African Urban Fiction

An ex-con learns the hard way that it’s better to be with God than without. Deon “Rocky” Rockford is released after spending time in jail. He may have been “saved” on the inside, but now his term has been overturned. He is also free from the shackles of the prayers of the men’s ministry of the New Hope Church and wants only to focus on himself. Fearless and strong, this big guy won several fights behind bars and feels ready to forge a new life in Shelton Heights. Soon he will see that the only “rock” he can count on is God.

Celeste Harper is happily married and living life to its fullest...or that’s what she wants everyone to believe, but her failure to conceive a baby and the critical information she's withholding from her husband may demolish her house of cards. Ginger Brown meets a guy online and invites him to stay in her home. It isn’t long before she finds herself having to ask for permission to go to church. Dirty dishes left in the sink, canned goods not neatly stacked, and missing curfew by just one minute earns Ginger a beat down on a regular basis. How long will the makeup hide the bruises?

In the tradition of cult literary icon Donald Goines, Ice Cream for Freaks is written with a realness that accurately depicts the bleak conditions of the story's urban backdrop. The main character, Nathaniel Wilson, better known in his middle class Queens neighborhood as "Ice", has a reputation of being a brutal and daring stick-up kid. A seemingly well-planned robbery proves deadly to Ice when the victim happens to be "Supreme" - a rising star in a violent New York drug cartel.

Nola wants no part of a relationship with Hot Shot after her family is incarcerated. He has never loved a woman the way he loves Nola, so dealing with that loss on top of the loss of his parents and little brother has Hot Shot on the verge of committing murder. He is determined to get his woman back at all costs, and the streets of Oklahoma City will run red if someone steps to him the wrong way.

Michelle knows being the first lady of Mount Zion Baptist Church is an important and much-coveted position, so she always gives thanks for a dutiful husband and a prosperous life. But she also prays for Darvin to spend more time with her, talking about something other than Mount Zion's affairs. Michelle's faith is further put to the test when the seductive vixen Daphne Carlton arrives on the steps of their church, determined to make Michelle's life a living hell so she can get rid of Michelle and assume her role as the first lady.

It's been a year since the death of Ms. Essie Mae Richardson, the 77-year-old pillar of the Braxton Parks community. Before her untimely demise, Essie's prayers brought redemption to many of her neighborhood's problems, but now the impact of her death and the unfinished business that it left behind is threatening to unravel all that she prayed so hard for God to mend. While Colin Stephens still enjoys a blissful marriage to his wife Angel, unbeknownst to him, she is wrestling with the guilt and regret of never saying goodbye to the woman she loved like a mother.

Sometimes going hard means sacrificing the very thing you love the most in order to be at the top. Gwen knows firsthand about this sacrifice as she struggles to get her son back from a heartless killer bent on revenge. Niya, on the other hand, is sitting at the top of the throne. Still, she will have to determine whether she’s willing to sacrifice her girls’ lives in order to make MHB a dominant force in North Carolina’s drug trade. She’s about to find out that playing with the big boys has its consequences, unless you are really about that life.

Baby Girl McCoy was given her name when her mother couldn’t even be bothered to give her another one in the hospital after she gave birth. Baby Girl was the product of rape, and she spends her life in a quest for a father figure. Never in a million years did she imagine that she’d find it in the man that she does.

How can three women living three totally different lifestyles have so much in common? Alexis is a single mother of two, with an abusive baby daddy her girls keep pressing her to leave. Keaundra is constantly haunted by a troubled past and lives by the motto "trust no man!" India is classy, intelligent, loyal, and used to having her way. Between her rich father and her boyfriend, Martell, she wants for nothing.

Sarai Emery lost her job as a radio disc jockey when a heated breakup with her wealthy drug dealer boyfriend was accidentally broadcast live. With thoughts of dodging the repo-man, past due bills, an impending eviction, and a bill from the nursing home that cares for her Alzheimer’s-afflicted father fresh on her mind, Sarai feels she has no choice but to plunge into a world where the line that separates sex and money is blurred beyond recognition. When she meets the man of her dreams, will she come clean about how she’s been paying her bills?

