She was hurt—angry, too—but she didn't cry woe is me. Nope, she hired herself a top-notch lawyer and ended up with a cool $275 million. Having been raised in the church, she knew that when much is given much is expected, so she asked God to send her a purpose.The purpose turned out to be a town: Henry Adams, Kansas, one of the last surviving townships founded by freed slaves after the Civil War. The failing town had put itself up for sale on the Internet, so Bernadine bought it. Trent July is the mayor, and watching the town of his birth slide into debt and foreclosure is about the hardest thing he's ever done. When the buyer comes to town, he's impressed by her vision, strength, and the hope she wants to offer not only to the town and its few remaining residents, but to a handful of kids in desperate need of a second chance. Not everyone in town wants to get on board though; they don't want change. But Bernadine and Trent, along with his first love, Lily Fontaine, are determined to preserve the town's legacy while ushering in a new era with ties to its unique past and its promising future.

    --RT Book ReviewsThe Blue-Collar Lover SeriesMeet the Carter brothers, five hard-working men with a lot to offer. They may not be wealthy but they're rich in integrity and loyalty--not to mention sex appeal. They just need the right women to share their world. . .At thirty, eldest brother Byron hasn't dated seriously in a while--not since he became a single dad to his beloved baby girl. Besides, he's found that most women can't see past his job as a bus driver, and he's not interested in that type of superficial foolishness. When he meets Cynthia Hall, her disinterest is obvious. Still, there's something about her. . .Cynthia has been successful in her career and unlucky in love. But those two worlds collide when Byron ends up in her office on business. It's a coincidence that casts him in a very different light than she's previously seen. Too bad he's not the upscale professional Cynthia had in mind. Yet given the chance, she might discover that while money can't buy happiness--a loving and passionate man can. . .

    Comfort of a Man by Adrianne Byrd released on Jun 24, 2003 is available now for purchase.

    Granted, she’s enjoying her post-college life of little-to-no responsibility, but when her dad announces at a family meeting that she can’t handle working a “real job,” there’s only one thing to do: land a desk job and prove him wrong. When her brother’s best friend, Fredrick Jenkins, needs a new assistant, she knows she’s the perfect candidate. So what if she’s had a crush on the conservative accountant since she was nine? She’s the last woman Freddy would fall for. But Fredrick is far from impervious to Janiyah’s charms. Though he can’t help but be attracted to her, he knows Janiyah is more interested in eating his cereal and teasing him than viewing him as more than the good guy next door. When he offers her the job, he can’t imagine her giving up her late mornings and colorful outfits for 8:00 a.m. meetings and pantyhose for too long. But as Janiyah excels as his employee, he fears he’s in danger of falling hard for a woman he shouldn’t care for. Pretty soon the attraction they’ve tried to ignore boils to the surface. And after Fredrick shows Janiyah the man behind the numbers, she’s ready to show him that she’s just the type of woman he needs.

    But when she reluctantly agreed to share a secluded cabin with an arrogant sheikh bent on seduction, she found herself enrolled in a crash course in human sexuality. Unfortunately, commitment and love were misplaced pages in her darkly handsome mentor's manual. Jamal Ari Yassir had intended to school Delaney in sensuality for his pleasure, but his plan backfired. Instead of loving and leaving her, he became engulfed by an irresistible passion for his sexy-as-sin cabin mate. Could his convenient summer lover be the woman he was destined to share his life with?

    Sabella’s shame over a horrific discovery wreaked havoc on her mind and body. The darkness in Isak’s life had manifested in a more sinister fashion. He was no longer the even tempered peacemaker of his volatile family. While Sabella blamed herself for his brutal transformation, she believed he was better off away from her maybe…hating her. Isak however, harbored no such feelings. In his mind, Sabella was still his wife and he had every intention of getting her back. Explanations would be required and Belle knew she could never share what she’d learned about herself and the ugly truth of her existence.

    He's in the media spotlight�just like her ex, an actor who trashed her publicly after their split. Since she became guardian to her baby niece, Simona has even more reason to avoid high-profile affairs. Yet still her body is on fire from Donovan's lightest touch. Record label VP Donovan Wright tells himself it's exhaustion, adrenaline…but nothing has ever matched the feeling of having Simona in his arms. Sexy and compassionate by turns, she immediately pulls him in, even as his own trust issues surface. Before she walks away for good, he has just one more chance to prove that his promise to love and care for her will never be broken…

