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!

    He learned not only how to survive amongst the deadliest criminals but how to rise to the top, from growing up in the gritty streets of Brooklyn. Nico used those survival tactics to become the leader of a multi million-dollar drug empire. But with money and power, come the so-called friends and enemies, ready to take it all away. Before Nico became Precious Cummings first love, he won the heart of the streets. Follow his story in Nico Carter.

    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.

    As things spiral out of control, Kennedi works hard at keeping her dark past hidden, but there's nothing that can protect her from the mark an unsuspected person has put on her life.

    Pearla is a born hustler, and Cash was born to steal. Pearla sets her sights on Cash and motivates him to take his petty crimes to the next level.Together, the two get money throughout the tri-state, while friends and family want to be upgraded without putting in work. At first, the couple makes it rain in the hood, taking care of those they love, but a hustler always knows when to draw the line.Suddenly, Pearla proclaims the ATM closed, and a quiet storm begins to brew. When the beggars can't beg anymore and the borrowers can't borrow anymore, friends become enemies. Words and bullets are exchanged, leaving The House that Hustle Built under attack and at risk of collapse.

    She is a nice girl with an attraction to the wrong types of men. No one seems to understand why she would get involved with a notorious criminal. After settling into a dangerous relationship with Devon, her life takes a drastic change for the worse. Caught between his material gifts and controlling behavior she searches for a way out. The battle to save Carlie from Devon's grip puts the lives of many people in jeopardy. By the time she realizes that force is needed when going up against Devon, it is too late. Carlie's fight to stay alive will keep you on edge. Will she give in? Or die trying?

    

    But her memory is ten months behind, and her life went from fabulous to scandalous in the time she forgot. She has no clue that "high class" prostitution was her way of making ends meet. Meanwhile, Sarai's new but forgotten love, Tremel "Mel" Colton, vows to stay by her side. Though she can't remember him, he patiently waits to remind her of the long, steamy nights she spent in his arms. He romances her all over again, but just as lust and love start to blossom, shocking secrets from Sarai's past are revealed and suddenly Mel is unsure of their future together. Also, because she doesn't remember them, some of Sarai's enemies mask themselves as her friends, and Sarai has no idea how much trouble she has gotten herself into. But one thing is certain -- she will never forget her enemies again. In this seductive sequel to her sizzling debut novel, Going Broke, Trista Russell turns down the sheets and turns up the heat in a story about one woman learning that money comes and goes, but good friends, love, and sex are hard to forget.

    She's completely content with living closed off to love until her friends intervene in an unconventional way. A lost bet fates her in having a chance encounter with Barry "Bear" Williams, an old family friend and crush from her youth. "It's just for one night. Afterwards, you two can move forward like nothing ever happened." Listening to her best friend, Kadence agrees. For one night, Kadence lets her guard down to experience a night of bliss she never knew existed. But what happens when one night turns into two and two nights into three and love starts valiantly knocking at her door? Will she answer? Will she open her mind, her heart, and her body to the good love could bring? Or will she let her past heartaches continue to dictate her future?

    Comprised of three beautiful ladies, the sexy all-girl group So Fine has got it all — voice, magnetism, great songs — and drive. There's just one thing missing — and Nina can supply it.Jamil is not only Nina's ex-boyfriend — he's a mega-hit producer with a hot new label: Suicide Records. Nina is sure she can get Jamil to sign So Fine. She's always been able to count on him — though lately, he's been acting a little strange. Maybe it's because he's still got a thing for Nina, even though she's married now. Or maybe it's the influence of his new partner-in-crime, Xtreme, baseball's first bad boy and Suicide's first artist. Whatever it is, Nina has laid a big chunk of her own personal funds on the line, and there's no turning back now.But soon, everything seems to spiral out of control. Egos clash, hearts — and promises — are broken.

