Urban African American

Tanisha Hopkins, aka Tiny, dreams of living the glamorous life by any means necessary. A bona fide, certified, authentic material girl in every sense of the description, Tiny is Feenin' to live life fast and furious and has found the perfect man to make all her dreams a reality. But everything that glitters isn't always gold. Meeting her match, Roscoe proves to be a disaster in the making. A hustler with a dream, a scheme, and his hand in the mix of everything. Tiny quickly learns why many people not only despise Roscoe, but fear him, too.

Nikki Turner, Queen of Hip-Hop Lit, is back with one of her gutsiest female characters yet, a glamorous chick with a high-end hustle that can rival any man’s game. As the respected, renowned concierge for a luxury hotel chain, Beijing Lee caters to the wealthy and famous. Whether it’s securing a dinner reservation, a fleet of limos, or a record deal, or protecting her clients from the paparazzi, there’s nothing Beijing can’t do. She’s stacked up an impressive pile of IOUs from the world’s elite - and one day she decides it’s time to start cashing in.

As Fabiola climbs the ladder of success, she is pulled between the spotlight and the street, trying to resist industry moguls who find the allure of fresh meat irresistible and the thugs from the shadowy side of the ghetto who threaten to keep her close.

Tyesha Couvillier will never forget the rip-offs and brutal treatment she endured as a sex worker. So as the new director of the groundbreaking Lower East Side Women's Health Clinic, she'll take on the Ukranian mob and corrupt strip club bosses to stop local exotic dancers from being pressured into selling sex. And if she and her crew can pull off an elaborate heist, the evidence they steal could upend this vicious game - and give exploited women a chance at justice.

Best-selling author La Jill Hunt dishes the dirt in Old Habits Die Hard. Hunt focuses her attention on the fine ladies of the premier nail salon After Effex. Ya Ya, Camille, Taryn, and Monya bring the crazy drama as their love lives go for a rollercoaster ride.

James Parks's thriving bloodline, Ashley and Alex Black, have transitioned back to Baltimore living, and the drama they thought was over continues to plague them. It seems like chaos and drama is hardwired in their DNA. Ashley is hard at work in her career and is enjoying her new life, but an old flame comes back into the picture and wants to play for keeps. Throw in her boyfriend, Braxton, with his own secrets, and the drama explodes.

They say a good man is hard to find. Kardell Spencer and Lewis Turner know this all too well. Neither is lucky in love. Kardell Spencer is a hard-working, successful advertising company owner who has a no nonsense approach to work and professionalism. Lewis Turner is Kardell's flamboyant, over-the-top employee. They are polar opposites. Lewis speaks how he feels. Sometimes the things he says are so shocking that they leave people around him gasping for air.

When Desiree Johnson receives an unexpected call from her brother, Ernest, Jr., about their father, she and her 16-year-old son, Tyree, pack up and rush to her family's summer home in Idlewild. Desiree hasn't been to Michigan in over 17 years, but when her family calls, she feels she has no choice but to answer. As the summer heats up, Desiree struggles to balance the joy of returning to the community that shaped her childhood with the overwhelming memories of the love and pain she suffered the last summer she spent there,

People who were once deemed loyal have now turned their backs and shown their true colors. The competition has elevated to a deadly level, and now, it's everybody for themselves. The saying "blood is thicker than water" has not been proven true with the Valentine brothers...who are still at war with each other.

After a long 10 years in prison, Dez is finally released and reunited with his family. When his wife decides that they should take a road trip to help bring their family closer, Dez agrees. But things turn from good to bad when their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and the only person that can help them is a creepy-looking stranger that goes by the name Tom. Dez is forced into an impossible situation and has to use his street smarts if he hopes to get his family out alive.

This is the story of Chasity. Born into poverty to an addict mother who was eventually claimed by her addiction to drugs. Chasity is then taken in by her grandmother, the only person to ever really love Chasity like her own. But her sudden passing would leave Chasity alone, yet again. Chasity's uncle would then step forward. Offering to take her in. An arrangement that quickly dissolves when Chasity begins to blossom. As her body changes, her uncle begins to see her as more than just a niece. A repulsed Chasity refuses his advances. Which leads to him throwing her out.

"Sex and bad decisions. That's how Jada had been surviving the multitude of bad luck that had been hurling her way, as of late. The only thing positive in her life, the only thing that made her smile, was her kids and Brooklyn. However, just as her luck had been, both are at risk of being taken from her permanently. Brittany is still clinging to life, while Brooklyn fights to keep his.

Six months before aging out of foster care, 17-year-old Tori meets a local hustler who makes her an offer she can’t refuse. At first, she enjoys the benefits of being Ricky’s “new girl,” but it’s not long before he’s looking for a return on his investment. After a confrontation with Ricky spirals out of control, Tori goes on the run. Halfway across the country, she meets Dana, a street-wise woman in a similarly desperate situation. The two become quick friends and hatch a plan to move to Reno. But soon Tori is on her own again - and out for revenge.

Raised in complete poverty, 14-year-old Banks Wales' world is rocked when his mother is murdered. If not for his best friend Mason, the son of a kingpin, Banks would be alone. One rich, the other poor, the two do their best to stay alive and navigate the murderous streets of Baltimore. There's one problem. Banks' father sees the young king's affluent lifestyle as a reminder that he is lacking as a father and a man. So he makes a vicious move. One that puts his and Banks' life in extreme danger.

Rio Duncan is one of the youngest children of the Duncan clan. With no solid position in the family business like his other siblings, he has been feeling out of place and decides to disappear. Rio leaves his Duncan identity behind and goes on a search for friends and family who can relate to him. His destination is Baltimore, and he is sure to find what he is looking for in the city with a community like no other.

The Kennedy Kings have resurfaced only to learn that the women they married are not the same. Scarlett and Camp Kennedy continue to have marital problems. Although their troubles stem from past physical abuse on Scarletts part, their issues are magnified now that she has Ngozi, her mysterious new love interest. With all of her troubles and her new baby, Scarletts emotional stability plummets.

On the streets of Oakland, California, three families' lives intersect and are bound by blood ties, secrets and deceit. Each one, desperate to put their sordid pasts behind them, has strived to create the perfect life for themselves and their children. Consumed with the petty criminal activities of their children, as well as dealing with their own trust issues with each other, each parent will do anything and everything to protect their legacy. However, when the actions of three friends attract the attention of an Oakland kingpin, hidden truths and long-buried rivalries bubble to the surface.

These aren't your typical escorts! On the controversial website Backpage, these four friends are breaking the hearts - and pockets - of many unsuspecting victims. Sweater Robinson moved to Atlanta with nothing but $300, a dream, and a dark past she wanted nothing more than to forget about. Just when things are starting to look up, someone from her past returns, forcing her to choose between love and loyalty.

Contentment is a luxury, and for the first time in Amon Black’s life, all the pieces have fallen into place. His role in the Powers family is solid, and he has the woman he can’t live without. Brie Barnes has what most would perceive as the perfect life. Things have always been family first—but this time, she’s the one who’s living the dream. Not only is everyone she cares about happy and healthy, but she’s madly in love. Amon and Brie are meant to be. However, life has a way of challenging even the strongest bonds.

In Making the Second Ghetto, Arnold Hirsch argues that in the post-depression years Chicago was a "pioneer in developing concepts and devices" for housing segregation. Hirsch shows that the legal framework for the national urban renewal effort was forged in the heat generated by the racial struggles waged on Chicago's South Side.