Tonya Morris a.k.a. "Tender" is back and this time the ride is wilder than ever.Coming of age in the Badlands of north Philadelphia--one of the toughest and poorest communities in the country--Tonya Morris has had to make some desperate and, at times, ruthless moves in her bid to survive. When Tonya stepped into the unforgiving business of stripping, she found herself caught up in a world of sex-filled nights, dirty money, backstabbing cohorts, and murder.She left that world behind to become a hairstylist. However, after she is blacklisted from salons across Philadelphia and is evicted by her shady landlord, Tonya finds herself back in the stripping business. Except this time, she promises herself, things are going to end differently.Tonya teams up with her best friend, Na'eema, to organize underground sex parties, and it's not long before they have a team of beautiful girls and are rubbing elbows with athletes, rappers, and celebrities.Then Tonya's ex-lover and now music industry superstar, Q, steps onto the scene, and everything takes a dramatic new twist. Because it's not just Q who is back in her life. His murderous baby mama, Niecey, is fresh out of jail and ready to raise hell. And she's got Tonya in her sights. In the meantime, Tonya's past has risen like a beast, threatening to tear away all her newfound success. But Tonya isn't going down without a fight.

     When Washington, D.C., chiropractor Yardley Brown goes to his local bank, it isn't only to make deposits into his account. He has long since accrued some interest in Rayne Waters, a bank employee who's too beautiful to be true -- and too beautiful to be single. At least that's what Yardley believes, which is why he has never approached her. Little does he know that Rayne is anything but taken. Not for want of trying, of course. But after barely surviving a dating disaster with her hairdresser's brother and then falling for a member of her church band who, it turns out, is celibate, she's on the verge of giving up. That is, until Yardley -- discouraged by his own slew of dead-end romances -- finally works up the courage to give her a try. The true craziness, however, is just beginning, thanks to a cast of characters who seem bent on botching the young couple's relationship. There's Rayne's erratic mother, who constantly boasts about being a "good whore"; Yardley's playboy buddies, always trolling for sex; and, worst of all, past lovers who make a habit of popping up and ruining things as only old flames (or previous mistakes) can. Weaving the carnal and the comical in true Zane fashion, Rayne and Yardley's struggle to find love in a world gone mad is a timeless talk about everything that can go wrong in the dating game -- and a few things that can go right.

    Having to witness his mother being abused at the hands of her husband for years, he appointed himself her protector; which led to him enduring the same fate. Vowing to protect his mother until his dying breath, Micah had no clue the day would come as soon as it did; and at the hands of his own father.

    Too much love, too much attention, and had too many big dreams.   It was how she ended up abandoning her two daughters, Connie and Reesy to chase after a man and the promise of a dream life.   But Charlotte never anticipated how her world would be irrevocably changed.  Now, twenty-seven years later, her whole world shifts yet again with a letter from one of her daughters.  And the past is about to bust wide open.   Reesy has always been obsessed with something.  Obsessed with finding her birth mother. Obsessed with her sister’s life. Obsessed with her own adopted daughter never finding out that Reesy is really her aunt.  With a neglected husband, who is unknowingly drifting further and further away, a sister who is trying to escape her well-meaning clutches, and a daughter becoming more and more curious about her true parentage, finding the mother she always dreamed about seems to be an answered prayer to Reesy.  That is until Reesy is brought crashing back to earth to find that her perfect life is in tattered pieces.Connie has always expected too little. Too little from the man she’s been living with for years. Too little from her modest jewelry business.  And too little from her relationships, or lack thereof, with her daughter, mother and sister. And too little from herself.  Until she discovers she is pregnant again and decides that this time she is keeping her baby, sending her life and her relationship into a tailspin.  And rediscovering the mother who left them behind is the last thing she wants.  Thrown back together again, in a maelstrom of shocking truths, Charlotte, Reesy and Connie will discover on their journey to forgiveness and redemption that you just might have to sin first in order to be saved.

