And whether you were there by choice or circumstance, there were lessons to be learned as well as taught. Nobody knew The Bricks better than the women who lived between them. These are their stories of lessons, blessings, love, and loss, brought to you brick by brick. Ladies, and fellas too, you ever invested time in somebody that you knew was no good for you, holding on and waiting for them to change because you thought that you were special? Well I have, and I’m here to tell you that there’s a one percent chance of that change ever taking place, a two percent chance of them becoming a better person than they were before you found them, and a staggering ninety-seven percent chance of someone more deserving coming along if you’ll open your eyes, stop being stupid, and sit down with a common-sense calculator to tally up your worth. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to waste a little time, because contrary to popular belief, there can be a happy ending on the other side of stupidity. And to prove it, I’m gonna take you for a walk through my own experience. I’m Camille, by the way, a resident here at The Rose Palms, aka The Bricks, apartment B17. Glad you stopped by.

    Without help from her daughters dad she picks up a fast and easy job which turns out to be stripping at Hot Lips Night Club. Luckily while working at the club she meets a smooth, good looking, stand up guy by the name of Midnight. Midnight is a businessman and all he wants is a real woman by his side through it all. He admires An'yah and is willing to give her the good life she's been looking for and wanting, but by then An'yah only wanted to focus on what was important in her life. An'yah figured it was absolutely nothing wrong with having Midnight as a friend, especially if he was willing to break her off and help her when she needed it the most. But after a while she couldn't hide the feelings she had for him. He made it very hard to not want him as a soulmate, but after finding out that he's the plug, she questions if a relationship with him is a risk she was willing to take.

    Growing up she watched as her mother ran through many men and decided that she was saving herself. With an empty space in her heart to fill Dior hides behind a wall that she has built up herself, not letting any man in. That was until she met Sincere Williams. Sincere Williams seemed like the perfect package on the outside. Having good and steady income and being breath taking handsome but there was one problem, he was married. Sharee, is an upcoming model, that is sick of nearly killing herself trying to maintain an image for money. Day in and day out she spends the day watching what she eats, making sure to not gain too much wait afraid that she won't be accepted anymore. Through her troubles she meets Hunter. Lastly Sophia, with Sincere as an overbearing, older brother and parents that come and go, she doesn't have time for foolishness in her life. Sophia has dreams of taking her clothing designs to the next level. She just needs to come clean to her older brother, letting him know that she has been seeing one of his closest friends behind his back... Three different women, three different stories, could they be ready to fall in love with these Savages like they think they are?

    Finessing’ by definition, ‘is doing something in a subtle manner.’ But if you were to ask someone from the streets what it means, they’d tell you it’s using what you got, to get what you want...:.

    No, boosting is a way of life for the four best friends, bringing money in to help them to survive. With three of the friends having children and one trying to get more studio time, extra money is always good, especially at Christmas time. When a joking idea turns into a formulated plan, the stakes rise to a higher level as the friends go from boosting corporations to robbing people. After selecting their targets, the quad put their plan into action. However, unbeknownst to them, they inadvertently rip off the wrong kingpin, putting all their lives in danger. Will the four friends get to enjoy the type of Christmas that they always imagined? Or will this Christmas be painted red instead of white? Get lost in the grind with Stasi, Celeste, Shad, and TRaw in this gritty African American Urban Fiction novella, Christmas in the Trap: The Bay Style.

     Marley is a single mother struggling to make it past life's obstacles. Despite the fact that she is the biggest one in her path. Her bad parenting skills may come back and bite her. Jellissa may not be the cutest chick on the block but dudes love her nonetheless. Her shape and attitude more than make up for what she lacks in looks. Yasmeen is a confused young Muslim woman trying to live in two opposite worlds. They don't coincide so she'll eventually have to choose one. Mitzi's the Puerto Rican mami looking for love in all the wrong places. Meanwhile she's trying to raise her eight siblings as well as her childish mother. Fate forces their hands and causes them to do things to survive by every means necessary. Turn the page and see why these Rotten Apples are Harlem's Finest.

