Feeling the Heat & Night Heat


Brenda Jackson - 2012
    

Baller Dreams


Tasha Macklin - 2012
    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.

She Gave Her All to the Hood’s Finest


Shvonne Latrice - 2019
    Enduring hardship after hardship, and constant tragedies, has drained any hope of having a better life from the beauty. After one traumatic event in particular, Camarih realizes that life will never be what she wants it to, and expects nothing less than good old misfortune. Even her R&B singing boyfriend has become the worst decision she's ever made. And just when Camarih believes life can't get any worse, she unveils a mind blowing secret about the people she thought loved and cared for her, only proving her bad luck theory correct. Mentally, she has given up, until she meets the ignorant, disrespectful, and intimidating Tony Wacko. Knowing as soon as they meet that he is not her type, despite his extremely good-looking exterior, Camarih puts the brash hood boy to the back of her mind. However, Tony has other plans for her. Tony Wacko or Leimert Park's finest, is an ill-mannered, off-kilter, pure unadulterated hood boy, with the sexy looks to match. Ever wondered what a brother straight from the ghetto was like? It's Wacko. He's as ignorant as it gets, but with the same amount of intelligence. Since middle school, he's always had to fend for himself, and getting swallowed up by the hood life has hardened him to seemingly beyond repair. He cares for nothing and no one outside of his money, and a few family members to an extent. Things start to shift when the handsome hard-hearted Tony meets the much softer and sweeter Camarih. For a woman who needs love, the last thing she wants is a man who is incapable of giving it. Will Tony's callous and rude behavior push the gentile spirit that is Camarih away? Or will she be able to soften the brutal, uncivil, and reckless hood? In this urban love story filled with betrayal, jealousy, shocking revelations, and forbidden obsessions, will the good girl and extra rude bad boy be able to develop a true love? Or will Camarih's negative outlook on life and love, continue to be true? But how easy is it for her to walk away when she gave him her all, and when there wasn't much left to begin with?

The Chase


Mel Dau - 2021
    Now, she has to make a way for herself and her two young children. With goals in mind, she has absolutely no time for love, but what happens when an unexpected person comes along to show her things that she has never seen before? Will her heart be willing to open for love to enter?Avery Horry is a businessman all about his success. While he is not necessarily looking for love, he is open to it with the right person. This person has to be cut from a different cloth than the normal. When he runs into Rehtaeh, he thinks he may have found that person. Will he be able to break down the walls around her heart and show her what it’s like to be adored and loved?Let the chase begin...

Snow: A Love Story Birthed In The Streets


Jessica N. Watkins - 2019
     Azu Wilson gave his oldest daughter the name Snow because she was born amongst his snowfall on the city of Gary, Indiana in 2001. Then, Azu had just began to drop tons kilos of coke on the city, starting the birth of his empire. Fast forward eighteen years later, Snow is Azu's favorite girl and only daughter. She has been doted on by her father. Now, she is off to college with her best friends, Tristan and Bae. They hope that their move out of the violent streets of Chicago to Tallahassee will bring positive change to the brutally savage lives they have lived. However, "wherever arms flow, violence follows". Amongst the excitement of Freshmen year, college parties, and pledging, Snow is forced to return to Chicago in order to rescue her family from sudden hardship and misery. Unbeknownst to her, she receives the help that she needs from one of Azu's most trusted crew members, Zo. Zo encourages her to make the biggest move of her life, as he falls violently for the brown-skinned beauty. Snow isn't interested, however. Her focus is on her family. Yet, having been raised by a hustla, wouldn't she be moved to fall in love with one?

Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies


Trice Hickman - 2009
    She's a beautiful, business savvy sister who owns one of Atlanta's most sought after event planning companies. He's a powerful, blue-eyed CEO who knows how to take care of business in and out of the boardroom. But their seemingly happy life begins to unravel in the blink of an eye when long held desires and decades old secrets come back to haunt them. Victoria's road to deceit begins when Parker Brightwood re-enters her life. She thought she'd gotten over the brazenly handsome surgeon who once stole her heart, but an unusual set of circumstances ushers the ebony prince back on the scene, and this time he's determined to win her back at any cost. Ted's undoing begins with his mother's sudden death, and a mysterious secret that leads to unexpected places. When the truth is finally revealed, it's a realization so shocking, it threatens the life and marriage he holds so dear. As Victoria and Ted journey down a road filled with uncertainty, they're forced to take a hard, honest look at themselves and confront their hidden fears. Can they repair the damage before it's too late, or will they follow a path headed toward destruction?

Pretty Lives Ugly Truths


K. Elle Collier - 2014
    it also has its downfalls. Langston Monroe redefined the R&B genre but his children paid the price. Growing up, Malcolm, Lance and Lacey appeared to have the picture-perfect life. But their reality was nothing anyone could have ever suspected. Now, twenty years after their father’s death, his children are still struggling with their tumultuous past and fighting to keep it from ruining their current lives and most intimate relationships.  Malcolm Monroe, his own worst enemy, is a filmmaker whose struggling career threatens his marriage. Lance Monroe, the highly successful ex-NFL player turned commentator can't seem to get his life together, standing accused of countless charges from a night gone wrong, he struggles to put his self-made demons behind him.  Lacey Monroe, the R&B diva and wild-child who desperately seeks the stability and love she never got as a child, clings to a man she hopes will save her from a secret revealed. Together, these three siblings fight to break free of their father's painful legacy, years of hurt and deceit, and forge their own path once and for all.

