When her father is sent to prison, and her mother suddenly develops a drug habit, making it her number one priority; it is up to Mya to raise her younger brother and sister. Alone and aware of the grimy hustle of the streets; Mya hopes to find another path for survival. But when the leader of the a natorious gang severely beats her mother for stealing money from him, Mya vows revenge on his crew by robbing them at gunpoint and hiding her identity behind a mask. Mya successfully pulls off her first robbery against one of them but then she meets and falls in love with the the very person who is attached to her enemy and is now determined to keep her secret a secret. However when Mya s secret starts to unravel and death knocks at her door, things go horribly wrong. Mya learns that hurt and happiness are one in the same but you have to have blood on your hand first.

    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 . . .

    A career, two beautiful kids, and an amazing husband to match. Then why was she so unhappy? For Sassi, something had always been missing in her marriage but she'd learned to deal with it. She was unhappy, but she was content. She was unsatisfied, but she was comfortable. And she loved her husband enough to try to see their marriage through to the end. But just because a woman is smiling, that doesn't mean that she's happy. Secrets are only as quiet as they are kept and when secrets from the past start to reveal, she discovers that she may have fallen for the wrong man all along. Things get sticky and soon Sassi finds herself in love with two men. Her husband and his best friend. But the grass isn't always greener on the other side because everyone always has something to hide. Revenge is a dish best served cold and with lies and secrets, and a scoop of betrayal from the start. Sassi will learn the true meaning of "Til' death do us part."

    Sunday Tolliver is this close to making her music industry career dreams come true-until her mother spends her entire college fund. Now Sunday's only chance to get to college means slaving as a "personal assistant" to her diva cousin, Dreya. And since Dreya just got the record deal of a lifetime and an upcoming tour with hip-hop's biggest rapper, Truth, Sunday is sure Dreya's ego-trippin', among other things, couldn't get worse. But when bad boy Truth starts pushing up on Sunday and her life becomes "Paparazzi Blogs Gone Wild," a jealous Dreya is on the warpath. Can Sunday make the right moves before her dreams go up in smoke for good? Praise for Nikki Carter "Step to This is hot, it's new, it's now...with characters that leap from the pages, it's absolutely a must-read." --Monica McKayhan, Essence bestselling author"Nikki Carter is a fresh, new voice." --ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Essence bestselling author"Literally and figuratively, drama is on high alert in the first installment of Nikki Carter's hot new teen series, The Fab Life. An undeniable page-turner, Not A Good Look is sure to capture the attention of every teen who's ever dreamed of becoming hip-hop's next overnight superstar. Readers are certain to fall in love with Sunday and her diva cousin, Dreya, just as fast as the many cute boys in their lives." --Mitzi Miller, Essence(c) bestselling author

    It left him to take care of his two younger sisters. He had to grow up fast and become the man of the house so that his sisters wouldn’t be forced into the foster care system. When the bills begin to get overwhelming for Muscles to pay, he does the unthinkable. He gets trapped into the street life and causes his self to have beef with the notorious Jamaican drug crew known as the Junkyard Crew. They’re known to place their victims in cars and crush them into tiny pieces. Now Muscles is stuck and tries to pull away from the streets while trying to survive, making his sisters understand that everything he does is for the love he has for them.

    He’s married to his college sweetheart, Leah, and they have two children and a dream home in Los Angeles. But an injury has sidelined his hot career, and prescription medication and depression are pulling him into a downward spiral, leaving Leah feeling emotionally distanced and lonely. Their fighting escalates, and one night Dell commits an act of violence that changes the course of their lives forever. But Angel Lopez, the cop who arrests Dell, decides to take the law into his own hands. Determined to teach the famous athlete a lesson, he drives Dell to the worst part of town and tries to kick him out of the car. The men struggle and the car crashes. When Angel comes to, Dell is gone and no one knows if he’s dead or alive.Leah is grateful when a guilt-stricken Angel offers to chase the media away from her home and help out around the house, “just until Dell comes home.” She and her family grow to trust him, and Angel falls in love with the Roadrunner’s lovely, grieving wife. Will Dell find his way home? Will Angel replace him? And what really happened that dark night the Roadrunner disappeared?

    From this Essence bestselling author comes a sexy, fast-paced novel about astreet-smart girl determined to make it big in the glitzy nightclub business.288 pp.

