Contemporary African American Fiction

Now an original movie, airing on The CW and CTV Life Channel “This feel-good, uplifting read is filled with positive messages about self-care and self-love. It is sure to please foodies, home-makeover buffs, and anyone looking for a light-hearted romantic read.” –USA Today A sexy...

For Cypher Hall, being the mother to twin boys is far from easy. She has to work two jobs just to keep her head above water, and she still often feels like she's drowning. She hasn't been in a relationship since her kids' father eight years ago, and she's started to realize that Prince Charming may never ride up on his white horse and save her. Cypher never imagined that getting a tattoo for her birthday would ultimately change the course of her life forever.

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.

In this “engrossing” (Los Angeles Times) novel that sweeps from present-day California to the Vietnam War and back, a grieving young man is drawn into the orbit of a charismatic cult leader who forces him to reconsider why people give up control—and what it takes, ultimately, to find...

Pregnant by a man she learned wasn't who she thought he was and starting a new career, she's forced to step up and show everyone around her she's more than the hothead, feisty, girl they believe her to be.

The day Ximena Solomon met Hiram Moss, the last thing either of them was expecting was to find true love. Yet still, their connection ran deep, their attraction was undeniable, and what grew between them was nothing short of love at first sight. Ximena and Hiram cannot deny the magnetic pull they feel toward each other. They begin to spend more time together, sharing their hopes, dreams, and deepest feelings. With each passing day, their bond grows stronger, and they realize that they have found something truly special in each other.

Her life. Her rules. Finally. Anuri Chinasa has had enough. And really, who can blame her? She was the unwilling star of her stepmother’s social media empire before “momfluencers” were even a thing. For years, Ophelia documented every birthday, every skinned knee, every milestone and...

After being shot, Foe is now face-to-face with the one thing he's been running from: karma. He is forced to battle his demons from a past that's coming for blood while a secret love emerges. While trying to protect his friendship and the brotherhood of the Zoo Boyz, Foe is also protecting the heart of someone he has unexpectedly fallen for, Zu's girlfriend, Harvey. As the two try to hide what's been brewing, it is only a matter of time before what they've been hiding is exposed.

The Witch Sphere is in turmoil. In the years since a stunning betrayal sent shockwaves through society, the Sphere was hit with another crisis: witches are giving birth to more typics (non-witches) and their numbers are diminishing. Nadia is determined to help but finds hers efforts at the Witch Health Organization entangled with the political machinations of her powerful mother.

She loved and lost. Losing him shattered her to pieces. She can be whole again. He’s the reason. He’s also the reason why her life fell apart. Now, she needs him more than she needs air to breathe.

Anissa Dent is experiencing heartbreak like none she’s ever felt. Her husband of nearly twenty years has fallen victim to crack cocaine after a devastating loss. All her efforts to help him have failed, and to protect herself and her sons, she divorces him and has him removed from their home. That doesn’t stop him from popping in and out of their lives with promises of getting clean. Anissa desperately wants to move on in her life, but her love for what once was is holding her back. However, attending a family barbeque with her son proves to be the restart she desperately needs.

When Miami gangster Dante flies out to New Jersey to tie up some “loose ends”, the job is quickly sidetracked by a stop in upstate New York - Syracuse to be precise. While there, he reconnects with his blood mother and other relatives. Like her son, Dante’s mother is an underworld figure of her own as the leader of the ruthless Blackwell family, which is currently embroiled in a bloody war for total control of every last bit of NY and NJ drug territory. With Dante now in the fold, albeit temporarily...the Blackwells see an opportunity to crush their enemies once and for all.

Don't miss Daniel Black's next novel Isaac's Song coming January 2025 NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK IN ESSENCE MAGAZINE, THE MILLIONS AND BOOKISH "Don't Cry for Me is a perfect song."—Jesmyn Ward A Black father makes amends with his gay son through letters written on his deathbed in this...

Sailor Addison wants one of the only men who refuses to end up in her bed. Rival Hassan is determined to convince Sailor that what she wants extends beyond a one night stand. One night. Too much to drink and Sailor Addison finds herself married to a man she only meant to seduce. As an attorney with an undefeated record, Sailor knows how to talk her way in and out of any situation, except this.

Mary Monroe is the author of Essence best-sellers including The Upper Room. Here, she examines the emotional webs that are woven between friends, lovers, and families. Carmen Taylor is absolutely dependable; she feels responsible for everyone she knows. It will take one reckless night to make Carmen realize that she might be able to lay her burdens down and take a chance on real happiness.

At thirty, eldest brother Byron hasn't dated seriously in a while--not since he became a single dad to his beloved baby girl. Besides, he's found that most women can't see past his job as a bus driver, and he's not interested in that type of superficial foolishness. When he meets Cynthia Hall, her disinterest is obvious. Still, there's something about her. . .

Grocery store bag boy Andrew hates his job. No career growth, rude customers, and the forced customer appreciation greeting have taken a toll on his mental stability. Though his job gives him the flexibility to attend community college, he can find no other enjoyment there. That is until he met the woman that would change his life. During Andrew’s mundane day of grabbing and bagging, Victoria, a customer with an infectious smile and playful personality, gives him the attention that he’s been missing.

Blossom Baker has watched her sisters find love one by one. And just when she began to wonder when her Prince Charming would show his face, Roman Fields entered the picture, helping to bring all of her deepest desires to fruition.

Remy Morgan, a young girl born and raised in the heart of the ghetto, gets caught up in the life when she meets a drug lord who offers her the world. Young and naive, she is trapped in a game of lies, deception, and greed and learns the hard way that everything that glitters ain't gold. After her love is slain, Remy is forced back into the life that she desperately tried to forget. Remy has kept a diary of her life for the past two years. What she writes inside is a tale of love, passion, money, and secrecy - and ultimately a witness to her tragic end.

Hearts are broken and healed. Scars, both physical and emotional, are formed. Happiness is found, then lost, then found again. Over the course of a year, these sisters face shattering blows and remarkable triumphs as they embark on a journey, figuring out that pesky little thing called love.