To Buy a Vow


Chencia C. Higgins - 2018
    Her marriage to her college sweetheart has begun to fizzle out, with conversations dwindling down to nothing and intimacy becoming sporadic at best. Unwilling to endure the stigma of being a 30-something divorcee, she does everything in her power to hold onto her marriage, but Chris isn't just on a different page, he's in a whole other book entirely. Despite their disconnect, her vows meant something to her and marriage is supposed to be forever. When all seems lost, she makes a last-ditch effort in hopes of generating results, but what exactly does a Hail Mary look like between friends and lovers?Jermaine Hawkins is nearing the end of a prominent career playing professional basketball and is ready to put his retirement plan into action. That plan includes many things but most important on the list is putting an end to his status as a hermit and starting a family. A chance encounter with a firecracker of a woman makes him think he's found his capital F. But whether that F is for "future" or "frustrating" is to be determined. Can Jermaine convince Nedra that everything happens for a reason while also getting her to give him a chance at something real?

Just Say The Word


Tiffany Patterson - 2019
     And I don’t do women that need rescuing. Then why am I so drawn to her? Sandra Robinson. Even her name sounds unsullied. She isn’t my type. So, when I found myself thinking about her after the one dance we shared at my best friend’s wedding, I was confused. Months later, when she was left stranded, I began rearranging the entirety of my schedule to be her chauffeur, I grew suspicious. Of myself. I’ve taken care of my family since the age of thirteen. I’ve spent over a decade building up my real estate business to become one of the most well known in the city of Williamsport. And I dated women who didn’t go speechless at a simple request to dance. That isn’t who I am. Then why is this woman with eyes the color of maple syrup, and a ten year old daughter who is her mirror image, causing me to spend my days and nights thinking about her? And why am I so ready to put my own personal demons to the side, just to win her heart? Because, make no mistake, that is what I’m after. I don’t intend on losing. But winning this game will require patience to break down the barriers she’s erected around her heart. Once they’re down, I don’t plan on letting up. Anything or anyone that gets in my way is in trouble. All she has to do is just say the word.

Plus


Sabrina B. Scales - 2019
    Being the sole provider of his household before he was old enough to get a job, it was no surprise that he maintained that position when super stardom landed at his door…Kenny She was born into the struggle, a place where abandonment was just one of the many things that could fall into your path. She learned early on that it was her responsibility to protect herself, and sometimes the ones she loved. In her eyes, pain was not a thing to be shared. It was better managed alone. And the weight of it, though crippling, was hers to carry and no one else’s…Tashena They were born into the struggle, separated by a few blocks of concrete and heavy doses of pain, somehow finding their way back to each other after life and its perils pushed them apart. The truth needed to be told before either of their hearts could mend. Healing was needed on both ends before reception was an option. Trust needed to be established before love was a possibility. Such heavy burdens to bare for souls that were already carrying too much. Plus, a story of love...through the struggle.

Unwritten


Rachel Lacey - 2018
    But with nude photos going viral on the internet, the ensuing smear campaign threatens to ruin everything.A chance meeting with a handsome college professor—who’s adorably clueless about her identity—is a rare break from the stress. But when shocked recognition dawns in his eyes, her survival mechanism kicks in. She can’t simply let him walk away to add grist to the rumor mill.Josh Randall has already loved and lost his soulmate. Yet when he witnesses Kate in a vulnerable moment, he can’t deny the pull between them. Even though he believes down to his bones that true love doesn’t come twice in a lifetime.A no-strings fling sounds like the perfect solution. But Kate never expected Josh to see the woman hiding behind the celebrity—or that the paparazzi would catch on to their sizzling passion so quickly. Making it hard to keep their tangled emotions from tearing their hearts apart when it’s time to say goodbye…

Soaring on Love


Joy Avery - 2017
    Even stow away in the back of a guest's SUV. And when she tells Roth Lexington to "just drive," the handsome aerospace engineer does exactly that. In his snowbound mountain cabin, mutual attraction ignites a scorching affair… Roth has three rules: never be vulnerable, always wake up alone and stay in control. Thanks to Tressa, he's broken them all. One beautiful, sensual night becomes many, but once they leave their haven behind, mistrust and meddling exes intervene. Soon he faces a choice: watch this stunning, adventurous woman walk away or finally let his guard down. Roth will quickly learn that in order to reach the heights of love, you have to be willing to fall…

My Way to You


Lyndell Williams - 2018
    Immediately intrigued by Regina’s beauty, Simon becomes increasingly enthralled and ultimately risks his friendship to have her for himself. Social justice writer and activist Regina Kent is usually cautious and savvy. Yet, unable to resist her attraction to the handsome Simon, she plunges into a torrid affair, knowing that she chances angering big brother and her less tolerant followers, many of whom will not accept that one of their most popular pro-Black bloggers is dating an Asian man. As their clandestine romance evolves, Simon and Regina fall deeper in love. Making sure that things stay between them becomes progressively impossible, and neither knows how much longer they can keep Marcus in the dark and the world at bay.

Just Wanna Be Loved Too


Shay Davis - 2021