Contemporary African American Fiction

The day Ximena Solomon met Hiram Moss, the last thing either of them was expecting was to find true love. Yet still, their connection ran deep, their attraction was undeniable, and what grew between them was nothing short of love at first sight. Ximena and Hiram cannot deny the magnetic pull they feel toward each other. They begin to spend more time together, sharing their hopes, dreams, and deepest feelings. With each passing day, their bond grows stronger, and they realize that they have found something truly special in each other.

Essence best-selling authors Kiki Swinson and Noire have attracted huge audiences for their sexy, anything-goes fiction. Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless features a novella from each author. Swinson’s electric “Shamelessly Rich” showcases a spoiled bad girl facing a life-changing choice. And in Noire’s “Puttin’ Shame in the Game,” three gorgeous ladies set their sights on a wealthy cop.

With smoking hot hits like Lies Lovers Tell and What Love Tastes Like to her credit, Zuri Day has built a considerable fanbase for her scorching contemporary romances. When 40-year-old teacher Gwen Smith travels home to care for her sick mother, she meets a potential new mate who makes her head spin. A “black Fabio,” 26-year-old Ransom Blake knows his way around the bedroom—and he’s about to take Gwen back to school for some lust lessons.

All Zarinah wanted was to fall in love. Growing up, she had kissed her fair share of frogs. When an unconventional situation leads her to Lawson, her wishes might become reality. Lawson is the new CEO of his family's hotel casino chain. He's tired of aimless dating and women just wanting his money. When he meets Zarinah, he instantly feels like she's the one.

Five years ago, Orlando Duncan created the perfect drug in HEAT. It made the Duncans more than two hundred and fifty million dollars and was on its way to making them billionaires. However, they abruptly stopped manufacturing the drug when it was proven to cause cancer in rats. When Orlando is awakened by an alarm in his old lab, he discovers that not only have all his computers, equipment, and notes been stolen, but the robbers have also taken over a million tabs of HEAT that he’d left behind for future experiments—tabs that he had sworn to his family he would destroy.

Giselle thinks she has the perfect life. Her fine and sexy husband, Giovanni, is obsessed with his perfect wife and gives her whatever her heart desires. Giselle thinks her husband can do no wrong. What she doesn’t know is that his lucrative adult film company is not as legit as it seems, and Giovanni’s seedy dealings put his precious wife in danger.

In this gripping tale of street love, drugs, lies, and murder, many will not make it out alive, some will find love in a hopeless place, while others get caught in the crossfire. Dive into the life of women who deserve more and find out what it's like to date the plug next door.

Midori Hunter has it all, and on the outside looking in, one would think Midori is happy, but it's another story when you don't marry for love. Tired of her cheating husband and with being lonely, Midori takes a liking to Jaydah B., the sassy best-selling author. They appear to be a match made in heaven. When the lies that both women have told threaten to be exposed, who decides who stays and who goes? Midori and Jaydah have a lot on the line, and both could lose everything they've worked for. That's why their love affair has to remain their little secret.

When someone asks you to spend your life with him, it shouldn't come as a surprise - or happen in front of 45,000 people. When freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, his man bun, and his bros, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn't the hard part - they've only been dating for five months, and he can't even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans....

Jess Roberts thought she had a good life with Esias. Despite all the chaos of their kids and her taking classes, they still seemed to keep it together, even if she does feel neglected and a little trapped in her life. Then fellow student Jayson Winston comes into the picture...and rocks her world. Jess finds herself tangled up in an innocent game of email truth or dare with the alluring Jason, which heightens with every exchange and finally explodes in a massive affair. Jess soon realizes she needs to save her good marriage and tries to cut all ties with Jayson.

College Professors Grace and David Andrews are a married couple keeping secrets from each other. This is no run-of-the-mill marital infidelity, though. David doesn’t know that his someone-on-the-side shares a painful link to Grace’s past. One man's actions have resulted in the dismemberment of three families. Now that the loose ends have begun to unravel, will any of them be able to pull their lives back together?

Cam is a young man with a bright future in the music business who seemed to be on his way to the top after signing one of the hottest R&B singers in the world -a singer who goes by the name Honey. Cam and Honey hit it off hot and heavy as they mix business with pleasure. The sky is the limit for the young powerhouse couple. The only problem is Cam's fiancée, Yolanda. She and Cam have been together for seven long years, and she hates the fact that her man has to work with Honey.

The "construction laborer" is really a wealthy felon with too many inexplicable circumstances to fathom for her narrow worldview. Will Jas share more of his complexities? Will Ashira be able to absorb them with understanding, leaving the judgment behind? Two souls, still galaxies apart, bound by love. The unanticipated UFO has collided with her world like a ferocious asteroid.

You ever wonder what events led up to an individual’s inability to trust in love? Rayna Brimm survives a series of betrayals and loss, only to forge ahead into self-preservation. After receiving her degree, she finds herself in California and tries to build a self-contained life. Enter Azmir Jacobs. A tall, dark, handsome, and very wealthy man, whose street credibility and executive power in the corporate world has beautiful women at his beck and call. However, only one woman has caught his eye: the resilient Rayna Brimm, who turns out to be more than he bargained for.

In this captivating tale, Tressa's voyage will expose listeners to a side of a struggling single mother that has yet to be revealed to them. Nikki Turner, the bestselling author of A Hustler's Wife, once again takes you on a safari through the jungle of the fierce and stormy streets, leaving you on the edge of your seat and begging for an encore.

Gabby and Mischelle are best friends. Mischelle is despondent, unable to get over the hurt and betrayal of finding out her husband cheated on her with a younger woman - and even worse, he walked out on her and their children. Meanwhile, Gabby's relationship has imploded, and her ex refuses to believe it's over and has started to stalk her. To get away from all the chaos, the women head to Tybee Island, Georgia, looking for a weekend of fun in the sun. Once they get there, they encounter two charismatic yet mysterious men who have the power to inexplicably change their lives forever.

In his new position as head of the Baptiste family business, Saint faces many challenges. Nothing could have prepared him for the challenges that came with dealing with the alluring Naoki Childs. She was the insoluble problem his big brother, Jahad, talked about. A problem that couldn't be handled with a phone call, a meeting, or by simply emptying his clip. Saint thought he'd never be faced with a problem he couldn't handle, especially where a woman was concerned. But he quickly learned that Naoki wasn't just some woman. She was much, much more than that.

Chaotic peace was the only way Synovi Black could explain his life to those who had questions. He never understood why they asked because an answer was never given; it was none of their business. For her, he'd break it down, however. Weave through the complexities of his upbringing, urging her to get comfortable and reside in chaos by his side.

Elias Omari exists in the darkness that clouds his mind. Cress Devereaux exists in the light that inspires her soul. Together, they create beautiful shades of gray. An arranged marriage forces two families to smooth the edges of their jagged past with the hopes of a new beginning. But can a union tainted with secrets and uncertainty promise an unbreakable alliance? The one thing that Elias and Cress share in common is family over everything, but should they continue to fight for family when that same family has never truly fought for them?

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.