Contemporary African American Fiction

Papio and Special are back! Their love for one another has withstood the drama and turmoil of their chaotic lives, but their thirst for the dollar has once again set them on a crash course for mayhem. They’ve accumulated a long list of enemies, and now it’s time to do battle. Calling on some strong allies to assist them, they insist that no one will be spared, and no one will get in their way. Papio and Special are going all out to get what they want and what they feel they deserve. Whatever it takes, their goals will be reached.

No one knows better than Kennedi Westbrook that no amount of money, material possessions, or success can protect one from the torment of a broken heart. She has always been haunted by the grief, disappointment, and pain imposed upon her by those who should have loved her the most, and sadly, the two people closest to her have been added to her list of adversaries. Now, with her heart exposed and mental stability tested, will love be enough to save her sanity and relationships?

Natasha Thompson has an MBA, but it only succeeded in landing her a job she absolutely hates. Her boss is sleeping with his assistant, and its Natasha’s job to cover for them every day. How much more lying can she do before she gets sick of deceiving for the likes of her horrible boss? Danielle Harris certainly has big dreams. She knows that if she can just find the right break, she can become a Broadway star. As the latest contestant on a Broadway musical competition show, she will have to show America that she’s got the talent to make it to the top.

Twentysomething and restless, Skye flits between cities and stagnant relationships until she meets Scottie, a disarming and disheveled British traveler, and Pieces, an enigmatic artist living in New York. The three recognize each other as kindred spirits - Black, punk, whimsical, revolutionary - and fall in together, leading Skye on an unlikely adventure across the Atlantic. They live a glorious, subterranean existence in 1990s London, until their existence is jeopardized by the rise of CCTV and policing.

Hip music critic Dwayne Robinson has two main gigs: defending rap's rightful place in the music industry and scoring as many women as possible. But this smooth-talking b-boy has yet to try working love into his lingo - until "buppie" Danielle Embry slides into and rocks his world. A Connecticut suburbanite, Danielle is as far removed from Dwayne's Brooklyn ghetto upbringing as it gets. Yet despite this clash, these unlikely lovers are drawn together.

Cashmere and Demarco are married, own three hair salons, and have a big house in Inglewood, CA, with their timid 13-year-old daughter, Dominique, but things are far from perfect or even normal. Demarco holds deep resentment toward Cashmere and wants out of the marriage. His anger toward his wife makes him unable to have a close relationship with Dominique, who looks for a father’s love elsewhere.

Owning the Stone-Chance Protection Agency has its perks. It’s a profitable company that allows Ramsey and Keilah Stone to enjoy the finer things in life; however, it has also added an element of danger to their otherwise normal lifestyle.

Twelve years in America and Eziafa Okereke has nothing to show for it. Desperate to rewrite his story, Eziafa returns to Nigeria to find a woman he can mold to his taste. Eighteen-year-old Zina has big dreams. An arranged marriage to a much older man isn't one of them. Trapped by family expectations, Zina marries Eziafa, moves to Houston, and trains as a nurse. Buffeted by a series of disillusions, the couple stagger through a turbulent marriage until Zina decides to change the rules of engagement.

Meet Simone Monroe. Months ago Simone had a fairytale wedding only to realize the actual marriage didn't fit what she had in mind. As she learns the truth behind her marriage, she is faced with realizing not all fairytales have happy endings. Meet Taylor Ross. Taylor has made a life for herself as one of the most talented artists of her generation. When Taylor tries to take on mental illness she is faced with the reality that some things in life cannot be fixed with a paint brush.

1999, and Sincere has finished his tour in the United States Army. He’s come back home just in time to find his little brother, Maurice, taking his place in the streets. Maurice is hanging out with Drip-Drip and Voltron. The trio commits a home invasion on a stash house belonging to Zulu and executes the occupants inside. Unbeknownst to them, they’ve left behind a survivor who’s seen one of their faces.

Janiece is finally settled with her husband, Isaiah, after a whirlwind of drama with her ex-lover, K.P., and his wife. She is ready to live happily ever after, but Isaiah is called back to duty and has to serve eighteen months in Iraq. Janiece is left behind just when K.P. moves back to Chicago. Still not over Janiece, K.P. wants her back. He is shocked to find out that she is now married and expecting her first child, and there is no chance for them to start over. Unable to move on, K.P. decides to try to be a friend, causing drama and turbulence with Janiece's in-laws.

Determined to win the one she thinks is for her, Paige finds herself making one foolish decision after another. These decisions become detrimental to her and the life she’s worked so hard to maintain. Will she be able to pull herself out of Kyra’s web, or become too entangled and unable to break free?

From a murderous Bonnie and Clyde stirring up a hornet’s nest to a drug war and the rise of heroin overdoses, Detectives Michael Acosta and Chris Emerson are tasked with investigating the rash of robberies and brutal murders happening in the borough. Queens is bubbling with heated violence, as rival kingpins vie for power in Erick S. Gray’s intense addition to the bestselling Kingpins Series.

Urban Books bestseller La Jill Hunt joins Monica Walters to bring listeners humorous, romantic stories of beautiful full-figured women navigating their sometimes complicated love lives.

Keena and Kim met in a group home and have been best friends ever since. They both have the mindset of money over men, and they don’t play where they lay. They set brothas up and rob them, disappearing without a trace. Keena, the brains of the two, sets up the biggest lick of their lives in Miami. If they can pull this one off, they can retire and live the good life. Peter, who everyone calls Black, is not an easy target. He is different from all the others that they have set up, and Keena is having second thoughts.

Keyon has been through more than enough drama in her young life. She tries to put as much distance between her and the past in Louisiana, taking the opportunity to move to Memphis with her longtime boyfriend, Casimere. Adjusting to their new home, Keyon thinks she’s finally getting the life that she deserves. But is she? Has she truly left behind all the things that caused her pain?

Something’s always been off with Eva Moss, but in the African-American community, everything is prayed away, including "crazy." What happens when the answer to prayer is therapy and medication? According to Eva’s mother, that’s taboo. All it takes is a little more Jesus, and Eva will be normal. Normal never lasts long. After Eva’s brother, Michael, is killed in a car accident, she is finally admitted to the psych ward for help.

Ms. Nova sacrificed her childhood to be a teenage mother and provider for her family. Working a dead-end job barely pays the bills, but her luck is due to change when her homegirl suggests she shake her ass at a jumping strip joint. Weary and self-conscious, she is reluctant at first, but the money is fast and easy and makes her life a lot easier. Although she has more bread, her bedroom life is at a standstill. Thinking with her head and not her heart, she makes a boss move on the club owner and is able to wrap him around her pinky.

Life can be hard to navigate at times, but for Lazarus Mitchell, it’s been a constant battle. Marrying his high school sweetheart and putting his dreams on hold to help her fulfill hers, he kept pushing through life’s adversities in hopes of seeing better days. Throughout the journey, he realized that she didn’t have the tenacity he had or the wherewithal to look difficulty in the face and choose to overcome it.

There’s a saying that if you come from my part of town, you're from around the way. Urban Books bestsellers Treasure Hernandez and Marcus Weber bring listeners a fast-paced look at the lives of some street-smart women who think they know it all.