    Passion. Deceit. Drama. Nubia has it all; bangin’ body, beautiful face, a thriving haircare business and a slew of celebrity clients that fly her around the globe for her innovative styling techniques. The one thing that she doesn’t have is a faithful husband and child of her own. Her cheating husband is betraying her in the worst way possible and she has no clue. When she eventually finds out her husband's dirty secrets, many more bones fall out of her family’s closet that threatens to devastate her entire life. That is until she has a chance encounter with the sexy, alpha Hill Cooper. Hill is a sexy single dad with one foot in the streets and the other in a law firm. Determined to build a better life for his young daughter he is transitioning out of the street life to practice law full time. As he attempts to go legit his baby mother and old acquaintances try to hold him back. When Hill and Nubia’s lives cross paths neither of them can resist each other. But with their lives in an upheaval of drama can they make time for what matters? This is twisty urban drama is filled with boiling passion and dark secrets. Are you ready to get sucked into this saga?

    When tragedy strikes, the Kapoor family is forced to question the integrity and purpose of their marriage after a sixteen-year union. On the surface, everything looks good. Gio, a successful entrepreneur, worships the ground that his wife Misa walks on. In return, Misa creates a balanced home life while pursuing her own dreams. But when tragedy strikes, in the blink of an eye the couple is forced to face issues that they’ve buried long ago and an onslaught of new ones. From the author of the Middle Building on Treemont Avenue, Danielle Carleon brings you The Six Stages of Grief. Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Revenge. Acceptance. Which one will save the young duo from each other and themselves? Will Gio and Misa be able to salvage their marriage? Will indiscretions from the past force her out of the door and him back to a life he vowed never to return to? The Six Stages of Grief is part one of an action-packed, emotional and riveting series that will cause you to want to be each character’s saving grace.

    Prissy leaves and Premier is dead set on getting her back no matter what he has to do. The thing is, there may be nothing that he can do. Zeus is trying to stay on the straight and narrow now that he’s in a relationship with Doe. However, after being attacked by the police, he’s finding it hard not to revert to his usual ways and retaliate. Will he be able to do the right thing or end up in deeper trouble? Nadia is finally over her infatuation with Chino, but her past mistakes still manage to catch up to her. Even worse, it’s all unfolding while she’s smitten with her new boo, Logan. Can she get it together in enough time to prove to him that her past is just that, the past? Things are going smoothly with Ross and Trinity until she receives a surprise visit which causes a downward spiral of their relationship. While on the outs, Ross makes a bad decision that may not end well, while Trinity has a secret of her own to reveal. Find out in this finale what will come of the couples who are set on being with who they want regardless of the drawbacks. They say it’s hard enough to love but even harder loving a savage.

    Growing up an only child with her mother and father prevalent in her life. In love with her first and only boyfriend and getting ready to leave for college, Cassidy feels like life is perfect. A chance encounter with the most respected and feared family in Columbia. She finds herself being thrown into a world wind romance with a man that is liable to turn her world upside down forever. Will she be able to navigate these foreign waters with ease or will she capsize in the dark depths of the unknown? Kentrell Banner is known for his screw ‘em and leave ‘em demeanor. Thinking he has it all, he never complains about missed opportunities because he has never experienced them. Until he meets the beautiful and feisty, Cassidy Warborough. Being the person that refuses to take no for an answer, he goes full throttle trying to get Cassidy on his roster. Unfortunately for him, Cassidy isn’t one of his usual feats, so she refuses his advances no matter how thick the attraction. Finally weighing her down, he gets her to give into his advances, but at what cost? Will Kentrell be willing to give up his playboy ways to court the unfamiliar or will his spoiled and entitled behavior cause him to lose possibly the best thing that has ever happened to him? Candace Harris is a female who knows what she wants and not so much what she needs. Experiencing the perils of relationships through the eyes of her best friend, she finds herself uninterested in what they have to offer. When a strong minded and handsome, Malachi Banner comes into her life. She finds herself experiencing the lure of being that girl that experiences a happy ever after. Will she chance her heart and sanity for a piece of the good thing or will she chose to stick to what she knows and spare herself from the possibility of being hurt? Malachi Banner is not the man behind the name. Strong, opinionated with a hint of crazy, he finds himself intrigued with the likes of Candace Harris. Used to the fast life like the rest of his cousins. He can’t escape the strong attraction that he has to prove to Candace that good men do still exist, but will his attempts be a bust. Using his personality and suaveness to bombard his way into her life, she immediately friend zones him. Will he be able to way her down and change her view on relationships or will he forever be the friend?

