But no matter how hard she tried, it seemed like nothing she did would keep her from her fate. Knowing she should have died that night with her family, everything seemed to have come full circle as she stares down the barrel of Phantom’s gun.... Freedom has dedicated his life trying to keep Phantom on track. Being his conscience was hard, but convincing him of his loyalty was worse. With one wrong move, Zaria and Freedom’s chances of living is left dangling in the wind.... Phantom being a complicated man with a dark past, worked hard at leaving it all behind. One fatal night brought It back and his world came crashing down. Trying to pick up the pieces, he may have fallen too deep. With the clock ticking, does he climb out the trenches or does everything come crashing down? Phantom is at the point of no return and everything seems like one bad dream. Can he rise again or is this the end?

    When Wise is locked up and sentenced to fifteen years, he tells Emery to go on with her life if it’s meant to be they would get back together. Now years later Emery is happy with a career and family of her own, when Wise is released earlier than expected he sets off to do what he said he was going to do, find Emery. Emery’s heart belongs to Wise but it also belongs to her husband. Now she is forced with the hard decision to choose between the man who was there with her from the start through everything and the man who picked her up when she didn’t have anything or anybody. Who will Emery choose? Filled with sex, betrayal and drama

     Vinny’s love for Cami is unlike anything that he has ever felt before but in his heart, he knows that he’s not ready to give in to the fairytale life that she dreams of. The luxuries of being at the head of the Maler Empire affords him a plethora of “opportunities” that interfere with what he’s trying to build with her. Cami knows her worth, so the fact that she allows Vinny to do what he does shows just how much she loves him but that’s proving not to be enough anymore. In his mind, he’s young and has time but what he doesn’t know is that Cami is at her breaking point and when Skylar steps on the scene, his time may really be up. Spiff feels like he’s stuck in a relationship with the mother of his son, Porsha. Him and Cami didn’t have the best upbringing and all he ever wanted was a family to call his own. He knew early on that Porsha wasn’t the woman he wanted that with but when she got pregnant, he manned up and handled his responsibility. A situation arose and that caused a rift in Spiff’s life that left him single, and looking for care for his son. When AD Maler introduces him to Magic, he’s drawn to her instantly, but she has some dark secrets of her own. With Porsha still in the background, will the two be able to act on their attraction to each other or will LIFE intercept and end everything before it even begins. In this spin off to “He Brings Out The Hood In Me” you get to see the other side of the Maler Empire, while witnessing Spiff and Vinny battle the ins and outs of love.

    The three of them would die for each other and have always had each other's back. They each desperately wanted better lives and were willing to work extra hard in order to attain it.Relationship issues in their personal lives bring the girls closer together than ever before- especially when Jahzara brings a business proposal to the table.Betrayal, lies, jealousy and murder is only the beginning of what they have to overcome. Will they succumb to it all or will they rise above it and find their way out?

    Unfortunately, while on his warpath, he’s hit with an unexpected distraction that could hinder the process and do more harm than good. Will he allow it to ruin his blossoming love with Sova, or will he see through the smoke and mirrors? Kartier is torn between two men; one who is unlike any man she’s dealt with, and another who she has no business dealing with but can’t seem to help herself. With Savior shot and his life hanging in the balance, will Karti realize that she has more feelings for him than she thought, or will Mink sneak in and steal her heart? Mink isn’t the relationship type, and he’s sure to let every woman that he encounters know it. However, when he takes a chance on one of his regulars, Oma, he quickly realizes that once feelings become involved, they’re hard to control. Afraid to fall in love, he continues to revert to his doggish ways until it lands him in a position he never saw coming. Everyone has one thing in common—they’re searching for love, even if they believe otherwise. However, once lies, deceit, and disloyalty are thrown into the mix, they may cheat themselves out of the best love they could ever have.

    With his main girl Kierra Lawrence by his side, DeWayne rules the town. Sneaking in and out of beds but DeWayne was always about to slither his way out of any whorish problem he got himself into. DeWayne and Kiara had their share of ups and downs from women to extra kids but they always stayed together until Ariane came along. Kiara is a lawyer with money and brains but Ariane has a body with hustle and street smarts and with DeWayne mixed in, disaster isn't far behind. There is no way to stop the madness and with DeWayne caught in the world wind, the women have no choice but to fight for the love of their life, but at what cost? Find out in Main Chick vs. Side Bitch

    For Lux, her father was her world and anything he said was law as far as she was concerned. When her father got sent away to prison she put her dreams of being a doctor on hold to run her father's casino. What she thought was going to be a short term career turned into her new lifestyle.Unfortunately, it also turned her into someone she no longer recognizes. For Sevyn, her father was her first love, but the only problem was that he didn't love her back. The lack of love and affection his displayed caused Sevyn to turn cold & compete with her sister. In her eyes, the only way to her father's heart was to show him that he was better than Lux in all aspects of the business. Both of these ladies are lacking something that isn't brought to the light until a hostile encounter with Eyce & Quincy occurs. From the beginning, Eyce see's Lux for what she really is & does everything in his power to show her that it's okay to put her happiness first. Lux is reluctant about dealing with Eyce because she knows her father won't approve. Unbeknownst to Quincy and Sevyn, they are a match made in heaven. Whereas Sevyn is certifiable crazy, Quincy is calm, cool and collected. With these two it is nothing more than a physical thing until Quincy discovers something about Sevyn that no other person has.

