Then she meets Trey, a handsome and well dressed cat with hood swagger. When Trey tells Chloe that he is pursuing a degree in psychology, Chloe thinks she has finally met someone who has his head screwed on right. But as Chloe’s flirtation with Trey intensifies, secrets are revealed and she finds that she’s playing with fire, in Tracy Brown's Flirting with Disaster.*First published in the 2009 anthology Flirt.

    After getting caught reenacting what she sees, she runs away from home and seeks refuge in the streets of East Hammond,IN where she becomes vividly exposed to the rugged street life. Cuz: A focused hustler who's recently released from serving a 5 year sentence. Cuz places Precious under his wings, but only if she agrees to earn her keep by any means necessary. On their rise to power they encounter Shree, LaToya, Sonya, and Neicey. All five women have the same agenda needed for their journey at hand and agrees to live by Cuz's creed. "Never bite the hand that feeds you, unless that hand tries to slap the taste out of your mouth." Shaunta'e Howard is a new author to the game of books. Although she has been writing all her life this is her first release. She is a very outgoing young woman from Hammond, IN via Chicago, IL. She has a bachelor's degree in accounting from Devry University and a MBA in business from Keller Graduate School of Management. She is a mother of a 15 year old son and 5 year old daughter. In her spare time she enjoys reading, dancing, and any activity involving family and friends. Look forward to Shaunta'e bringing more your way. This is just the beginning.

    Desperate to keep his new client a secret from Kai, Todd struggles through Alana’s manipulations as she puts her ultimate plan in motion to reclaim what she believes is hers and prove to Kai once and for all, that her bite is much worse than her bark.

    As she’s bending it his eyes pop open and I move towards the bed, watching as he struggles to take a breath. Zoe smiles while tears roll down her face. I look on watching him fight for his life. He reaches out, trying to grab for Zoe and I grab a pillow from off the couch behind me and place it over his face. I press down hard. Zoe releases the tube and begins pressing down on the pillow with me too. We both press with all our might.

    Michelle reunites with her ex-boyfriend, Antonio “Tony” Dixon, and realizes that Tony’s addictive lifestyle is no longer the life she wants to live and gets involved with Officer John Shelby. Will Michelle allow her demons to interfere with her newfound love and happiness? Lakeeysha meets and falls in love with Antwaine Greene, a notorious drug dealer whose mind is set on two things: money and women. Lakeeysha tries to find her place in Antwaine’s life, but her quest for his heart is cut short when he is mysteriously killed, leaving Keeysha in suspense and anxious to find his murderer. As she pieces together this deadly puzzle, she is confronted with a bare truth that explodes her world into a million tiny pieces. Keeysha’s search for truth endangers her life and those she cherishes the most. As the body count rises it is only a matter of time before death comes knocking at Keeysha’s front door. With Antwaine dead, who will rescue her from this deadly and cruel world?Enliven your senses and awaken a new thirst for adventure as Jennifer Luckett tells a no-hold bars tale of the gritty side of Jackson, Mississippi, and gives new meaning to the City with Soul.

    In a business where it is hard to distinguish friend from foe, Carmelo finds himself facing deception and dishonesty from those who were once closest to him. The fear of death lurks around every corner and Carmelo’s life is in constant danger! While trying to stay alive and maintain control over what took him years to build, he meets Dream. Dream is a breath of fresh air in Carmelo’s grimy and perilous world. She comes from a different walk of life and brings something refreshing to the table. It is true that every thug needs a lady, but can Dream be the one who balances out Carmelo's hectic life?

    Tyler and Tori’s world has been torn apart by her sister, Paris, when she kidnaps the couple’s 3 year old son. Will they stand together in order to save their baby boy or will the stress and heartache Paris has bought into their lives tear them apart? Skye and Zyir aren’t on good terms and although they love each other, will love be enough to keep them together or will Zyir’s drama turn his good girl bad? The twins are the poster children for the perfect siblings, but with so much going on in both of their lives there relationship is tested and for the first time ever they have to separate in order to gain control of their own separate lives. Bonds are broken, secrets are revealed and everybody won’t make it til the end! Who will be the last couple standing?

