Contemporary African American Fiction

I think my best friend just proposed to me . . . am I tripping? How could he remember, he can't be serious. A pact that we made when we were only teenagers couldn't still ring true . . . could it? I promised my best friend that we would get married if we were both thirty-five and still single. At the time, I was a teenager and believed that I would be married long before that age. But I was wrong. So very wrong. I'll be thirty-five on my next birthday and still single.

Knowledge Toussaint was exposed to a fast life of grittiness. Being forced to maneuver through a life based on survival at the tender age of ten, he depended on a mother whose life was driven by addiction. All it took were two bullets to change Knowledge's life forever. When he was forced to leave his mother behind, he was taken in by one of the most prestigious hit men in Miami, Booney. As Booney leads Knowledge through an underworld of darkness, he also shines light by teaching him how to play the game of life called 'Chess.'

Still reeling from her husband’s untimely death, Deborah Robinson needs a fresh start. So she decides to pack up her family and return to her grandmother’s ancestral home on Cavanaugh Island. The charming town of Sanctuary Cove holds happy memories for Deborah, and, after she spies a gorgeous stranger in the local bakery, it promises the possibility for a bright future. Dr. Asa Monroe is at a crossroads. Ever since the loss of his family, he has been traveling from one town to another. When he meets Deborah, the beautiful bookstore owner with the sunny smile, Asa believes he has finally found a reason to stay in one place.

Haunted by sensual memories, Joseph can't accept their short-lived liaison as a onetime fling. And when a chance encounter reunites him with the Florida beauty, the Cole heir vows she won't get away a second time. Even after discovering Crystal's secret, Joseph knows nothing can dim his desire. He'll prove it with sweet words of love that could make this a Christmas to remember. If she'll just say yes.

Blackboard and Essence best-selling author Francis Ray has been honored with the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, as well as the EMMA and Golden Pen Awards. Here, she continues the saga of the Grayson family with Morgan's story. Mother Ruth Grayson is pushing her son to get married, but he resists - until he meets Phoenix, a beautiful artist with a secret.

An Essence best-selling author, Rochelle Alers also boasts a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and Zora Neale Hurston Award. Sweet Southern Nights continues the Eaton family saga, which finds Dr. Levi Eaton far from his Northern roots, volunteering at a Kentucky clinic. There he meets Angela Chase, whose sultry Southern hospitality is just what the doctor ordered. But as their relationship deepens, Angela worries Levi may discover the secrets she’s been hiding.

Essence best-selling authors of Love Don’t Live Here Anymore, the husband/wife team of Chiles and Millner use a dramatic “he said, she said” approach in a novel that carries listeners right into the hearts of two lifelong friends. Aaron and Nina grew up on the same street and have been best buddies for 25 years. Now they wonder if they might ruin their relationship if they make room in it for passion and romance.

National best-selling author Rochelle Alers gets listeners’ hearts fluttering with this warm contemporary romance. Xavier Eaton is in Charleston, South Carolina, to start a new phase in his life, teaching at a military prep school. The last thing on this ex-Marine’s mind is settling down. But when he walks through the doors of the Sweet Persuasions pastry shop and sees owner Selena Yates, love, it seems, is all he can think about.

Publishers Weekly called award-winning author Michele Grant's Heard It All Before a ''scorching debut.'' This sequel follows Roman Montgomery's charming brother Beau, who shows up at his sister's Dallas condo looking for a place to stay. Instead, he finds her new roommate, Belle - equal parts attitude and beauty - who wants nothing to do with Beau's pretty-boy act. But when she offers him a job, Beau sees a chance to make something of himself - and prove he's more than just a pretty face.

Nothing invigorates the five Carter brothers more than an honest day's work - and the right women to come home to at night. Douglas Carter never expected the summer job he took at the post office 10 years ago to become his career. But now, at 28, he has zero regrets. He's happy to have a regular paycheck, good friends, and a sweet plan for retiring early. If only his cute but oh, so uptight new coworker felt as content as he does.

Meet Orchid, a goal-oriented good girl whose origins began in the hood. The very same hood she craves, but it's off limits to her after the death of her father, one of the state's biggest kingpins. Released from the reins her mother kept hold of, she finds her way back to the hood and is attracted to one of its most eligible ballers. Demonte is every woman's wet dream: tall, dark, handsome, and paid. When he crosses paths with Orchid, he's determined to make her his.

Momma's Baby Daddy's Maybe is an Essence best seller by popular author Jamise L. Dames. This steamy tale revolves around the lives of the three Jacobs siblings: wild Kennedy, corporate Simone, and handsome Derrick.

Trapped in cupid's web, Erika fought to shed no more tears over another failed relationship. She wanted more. Grieving over his own heartbroken issues, David held grudges, and was content with keeping women away from his heart. He desired less. Now, as time provided new opportunities in Erika and David lives, they crossed paths and embraced the desires to trust again.

The crew is back for one final round. Everything about this series has been absolutely insane. We've witnessed deceit, heartbreak, and a whole lot of betrayal. There have been good times too. The love between these characters has been nothing short of amazing and definitely something worth fighting for. A whirlwind of emotions has been on the rise since this series started, but in the end, everyone will rightfully receive the ending that they deserve. Take one last ride with these characters, and witness how everything unfolds.

Holland Davenport is ready to go beyond her small-town existence. Her plan involves moving into an apartment in Charleston—not inheriting a run-down brownstone in Brooklyn from a relative she never knew. Yet in a burst of daring, Holland meets the challenge head-on, moving to New York to learn more about her family and renovate the place. Add to that a gorgeous next-door neighbor who turns out to be a board member at her new job, and she’s definitely out of her depth.

Vanella Morris is extremely happy with her long-time boyfriend, Alton. But Vanella is also uneasy and apprehensive about making the big commitment. The time has come to make the decision of her life: walk away now from this good thing, or convince Alton that, by living together, the marital bliss he longs for can still be theirs.

Take a trip into theheart of passion as seductive samba rhythms pulse in the warm evening breezes. Escape and savor these three scintillating stories set against the beautifulbackdrop of Brazil.... Two weeks in Rio - surely that's enough time for marketing VP Sydni Lawson to forge a lucrative merger. But instead of sweet-talking real estate mogul Gabriel St. James, she's being swept away by their sizzling and unexpected attraction.

Just when Alize believes that things just can't get any worse, she's proven wrong once again. Her aunt Melva is in critical condition, Lindsey's been shot, and her chances of getting her girls back seem to be slipping further and further away. All Alize can do is hope and pray that things work out, but with more drama brewing in the background, she's going to need more than just some hope and prayers.

Twenty-six-year-old Kymani can’t seem to catch a break lately. Over the past few years, his life has gone from unlimited potential to feeling stuck and uncertain about the future. His dead-end job offers no comfort or hope of change and his love life is nonexistent, making everything twice as hard to cope with. One day a chance meeting sets Kymani on a new path and breathes newfound motivation into his life that could turn things around once and for all.

After the demise of her relationship with longtime boyfriend DonTravious, Nicole thought God had truly blessed her the day Kendrick Taylor walked into her life; her prayers for a lasting love had been answered. Life with him was bliss - until he walked out of her life without a second thought, leaving her more broken and alone than she'd ever felt. Nicole resigned herself to the fact she was going to be alone. She was tired of looking for love and only being left out in the cold. She was content to mourn the love she'd lost...or rather never had with a now happily married Kendrick.