Then the way to fame was leading him toward a mistake that could send him straight to hell...She never looked back.Lies, drugs, too many men-- golden skinned singer Topaz Black would do anything to get a hit to the top of the charts, even walk away from her friends and family. But surrounded by greed and lust, the love the longed for seemed to be slipping away forever.He broke all the rules.Brought up in South Central L.A., movie producer Gunther Lawrence learned early how to get the wealth and women he wanted-- and to turn his back on his roots. Now, blinded by Hollywood's glitter, his illusions may shatter when he discovers who really controls his career.As their lives touch, ignite, and explode, three talented African-Americans pursue fame at any cost...and the price may be their happiness...or their lives..An alternate selection of the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club

    When the other 20 percent is too tempting to turn down, do you decide to go with your family life, or do you take advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity? Simone, Te'Nae and Shay are picture perfect wives and career women. All three juggle prestigious jobs, motherhood and wifely duties with ease, but they share a dark secret that, if exposed, could ruin everything they've worked hard to maintain. They only get one chance to decide if their marriages are worth more than the risks they take.

    Morrison links two beloved series in a riveting tale of envy and seduction that has basketball star Darius Jones up against a woman who takes being a fan to the next level.Darius Jones is living the good life. He's got a chance to become the league's most valuable player, he's crazy in love with his wife, and his relationship with his mom has never been better. But Darius also has a stalker who's determined to be the number one woman in his life. And no matter where he goes, she's there. . .scheming to kill his wife, Fancy; charming his manager and mother, Jada; manipulating his son's mother, Ashlee; and worst of all, dragging new mother Honey Thomas into the mix with one of the most heartless schemes ever. With his life quickly unraveling, Darius must gamble all he's worked for to save his wife, reclaim his son, and stop a madwoman from ruining the lives of everyone around him. . . . Never Again Once MoreIn Soul Mates Dissipate, her phenomenal Essence® and Blackboard bestseller, Mary B. Morrison left readers cheering with her tell-it-like-it-is-and-then-some story of Jada and Wellington, two lovers whose connection is tested, but never broken. Now, in this eagerly awaited sequel, Jada and Wellington find themselves facing new conflicts that will challenge the decisions they made years ago.Do we choose love, or does love choose us? That's the question Jada Diamond Tanner can't seem to stop asking herself after ten years of marriage. She thought she'd chosen the right man in Lawrence Anderson, her steady, reliable husband and the man who helped raise her son Darius. But did she choose the right life when she turned her back on Wellington Jones, the soulmate whose fiery kisses took her body and spirit to a higher level than she ever dreamed possible?For twenty years, Jada has struggled to keep her distance from Wellington, and he's paid her in respect. But now, the cracks in Jada's carefully constructed life are beginning to show. Darius is a young man out of touch and in trouble. When his destructive behavior threatens to destroy him, Jada reluctantly lets Wellington take more control and be the father Darius needs.With each day back in Wellington's company, Jada begins to question the choices she has made in her life--choices made out of fear, out of foolish pride, out of denial. Slowly, she begins to realize that she still has one choice left: to get true to herself. Armed with the courage and the fire she's been missing for years, Jada's out to seize the opportunity she thought she had lost--and this time, she'll say, "never again once more."Soulmates DissipateBringing the soulful, sexy, and totally uncensored voice of black women to readers everywhere, Mary B. Morrison is blazing a new trail in African American erotic fiction that has made her one of the most exciting, and most popular, authors writing today. Exquisite ebony-skinned fashion photographer Jada Diamond Tanner may have her pick of fine men, but no one has captured her heart like gorgeous financial advisor Wellington Jones. From the moment of their first embrace, Jada is sure he is the soul mate she has waited for. But while the love she shares with Wellington is exhilarating, Jada finds herself facing challenges she never could have imagined--from Melanie Thompson, bright, beautiful, and talented, but hungry for the love she has never had. . .and from Cynthia Jones, Wellington's overbearing socialite mother, who believes Jada will never fit into her circle of aristocratic friends. Forced to make difficult choices, Jada will soon learn some painful lessons about love, trust, and commitment. But she will also discover deep emotional strengths in herself, along with the courage to celebrate the joy each day can bring--with or without the man she loves.

    From four-time "Essence"-bestselling author Lee comes the compelling tale of a marriage that is tested when infidelity--and tragedy--come into play.