    Just when she thinks the nightmare can’t get any worse, her father is charged with the crime. Rachel will do anything to prove his innocence, but her loyalty is tested to the limits when she crosses paths with Nicholas Hunter, the ruthless prosecutor bent on sending her father to prison… Nick Hunter is thirsty for justice, a man made cynical by the horrors he experienced in childhood. He shows mercy to no one…until he encounters Rachel Calloway, the first woman ever to make him question his convictions. From the moment they meet, a forbidden attraction sizzles between them that neither can ignore.As danger lurks in the shadows, Rachel soon finds herself in the biggest fight for her heart…and her life.Ghosts of Fire is a 97,000 word romantic suspense novel that was originally published in 2002.Praise for the Romantic Suspense Novels of Maureen Smith“…a haunting, suspenseful story that documents Maureen Smith as a writer of considerable promise and ability” — Midwest Book Review on Ghosts of Fire “Few authors pen work that is so thoroughly engrossing the characters leave a lasting impression” — Romantic Times on With Every Breath“…keeps you guessing and hoping that these two will get together and find the perpetrators responsible…one of the best romantic suspense stories I’ve read in a long time” — The Romance Readers Connection on A Heartbeat Away“With a deft touch and solid cast of characters, Smith gives equal credence to spicy romance and nail-biting suspense on her way to an explosive conclusion” — Publishers Weekly on Whisper My Name“Smith weaves a captivating tale of mayhem and murder…a romantic suspense thriller that will stay with you long after you turn the final page” — San Antonio Express-News on Whisper My Name“…a tense page-turner that will further enhance Smith’s reputation in the romantic suspense genre—a reputation that is well deserved” — Romantic Times on Like No One Else

    When Chase Donovan, a six feet tall popular basketball player, says, "What's up?" to her in the hallway, it was love at first sight. Well, at least for Nyla anyways.Just when things were getting hot and heavy, Nyla and Chase's mothers tell them they can't see each other anymore because they're cousins.Chase refuses to fall for it and continues to pursue Nyla anyways. Nyla gets pregnant and her mother wants her to do the unthinkable but Nyla has her heart dead set against it. That is until she finds out that she's not the only one with child.

    It left him to take care of his two younger sisters. He had to grow up fast and become the man of the house so that his sisters wouldn’t be forced into the foster care system. When the bills begin to get overwhelming for Muscles to pay, he does the unthinkable. He gets trapped into the street life and causes his self to have beef with the notorious Jamaican drug crew known as the Junkyard Crew. They’re known to place their victims in cars and crush them into tiny pieces. Now Muscles is stuck and tries to pull away from the streets while trying to survive, making his sisters understand that everything he does is for the love he has for them.

    Kiarra is finishing her nursing degree and men are not on her agenda. While Lauren is following her dreams of being a photographer. That is until Church and Tre come along and introduce them to the life that they were trying to get away from. Church and his brother Tre run things over East. Church is the brains of the operation, and Tre is known as the hot head and heavy trigger finger. After Kiarra’s father was taken away from her due to the life he lived, she made a vow that she’ll never be with somebody who was living that fast street life. So far, she stood by that until she met Church. Rudely coming into her life Kiarra was a bit skeptical. Him and his brother Tristan are on the rise and he doesn’t plan to change that any time soon. When Kiarra took that leap of faith with this Dope Boy she doesn’t know if it would be worth it, knowing the life he lives. Experiencing a lot of turmoil, she is glad to have with her best-friend by her side to help. Lauren is that friend everyone needs, she’ll tell it like it is and not how you want it to be. She’s never been the one to take mess from anybody. Moving to the beat of her own drum, Lauren is finally living out her dream and loving every moment of it. The night she and Kiarra met Tre and his brother Church, he swooped in and stole her heart immediately, drawing her into his web of lies. While most see her as the spoiled, stuck up daddy’s girl, she meets someone who sees her just as she is, a queen. Find out what happens when tragedy, lies, secrets and betrayal come between their relationships leaving a few heartbroken and some deranged. Strength is tested when the question to be answered is ‘When enough is enough?’ There’s always a few frogs before you meet your Prince Charming… Shorty just happen to fall in love with a Dope Boy

