African American Literature Fiction

In 2003, Jay-Z retired from making music. He had made award-winning albums, founded a record label, and had his own line of clothing. He walked away, but he couldn't stop writing songs. Three years later, he was back on the charts with a hit album and the title of greatest MC of all time. Track this hip hop hero as he makes it in the music world and becomes one of the best known rappers in the world.

Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker are the stars of Chain-Gang All-Stars, the cornerstone of CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment, a highly-popular, highly-controversial, profit-raising program in America’s increasingly dominant private prison industry. It’s the return of the gladiators and prisoners are competing for the ultimate prize: their freedom.

He's hard, cold, and stubborn as a bull. He has no right to want to be with her. She's everything he's not. Warm, patient, and attentive. Yet, the two of them find themselves badly wanting each other. Neither of them has ever had the guts to tell each other how they truly feel. Will they get it together, or will she find comfort in the arms of someone else who's brave enough to steal her heart?

Award-winning poet Danez Smith is a groundbreaking force, celebrated for deft lyrics, urgent subjects, and performative power. Don't Call Us Dead opens with a heartrending sequence that imagines an afterlife for black men shot by police, a place where suspicion, violence, and grief are forgotten and replaced with the safety, love, and longevity they deserved here on earth. Smith turns then to desire, mortality - the dangers experienced in skin and body and blood - and a diagnosis of HIV positive. "Some of us are killed / in pieces", Smith writes, "some of us all at once."

Mary Monroe is a New York Times best-selling author who pens tales of life’s emotional tapestry. Lost Daughters follows Maureen Montgomery and her daughter, Loretta, as they strive to make a life after the death of Maureen’s domineering mother. Forever scarred by Mama Ruby’s tyrannical ways, Maureen longs for a quiet, simple life. But Loretta has something far different in mind. Dreaming of fame and fortune, she embarks on a modeling career. Mama Ruby, however, casts a shadow with the power to darken their lives.

Tressa always thought that the best moment in her life was the day she gave birth to her twin boys, Khalil and Hadji, but even better was when she got the news that their abusive father, Lucky, was dead. His death gave the streets freedom and safety, and it gave Tressa an opportunity to start over. Thrilled the bad days were gone, she soon realized that, even though Lucky was dead, she would never be free of him. When the twins discover that Indie, the man who raised them, had a hand in killing their father, nothing can stop them from plotting their revenge. They are about to find out that nothing is what it seems.

Sins from the past have left a lingering stench in the Mitchell family. Amid a tumultuous roller-coaster ride through financial ruin, professional humiliation, personal failure, and marital discord, Joel, the youngest son, who was once considered the most eligible bachelor, has finally come to terms with his shortcomings and self-centered decisions.

Angel, Jaz, Tasha, and Kyra are four girlfriends pulling themselves out of the ghetto - and trying to bring their hearts up to higher ground with them. Now Angel has started her own law practice and new life with Kaylin. But when an unwanted guest crashes their wedding, all the rage and bloodlust from the hood comes bustin' out - and Angel's gonna need every prayer in heaven to make it to the altar alive....

Gangsta Divas puts listeners on the streets of Memphis, where gang wars are heating up thanks to the arrival of dangerous new players - the Cripettes. Ta’shara is planning to knock her sister off her perch and climbing to the top of the game. Qiana’s deal with the devil places her directly in the crosshairs of forces ready to take her out. And Queen G LeShelle’s list of enemies keeps on growing. But for these gangsta divas, it’s all part of the game - one they’re determined to win.

Former "player" Terrell thinks he's got it going on. Then the past comes calling, and suddenly his best prospects are endangered.

Acclaimed author Rhonda Bowen weaves compelling tales of love, family and faith. In Get You Good, Sydney Isaacs is focused on two things: her family and Decadent, the family’s gourmet pastry shop. But when her brother marries the scheming Sheree and sells Decadent, Sydney’s forced to clean up the mess left behind and leans hard on her boyfriend, Hayden. She questions if Hayden knew about Sheree’s plan from the get-go and sets a trap to discover the truth - but its consequences have far-reaching effects.

While waiting for God to bring the ideal husband into her life, Tiffany has done everything a good Christian woman should. And just when Mr. Right begins to show an interest in her, her wayward sister, Shay, posts Tiffany’s picture and profile on a dating website without telling her. Posing as her sister, Shay immediately meets the man of her dreams. And that’s when things get crazy.

Autumn is a sister in the infamous Porter family, first introduced in the gripping short The Circle: The Beginning by Ashley & JaQuavis. This fast-paced follow-up starts back at the beginning, highlighting young Autumn as she tries to get to the border and escape the feds.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman has sold over a million copies nationwide since its publication in 1971, making the fictional character of Miss Jane so real many people don’t know she exists only in the imagination of Louisiana-born author Ernest J. Gaines. Miss Jane is 100 years old when she is interviewed by an area high school teacher looking to teach his students more about plantation society in the Deep South. Her story is not only a vivid picture of the South before the dawn of the civil rights era, but also a story of one woman’s survival against overwhelming odds.

I Need a Gangsta: Melody Goldman isn’t about to let her rich, cheating, ungrateful husband walk out and leave her with nothing. Fortunately, ex-con Scotty Harris has no problem disposing of her problems in exchange for plenty of cold, hard cash - and hot, hard sexing. But when Scotty crosses one line too many, Melody’s revenge will be a hustle he never saw coming.… Gentlemen Prefer Bullets: Successful publicist Blake Scott survived by playing the Hollywood game…and keeping far, far away from her gangsta kingpin father. But now the only person who can protect her is his enforcer, Eli Hardwick.

As a painter travels the world and creates his art, he also mourns the death of his queen, his wife. He is secluded from the world and finds an escape through the drawings in his work. Not until he gets an unexpected knock at his door does his life take a drastic turn. The guest presents a problem that traps them inside of a home for 72 hours and this quiet suburban estate becomes the devil’s playground. The painter is then thrown into a psychological game that has twists and turns, which leads to an unforeseeable ending.

Join twenty-four-year-old Tara Walker on a poignant odyssey as she unearths her secret journal, a powerful testament to her life's trials and tribulations. From her raw, often harrowing childhood, marred by addiction, alcoholism, and predators, to the unwavering support of her hardworking parents, Tara's inspiring journey unfolds. Through adversity and rejection, she emerges as a resilient, intelligent young woman who confronts her traumatic past with unwavering determination, ultimately embracing the true meaning of life, happiness, family, and unconditional love.

With her besties in the Big Easy, Nydia Santiago is second-guessing staying behind in New York City. So when Jasmine Washington calls with the exciting news that she's getting married, Nydia happily rushes to New Orleans to be her maid of honor. Once she visits the lovely Garden District estate her friends are transforming into a luxury inn, she's wistful to join them in their venture. Then she meets the sexy engineer in charge of the renovation. With his seductive Southern drawl, Lamar Pierce could make her believe in love again.

For the five Reeves women, nothing is more important than keeping their family bond tight and their communication flowing. But honesty isn't so clear cut when it could blow up everything they've fought to build. Already reeling from betrayal, middle sister Coco is fed up with lies - including her own. If she has her way, someone else's neck needs to be on the line for a change. But soon, Coco's in deep trouble with the law, her future hanging in the balance....

The Warmest December is the incredibly moving story of one Brooklyn family and the alcoholism that determined years of their lives. Narrated by Kenzie Lowe, a young woman reminiscent of Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John, as she visits her dying father and finds that choices she once thought beyond her control are very much hers to make.