African Urban

As gentrification encroaches on historic Harlem, Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award recipient Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts untangles the myth and meaning of its storied legacy. Drawing on Harlem’s history and her own observations, Rhodes-Pitts introduces a variety of observers who shared a common hope that Harlem would become the ground from which Blacks fully entered America’s democracy.

Former gang member Y. Blak Moore grew up in Chicago’s housing projects before becoming a poet and noted novelist. His gritty fiction captures the mean streets with an authenticity few writers can match.... The Apostles run Chicago’s streets. Now “Solemn Shawn,” their legendary leader, wants out. But the head of The Governors has a score to settle. So before Shawn can make a better life for his pregnant girlfriend, he must fight one last war.

After they are in a car accident together, video vixen Paisley Lawrence and gospel singer Warren Cobb are mobbed by media speculation. And if that’s not enough, Warren’s wife has a few questions of her own. With rumors flying and speculation rampant, these two must straighten out their stories before tempers get out of control.

When retired FBI forensic psychologist Spencer Berry and his dog break up a scuffle between gang members, in the process of chasing one with a gun, they end up discovering the nude remains of a young woman partially submerged in a creek behind the home of police spokeswoman Deidre Lawrence. The deceased appears to be the victim of the Park Killer, a serial murderer terrorizing Sinclair Heights, Oregon over the past three years.

Every territory has a king, and Metro Atlanta is no exception. They have two. Gang Lords Blanket and Guerilla have been ruling the game with iron fists. Long ago they decided that neither would cross into the other's territory, and all would be well. Things change when Guerilla breaks the rules. Blanket retaliates swiftly, causing a turf war like never before. The two madmen leave bloodshed, murder, and mayhem in their wake. Caught in the middle of this battle, from different sides of the track, are London and Saint.

The untimely death of St. Louis kingpin King David has left a vacuum in the underworld. He leaves behind his vast empire to his surviving heirs, David Jr. and Davita. Born barely one year apart, they were raised in very different worlds. Will the family ties that bind keep the families together, or will sex, greed, drugs, and their mothers' divisive ways tear it all to hell, bringing St. Louis down with them? David Jr. and Davita have decisions to make!

The kingpins of Oklahoma City, one from the north side and one from the south side, push pounds of weed, gallons of PCP, and kilos of cocaine through the corridors of the OKC, using very different methods to keep their people in line. King is the leader of the north side crew. Along with his protégé, Tippi, he runs his crew with deadly force. Each member knows there is no room for error when it comes to getting money on the north side. Flamboyant, the leader of the south side crew, is the opposite.

How was Locksie supposed to tell her boyfriend that she had gone off to church and fallen in love with another man? Locksie grew up in the church - against her will - thanks to her holier than thou mother. But now that she's all grown-up, she's her own woman and church is the last thing on her mind; her live-in boyfriend, Dawson, is the first. When Locksie finally decides to go back to church, she ends up finding more than she could have ever expected.

Tyesha Couvillier will never forget the rip-offs and brutal treatment she endured as a sex worker. So as the new director of the groundbreaking Lower East Side Women's Health Clinic, she'll take on the Ukranian mob and corrupt strip club bosses to stop local exotic dancers from being pressured into selling sex. And if she and her crew can pull off an elaborate heist, the evidence they steal could upend this vicious game - and give exploited women a chance at justice.

Owner of a string of Northwest car dealerships and movie theaters, Trey Lancaster is living a life of leisure. But all is not well in Paradise Bay, Oregon. After cheating on his wife with the wife of a wealthy client, Trey is trying to get past this moment of weakness, knowing that he loves his wife and no one else. But Ivana Kendall-Lancaster, former international model, has not been as easy to forgive or forget. Having already dealt with the pain of a miscarriage and her husband's infidelity, she turns to alcohol, only adding to the couple's woes.

Beverley Cottrell had a dream life: a prestigious job, a beautiful husband and baby boy. This is stolen from her one winter afternoon when her son Malakay is kidnapped from a parked car. Despite a media campaign, a full police investigation, and the offer of a reward, Malakay is never found. Beverley's marriage soon dissolves and her husband immigrates from England to the U.S. with a new wife.

When her son is accused of a violent crime, church first lady Gloria Jones finds herself battling his prosecutor - as well as her own inner demons - to save him in this drama-filled novel from best-selling, award-winning author ReShonda Tate Billingsley.

Carl Weber brings the best of urban street lit authors together, all telling their own dramatic tales of life in the streets in known cities across the USA. The second installment continues with Treasure Hernandez telling the tale of the Dirty South.

Blazing with scandal, deception, temptation, and revenge, this third installment in the Twisted series blurs the lines of infidelity and tests the true meaning of love.

Carmen has gotten her wish. Renee is no longer queen. Being stripped of her title and the power that comes with it, Renee must start from scratch and rebuild what she once controlled. Having turned their backs on one another, Renee's once strong circle is now dismantled, and each individual is after what ripped them apart - Carmen. Carmen's making it hard for them to capture her and doing whatever she must to survive. Renee wants revenge along with everyone else, but will she achieve it, or will she die in battle without the help of Julian and Dane?

A successful career. A beautiful wife and children...and his pick of the sexiest women in town. It seems Tarron has the best of both worlds as he manages to indulge in wild nights out with his lover and quiet nights at home with his family. But the party is about to end. When Tarron’s cheating ways are revealed, his cool-headed wife, Secret, handles it like a pro. That’s partly because, true to her name, Secret is hiding some bad behavior of her own. And now, as Secret starts to really live out her own fantasies, neither she nor Tarron may be ready for the explosive consequences.

This novel begins with Rich instantly being a mark with a death sentence placed on his head. He’s faced with his biggest nightmare when secrets are revealed that he thought were buried. While Lisa spirals out of control more than ever, Marisol and Rich battle their way to be the top dog in the industry that has made their lives a living hell. More than ever, they learn that karma is a vicious cycle. The lifestyle of fast money and luxurious things will never prepare them for the new drama that is about to unfold.

After surviving another attempt on her life, Keema Newell proves that a true hustler never dies. As a ghetto superstar and queen of the streets, she struggles to put the pieces of her life back together, while trying to tame her now notorious daughter, Treasure. Money, murder, and mayhem comes from every angle as Keema finds herself in a viscous web of deceit, tearing apart the lives of everyone she comes in contact with—ultimately making her fair game for her ruthless enemies. Little does she know, her own daughter has plans to step in and take over the throne.

Keema is back, and dirtier than ever. 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.

Left for dead, Tilo’s lover, Victória Mendoza, now wants revenge on the woman who broke her family...and her heart. Victória is ready to avenge the deaths of her family members - especially her brother. And she’s bent on destroying the woman who destroyed the Mendozas. As a new mother, she sees things a little differently, and she wants to make a good life for Moses and their daughter. But Tilo is still a complication. Private Detective Moses got played by Tilo, and he wants to settle that score.