    He is forced to make a number of decisions that will change his life. Choosing school over the mean Detroit's Eastside streets, the sudden reality of his poor circumstances make him painfully aware of the fortunes that can be made if he embarks on the career path of a hustler. Deciding that he wants to be a baller, Dre meets and forms an alliance with an older, very beautiful female named Destiny. Unbeknownst to him, she had a secret and motive that draws her to him, which causes her to assist him in making all of his plans reality. Dre and his closest friends will create a clique called the Eastside Syndicate and set a hustle in motion like Detroit has never seen. No one else in the city will be able to compete with the murder and muscle game that they release upon the streets. However, when he falls in love with another and finds himself at odds with Destiny, the beautiful temptress who helped to make his dreams come true will stop at nothing to bring Dre and the organization that he created to its knees. Dre has everything that a hustler could ever want. Only when the tide turns, he will quickly realize that the dream life he once lived was no more than a nightmare in disguise.

    The man she fell in love with turned out to be a lazy, good-for-nothing womanizer. Night after night Tiffany comes home to Blake's physical, mental, and verbal abuse. She's tried leaving in the past, but somehow he always finds her. Each time, she comes back and convinces herself things will get better. Then one day Blake beats her for the last time. Tiffany decides death is the only way out--and she's not the one being buried. Her life takes a drastic turn as she attempts to live the life she's always wanted. Lucky and Quick are childhood friends trying to make a name for themselves. They have been working corners, proving their loyalty to the streets and waiting for their big break. When they finally get the chance to prove themselves, they quickly climb up the ladder and find themselves working for the top dogs. Everything happens so fast that they end up on opposite sides of the fence and become enemies. Quick and Tiffany meet under unfortunate circumstances, but they instantly connect and fall in love. Tiffany is pulled into Quick's street world full of lies and revenge. Lucky and Quick are constantly going against each other, and the friendship seems to be lost forever. When the opportunity comes along for both of them to be on the top spot, will they be able to rekindle the friendship?

    When the newspaper runs an article he finds offensive to African American men, he writes a rebuttal, which offends so many women it gets him fired. Michael then sets out to write a book that proves corporate women are just as scandalous, competitive, and insensitive as their male counterparts. But when he manipulates events to get hired into an office that is staffed by all women, events quickly spiral out of control. As romances sprout like weeds and Michael finds himself fighting for the women he works alongside, rather than against them, the question is whether he will be able to focus on his work, keep his flings a secret, and achieve the success he has always dreamed of. In turns hilarious, sobering, and eye-opening, The Office Girls tells the story of every woman who works in the corporate world and the challenges they face on a daily basis. The misogyny, sexual harassment, and gender inequality faced by these characters will ring true for all women who have experienced corporate America.

    Janelle has had it with her boring job as assistant manager at a clothing store. As for Natalie, with a baby to take care of and a husband who won't even change a diaper, she need a time-out. Tanya is just looking for a good time and a man with a big, thick... wallet. Given the chance, these girls like to play, and their playground of choice is Miami. Almost as soon as they hit the beach they find themselves drawn into a fast-moving, flashy world of rappers, ballers, celebrities, and VIPs with cash to burn. But before thid wild ride of over, they just may find that all that glitters ain't gold and a good reality is worth way more than a fleeting fantasy.

    . . Everybody's got a weakness and Chandelle Hutchins' is a love of material possessions--a love that is causing serious trouble in her marriage. Chandelle's latest object of desire is an expensive new house. Her husband Marvin knows they can't afford it--and he also knows he can't talk Chandelle into giving it up. With their relationship crumbling under a mountain of debt, it may just be easier for Marvin to walk away. But with Chandelle's scheming cousin Dior in town, money may be the least of the couple's problems. . .Dior's weakness is her insatiable appetite for causing trouble--and her latest target is her cousin's marriage. When the time is right, Dior would like nothing more than to seduce Marvin on the rebound. But Dior is being trailed by her own troublemaker: a crazed female employer who refuses to release Dior from her twisted duties as nanny to her children and late night mistress to her kinky husband. Fortunately for everyone involved, the Lord works in mysterious ways. For despite a tangle of lies, manipulation, and mayhem, a series of unexpected events is about to bless everyone with a much needed second chance. . .