    Alex has been interviewing celebrities and hangers-on long enough to know all that glitters isn’t gold, so she’s determined to get the real scoop. Still, it’s not going to be easy to get past the wives’ gilded cages... Beth Saddlebrook, wife of aging rapper Z. They have three beautiful boys and a seemingly endless supply of cash. But Beth spends her days trying to keep Z off drugs and fielding calls from women hollering she’s just a “small-town white bitch” and claiming to be carrying Z’s baby. Only one person understands what she’s going through... Kipenzi Hill, multiplatinum-selling R&B artist and Beth’s best friend. Her relationship with rap star and record label president Jake is an open secret in the industry. She knows Jake loves her, but he’d rather break up than publicly acknowledge it. Now she has learned that the newest (and much younger) R&B sensation Bunny has been signed to Jake’s label. Josephine Bennett, wife to Jamaican singer and Überproducer Ras Bennett. Josephine doesn’t just want to spend her husband’s money, she wants to contribute. Her fashion company is finally starting to get media attention when her husband admits to something she’s suspected all along — he’s fallen in love with another woman. Cleopatra Wright, every man’s dream girl, a video vixen with a story to tell and scores to settle. Cleo’s got that thing no one can put a finger on and no man (or woman) can resist. Some would call her evil or misguided or both, but Cleo always moves with a purpose and she’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants...Alex realizes she may have more in common with these women than she’d like. What if this is a glimpse of how her life will be if Birdie finally gets signed to a major label? Stuck between her loyalty to this newfound sisterhood and her obligation to write the truth, Alex is forced to rethink everything she knows about work, friendship, and love.

    My grandmother was an old school hooker who relied on a few regulars to supply her basic needs, and my mother was a cracked- out-trick who was killed by a junkie pimp in an alley way. I was there, five-years-old, cold, hungry and huddled near a dumpster. I watched him beat the life out of my mom for the twenty dollars she’d just made. I sat there for hours until the hunger pains forced me to move. I grew up in this ass-for-cash game. I’ve seen the best and survived the worst. I am the madam of an elite prostitution ring in the hood, and this is the story of how the ring was brokenHoney Williams aka Honey Dip is a former junkie trick turned call girl that secretly yearns for a relationship with her daughter and a chance at a normal life. She is tired of the game but doesn't want to turn her back on the prostitutes that saved her life and welcomed her into their family when nobody else wanted to be bothered. Just when she thinks things couldn't be anymore complicated, she falls in love with a man who is young enough to be her son and declared off limits by Portia.SEX, DRUGS, LIES, AND BETRAYAL... WELCOME TO THE NIGHT LIFE. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!REVIEWAuthor Julia Press Simmons does it again with another 5 star novel! In this tale of Fornication you will meet Honey Dip as she travels down the road of prostitution, sisterhood and maybe even true love!You will also meet Portia, the leader of the prostitution ring and her girls all know that Portia is not the one to be played with. But, is this sisterhood true or is it all about the money? Would you be more loyal to your pimp or a dollar? These girls have a story to tell and you don't want to miss out!Find out what this author put together in Fornication. If you've read any of her other books you know you will not be disappointed! Julia's pen game is tight!I can't wait for volume 2!!!Stephanie TarrerDivas & Gents Into Urban/Street Lit! (Facebook)

     At Seventeen years of age and fresh out of high school, Royal has had to work at a local strip club to make sure that she and her sister have whatever they need in order to maintain. Royal is all about making money and looking for a way out. There isn’t anyone that she has her eyes set on until she ends up meeting Pharaoh while returning home one night. At first, she downplays their blossoming relationship letting it be known that they’re just friends. Pharaoh plays along and figures that she’s just not your average chick, but he quickly switches things up on her and starts dating a girl name Bia. Just like Pharaoh knew she would, Royal shuts that relationship down and claims Pharaoh as her own. With a Love so unique and seemingly everlasting, one would think that things would be smooth sailing for the two of them. However, with a scorned ex-lover and a jealous best friend, the outcome will not turn out pretty. Join Royal as she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders and does what only a Brooklyn Bitch can do to make it out alive.

    Her dreams are getting further and further from her grasp when a last chance record deal falls through. Crushed, Victoria sinks into a deep depression until an eviction notice galvanizes her. In her desperate, hasty job search she notices an ad for employment at Pandora's Box, a seedy massage parlor located in downtown Philadelphia. This establishment is opened twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Victoria is appalled by the behavior of both the clientele and the women that ruthlessly compete with one another for the clients’ business. Men come to Pandora’s Box to satisfy their kinky sexual desires. Compromising her morals and her dignity, Victoria repeats to herself that this is temporary. When a handsome, immaculately attired young man shows up one day as a client, her luck seems to change. He is immediately drawn to Victoria and a steamy love affair quickly ensues. But her job at Pandora’s Box complicates their affair. Sinking further into this sordid world, Victoria finds it difficult to climb out. That is, until crime is committed and someone ends up dead. Victoria is forced to confront her lifestyle and remember her dreams and values.