    On one hand, she has found happiness with the love of her life, Raheem "Rah-Lo" Henderson. He is unhappily married with children, and Celeste is his well-kept secret. He loves Celeste without question, proving his affection for her by financing her dream- a beauty salon called Dime Piece. But when Rah-Lo is incarcerated for his part in a brutal crime, his right hand man Ishmael Wright is left to hold down the fort. This causes him to come face to face with the feelings he has secretly harbored for Celeste for far too long. While Rah-Lo's away, will Celeste and Ishmael give into their passion for each other, or will their loyalty to Rah-Lo stand in their way? Meanwhile, Dime Piece is the setting for tons of drama between hairstylists Charly, Nina and Robin. The ladies vie for one man's attention and the fireworks begin. Dime Piece is packed with drama, love triangles and passionate encounters. The question is, which of the ladies will ultimately be the one and only Dime Piece?

    From #1 Essence bestseller, ReShonda Tate Billiingsley, a touching and funny story of faith, love, and tenacious friendship.

    Miami is usually a place people go to have a vacation, but to choice its pure hell. Choice is a young beautiful girl, who tries to make a bad situation a little better for her and her little sister Kyree, but that seems futile with crackheads for parents. Things change when she lays eyes on Supreme. David Givens aka Supreme is from New York, he's fresh outta prison. He moves to Miami to be close to family. With some of his friends following him from New York to Miami, Supreme makes a name for him and his crew selling drugs and running an underground dog fighting business called Da Cage. Supreme is also a lady's man and he vows to never settle down until he meets Choice. Everything is not what it always seems and sometimes family is foe. The word loyal doesn't exist and in some cases the word mother doesn't either.

    Losing her mother at a young age and never knowing who her father was forced her to be raised by her older brother, Ramone. Ramone did the best he could to keep his sister on the straight and narrow but, when he gets locked up, he leaves his sister to fend for herself. Neicey meets Le’Lani and they form an unwavering friendship. However, Neicey’s life changes forever when she is introduced to Mykell, Le’Lani’s older brother. She falls head over heels for Mykell but what she doesn’t know is he comes with some extra baggage! Will Neicey be able to handle Mykell and all of his drama and be his Official Girl, or will they be forced to go their separate ways in the end?

    That's why no one is more surprised than her when she starts dating Thomas Anthony Young, the fit and handsome office heartthrob. After eight months together, Tiffany is sure that he's about to propose at any minute.Instead, she's taken off guard when they have a senseless argument. Thomas abruptly departs for a business trip, leaving Tiffany hurt and confused. In an effort to cheer herself up, she calls her friend Alicia for some company. Alicia already has plans to attend the wedding of a cousin she's not too fond of. She suggests that Tiffany go with her. They'll make a brief appearance and then spend the rest of the day together, shopping and catching up. Neither one of them is prepared for the pandemonium that breaks loose when they get to the wedding and Tiffany discovers that Thomas is the groom!

    Will she learn that love is all she needs or will the love she has be too much for her to stand? Only knowing the life of gold diggin', hustling men and rejecting love, Vera has suddenly found herself in a world where her game has "flipped... and slipped through her fingertips." While trying to retrace her footsteps in search of where her game could be, Vera discovers that the love she has for Dr. Taj Bennett won't let her go, the hatred that she has for her drug addicted mother is not easy to live with, and ghosts from her past won't seem to die. Get ready, get set, and run with Vera as Tu-Shonda Whitaker spins a plot explosive, passionate and humorous tale that is destined to be an urban classic!

    Young, pretty, and wild, both females will do whatever it takes all for the mere love of convenient cash. However, will things become more than either woman can handle after some reckless decision-making? Hood, gritty, and raw, "Pretty Young Things" will take you on a wild ride unlike you have ever experienced.

    She has a love and hate type relationship with everyone she’s in contact with including her three children. She knows that she hasn’t been the perfect mother, but due to unfortunate circumstances in her life with her children’s father, she tends to take her anger out on the ones that love her the most. Lisa is Pam’s twin sister and the total opposite. She’s also the mother of three children and finds herself taking the fall for her sister due to mistaken identity. Knowing that her sister has always envied her, she finds out a few secrets that have been kept from her and the rest of the family. Ghetto Love is the true meaning of love and hate. Hating a person one day, ready to stab them in the back then waking up to them the next day as if nothing happened. Take a look into the world of these twins and find out how this love and hate relationship turns out.