She had been around drug dealers and hood rich guys all of her life so when the fly and flashy Dayton Bennet pulls up at her cousins welcome home party she is unmoved by the materialist things attached to him. It is his strikingly good looks and his charismatic demeanor that instantly draws her to him. Despite everything they go through over the past three years together, Brooklyn ends up accepting his hand in marriage. Unbeknownst to her, Dayton is having a secret affair with someone really close to her. Tragedy quickly brings his dirt to surface, showing Brooklyn that Dayton isn't the right man for her afterall. Devastation and sorrow creates a thin sheet of ice over her broken heart, so when the infamous, fine and rich Benji tries to woo his way into her life she isn't interested. Benjamin 'Benji' White is a boss in every sense of the word. Growing up with no father in the home, Benji had to step up. He refused to let his single mother struggle by raising four kids on her own. From the moment he touched his first bag of dope his grind had been unmatched. Benji's rise to the top was a quick and relentless one, piquing him the most notorious drug distributor in Chicago. In addition to running a multi-million dollar drug empire, Benji has a five year old daughter to raise on his own so he has no time for a serious relationship, not that that's something he'd be interested in anyway. The women coming in and out of Benji's life wanted one thing and one thing only — sex and conversation from the hood legend. He'd always been cool with that, up until the feisty and independent Brooklyn waltz into his life. Neither of the two are looking for a relationship, but fate has its own agenda. Benji and Brooklyn is a tale of two souls finding solace in one another when they don't realize they need it most.

    

    With Jet and Sonic having found love in each other, it's only right that Esso and Ezana have their chance as well. Building a future with the person you love is exciting and can be one of the most exhilarating things in the world, as long as it's done right. As long as there's no demons from the past resurfacing to cause turmoil and resentment in the present. Esso is a strong man, and one of a commendable caliber, but just like everyone else, he has things that he allows to get the best of him. With one of the most important ones being the beautiful free soul that has captured his heart. Ezana Takato. The love of Esso's life, and the happiness that he's always craved. Blending into his world and practically taking it over, Ezana leaves an impression on Esso's heart that not even the deepest addiction can taint. With more love to give than time she has to sacrifice, Ezana stands in Esso's corner, fighting for him when he's unable to fight for himself, loving him when he feels unlovable and guiding him when he's lost his way. Though it takes time for the couple to get on the right path, they finally do, only to be detoured once again by the past. This time, a woman. Will Esso continue being the strong intelligent man that he was, or will he allow his past loves to mess up his future?

    After graduating from private school with honors, Amiah was ready to move on with life and start college. Most of all, before summer ended, she had some other goals that she wanted to achieve, which was release her first R&B mixtape to show off her beautiful singing voice. But, before graduating, she meets a guy named Oxy and that changed everything around her. Oxy isn’t your average dude from the hood. Outside of his street life, he had goals of his own. After the death of his mother and his 6-month-old son, he promised to get his life on track with a legit business, and even settle down and get married. After Oxy met Amiah, he knew she was the one for him. However, he isn’t sure if he is the one for her, with all of the burdens in his life. Will Oxy be able to remove all the distractions in his life to be with Amiah, or will all his baggage run her away from his love?

    But when he starts to feed the habit of one of his neighbors, he starts to realize he bit off more than he can chew. Will he be able to slow down and get his life on track before it's too late, or will he end up being another victim to the streets? All Zoie Neal wants to do is finish school so she can get out the projects and never look back. With a perverted step dad and an alcoholic mom, she does everything she can to achieve that dream, but one thing seems to be standing in her way: O'Hajee. What starts out as them being worst enemies soon blossoms into something much more, but his lifestyle is the complete opposite of what she wants out of life. Can she convince him to let go of all his dope boy ambitions, or will she walk away from the only person closest to her? Take a walk through the lives of these three as they try to find their way in life without losing sight of the bigger picture. Can they beat their odds, or will they get trapped in the one place they don't want to be?

    No, boosting is a way of life for the four best friends, bringing money in to help them to survive. With three of the friends having children and one trying to get more studio time, extra money is always good, especially at Christmas time. When a joking idea turns into a formulated plan, the stakes rise to a higher level as the friends go from boosting corporations to robbing people. After selecting their targets, the quad put their plan into action. However, unbeknownst to them, they inadvertently rip off the wrong kingpin, putting all their lives in danger. Will the four friends get to enjoy the type of Christmas that they always imagined? Or will this Christmas be painted red instead of white? Get lost in the grind with Stasi, Celeste, Shad, and TRaw in this gritty African American Urban Fiction novella, Christmas in the Trap: The Bay Style.

    She knows what she wants and won’t settle for anything less than that. After receiving mind blowing news from a past lover Jay decides it’s time for a change. Little does he know someone from his past isn’t ready to let him go. Kamari feels as if his love life is missing something. After meeting a woman he believes can fill the void, he thinks he has it all. Kamari’s world quickly comes crumbling down after a secret is revealed and he makes a mistake that may cost him his life. Lies are told, secrets are revealed, worlds collide, and love blooms in An Unexpected Love: Jay’s Story.

    suburban. Good girls vs. bad boys. Legit vs. illegal. Loyalty vs. betrayal. All of these along with lies, deceit, and constant drama can be found in this epic African American Urban Fiction Finale by award-winning and best-selling authors Twyla T and Patrice Balark. Travel with Aubrey, Melody, Trigga, and Gino as they discover if people from polar opposite worlds can submerge deeply into a world they know nothing about and survive it in the streets of Atlanta. Find out if pristine good girls really can become hood wives and if Trigga and Gino can become the Rich Thugs that they have set out to be.