    Etta's Fast House is the hottest nightclub this side of Chicago. The city's fastest-talking street hustlers rub elbows here with the rich and famous, and anyone with enough cash in their wallet can drink like a king and dance the night away. Life is good- until a stranger named Baltimore Floyd strolls into town...Handsome and charming, Baltimore is a hustler with a penchant for stirring up trouble. Everyone adores him, including Etta Adams, the matron of Ms. Etta's Fast House. But before he can imagine settling down with one woman, Baltimore is up for a little action, which is how he hooks up with a corrupt cop's wife. In the blink of an eye, Baltimore finds himself on trial for a crime he didn't commit. Now, to keep him from hanging, the patrons of Ms. Etta's Fast House will need to heal their heartache and come together before the world beyond the Ville's borders tears them apart...

    It's easier that way. Her needs are taken care of and she doesn't have to give more of herself than she wants to. No messy feelings involved. But when the man she's seeing poses an unexpected question, Kimera quickly realizes that she's not the only woman pulled in by his charm.Their new arrangement doesn't require much from Kimera, but she soon discovers that someone else is pulling the strings. She's not looking for complications, yet she can't help feeling that there's something devious at play.And the truth is more complicated than she could ever imagine . . .

    Fed up with Troy and his games, Alicia calls it quits. She soon runs into Shawn, an old friend, and in no time begins to believe that she actually has a chance at happiness. With wedding bells in her near future, will Alicia go from mistress to wife, or will everything crumble when she finds out that Troy isn’t the only one with secrets? Keisha, Alicia’s cousin, has raised her daughter on her own since her ex walked out on her years ago. She meets Keith, they hit it off, and before long they are engaged; preparing to spend the rest of their lives together. That is until something shocking is revealed. Candy is Alicia’s close friend, and one of the people that she trusts the most. The problem is Candy isn’t who she seems, and is also holding in a deep dark secret, that is so bad, it will destroy their friendship forever. Cassandra, Troy’s wife, isn’t as naïve as he believes she is. She knows that her husband is cheating; always has. It could be because every time she turns around, another woman pops up pregnant with Troy’s child. Tired of trying to save her family Cassandra comes up with a plan of her own. In From Mistress to Wife, you’ll find out that everyone has a secret. The question is which ones are forgivable, and which ones are deadly?

    She was also a mom at fourteen years old, and did what she had to do to raise her daughter, Chyna. Now Chyna's all grown up, a stunningly beautiful exotic dancer with a baby girl of her own, while super-sexy Roxy is at the height of her power running Harlem Heat, a gun-trafficking ring. It's a lucrative life- style some would do anything to have. And when former drug kingpin Panama Pete returns to the hood after serving fifteen years in prison, a spiral of violence traps Roxy and Chyna and has them running from the law - and running for their lives.

    Nightmares haunt her of her "death" and the loss of her loved ones. Farren struggles to regain peace and joy. Her younger sister, Chanel Cavett is enjoying being in the presence of Farren Knight. Farren takes Chanel under her wing & grooms her to become a woman full of grace and confidence but more importantly, power.But of course it wouldn't be complete if people such as Mario, Q and even Ms. Nakia didn't make an appearance. Farren is seeking revenge for the assassination of her estranged husband, Christian Knight. Farren isn't well enough to hunt people down like she used too so she asks for Chanel's help. Chanel steps up to the plate and delivers the throne back to Farren but does Farren even want to be apart of The Cartel anymore? Was Farren's disappearance respected amongst The Cartel? Will Greg do everything in his power to make sure Farren doesn't make it to the annual Roundtable.In this sizzling finale, join Farren Knight as she solves the mystery behind the death of her daughter, Carren; learn more about her mother’s role in the cartel and discover her newfound love interest.

    Told with comedic rawness and colorful sarcasm, Ellis's second novel is an epic story of love, loss, pain, and forgiveness that shines a spotlight on the painful reality of domestic abuse.

    She has nothing left except her burning desire to become a singer. But her dream will never come true in Rudell, especially if she marries the man she adores, Dr. David Mackey. So when she sets out for Chicago, everyone in the close knit community, including David believes that the next time they see Cora, her name will be in lights. However, it's not long before Cora finds herself back in Rudell and back in David's arms harboring a secret she dare not reveal. . .A secret that will cause her daughter, Emma to flee Rudell with no intention of ever looking back. And even when Emma finds the perfect man and happiness at last, she is determined to do whatever it takes to keep her family's shameful past at bay. Then the dream that began with Cora comes full circle with her beloved granddaughter Parris whose melodic voice fills the dimly lit nightclubs of New York City. Yet, when tragedy strikes, opening a door to the past, Parris discovers the hidden truths that have ripped the family apart---but which may ultimately bind them together at last.From the dusty roads of the Delta to the pulsing metropolis of New York City, Rhythms is a rich, unforgettable tale about loss and healing, redemption and love.