    One thing she doesn’t know is how to be a mother. So when a cruel twist of fate claims her sister’s life and leaves Raina with custody of her six-year-old niece, Zoe, Raina can think of only one place to turn. Zoe’s father has to be out there somewhere, and she intends to find him. When sexy sports agent Spencer Davis is confronted by the feisty beauty, he is torn. He does not believe he is the father of Raina’s niece. Yet he is reluctant to let the beguiling chef slip away. Soon he and Raina are engaged in a passionate liaison that is both unwise and inevitable. With Zoe’s parentage still in question, Spencer knows their relationship may be short-lived. But his longing for Raina is quickly outweighing his judgment, and he is willing to risk everything on the chance that they might be meant for each other …

    . . and Passion. Rochelle Alers' Sweet SurrenderManicurist Maria Parker can't help but notice when a hunky financial planner brings his niece into Della's for a manicure. And when he starts to frequent the salon himself for manicures from Maria, she's pretty sure he has more than cuticles on his mind...Donna Hill's It Could Happen to YouWhen Della turned Rosie's Curl and Weave into Della's House of Style, a few things managed to slip through the cracks-and now she's is under fire by the IRS. When a by-the-book IRS agent comes to investigate, Della is infuriated by his presence in the salon-and reluctant to admit that she's growing more than a little used to it...Felicia Mason's Truly, HonestlyHigh-maintenance investment banker Sheila [last name] needs some serious pampering. On a whim, she decides to get a shoulder-length weave at Della's House of Style, and afterwards, visits and salon's lounge, where a sexy D.J. has a song in mind for her...Francis Ray's A Matter of TrustSingle mother Hope Lassiter, once a critically acclaimed actress, is now a cosmetologist at Della's House of Style. When a handsome director tries to woo her back to the stage, Hope has to wonder if his intentions are more than professional. . .

    Ms. Ford knows how to turn up the heat.”—Romantic Times   In Can’t Get Enough of You, perennial favorite Bette Ford revisits the group of friends she introduced in Unforgettable, and enthralls readers once more with a tale about the chances we take for love, and what we’re willing to risk for a second shot at happiness. Can’t Get Enough of You is a sizzling hot love story about a brilliant and beautiful professor who’s life is turned upside-down when the ex-love of her life, who once chose an NBA career over her, re-enters her world—and it reestablishes Bette Ford as a major force in African American romance fiction.

    No one will know. That was the deal. Every year, Livvy Kane and Nicholas Chandler would share one perfect night of illicit pleasure. The forbidden hours let them forget the tragedy that haunted their pasts—and the last names that made them enemies. Until the night she didn’t show up. Now Nicholas has an empire to run. He doesn’t have time for distractions and Livvy’s sudden reappearance in town is a major distraction. She’s the one woman he shouldn’t want . . . so why can’t he forget how right she feels in his bed? Livvy didn’t come home for Nicholas, but fate seems determined to remind her of his presence—and their past. Although the passion between them might have once run hot and deep, not even love can overcome the scandal that divided their families. Being together might be against all the rules . . . but being apart is impossible.

    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.

    It was the first thing I noticed that day until he stood. His grey sweatpants hung off his hips and I didn’t want to look. I really didn’t. I’m a feminist. I don’t believe in objectifying men. I don’t catcall men. I don’t ogle the bodies of men. I don’t view men as objects of my affection rather than complex people with feelings, wants, and needs of their own. I don’t treat men the way society often treats women. I treat men the way I want to be treated as a woman—with respect! So, when Carlos ran into me while I was reviewing my interview questions in the park, it surprised me to see my photography classmate out of context. I was also surprised to see as much of him as I did.It wasn’t just that it caught my eye. It was the fact that it held my attention.It wasn’t just that it was large. It was the fact that it was visibly large.It wasn’t just that it was Carlos Richmond. It was the fact that I am Akila Bishara.And I am not seduced by anything other than intelligent conversation, witty rapport, and meaningful actions.I am not seduced by a dick print. I am not. Seriously, I’m not.

    After receiving guardianship of Stacy, the biracial daughter of an old friend, Deanna comes to terms with her own goals and identity as an African-American woman as she and Patterson Temple join forces to protect the frightened child.

    But when she finds an enormous, new-age hotel spoiling the view from her cherished inheritance, the tiny and pristine Osprey Island, Lily decides that the Nirvana Hotel's handsome owner warrants closer scrutiny. Ambitious hotelier Ethan Weatherall cut his teeth in the hotel industry and is determined to buy Lily's treasured island and convert it to a concrete helipad. Career-climbing, cosmopolitan Ethan cannot risk falling for a woman who could never be happy away from the wilds of nature. But it seems that boat may have already sailed, as he falls into the deep end for Lily's sweet soul and independent spirit. Lily must figure out a way to stop Ethan from destroying the tranquility of Loon Lake while trying to resist his charming city-bred manners. If she can't, there's more than just Osprey Island at stake. A Suite Deal is the first book in the Suite Love Series by Sue Gibson.