    Finally fed up with her unfulfilling relationship; Violet starts to reevaluate her life. A job opportunity lands her in Dallas where she stumbled across Cesar. If quiet and boring is what she was running from back home, Cesar’s crazy unpredictable ways may be just what she’s looking for. A petty incident lands her in Cesar’s arms, and against all better judgment, she falls for him. Is this Savage the man of her dreams or a dangerous desire that will only lead to trouble? Sometimes what we want isn’t what we need and Cesar may be more than what Violet bargained for. After finding out a shocking secret about her boyfriend of 2 years, Albany Kaye is forced to start over for the first time in her young life. Step one is getting a roommate to help with the mounting bills. What started off as two strangers sharing a roof blossomed into a beautiful friendship when Violet moved in. Soon these new found friends discover that they have more in common than they least expect. Boundaries are tested, bonds are broken, and lives are left hanging in the balance when this small town beauty takes a ride on the wild side.

    She loves hard and fights harder when she finds her boyfriend of two years in a compromising position. Blair doesn’t know what to do to pick up the pieces of her now shattered love life. With a girls’ trip on the horizon, her best friend Blake makes her promise to not focus on the past but to embrace the present. Little did Blake know, but she would be forced to take her own advice when she encounters the crazy yet charming Langston. On a trip to take his mind off his failed relationship and unfortunate reality, Kofi had no intentions of getting close to someone new. That was until he met the beauty in the yellow dress. Little did he know she was the key he needed to heal and be set free from his past. Take this journey with these four strangers as they take a chance on each other and gain a sense of peace and freedom that they’ve never had.

    Their infatuation to one another set off a chain of events, neither is quite prepared for. Being faced with never seeing one another again, is just one of their issues. But no way is Atreus willing to take that standing. He is prepared to go through hell and back, to keep the woman who has his heart. Including lay down his life, if it came to that. Unfortunately, Terrance might not give him any other options. He’s hooked on Katerra and has no plans on letting go—no matter the consequences.

    Beautii is left to fend for herself after her parents die, and her brother Jordin is sent to prison. With a baby to take care of and no one to depend on but herself, she starts working at a strip club. Lauren Green is Beautii’s best friend and one of the only people that she can count on. But Lauren has her own sordid past that has turned her heart cold. Disowned by her parent’s after revealing a scandalous secret, the only person she has to turn to is Beautii. Javian “Teach” McKnight is the head boss on the streets of Miami, and is as ruthless as they come. A night out with his home boys unexpectedly leaves him infatuated with Lauren. Never one to have been in love, he doesn’t know what to make of his feelings. Will they be good for each other? Or, is this relationship doomed from the start? Carter “Magic” McKnight is new to the Miami area, just moving there from Texas to be closer to his brother Teach. Left to raise his daughter on his own when his girlfriend disappeared without a trace, Miami is a good move for him. His first day in town he meets Beautii and is momentarily left speechless. Their lives are entangled and these four form bonds that can’t be broken. But things change when Beautii’s brother is released from prison. Someone is out to get Magic, but who? For Beautii things aren’t as they seem and a blast from the past is lurking in the shadows. Lies, deceit, secrets, murder and more come to light. Will bonds be broken or will these couples be able to stand the test of time?

    Reverend Cash is the story of a street hustler turned preacher from the mean streets of the South-side of Memphis, TN. Reverend Cash is a player, a pimp, and a preacher all rolled into one. To him the pulpit is just another hustle to feed his greed and licentiousness. The perfidious preacher doesn't have a holy bone in his body, yet he still manages to ascend the ranks of the clergy. He hits the big time when he high jacks the helm of a mega church in Atlanta, GA. In his wake he leaves behind a trail of death and destruction. In the words of Reverend William Cash, LET US PREY!

    To save her family, she must recover their 7 year old daughter, Brandi from the clutching grasp of the Child Protective System.She soon learns that the doing things the right way could have been a wrong decision. Can she hurdle the obstacles that are placed in her path and reconstruct a union that was built on love? ****Cleo made national news headlines and now he's on the run. With the truth exposed and a price on his head, he has nowhere to turn.Lost memories of his childhood invade his thoughts and he makes a choice to confront his past face to face, but with a pain so deep and a heart so torn, can Cleo's demons be suppressed?**** Find out in the 2nd installment of The Union!

    With dreams of making it big, she is already on the right track to a new life after building a following by doing make-up tutorials and posting sexy photos of herself on her Instagram page. Though a good girl, she’s infatuated with the violent and merciless street king, Polo, the head of the city’s most notorious gang. She wants nothing more than to help him drop his current girl so that she can be the woman in his life. But Star gets more than she bargained for when a series of events lead her to not only be Polo’s main chick but forces her to be the leader of the female counterpart to his gang. Tragedy strikes when Star’s own dope fiend of a mother robs Polo’s trap house and the act sends Mink, Polo’s baby brother, and Kato, Polo’s right-hand man, blasting right through Star’s front door. When the night ends with Kato shot and Mink murdered at Star’s hands, Polo demands to know who is responsible for killing his brother but she quickly covers her own tracks to save herself from his wrath. Unfortunately, Star doesn’t know there is a witness to her crime. Kato, who she thought she’d killed is actually alive and in a coma fighting for his life. When he suddenly awakes, Star is afraid that her fate will be sealed as soon as he tells how Mink really died. However, Kato is not the same man that he was before and things between the two quickly begin to change. When sparks fly and Star feels she’s found true love in the one man she thought she hated more than anyone on Earth, will the real truth of her lies come to light and ruin it all? This is the first part of a series written not for the faint at heart. Brace yourselves for a story of love, loyalty and survival on Chicago's Southside.