Urban African American

“Iced is a powerhouse. . . . Ray Shell writes beautifully. The story is heartbreaking. I kept putting it down and picking it up again—it won’t let me go.”—Maya Angelou A timeless tale of one man’s decline into the depths of addiction that is at both a shocking study of the...

Dad, I just want to know how to not become a hashtag. In this gripping read, biracial siblings Reed and Olive hadn’t planned on navigating racial inequality or being roughed up by police on the subway, but as they face the truths and pains of being a person of color, they also lean into...

Some might say that Khalil Patterson is living his best life. Kendrick Nance and Jack Dandridge are both dead, and he is now the boss. But he still has what’s left of Kojo's operation, which is being run by Shanice Hardaway, to worry about. Now that he is running things, it’s time to turn his attention and firepower to shutting her down and taking over her market.

Life in the hood is generally hard on a day-to-day basis, but it’s even harder when there’s a massive bounty on your head–as Mika and Kane have discovered. With a considerable amount of cash now in their possession, the smart money says that the two should leave town as soon as possible (before someone collects on them) and go some place where no one knows them. Some place where their violent past won’t find them. Some place where they can get a fresh start. Kane, however, refuses to leave without confirming that Jaycee–his partner and best friend–is okay.

They say when it comes to hood love it’s double or nothing and all is fair when it comes to the streets. Although it may not show up in a fairytale fashion, love shows up when you least expect it. After dealing with a heartbreak, Jania learns the hard way until an unexpected love drops in her lap during one of the most fearful nights of her life. Jania would do anything to get her ex off of her mind just for something to do until she realizes just how official her new love interest proves to be.

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.

A Dark Place is a chilling story about the untold struggles of the disenfranchised that inspiringly illustrates how one man cannot turn his back on the problems of his former community—even though he so desperately wants to leave that troubled place in his past forever.

Friendships and family bonds are on the line as Londen Graham and Noah Gabriel both claim their freedom and choose different sides of the law to abide by. As Londen yearns to be a family man with his fiancée Lei, the wild lifestyle of his best friend Noah and his father’s pleas for help have him on the brink of returning to the streets. Will Noah’s friendship, combined with explosive secrets and street wars, pull Londen back to the life he swore to Lei he’d retired from, or will the love he expressed in Memphis be enough to keep him on the straight and narrow?

The Sister Circle is dedicated to supporting each other and firmly believes that it takes a united sisterhood to balance the ups and downs of life. Get to know the ladies of the Sister Circle—Adira, Harlow, Quinn, Noelani, and Letitia—as they provide relatable insight on being in your 30s in today’s society by making us laugh, cry, smile, and hate them at the same time!

Best Friends is an urban fiction book written by a man, but narrated as if the writer was a woman. This is a “hood book” about a female who was in an abusive relationship, which forced her to live with her best friend Fallon and her boyfriend. The men that surrounded her had always been hustlers: Her father, her man, and also Fallon's man. Nikki, the main character, and her best friend Fallon get into a situation where they have to leave town immediately, and have a lot of bricks on them as well.

Derek Harper, a young African American man who dreams of becoming a successful songwriter, pursues his ambitions amid the colorful fast lane of the 1980s music industry, with only his parents to act as his conscience during his odyssey.

When Jalen Wilson returns from his summer vacation, the only thing on his mind is relaxing before going back to teaching. However, that all changes when he runs into his curvy former student at a local coffee shop. Instantly, Tanisha finds herself drawn to him like a moth to a flame, and turning him out will be unlike anything she's ever done.

The lead scorer on the women’s basketball team, Destiny, falls for Antonio’s charming ways, and after one night of drunken steamy lovemaking, it was all it took for this innocent virgin to fall pregnant. Now Antonio could lose it all, but only if someone finds out. Destiny finds it hard to resist memories of that steamy night, knowing how good another one with him could be. But is she ready for motherhood and to be a mistress to a married man?

Ever since their heated kiss, Kayla can’t keep her mind off of Tyrone. She kept playing the scene over and over in her head. The way his hands brushed her skin, her heart thundering in her chest, and the deep ache she felt when his lips finally left hers. How could she not think about Tyrone? There’s only one problem: Tyrone is forbidden fruit. Not only is Tyrone Kayla’s sous chef roommate, but Kayla is already in a relationship with another man.

She won’t quit until she gets justice. He won’t stop until she’s safe. After her brother dies under a cloud of suspicion, Alexis Douglas will do whatever it takes to clear his name. Enlisting the help of TJ Roman proves a double-edged sword. Her brother’s onetime best friend, the...

Markita “Kita” Jones is a young woman with the world at her fingertips. A high school student with beauty and brains to match, she’s well on her way to Howard University. However, on her 18th birthday, she watches her dreams die during a drive-by shooting that claims the life of her brother. Overnight, Kita transforms from a naïve schoolgirl into a savvy street hustler on a mission to find her brother’s killer. With the help of her best friends, Kenya and Alexis, Kita quickly begins making more money and more enemies than she ever could’ve imagined.

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.

With demanding careers and two children, Cherise and Mason McKenzie find themselves spending more time apart than together, which allows infidelity with a trusted loved one to darken their doorstep. It is only through a series of near-tragic events that the couple are able to rebuild their lives and rekindle their love.

One night at the club changes everything when Truth and I.E. meet the breathtakingly beautiful Tina, and her equally as beautiful godsister, Ka’mirah. It’s in that meeting that everything in their world begins to change in the blink of an eye.

Rhea's neighborhood is fading away—the mom-and-pop shops of her childhood forced out to make space for an artisanal kombucha brewery here, a hot yoga studio there. And everywhere, the feeling that this place is no longer meant for her. Because while their little corner of South L.A. isn't perfect, to Rhea and her two best friends, it's something even more important—it's home. And it's worth protecting. But as more white people flock to their latest edgy, urban paradise, more of Rhea's friends and family are pushed out. Until Rhea decides it's time to push back.