    But five years ago, her husband of fifteen years walked out on his family without a backward glance. Since then, Yani and her two children have played a waiting game, certain that he is coming back. Now, with the help of her friends and her sister Asia, Yani is finally over her love hangover and ready to get on with her life. At a party, she meets Alex Chance, a prominent New York businessman who's looking for a relationship with a woman who isn't out for everything she can get. Their powerful attraction leads to a whirlwind courtship and a fairy-tale like wedding. But their happy ending is threatened by Jarrin's sudden reappearance, which forces Yani to face the truth about her marriage -- and the life-altering choice she will have to make as another man's wife.With generous helpings of affection, humor, and romantic suspense, Shonda Cheekes has created a story that crackles with wit and the rifs and rhythms of modern life. Alternating between the first-person outlooks of Yani and Alex, Another Man's Wife captivates readers with a sassy tale of brothers and sisters on the move andsearching for love and fulfillment. Imbuded with the author's fresh, unique voice, it is a provocative and seductive look at relationships in the twenty-first century.

    Always has. Always will. After all, she's been spoiled rotten ever since she witnessed her mother's death as a child, and she's made the most of it-especially with her dad. So when her oldest friend, Deborah, begins to date a fine-looking, fine-acting man named Darren-Babysister doesn't think twice: she wants Darren for herself. And what Babysister wants...There are just a few little problems with their secret love affair. Babysister's devoted boyfriend is one. And Darren's lingering doubts about dumping Deborah--light-skinned, church-going, beautiful--is another. But Babysister won't let go, even after Darren crawls back to Deborah--and marries her. Following her love-crazed heart, Babysister jeopardizes friendship, family, and her own self-esteem, until a little dose of reality shows her how much she's been missing all along.

    Proud to be black and serving as faculty advisor to the Black Student Union in a small Arizona college, she discovers that looking white can complicate her life...especially her love life. Disappointed by a colorstruck fiance who loves impressing the brothas with his "white" woman, Nina falls hard for Ahmad, a handsome black man, with plenty of reason to be hostile toward whites. His dangerous past is one he may not be able to escape and the little daughter he's raising alone has plenty of questions. But Nina hides her own vague and troubling memories and the family secrets that haunt her dreams. Yet neither Nina or Ahmad can know that the tumultuous circumstances which bring them together are about to unlock mysteries from the past that can open doors to a future they never thought possible.

    A passionate encounter causes Mercedes more problems than she relalizes. With her guards down, her life is violently put on the line.

    . . 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. . .

    She partied hard, and life seemed good when she was with Born, the neighborhood kingpin whose name was synonymous with money, power, and respect. But all his love couldn't save her from a crack addiction. Jada goes from crack addict and prostitute to survivor and back again before she finds the strength to live for herself and come out on top. And her stormy romance with one of the fiercest hustlers on the streets makes White Lines one of the most unforgettable urban loves stories of the year.

    This Blackboard bestseller about making it on your own--despite the mistakes of your past--will appeal to fans of Terry McMillan and Lolita Files.

    Whitaker's Millionaire Wives Club are back for a third season of explosive lies, forbidden sex, and scandals like you've never seen before!Step into the world of cable TV's hit reality show and meet new bride and new mother Milan, who finally has everything she's ever dreamed of. Problem is her perfect life doesn't work for TV. What will she do when the producer threatens to fire her? Editor-in-chief Chaunci isn't feeling the fame and the last thing she needs is to share the spotlight with her worst enemy, newcomer Journee. Socialite Journee expected her eighty-two-year-old husband to only live four days past their wedding night, but it's been four years. And just when it seems that he's ready to meet his maker, his son--Journee's ex-lover--shows up. Hair care mogul Vera is struggling with her failing marriage and the last thing she needs is her drug-addicted mother to further ruin her life or her image. Jaise is finally standing by her man. But will she live the life she thinks or will it cost her everything?

    Their bitter breakup, caused by David's infidelity, left Jocelyn angry and David filled with regrets. But a chance meeting in Philadelphia spurs them to get back together, and it's soon obvious that the feelings they thought were dead and buried are as strong as ever. But there's a problem with this romantic reunion - two problems in fact. David is engaged to Janelle, and Jocelyn is married to Eric. And now, two people desperate to keep the love they've rediscovered will have to decide how much they're willing to give up to be together.

    Jefferson, a young black man, is an unwitting party to a liquor store shoot out in which three men are killed; the only survivor, he is convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Grant Wiggins, who left his hometown for the university, has returned to the plantation school to teach. As he struggles with his decision whether to stay or escape to another state, his aunt and Jefferson's godmother persuade him to visit Jefferson in his cell and impart his learning and his pride to Jefferson before his death. In the end, the two men forge a bond as they both come to understand the simple heroism of resisting and defying the expected. Ernest J. Gaines brings to this novel the same rich sense of place, the same deep understanding of the human psyche, and the same compassion for a people and their struggle that have informed his previous, highly praised works of fiction.

    The search to find his fiances killer leads one man into a labyrinth of lies and deception in this pulse-pounding thriller.