    Nae knows from experiences what it’s like to be in the streets. A guy in the streets doesn’t excite her; all she’s looking for is true love. Someone who’s gonna hold her at night and treat her right. She’s a woman in the streets and a straight freak in the sheets, who is more than willing to ride for her man when her services are needed.Jacques Spencer is Kash right hand man and best friend who’s tired of the money hungry bitches that’s after only his money. He feels all bitches are one in the same and feels that there isn’t a woman out there who will ever be into him for him. He’s tired of the bullshit but doesn’t give up on searching for love.Cherry is looking for a man who can give her all the things money can’t buy, love, affection, and attention. She had everything else. Those are the only pieces of the puzzle she’s missing. Being in love with a man in the streets is hard for any female. Beating cases, having shoot outs and being a ride or die chick. Take this ride with Kash and Jacques as they show y’all just what Gangsta Luv is all about.

    Doctors believed that Starr would only be a waste in society and behind in everything she did. After losing the love of her life Keylan; Starr loses all compassion and want to have a better life. She returns to Atlanta from Miami and immediately begins to play hard in the streets.Finding love once again in her ex Quad, Starr begins to contemplate doing right again but suddenly truths are revealed, friends becomes foes, and lives are lost. Starr’s ways finally start to catch up to her and someone wants to send her to an early grave. Will they succeed or will she become the Reigning Starr that no one believed she could be?Gun play, lies, and murder isn’t supposed to be a part of a girl’s everyday life. But Starr isn’t your ordinary girl. Walk with Starr as she takes you on a journey where the girls go just as hard as the boys.

    After oddly maneuvering her way out of the blood bath she left behind in Arizona, Keema is up to her old tricks again. Between sex, greed and murder it s almost impossible to escape from the hood life she s grown accustomed to. From one scam to the next, she finally comes up with a new hustle that rains money and is sure to give her the riches she thinks she deserves That is until someone from her past emerges sending her into mental shock. The stakes become high as Keema fights for her life, still with her mind on her money. While stacking paper Keema also stacks enemies...old and new. Unfortunately for her, her street savvy mentality may not be enough to get her off this time.

    But as usual her promise to herself is broken, because it was impossible for her not to fall heart first for TONY. Things developed quickly, but then their whirlwind romance suddenly comes to a halt when TONY decides things are too heavy for him and he wants space. After he moves out, he doesn't move on and JOCELYN allows him to play the in and out game, until she meets BRIAN. Ready to finally let TONY go and get him out of her system, she cuts the cord, but finds herself in a horrible situation in the end, all because of TONY.

    Torn between good and evil, Ricky struggles with becoming a legit citizen in the world of fast money that he has become accustomed to.

    She didn't give a fuck about men and she only cared about their money. She swore that the way that she lived was the only way, and often attempted to convince her close friend Samantha to give up on having a traditional love, and join in on her Ghetto Girl Games that she plays. Shockingly engaging, and filled with jaw dropping scenes that will leave you speechless. The lustful infatuation for money, and the unbelievable thirst for the shiny life will keep you shaking your head at these women. And in case you were wondering...if you sell your food stamps so that you can go to the club; then you are also playing Ghetto Girl Games. But that's just the game for beginners, so check out these pros and how they navigate through life in the projects.

    Now imagine being in a relationship with a man who is unapologetically mentally and verbally abusive, disrespectful, AND cheats on you! That’s just a brief description of Janae’s relationship with Tae. Tae was absolutely cocky, he no longer cared about hiding his cheating; he figured, if Janae hadn’t left him the first time she found out he was cheating, then she probably wouldn’t leave him the next... Most people would dismiss a girl like Janae as stupid and naïve; someone who needed to wake up and realize that there were other men in this world and move on. But when a man has a mental hold on you, for some women, it’s not that easy. Tae robbed Janae of her self-esteem. His constant put-downs and unfiltered disrespect became the norm for her. He frowned at her tears and did as he pleased. His actions forced Janae to compare herself to the women he cheated with and wonder why she wasn’t good enough. Eventually, trying to please Tae became her only purpose. Being a faithful girlfriend was something Janae took pride in. Somehow, she allowed Tae to define her; she felt like she wasn’t whole without him. Finally, a series of events helped Janae discover her worth... Still withering in the wings of her broken relationship, will Janae stay with Tae and believe that he can and will change? Or will she rebel and act upon the old adage, ‘if you can’t beat em’, join em’?

    Tired of dealing with the same naïve women day after day, Maurice searches for the one female who can match his wit. Nekole Mitchell is a scheming hood wench who slithers her way into Maurice s life, spreading her sweet but deadly venom amongst Maurice s circle of friends. What begins as a game for Maurice turns into a Contagious cycle of lust, disgust ... and murder, when everyone becomes a victim of their own stratagem.