They rule without remorse. They are the Mind and humans exist only to serve them. But it wasn't always so.Before the android uprising, select droids, called Servants, were pivotal in engineering a new human race with nanotechnology enhanced DNA. The Blood Crown theorum was to be humanity's crowning glory and the key to their survival in deep space.But Serantha, Daughter of the West, was the last female to receive Gifts from her Servant and when the Mind mutinied, she was hidden away, and presumed dead. Without Serantha there is no hope of the Blood Crown being realized so Nicolai, Son of the East, abandons his crown to join the rebel forces. He might not provide the future for his people he had once dreamed of, but he will not go down without a fight.When Nicolai discovers Sera among a small compliment of kitchen staff, everything changes--but Sera's Gifts were never completed and she is ill-equipped to face a legion of androids determined to wipe her, and every other human, out of existence.Their only hope is the Blood Crown--but even if Serantha and Nicolai can realize their potential it may be too late to save mankind.

    But that is not all! This time, Suppandi also takes you with him on an adventurous Mexican holiday, a thrilling encounter with a witch, a disastrous visit to his grandmother, and more! Plus, revisit several (mis)adventures from his childhood, including one where he and Maddy meet for the very first time. Joining Suppandi in this Collection are guest appearances from the awesome foursome sisters Ina Mina Mynah Mo, and everyone’s favourite fangless vampire Billy Drain. So brace yourself because this Collection of stories is about to make your tummy hurt... with laughter! Suppandi is back and he is funnier than ever! Tinkle’s most beloved Toon has once again been rolling through all sorts of odd jobs in libraries and cafes to police stations and senior citizen centers. But that is not all! This time, Suppandi also takes you with him on an adventurous Mexican holiday, a thrilling encounter with a witch, a disastrous visit to his grandmother, and more! Plus, revisit several (mis)adventures from his childhood, including one where he and Maddy meet for the very first time. Joining Suppandi in this Collection are guest appearances from the awesome foursome sisters Ina Mina Mynah Mo, and everyone’s favourite fangless vampire Billy Drain. So brace yourself because this Collection of stories is about to make your tummy hurt... with laughter! Suppandi is back and he is funnier than ever! Tinkle’s most beloved Toon has once again been rolling through all sorts of odd jobs in libraries and cafes to police stations and senior citizen centers. But that is not all! This time, Suppandi also takes you with him on an adventurous Mexican holiday, a thrilling encounter with a witch, a disastrous visit to his grandmother, and more! Plus, revisit several (mis)adventures from his childhood, including one where he and Maddy meet for the very first time. Joining Suppandi in this Collection are guest appearances from the awesome foursome sisters Ina Mina Mynah Mo, and everyone’s favourite fangless vampire Billy Drain. So brace yourself because this Collection of stories is about to make your tummy hurt... with laughter!

    Until she met her screwy traveling companions. Is it too late to get a refund? But as Gilly's group of budget adventurers make their way around Germany in a rented van it would appear that Gilly's going to get adventure all right, more than she bargained for. Thieves, murderers? Surely she's imagining things. Or not. And as for romance, well who knows? With the handsome man she's met, it's possible. If she lives long enough!

    In a changed world where the sky bleeds red, winter is hotter than hell and full of sandstorms, and summer's even hotter with raging fires that roam the desert-like country, the Heaters manage to survive, barely. Due to toxic air, life expectancies are so low the only way the tribe can survive is by forcing women to procreate when they turn sixteen and every three years thereafter. It is their duty as Bearers. Fifteen-year-old Siena is a Youngling, soon to be a Bearer, when she starts hearing rumors of another tribe of all women, called the Wild Ones. They are known to kidnap Youngling girls before the Call, the ceremony in which Bearers are given a husband with whom to bear children with. As the desert sands run out on her life's hourglass, Siena must uncover the truth about the Wild Ones while untangling the web of lies and deceit her father has masterfully spun.

    But for all the good in her life, she can’t seem to get her relationship status in order. Finding the right man is impossible in her world. With late night parties, people to see, and a penchant for men with money, how is Charmaine ever going to find the man of her dreams? Jayla loves her friend, but she knows Charmaine’s partying ways aren’t doing her any favors. When she tries to convince her to think about settling down and getting herself right for a relationship, Charmaine runs into a whole new set of problems! Find out what happens in part one of His Dirty Secrets: Charmaine’s story!

    Deserts, jungles, even held captive by the enemy, and never lost her cool, but when town loud-mouth, Celia Arceneaux, confronts her about her lack of domestic ability in front of her main squeeze Deputy Carter LeBlanc, Fortune let’s her mouth write a check she knows she can’t cash. Now, with Valentine’s Day only a day away, and no idea how to cook a meal fit for a king, or a hunky deputy to be exact, she needs help… and a lot of it. With her partners in crime, Ida Bell and Gertie, and their friend, culinary genius Ally by her side, they’ll help her either create a night Carter will never forget, or one they all wish they could.

    and Madison's overly exuberant cousin to Texas. Unfortunately, the R.V. breaks down on the edge of Sinful, Louisanna - on a Sunday.