    Boy, oh, boy. They can be a woman’s worst nightmare. But who is really to blame? Is it the fault of the women who pick them? Or is it when a woman has a baby by them they go crazy and become dedicated to making the mother’s life pure hell? In these five stories, we will visit the lives of five men, all within a small circle, and learn what drives them to do the crazy things they all do to the women who carried and birthed their children. Here you will meet twins Matt and Mike, Kevin, Ju, and Joshua. If you thought you knew a baby daddy worth hating, these five will for sure have them beat.

    As soon as I reached the doors for the west wing ICU, I looked around for the family visitation room. I entered the doors with my adrenaline on overload. The first face I spotted was Ma Lique. She stood over Rah as he sat in a chair with his arms draped over his knees and his head lowered slightly above them. Ma Lique was stroking his back and I feared the worst. My steps seemed to fail me as it felt like forever to make it next to where they sat. Feeling my presence, Ma Lique looked my way with a tear-stained face. “What the fuck is going on?” I asked worry etched in every word I spoke. Ma Lique spoke first. “Calm down, baby. Deena was in an accident. She’s in surgery. We’re waiting to hear from the doctor,” she uttered through muffled tears. “It wasn’t no fucking accident!” Rah shrieked rising to his feet and moving toward the window. “The bitch ran her off the road and tried to kill her and my unborn seed.” “Man, what the fuck happened?” I asked as I followed him. “Man, I don’t know all the details. All I know is the highway patrolman said witness statements indicate her truck was clipped and rammed by another vehicle. By the time both cars came to a standstill, a tractor trailer slammed the other vehicle pushing it into her car before both cars went spiraling down an embankment.” “Do they have any idea who did this shit?” I asked Rah as I huffed and puffed. “Yeah, man. It was that bitch, Cashmere. She’s in this mothafucka somewhere. When I get my hands on her she’s a dead bitch,” Rah seethed, teeth clenched and his right fist hitting the palm of his left hand. “Nah, my nigga. I got that bitch. I’ll tell you about the bullshit as soon as Pimp is out of the woods,” I sneered attempting to rein in my anger towards Cashmere. I patted Rah on the back. “Pimp is going to be alright, man. She’s strong and a damn fighter. There’s no way in hell she’ll let a bitch like Cashmere take her out. Plus, she’s going to fight tooth and nail to hang on for CaLi and RJ. Trust me, man. She’s gonna make it.” “I keep telling myself that, man. I love her so much. Man, if I lose her I don’t know what I’ll do.” A few minutes later, we heard a little commotion and turned to see CaLi and her grandparents coming through the doors. Rah turned and CaLi ran straight into his arms. He hugged her tightly. “She’s going to be alright, CaLi. Your momma isn’t going to leave you.” CaLi cried uncontrollably. “I can’t lose her, Rah. I just can’t. What about my baby brother? I can’t lose him either. Who would be so mean to do this to my mother?” Ma Lique walked over and pulled CaLi into her arms. “Baby, your momma is a fighter. She’ll fight for you and your brother. Come with me and your grandparents to the chapel to pray.” She gave CaLi a few tissues to wipe her face and the four of them walked away. A few minutes later, CoCo appeared carrying a take-out tray with four cups with lids on it. “Hey Monty,” she spoke, as she handed Rah a cup first and then passed one to me. I gave her the “What’s up,” head nod and then lifted the cup to my lips. When the liquid slid down my throat and the taste of Cognac hit my taste buds, a smile formed on my face.

    

    As the enemy list grows, these four friends become targets. Together they face each challenge as it comes. Lives will be lost, secrets revealed and dark lies come to light. Will they be able to make it out together or will they choose to go their separate ways?

    After graduating from private school with honors, Amiah was ready to move on with life and start college. Most of all, before summer ended, she had some other goals that she wanted to achieve, which was release her first R&B mixtape to show off her beautiful singing voice. But, before graduating, she meets a guy named Oxy and that changed everything around her. Oxy isn’t your average dude from the hood. Outside of his street life, he had goals of his own. After the death of his mother and his 6-month-old son, he promised to get his life on track with a legit business, and even settle down and get married. After Oxy met Amiah, he knew she was the one for him. However, he isn’t sure if he is the one for her, with all of the burdens in his life. Will Oxy be able to remove all the distractions in his life to be with Amiah, or will all his baggage run her away from his love?