     HIGHLANDER IN HER BED: American tour guide Mara McDougall visits a London antique shop and spots perhaps the handsomest bed ever. Then she bumps into the most gorgeous man ever - an irresistible Highlander she can't forget. Not even when she learns that she's inherited a Scottish castle. Sir Alexander Douglas has hated Clan MacDougall since he was a medieval knight and they tricked him into a curse-the curse of forever haunting the bed (the very one that Mara now owns) that was once intended for his would-be bride. But Mara makes him feel what no other MacDougall has-a passion that he never knew he'd missed. Red-hot chemistry ignites from the moment Sir Alex and Mara meet.” ~ A Romance Review HIGHLANDER IN HER DREAMS: After stepping through a magical gateway, Kira Bedwell finds herself in fourteenth century Scotland, face-to-face with Aidan MacDonald, the irresistible Highlander who has visited her in dreams. Now that their romance transcends dreams to reality, they find themselves under attack by Aidan’s enemies. It will take all of their courage and will for their love to survive beyond time itself… Aidan is a Romantic Times K.I.S.S of the Month Hero! “Highlander in Her Dreams is a fun, sexy story. HOT.” ~ Romantic Times Magazine TALL, DARK, and KILTED: Cilla Swanner has been jilted by her lover, and she is struggling with a jewelry business that’s far from sparkling. She needs a getaway someplace quiet and remote. Someplace like Dunroamin Castle in Scotland. But what she finds there may be more than she can handle. Centuries ago, the roguish Scots knight known as Hardwick was renowned for his swordmanship, both on and off the battlefield. But a traveling bard cursed him to wander the world forever, pleasing a different woman each night with no hope of fulfillment or true love. Then Hardwick meets Cilla, who may be his only chance for salvation. “Tall, Dark, and Kilted is outlandishly funny one minute and seductively sensual the next.” ~ Wild on Books SOME LIKE IT KILTED: Mindy Menlove lives in a castle that was transported stone by stone from Scotland to Pennsylvania. When she must sell the estate, her plans soon unravel. She's bound for the Hebrides, a place she'd hoped to avoid. Once there, she's confronted by the castle's original builder, who happens to be maddeningly irresistible and seven hundred years young. Bran of Barra was a legendary Highland chieftain. Since his demise he's enjoyed his ghostly pleasures - until a feisty female from across the Atlantic claims that she's come to Scotland to restore his ancestral home. It's a task she hasn't accepted willingly, and if the roguish Bran doesn't change Mindy's mind about his bonnie homeland - and him - neither of them will ever find any peace. But unexpected passion can be the most powerful... "Bran of Barra is one of the most compelling heroes I've read. I wouldn't mind having him show up in my bedroom to carry me back in time to his castle." ~ Love Romances & More Enjoy these tales filled with Highland magic and the beauty of Scotland!

    From Essence] bestselling author Lee comes a riveting new novel about a LosAngeles casino-owning family determined to protect its dynasty.

    Instead of going away to college or turning up every weekend, she spent her days behind the counter at McDonalds. With a mother fighting Lupus and bills that had to be paid, Azuri put her life on hold to be whatever her mother needed her to be. A night working the late shift changed her life. It was the day she met Kashmir “Gotti” Banks. Gotti is an arrogant, smart mouthed boss from Harlem and used to getting everything he wanted, that is until he met Azuri. Love ‘em and leave ‘em had been his way of life for the past twenty five years. Chasing women was never his style and being caught, had never been Azuri’s style. The chemistry between the two was far more than either of them could ever imagine. Not sure if Gotti is good for her, Azuri built a wall up that he was determined to tear down. A day at the Rucker started a whirlwind romance between the two, but will they have a happily ever after? Lies, drama, murder, sex and deceit threaten to destroy the union the two have built. Will their love stand the test of time? Or will too many lines being crossed, tear the two apart? Find out in this juicy tale, unlike anything you’ve ever read...

    Shanice is just a young vibrate teenage girl that is trying to focus on graduating college and making something out of herself. When she meets Money, a young rapper that captures her heart and changes the course that she is directed in, instead of only doing her she does him, but will loving him get her burned in the end? JaeCia is going through the motions being that her dad is locked up and her mother doesn’t care about her. She finds solace from her crazy world in TJ, someone who has always been there for her but will she allow her heart to open and be loved? Amora is living her days in hell, hiding secrets left and right but trying to keep a cool exterior. She just wants to be loved and focus on school but when she meets Bangga she finds herself doing things she would have never done and telling him things she never would tell even her two bffs. Will Bangga he be her diary? Or will their pages be burned?Authors Shantay, Yanni and Lola Bandz weave together a story of young love, heartbreak, truth and lies and will have you asking yourself is it worth it to really love a thug in this 1 part of a 2 book explosive love series. Come find out why Every Girl Needs a Thug.