Contemporary African American Fiction

Vera Wright-Turner thinks she has it all under control until she meets and greets herself. Born on the flip side of the hustler's game, she is the child of a 15-year-old drug addict who places her in a trash dump with a note that read, "Please forgive me...my mother's only 15...." Well, that is of little consolation to Vera as she lives her gold-diggin' life full speed ahead, only to come to a crashing halt when she realizes that facing up to the flip side of the game is the only way she will survive.

Midori Hunter has it all, and on the outside looking in, one would think Midori is happy, but it's another story when you don't marry for love. Tired of her cheating husband and with being lonely, Midori takes a liking to Jaydah B., the sassy best-selling author. They appear to be a match made in heaven. When the lies that both women have told threaten to be exposed, who decides who stays and who goes? Midori and Jaydah have a lot on the line, and both could lose everything they've worked for. That's why their love affair has to remain their little secret.

Blu thinks she knows all there is to know about the dope game. She's watched her momma serve out of the same place they lay their heads since she was a little girl. Then her brother's best friend, Budz, shows her that there is more to the game than just selling drugs. With love, loyalty, and wealth on her side, what more could she want? Blu finds out when she is introduced to Black, and Blu is determined to make him her reality. Torn between two men who have secrets and motives of their own, Blu has no idea what she's gotten herself into, but she knows there is only one way out.

Two-time Hurston/Wright Legacy Award finalist Bernice L. McFadden has also been twice honored by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. One of Library Journal's 25 Key Indie Fiction Titles, this heartbreaking tale follows two damaged but hopeful souls as they struggle to find love despite the ravages of their pasts.

Essence best-selling authors Kiki Swinson and Noire have attracted huge audiences for their sexy, anything-goes fiction. Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless features a novella from each author. Swinson’s electric “Shamelessly Rich” showcases a spoiled bad girl facing a life-changing choice. And in Noire’s “Puttin’ Shame in the Game,” three gorgeous ladies set their sights on a wealthy cop.

Hairstylist Mackenzie Reese is feeling fabulous and free! Her teenage son has gone cross-country to live with her ex, so Mackenzie's got a new lease on life--no men, no kids, no problem! Then sexy disc jockey Ian Kelly moves in next door...and it's more than just the barbecue that heats up. Ian moved to Vermont for a job and his own type of freedom. But he hadn't counted on a beautiful, sassy neighbor to stir his deep, delicious longings.

When Jackson returns home to his family after an absence of 10 years, he discovers that his bonds to them have been irreparably rent by his absence. In the midst of his alienation, he falls in love with Catherine Carmier, setting the stage for conflicts and confrontations which are complex, tortuous, and universal in their implications.

Tales of the Out & the Gone reflects the astounding evolution of America's most provocative literary anti-hero. The first section of the audiobook, War Stories, offers six stories enmeshed in the vola-tile politics of the 1970s and 1980s. The second section, Tales of the Out & the Gone, reveals Amiri Baraka's increasing literary adventurousness, combining an unpredictable language play with a passion for abstraction and psychological exploration.

Greed is defined as an excessive desire to possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially wealth and power. A gold digger is defined as a person who dates someone simply to extract money from them. Twenty-six-year-old Chanel Franklin fits both definitions to a tee. Her "Married to the Money" mentality leads her to make more than a few bad choices. On the road to riches, she gets caught up in a whirlwind affair with a certified baller.

Eight years after moving away from her hometown of Miami, Cherokee is back home to take care of her sickly grandmother. While trying to stay low and off the scene, she puts all her focus into her job and her family. That is, until the man who broke her heart many years ago unexpectedly walks into her life once again.

When his father, one of Houston’s most notorious kingpins, is arrested and the money stops coming in, Chris King, not used to fending for himself, must learn how to rule the streets of Houston if he wants to survive another day.

After one night as a stripper, Cindy decides she can’t take it and quits. Unlike most of the girls she knows from the streets, she’s not ready for that kind of grind. That doesn’t mean she can’t hustle, though. In order to make money without being groped by men in the club, Cindy starts a phone-sex company. Her lip services quickly gain popularity, and she ventures into other aspects of the sex industry.

Chase Hidalgo has a good life. He works as a paralegal in his buddy Jacobi’s successful law firm and has a loving wife, Dawn. Yet he feels unsettled. Like he still has dreams left unfulfilled. When he meets Ava in a bar, she seems to know him, but he has no idea who she is. A spark ignites between them, but intrigued as he is, Chase stays true to his marital vows. But when Ava pursues him, the attraction is too powerful to resist, and a fiery romance ensues.

Keep your friends at a distance because it’s not always your enemies you need to be keeping close. The block is a microscope, and you’re always under it.

An overachiever must decide if risking her heart by working with her former crush turned enemy is worth the reward in this snappy rom-com, perfect for fans of Tweet Cute and Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry. High school senior Autumn Reeves has been waitlisted at her dream school. Determined to move...

"Passion, heat and deep emotion—Naima Simone is a gem!" —Maisey Yates, New York Times bestselling author As the ex-mayor’s daughter, Jenna Landon has spent her life aiming for perfection—and missing. The pressure and disappointment turned her into a bit of a mean girl, but now she’s...

Falling in love cost Teagan her heart and a pro tennis career. But when her rival returns, they’ve got one last chance for a rematch…if they can keep the game on the court! She came to serve. Teagan Williams knows how to take a loss—especially a big one. After the spectacular collapse...

"A pitch-perfect small-town romance focused on forgiveness, second chances, and new beginnings." —Publishers Weekly on The Secret to a Southern Wedding Friday nights in Peachtree Cove are all about football. But this season, the drama isn’t just on the field… In the wake of losing both...

Preslaysa Williams, author of the “emotionally stirring debut” A Lowcountry Bride (Oprah Daily), returns to the Lowcountry with a heartwarming friends to lovers story about the courage to fall in love again. Avila Rogers’ mother kicked her out of the house as a teenager when a one night...

"Passion, heat and deep emotion—Naima Simone is a gem!" —Maisey Yates, New York Times bestselling author He’s the best mistake she ever made… Back in Rose Bend after a work trip that went wrong, Florence “Flo” Dennison craves the kind of distraction only a searing fling with a...