African Urban

He set out to be the good son, but the streets had a different plan. Born to one of New York City's most notorious crime families, Shai Clark has always managed to be a good kid. A college hoops star, Shai shunned the world that his father had created and focused on his dreams of going pro. Tommy, Shai's trigger-happy older brother, is next in line for the throne and rules under his father through brute force. But Poppa has bigger plans for Shai.

The LaCroixs are four beautiful Haitian American women bound by money and blood. On the surface, the LaCroix Group is a venture capitalist company, but underneath, it’s so much more. The four sisters run long cons, targeting wealthy, prominent business figures. They have a system: Find the perfect mark, create the problem, then present the solution. For a cost....

It's about to be an all-out war. While an ambitious rival has taken over Diamonds' crew, Diamonds lies in wait in exile, carefully planning his next move to come back and reclaim his position as king of the streets of New York for good. But when an unexpected enemy from the past one-ups Diamonds and beats him at his own game, Diamonds needs to dig deep into his bag of tricks - and make an unlikely alliance - in order to climb back to the top.

Danita and Stephen have been together for five years. Things are great between them until an unexpected discovery sends Danita into a tailspin. With her trust shattered and temptation at her new job, she must decide whether to work things out or move on. As the boundaries of life and fidelity are tested, can their relationship survive through the worst? Or will they not realize what they have until it’s gone?

When Farah Cotton places a classified ad stating, “Cute redbone female looking to share a luxury apartment with another redbone female”, many women apply. One look at the lush apartment in Washington, DC, and every fly girl around wants a chance to call Platinum Lofts her new home. The moment Farah lays eyes on Lesa Carmine, a pretty young woman with an active lifestyle and a sunny disposition, she knows she’s found the perfect girl for her ultimate plan. The two become fast friends - until Farah becomes intrusive and her siblings move in, violating Lesa’s privacy.

Being more than a Daddy’s girl has always been the goal. Finding herself outside of being the baby proved itself to be the hardest thing. He seemed familiar. Something safe, someone she knew she could let her guard down around. A man that wasn’t just around because of what her last name could offer. The car she drove wasn’t the only thing that moved fast.

The first family of Miami, the Diamonds, are back and more ruthless than ever. When the family has to deal with the sins of the father, karma comes back and rests on the shoulders of Carter “CJ” Jones II. The life his father never wanted for him calls him, and the allure of family tradition sucks him in so deep that he falls victim to the game. This story shows the second coming of a king and solidifies the cartel family tree in the roots of the streets forever.

Leah's crazy scheming has finally paid off. Now that YaYa is out of the picture, Leah has everything she's ever wanted. She steps into YaYa's shoes, and now she has money, family, and, most importantly, she has Indie. She's the queen of his empire, and no one suspects a thing. There's only one problem: Disaya Morgan isn't dead. Newly initiated into a powerful circle of women, YaYa is out for blood, and when she comes gunning for her spot, the streets will never be the same.

Good Girls Love Thugs tells the story of four young best friends whose lives change dramatically after getting caught up with the extremely sought after “King brothers” Kendrick, Kendreeis, Kendon, and their cousin Kayden. The King brothers run the biggest drug operation in Baltimore, Maryland, where money and women are the least of their worries. Follow innocent Nic, crazy Christy, sensitive Morgan, and feisty Jessica as they deal with thirsty jump offs, vengeful exes, infidelity, and even some shady family members, in hopes of proving good girls can too be with thugs.

Still recovering from the suicide of her best friend, Shan, now pregnant by a married man, is forced to make major decisions in her life. Ready to leave the fast life behind, Shan believes a move to Detroit will help her become a stronger woman - but someone wants revenge against her brother and is willing to destroy her in the process.

With the same unforgettable and distinctive prose on display in his other books, Airtight Willie & Me is further evidence that Iceberg Slim was an expert at capturing the language of the streets. Always compelling, sometimes funny, and often bleak, Slim gives us six slices of city life that will leave you thirsting for more.

Celeste Styles is starting over. After losing her cherished salon in a suspicious fire, she has finally left her adulterous relationship and her drama-filled life in Brooklyn for the peace and tranquility of Atlanta, Georgia. But when Rah-Lo heads down south after deciding to leave his wife Asia, Celeste is floored and isn't quite sure if she wants to rekindle their affair.

This collection is full of gritty stories of strong, spirited women who deal with everything from homicide and drugs to all sorts of turmoil - all while showing the men of the streets of Brooklyn that they are not afraid of anything. Perhaps the edgiest of all the Girls from da Hood books, this drama-filled installment follows a drug-fueled crime operation, which could put the girls and their extravagant lifestyles in permanent danger. But these girls from da hood are trying to find a way out of their troubles, by any means necessary.

Stevie Bluehaven faces a tough decision: break the number one street code or stay in an abusive relationship. Choosing herself, the twenty-seven-year-old dog groomer goes against the grain and runs to a new city with her baby, best friend, and the clothes on her back. Taking advantage of her fresh start, Stevie pours all her time into building her clientele and restoring her faith in herself. However, an impromptu night out leads her to a place inhabited by a dangerous man, with broadening energy and protection the runaway didn’t know she would need.

Can a good girl find love in a thug? For Lei Fifer, that’s the hundred-thousand-dollar question. When Lei, an introverted homebody, invites her girls over for a spa day, she isn’t expecting their conversation to shift to men in prison. As an advocate for rehabilitated people receiving the love, companionship, and support those who haven’t committed crimes receive, Lei doesn’t hesitate to put her money where her mouth is and bet that she can find a good friend or great love with someone through the pen pal program her father created.

When Misa Atkinson confesses to the murder of Steven Bingham, her sister's brother-in-law, for doing the unthinkable to her son, everything is turned upside down. Misa now faces jail time and the loss of her son forever, and his drug lord brother Frankie Bingham is out for revenge. Camille drops another bomb on Frankie, telling her estranged husband (and his mistress) that she is pregnant with his child. Their friends Dominique and Toya gather around Camille and Misa in their time of need, but the storm clouds have gathered over their own lives as well.

A birder strolling in Central Park. A college student lounging on a university quad. Two men sitting in a coffee shop. Perfectly ordinary actions in ordinary settings—and yet, they sparked jarring and inflammatory responses that involved the police and attracted national media coverage. Why? In essence, Elijah Anderson would argue, because these were Black people existing in white spaces. In this book, Anderson brings his immense knowledge and ethnography to bear in this timely study of the racial barriers that are still firmly entrenched in our society at every class level.

In his new position as head of the Baptiste family business, Saint faces many challenges. Nothing could have prepared him for the challenges that came with dealing with the alluring Naoki Childs. She was the insoluble problem his big brother, Jahad, talked about. A problem that couldn't be handled with a phone call, a meeting, or by simply emptying his clip. Saint thought he'd never be faced with a problem he couldn't handle, especially where a woman was concerned. But he quickly learned that Naoki wasn't just some woman. She was much, much more than that.

You've seen them in print before, and their books are hot, hot, hot! Now see what Edd McNair, Keisha Ervin, and Brenda Hampton can do when they join forces to bring you three stories in the latest installment of Girls from da Hood. Being married to notorious gangsta rapper Sean Pynn isn't as glamorous as it appears to be. Behind closed doors, Queen is dealing with knock-down drag-out fights, verbal abuse, and neglect. When her bodyguard, Ahsim, comes into the picture, things change in a hurry.

While Dena Jones definitely has what it takes to succeed, she wants out. She's determined to make it out of "Crooklyn" by any means necessary and doesn't have a problem manipulating men to get what she wants.