To some men, Corrections Officer Sean Daniels would be considered the luckiest guy in the world. He has two gorgeous ladies vying for him. Corrections Officer Yadira Cruz is a feisty, hot tamale with a history of failed relationships. After a bad breakup with her daughter’s father, she sets her sights on Sean. The sex is sizzling, but is he ready to give her the commitment she’s looking for? Brandi Wallace is a single mom whose 19-year-old son, Shamari, is serving time at Rikers Island. On the outside, she's poised, polished, and a knock-out! Inside, she’s hiding a violent past.

Johnny Washington is a ruthless survivor, a Black teen raised on the streets of LA, a battlefield of broken families, rival gangs, and minimum wage—all under the cold, watchful eye of the men and in blue. But Johnny's found a loophole. He knows the freight yards like the back of his hand. He and his crew, Josh and Buddy, hit them often, stealing just enough to get by. Until Josh is gunned down by a security guard, who gets his brains bashed in by Buddy. Out of options, Johnny turns to Elliot Davis, a local kingpin who recruits and exploits Johnny's sister until she's no longer useful.

After surviving another attempt on her life, Keema Newell proves that a true hustler never dies. As a ghetto superstar and queen of the streets, she struggles to put the pieces of her life back together, while trying to tame her now notorious daughter, Treasure. Money, murder, and mayhem comes from every angle as Keema finds herself in a viscous web of deceit, tearing apart the lives of everyone she comes in contact with—ultimately making her fair game for her ruthless enemies. Little does she know, her own daughter has plans to step in and take over the throne.

Job Wright has had plenty of setbacks in his life, but nothing compared to the event that led up to him having to move his family to Phoenix, Arizona, to 2333 Rong Street. If only he had the power to delete portions of his life. Job battles himself, his wife, and his imprisoned former business partner to find the true meaning of God, believing that new surroundings will make the difference. But will everything Job is running from catch up with him?

Aphrodite Greer is finally starting to see better days. She's slowly accepting that she can have a beautiful life despite her daughter being dead without feeling guilty. That beautiful life has a name and it's Goal Navarro—the persistent head of the Navarro Cartel. Goal Navarro sees what he wants and goes after it. Being a man who's always on the move, he's finally found the lady that keeps him grounded. Running the Cartel that was snatched from his father and handed to him by his Abuelo, nothing can stop the sexy Colombian.

Aphrodite Greer was born and raised in the bricks—projects in Jagoda Bay. She met the love of her life, Baguette, on that very soil. The ghetto goddess had her entire life mapped out for her, and just like most life plans, things took a turn for the worse. Infidelity, losing her baby girl Athena, and constant fights with her lover's mistress turned her from a rigid, dope boy's queen to a soft, put-up businesswoman. With five years between their failed relationship, Baguette and Aphrodite remain best friends, and since Baguette has moved on, his current girlfriend has also joined their circle.

Now that Kimberlyn has been attacked, TQ is out for blood. With so many possible suspects, it seems almost impossible to figure out who would make such a terrible mistake. Luckily for TQ, the lack of experience of her assailant eventually leads him right to them. However when one enemy goes down, many others begin to rise, forcing TQ to have to make a decision that will forever change QCF, and may even cost him his life.

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.

In the final installment, the brothers must deal with issues that have plagued their life and personal relationships for a while now. Their biggest issue though is dealing with their ruthless, irrational, and overbearing father Stony. Will the Quinton crime family fall to pieces, ripping apart the boys' personal relationships as well? Will their father get his way, using forceful physical harm? Or will the Quinton brothers be able to come out on top without their father no longer being with them but against them?

In the final installment, Belly and Blaise return, but with a plate even fuller than before. Belly has found himself incarcerated over the rape of the former champion's wife, and it couldn't be at a worse time. Having to be away from his newborn child leaves Belly seething on the inside of his jail cell, praying for the opportunity to get his hands on whomever is responsible. Not to mention, the handsome boxer still finds himself in trouble with the ladies, even while locked up.