African Urban Fiction

No one can deny that Imani and Marquis have chemistry. They always have, and, if Imani had any say it in, they always would. Even though Marquis might not admit it to her, Imani didn’t need him to tell her how he felt. She could tell by the way he danced with her. They were drawn to each other like magnets, and nothing either of them did could change that. Dancing with Marquis made Imani feel like she had finally found someone who understood her, body and soul. She had to have him, but will she be able to convince him that they really are soulmates?

Taye had it all. He had traded the ghetto of Bankhead for the glistening streets of opportunity in LA. From there, he had made his fortune, met his gorgeous wife, and started his very own family. He was living the dream and should have been content, but something still felt like it was missing. It isn’t until running into his old flame, Ayana, that Taye realizes what he’s been craving: passion. Ayana is like a cool drink of water on a hot summer afternoon.

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.

Asia's mother went missing 18 years ago and since then, Asia has feared the one thing she always dreamt of working with. The ocean. So instead, she's been living life as a lab tech. She doesn't exactly love her job, but it pays the bills and she has money to spend on nights out with her girls. However, her most recent night out ends up with her gaining markings on her skin and losing body parts....

The head of US public relations at Kobayashi Motors, the largest automaker in Japan, is Cadence St. James that is, until she's forced to take on the dangerous new role of corporate whistleblower. Cadence's twin sister, Cushmeer Kincaid, is a human rights statistician who suffers from a fear of public speaking. When Kobayashi cars start spontaneously accelerating and the death toll rises, Toshio Nakamura, a company executive, heads due north to Minneapolis, Minnesota and pulls Cushmeer into the treacherous fray.

Life ain’t never been fair in the treacherous street game. When you play it, you can’t forget there never was and never will be any true honor amongst thieves. It’s do or die. To make major moves and hustle out in the streets, you have zero choices if you want to win. The blueprint is simple: RISE, GRIND, SHINE, and, of course, stay the hell out the way! Between the struggle of avoiding the opposition, law enforcement, and sometimes your own people turning on you, life gets real, and the consequences are even realer.

Martin Jones' life was marred by violence from when he left the hospital as a newborn. As he grew older, his hatred and mistrust of authority figures only intensified, fueling his rage and inner turmoil. Martin couldn't understand why he harbored so much animosity, but with the help of his wise and nurturing Mama Jones, he was determined to find answers and make a positive impact. But as he navigates through the treacherous and unforgiving world, Martin realizes how brutal and unforgiving it truly is.

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?

Best friends Sophie, Diamond, and Angel find themselves with their backs against the wall and owing an extremely dangerous man. Short on funds, limited options, and a severe debt hanging over their heads forces the trio to take "getting to the bag" to a new level. While dripping mad sex appeal laced with money schemes, these ruthless vixens hatch a bulletproof plan, and before long—Jack Girlz is born.

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.

Take a look inside the lives of three close friends. Dre and Hassan have been robbing convenience stores and small banks together since high school, but they share something else in common other than making cold, hard cash: their love for Nikki. The stakes are high after the trio takes on a scheme that unexpectedly sets off a chain of deadly events. With greed, betrayal, and heartache pulling them all in separate directions, will they be able to overcome it all? Or will their very foundation crumble beneath lust, lies, and deception?

Life Through the Eyes of a Woman is a compilation of stories about women walking through the storms of life. These women deal with the abuse, neglect, and loss that come with poor relationships, but also the love, security, and passion that should accompany healthy relationships. Yet, no matter what these women are put through, they always find it within themselves to come out on the other side stronger than before.

Haitian-American Vodou priestess Mambo Reina Dumond runs a healing practice from her New Orleans home. Gifted with water magic since she was a child, Reina is devoted to the benevolent traditions of her ancestors. After a ritual slaying in the French Quarter, police arrest a fellow vodouisant. Detective Roman Frost, Reina’s ex-boyfriend - a fierce nonbeliever - is eager to tie the crime, and half a dozen others, to the Vodou practitioners of New Orleans. Reina resolves to find the real killer and defend the Vodou practice and customs.

TV investigative reporter Topher Davis, the only Black journalist on that beat, has exactly three weeks to do one final story before his position is eliminated due to corporate budget cuts. Enlisting the aid of his sister, SFPD Homicide Detective Lynn Sloan, he decides to investigate what the families of Blacks killed by police—and the families of the cops themselves—go through when tragic events like this occur. Instead, they find themselves involved in an ever-expanding mystery as more officers who’ve committed the same offense turn up dead.

Adonis "Drayko" Loving had been trouble since he learned to walk. Living a risky lifestyle finally catches up with him, forcing him to suddenly leave Ohio and find a fresh start elsewhere. After relocating, he finds himself struggling with adjusting to his new surroundings. Living a single, drama-free life by getting money and staying out of the way comes to an abrupt end when Nyoka crosses his path. Her slanted, sly eyes pull him in and make him rethink and reevaluate his entire life.

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!

It's been three years since Aaron Mackie succeeded in helping his friend and mentor Bishop T.K. Wilson dig his ministry out of financial ruin. Aaron is also responsible for re-energizing the almost defunct choir into something special. His success has drawn national attention, and he's on the verge of signing a huge recording contract. With his life in order, Aaron decides the time is right to propose to Tia Gregory, the church secretary who caught his eye and inspired him to shed his Tiger Woods-like tendencies.

When Keyshia and Clyde meet, they are instantly drawn to each other. Forced to pay back a large sum of cash to one nasty Harlem kingpin or risk the lethal consequences, Keyshia and Clyde use their tight game and their loyalty to pull off the impossible. And when Clyde is falsely accused of a bank hit, Keyshia vows to stick by her man - no matter the cost.

The seventh child of one of Richmond, Virginia's, most ambitious hustlers, Seven is a talented poet and author with a true ear for the streets. In Gorilla Black, a boy with a love of Shakespeare and Langston Hughes struggles to thrive while growing up in the projects as the son of an alcoholic mother. In time, self-dubbed Gorilla Black will ascend to the top seat of a cocaine-fueled empire - and discover the truth about his beloved brother's death so many years before.

A New York Times best-selling author and award-winning journalist with publishing credits in Essence and Vibe, Aliya S. King uses her experience covering celebrity culture to create juicy tales of sex, ambition, and betrayal. In Diamond Life, Alex Maxwell’s rapper husband, Birdie, sees his album go multiplatinum - but life in the spotlight might be too much for his marriage to withstand.