you’re broken, I’ll fix you…”I’m only twenty-one and already damaged goods. A slut. A failure. A disappointment to my picture-perfect family as long as I can remember. I called off my wedding to William Bailey, the only man who thought I was worth fixing. A year later, he’s marrying my sister. Unless I ask him not to…“If you shatter, I’ll find you…”But now there’s Asher Logan, a broken man who sees the fractures in my façade and doesn’t want to fix me at all. Asher wants me to stop hiding, to stop pretending. Asher wants to break down my walls. But that means letting him see my ugly secrets and forgiving him for his.With my past weighing down on me, do I want the man who holds me together or the man who gives me permission to break?~~~Explore Love Unbound, the series of books set in New Hope and about the characters readers have come to love. Each series can be read on its own or you can read them all.Love Unbound: Splintered HeartsUnbreak Me (Maggie’s story)Stolen Wishes: A Wish I May Prequel Novella (Will and Cally’s prequel)Wish I May (Will and Cally’s novel)Or read them together in the omnibus edition, Splintered Hearts: The New Hope TrilogyLove Unbound: Here and NowLost in Me (Hanna’s story begins)Fall to You (Hanna’s story continues)All for This (Hanna’s story concludes)Or read them together in the omnibus edition, Here and Now: The Complete SeriesLove Unbound: Reckless and RealSomething Wild (Liz and Sam’s story begins)Something Reckless (Liz and Sam’s story continues)Something Real (Liz and Sam’s story concludes)Or read them together in the omnibus edition, Reckless and Real: The Complete SeriesLove Unbound: Mended HeartsPlaying with Fire (Nix’s story, coming summer 2015)

    So how, with one glimpse of the voluptuous sepia beauty sitting alone, all that sanity and control disappeared like waves receding from the beach? From the first moment they touched he knew…he never wanted to let her go. Ever want to ignore the voice of reason and have that fling with the handsome man you met on vacation? Jayde Porter did. From the second her eyes landed on his tanned muscular body. Then she ran into him, literally. An encounter which led to a scorching kiss, dinner and—marriage? Her life was in chaos. Exploding plane, night jumping, and jungle dangers Jayde knew that to survive she would have to trust the man she married. Can he make her understand they were meant to be together or will they be kept apart by circumstances surrounding them? Together if Tyson has a say in it, for the amazing woman he married is…KINCADE’S ROSE

    She thought she was sensible when she told him his dreams of being a rock star would get him nowhere, but now that he's a rock god and her career is stagnant, she realizes just how wrong she was. When Noel hires the marketing company where Lane is an intern, she’s forced to see him again. If she wants to land her dream job as executive within the company, she has to win him over and secure his account. Too bad Noel is still pissed at her for breaking his heart.When Lane’s company flies her to a Black Falcon concert to gain Noel’s attention, emotions run high the moment she sees him and realizes she’s far from over him. But Noel’s countless trysts with groupies and his cocky attitude make Lane believe he isn’t the same guy she once loved—now he seems to only want her body. Then after Lane discloses she needs him to procure a job, Noel proves he’s a changed man by forcing her to go on the road with him in order to get it.After Lane reluctantly takes Noel up on his offer, she becomes willing to do whatever it takes to keep him satisfied, even if it means succumbing to his seductive ways. Lane soon finds deception is a dangerous game and she’s not the only one playing.Join Michelle's Facebook Reader Group: Valentine Vixens

    On my knees. Against the wall. On my titsI don't care. As long as I get the evidence to prove it. Why? Because I caught my former prick of a boyfriend from Heavy Metal Enthusiasts doing a groupie doggie style backstage on the night we were supposed to be celebrating our 1 year anniversary.He told me I was too uptight. Too vanilla. Too boring. So I got drunk with my bestie, Marsha West, the aspiring videographer. I ranted. I raved. I came up with a crazy idea. What I didn't know was that my best friend recorded me. Marsha put the video up on YouTube. It went viral with 10 million hits. Now I've got fans and sponsors offering me big bucks.Rockstars are volunteering to be my f*ck buddy.Hollywood is calling.I get to choose which rockstars I want.The stakes are high.This sh*t just got real.What could go wrong?

    They yearn to meet a strong, confident man who loves God, just like Boaz in the Bible. The problem is that they don't just want a godly man, they want a godly black man. Enter Stetson Brown, a handsome engineer and faithful man of God who matches LaShondra's wit, style, and values, but happens to be of a different race. But will LaShondra be able to overcome the beliefs that she and everyone around her supports and has grown up with, in order to open herself to the true love of Stetson and God?

    She has a pedigree that rivals some of her father’s best horses. Other than feeling a little suffocated at times, Cami thought she was pretty happy with her boyfriend, her life and her future. But that was before she met Patrick Henley. “Trick” blurs the lines between what Cami wants and what is expected of her. He’s considered the “help,” which is forbidden fruit as far as her father is concerned, not to mention that Trick would be fired if he ever laid a hand on her. And Trick needs his job. Desperately. His family depends on him. The heart wants what the heart wants, though, and Trick and Cami are drawn to each other despite the obstacles. At least the ones they know of. When Trick stumbles upon a note from his father, it triggers a series of revelations that could ruin what he and Cami have worked so hard to overcome. It turns out there’s more to Trick’s presence at the ranch than either of them knew, secrets that could tear them apart.

    When he shares a ride with a vivacious young white girl, a romance grow between the unlikely pair--much to the chagrin of Jordan's friends and family. Love on the other side of the color bar forces him to examine his own values and makes him stand up against what everyone expects him to do. In this brightly entertaining and emotionally complex novel, Dickey again demonstrates why he is one of the hottest voices in African-American fiction today.