Contemporary African American Fiction

Some things that happen in the dark should stay in the dark, but that never seems to be the case. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Niya Brown learns this the hard way. The code of the streets is passed down to her from her mother, and to Niya, the code of the streets is law. Life deals Niya a bad hand that forces her to fend for herself at an early age when her mother and sister are taken away from her in a twist of fate. You will never believe what happens next. Truth and falsehood collide in a way that brings Niya face to face with a secret that will change her life forever.

When Jackson returns home to his family after an absence of 10 years, he discovers that his bonds to them have been irreparably rent by his absence. In the midst of his alienation, he falls in love with Catherine Carmier, setting the stage for conflicts and confrontations which are complex, tortuous, and universal in their implications.

Regina has been craving attention from Mark, her common law husband of eight years. As far as she's concerned, he's a square, and she finds herself making excuses to stay out of the house and out of his sight. With no kids and feeling stuck with a man who has no intentions of marrying her in the eyes of God, she makes a decision that will only bring drama and confusion into her once predictable life.

Chanel Martinez, a five-foot-nine bombshell with a devastating secret, will trick the average player on the spot. Between credit-card scams, wild nights on the town, and her over-the-top lifestyle, no ordinary man can handle a real relationship with her. In comes Samuel, a Jamaican baller destined to sweep Chanel off her feet. Their short-term romance turns into a love affair that Chanel all of a sudden cannot resist. Unfortunately for her, Samuel has something to hide of his own. Imagine - two lovers, two mysterious secrets, and the law...all wrapped up into one novel.

Just when Carlie decides she’s done with dangerous men, she’s thrown right back into the fire by Kirk, her manipulative and deceitful new lover. Not even the diamonds and extravagant gifts can keep the tension from rising when Carlie realizes that Kirk’s sleazy sidekick will do any and everything to steal her man - even if it means extortion.

The old saying about how a leopard never changes its spots was true in Robin Delli Richardson’s case when it came to loving her son’s philandering father. It didn’t matter how good Robin looked, or that she was an educated woman with a great job with benefits, designer labels in her closet, Louboutin red bottoms on her feet, or how well endowed she was in the bedroom, Saxon Anderson had it made it clear that he was incapable of being monogamous.

Sophomore Kalvin Shmelton has finally perfected his underground candy-selling hustle at school. He keeps his prices reasonable, his inventory fresh, and himself out of the drama. But when a heartbroken Sterling Glistern—Kal’s longtime crush—barges into the storage closet where he keeps his candy supply, a new source of income unexpectedly presents itself: relationship therapist. He only meant to help Sterling realize she’s dating a jerk—and maybe win her over—but news spreads fast that Kalvin’s not just the master of sweets…but hearts, too!

Isaiah ""Ice"" Abernathy has always worshiped his older brother, Seth. For years they’ve been not just brothers but best friends—and as Seth starts his senior year, Ice is eager to spend as much time with his brother as he can, making memories before Seth goes to college.

Lance Montgomery, renowned relationship expert, has perfected the art of being a playa. His acclaimed workshops and bestselling books prove it. His most popular title, The Playa’s Handbook, caused a major uproar among black women and men, and shot to the top of the bestseller list.

Leila is crushed when Dev, her boyfriend of four years, breaks up with her right before graduation. Just when she’s thinking she wasted her entire high school experience on a dead-end relationship, her best friend Bree reminds her that Last Chance Dance is just around the corner. A high school tradition, the Last Chance Dance gives all the students one last opportunity to find love before they graduate. All Leila has to do is submit three unrequited crushes to the dance committee and if any of her crushes list her too, they’ll get matched. Presto: new relationship, just like that.

De'nia is a budding young model with baggage. She spent her young adult life running from her family's past and love. Even though she's trying hard to run away from the past, it keeps finding her. Avery is a fast-rising clothing designer who was just left by his high school sweetheart. Devastated by the lost, he made sure that his company was the best it could be. He found himself buried in work, until he started working on a project with De'nia. Together, Avery and De'nia embark on a journey that exposes them to danger, faith, trust, friendship, and patience.

The Kennedy Kings have resurfaced only to learn that the women they married are not the same. Scarlett and Camp Kennedy continue to have marital problems. Although their troubles stem from past physical abuse on Scarletts part, their issues are magnified now that she has Ngozi, her mysterious new love interest. With all of her troubles and her new baby, Scarletts emotional stability plummets.

Sex therapist Paityn Young couldn’t get much sex in her city. So she developed her own line of naughty toys to get the job done. Now, she’s bringing her talent to LA, hoping to launch her new company. Only her new business consultant has her thinking about more than just her product line. As a favor to his boss, Bishop Lang agrees to help Paityn develop her new business. The only thing he knows about her is that she’s off-limits, but the moment he sees her, he realizes staying away might be harder than he thought.

Dawn Gibbons is shocked when her long-lost father reappears in her life. Seriously ill, his dying wish is to reconnect with her. But for Dawn, it's complicated - her wealthy father comes complete with jealous relatives - and a handsome young lawyer Dawn finds dangerously sexy. Dangerous because he's engaged - to her newfound half-sister. One thing a Gibbons woman doesn't do is steal her sister's man. Yet, for the first time, Dawn may care about love more than money.

Dareese "Dollar Bill" Blake is one of those bad guys that women love to hate. In an effort to escape the hood life and dabble in the good life, Dollar quickly grows from a small pup to a big dawg. After carefully critiquing the game, he chooses a concrete type of hustle that he's sure will offer him an early retirement from the workforce. If you ask his home girl, Thomasena, she'd say it's been nothing but love for Dollar since day one. In Dollar's eyes, however, Thomasena is just one of the boys.

Thalia, a 25-year-old wild girl gone good, moves back to her old neighborhood after a failed engagement and manages to catch the eye of the town's most wanted man - the incredibly sexy, single, devoted, and charismatic Reverend Isaac. Not only is there a large age difference between Thalia and the middle-aged pastor, but he also happens to be the father of Madison, her best friend since junior high school. Madison isn't trying to deal with her father dating anyone after her mother's death.

The coauthor of Desperate Hoodwives, Meesha Mink set out on her own with the street-fiction hit Real Wifeys: On the Grind. The series’ second installment, Get Money, finds Harriet “Luscious” Jordan in serious need of scratch after her hubby Make$ is put behind bars. A natural-born hustler, Luscious jumps into the party-promotion biz and begins pulling in big-time cash. But she can’t let go of a grudge against her old rival Goldie, and it may be her undoing.

Jacqueline E. Luckett’s debut novel was heaped with critical acclaim and selected as a “recommended read” by the Essence Book Club. Set in the City of Light, her second novel, Passing Love, is a tender tale of love and discovery. After Nicole-Marie Handy leaves a marriage proposal behind to travel to Paris, she discovers that her father had a secret affair with a woman there many years before.

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.

Happy in marriage and motherhood, Sherise is back at work and ready for a big promotion to White House press secretary - until an incompetent rival gets the job instead. Something's dirty and Sherise is going to get to the bottom of it... Billie's law career is thriving, and she's newly engaged. But between her fiancé's disapproving mother and his angry ex-girlfriend, Billie's plans for the future may be put on hold - permanently...