    After her parents kicked her out, Semaj promised to love, support, and send her to college. Semaj was holding up his end of the deal, until he moved up a rank in the streets and started receiving more attention than he was used to. That attention led to Semaj having an affair with a woman who was willing to do anything to get a spot in Semaj’s life, including trying to plot a murder. Scorpion: small, quiet but deadly; injecting you with its deadly venom when you least expect it. That’s what the streets were saying about Phalec Grant, also known as Scorpion. Scorpion was a certified personal trainer during the day, and a ruthless street king by night. Scorpion crosses paths with Zolar, and Scorpion, being the charming ladies’ man that he was, is instantly attracted to Zolar, but nothing or no one could make her break her vows to Semaj; that is… until she catches him in a compromising position. Scorpion, never hearing the word ‘no,’ makes him prey on Zolar even harder. After finding out a piece of information that Scorpion has happened to leave out about his life, Zolar cuts him and his venomous claws off, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to get what he believes belongs to him. Loyalty is tested. Lines are crossed. Backs are against the wall. People will win. People will die. In this novel, you will find out how far people will go for love.

    First she got engaged, then she was jilted, and now she’s pregnant—via a sperm bank! She was so sure love had passed her by, she decided to have a baby on her own. Before Lily’s due date, Jake will have to woo her, win her, marry her, and convince her that he wants to be a dad to the baby she’s carrying…and maybe a few more. Originally published in 2004 in Mothers by Design.

    . . The daughter of two Hollywood superstars, Divine Matthews-Hardison lives the privileged life most fifteen-year-olds only dream of: she's all about designer clothes, awards ceremonies, parties, and having a name that opens doors. Divine could be a model, an actress, anything she wants. But when you live in the spotlight, there's nowhere to hide when your family falls apart. Her father is in trouble with the law, her mother has her own demons, and no one has room for Divine -- no one except her uncle, a Georgia pastor with a modest country home and a big heart. . . . but can Divine ever forgive? Divine can't believe she's been sent to live with her mom's family in the sticks. Doing chores, getting an allowance, and church-going are hardly what she's used to, and she lets everyone -- from her patient Uncle Reed and Aunt Phoebe to her cousins, Alyssa and Chance -- know she's not trading in her Gucci bags for a feedbag any time soon. But as the love and faith of a good family take hold in her heart, miraculous changes start to occur. And when the chance comes to return to her high-flying life, Divine is faced with her toughest decision: Now that she's found the one thing she's never had, could she ever leave it behind?

    The prequel to G-Spot, the #1 bestseller that established the Urban Erotic genre. Meet the Man and the Myth...the Kingpin and the Killer...The Lover and the Legend...The Gangsta who put the G in the G-Spot...The TRUE King of Harlem! "I didn't come to Harlem ridin' shotgun. I came packin' one!"--GRANITE MCKAY. WARNING! This here ain't no romance, it's an urban erotic tale These gutter plots I drop will have you biting off your nails! A menace has arrived, a terror Harlem’s never seen He started from the bottom and turned a dollar into a dream! Before the ballin and the stuntin and the sexin and the flexin, Brutal vision and ambition is how this gangsta manifested! So let’s stand up and salute the ruthless boss who paved the way Let’s go back B4 the G-Spot to: The Legend of GRANITE McKAY!

    Reece sees the world through a small frame, a daily cycle with no eye for charm.When summer camp goes wrong, the two insignificant lives will come together as one significant story.

    On the cusp of turning thirty, overweight, and saddled with a 14 handicap, Coyne embarked on a yearlong quest to do everything he could to lift his game—and find out if he could make it through the PGA Tour Qualifying School. Paper Tiger takes you on a rollicking ride into the beer-gutted underbelly of semipro golf, into a world of crash diets, punishing workout regimens, high-flying sports shrinks, cutting-edge club technology, and obscure tournaments. With his girlfriend as caddy, Coyne traverses from Miami to Chicago to Toronto to see how he stacks up against the competition. Ultimately he takes his game to a new level—or at least a new continent—on the links of Australian Q-School, where amidst forty-mile-an-hour winds he must choose between the love of a fickle game and the love of the long-suffering woman who has stood by him throughout all the shanks, hooks, yips, and chili dips. Brimming with humor and insight about the world’s most beautiful and maddening game, Paper Tiger will delight golfers and the sane people who love them.

    Now they're adults, thirty-three-year old women who are as different as can be. But they have one thing in common: they have never given up on the idea of one day finding each other. . .In "More Than This," by Donna Hill, we meet Leticia, whose time in group homes sharpened her street smarts and taught her to use her good looks to her advantage. Now she's on top of the world, ensconced in a lush apartment in the heart of New Orleans. Leticia knows what men want--she runs the most elite call girl operation in the Parrish. But when she learns that the new sheriff in town is planning a raid, she decides to close up shop, have some adventures, and find her family. She soon discovers that one of her sisters is a jazz singer slated to appear at Lincoln Center. Leticia buys a ticket--and gets much more than she bargained for. . .Parry "EbonySatin" Brown's [title tk] follows Jamilla, adopted by an upstanding family who loved her like their own. But despite a life of privilege, Jamilla was always haunted by a sense of foreboding. As a way to escape her demons, she turned to writing. Now she's landed a six-figure book deal. But Jamilla's joy is clouded by a series of disturbing dreams triggered by a woman she saw on television--a jazz singer with her face. . .In Gwynne Forster's "The Journey," Clarissa Holmes Medford has finally decided to kick out her cheating husband--and pick up her guitar. Maybe she can sing her way out of the unhappiness and poverty that have plagued most of her life. When she records a well-received demo, it's just the beginning of a fascinating journey that will take her far from home, and expose her to a captivating new world--and an audience that may include the family her heart has always longed for. . .

    After all, she left Summerville—and John Riley—a long time ago. But her perfect life now seems incomplete, and she begins to wonder if she’s ever really moved on.In order to lay some ghosts to rest, Olivia goes home. She rediscovers friendships, visits old hangouts and comes face-to-face with John, who’s now a single father. With the help of John’s young daughter and pet golden retriever, can they put the past behind them and move forward together? Originally published in 2004.