Urban African American

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.

Following one of the biggest busts in Atlanta’s history, DEA Agent Orlando “Trip” Spencer is called back to his hometown to help manage the fallout. The investigation becomes complicated when drug kingpins start turning up dead and weapons are being funneled into the county jail. It’s up to Trip to figure out the “who, what, and why” and put a stop to the slaughters taking place on the streets of the Dirty South. Unfortunately, what he uncovers hits a little too close to home.

Serenity’s days and nights may include the finer things in life, but she never pictured it like this. Her new surroundings come with limitations and expectations, destroying everything that was decent and innocent about her. Her soul is crushed, and there are no familiar faces around to comfort her. Memories of her past have led her into a bottomless pit of regret and hopelessness.

After leaving her cheating husband, Rhea thinks she will be alone forever. That is until she meets Davis, an attractive, sophisticated black businessman. Davis seems perfect for Rhea - but it’s not long before there’s trouble in paradise.

With a professional booster for a mother and a pimp for a father, crime was the family business, and Tara held a degree in Hustling 101. Her street smarts and her love affair with Julio, however, weren’t enough to keep her out of prison, and now that she’s inside the institution, each day is a new adventure for Tara. She hits the gate kicking her credentials and calling in favors, and before long, she’s back in charge and running things. But what Tara doesn’t know is that she isn’t really in charge like she thinks, because someone else has other plans for her.

Meet the Pierce family. Desmond Pierce, a hardworking man from the South, is determined to give his and wife and daughters a good life in Compton, California. Pearla Pierce is a sexy and seductive mother who plays wifey and devoted mother only when her husband is home. Then there’s Carmen, a promiscuous 17-year-old on a self-destructive path and jealous of her younger sister. Cashmere, a 13-year-old, struggles to hold her family together out of love for her father.

To Merlin Mills, his family ceased to exist when his father turned his back on him, and he had to make some drastic changes in order to survive. Now, nine years later, his family is back, and their existence threatens his once stable relationship with his new wife. If Merlin wants to hold on to her, he must face the demons he’s conveniently forgotten and put them in their proper perspective. Can he undo the damage caused by his omission, or will he snap under the pressure?

Faith Newsome has it all: a loving husband, beautiful daughter, and a stable life as the owner of a thriving shoe boutique in Washington, DC. Yet a part of her feels as if she’s not who she seems to be, as if she’s living a lie. When Faith gets kidnapped by a group of goons while walking to her car, she suddenly remembers who she is - not the suburban wife and mother whom she convinced herself to be, but Champagne, the daughter of one of the most ruthless killers and drug dealers in New York City who went missing and was presumed dead years prior.

Despite a tumultuous past, Sugar Alise Clark is determined to be successful. When she meets Dyna, owner and proprietor of Dymes Exotic Escort Service, she takes off down a path of easy money and fast living. Their friendship quickly sours when Sugar decides to branch out on her own. Sugar opens a gentleman’s club called Sugar Walls and becomes involved with a new love - who happens to be the father of her sister’s child. Sugar thinks she’s leaving her past behind to forge a better future.

Tired of being used, abused, and treated as an afterthought, Alexis decides to put aside her beliefs of how a lady should behave and to live life according to her pleasures. Becoming the “man” in all three of her relationships, she uses men the way she has been used.

Melody, Asia, and Sasha are successful women working in the careers they've always wanted. They excel in life, they excel in their chosen professions, but in their relationships, they fail miserably. From scandalous affairs and drug-induced sexcapades to secret pregnancies and death in a love triangle, these cousins have the personal drama on lock. But when backstabbing and betrayal infiltrate their relationships with one another, the once-tight trio quickly finds that blood is nowhere near as thick as water.

Deceived into leaving Haiti and Cuba by Mr. and Mrs. Vega, Billie and Carmine are confronted with a harsh reality once on American soil. The teens realize they are sex workers for the Pricey Pussy Empire, and the couple who lured them to the US actually run their own division for the underground flesh-for-sale operation. Billie and Carmine will suffer through human indecency, cruel punishment, and sexual assault in hopes of breaking the chains of captivity. There is an expensive price tag attached to vengeance, and once it is theirs, they may just end up paying with their souls.

What happens to an organized criminal enterprise when the weakest link finally breaks? Changes must be made for future growth, but nobody can see the forest for the trees. The Network, known for their calculated power moves, attempts to align themselves with new international business colleagues. With a leader like Taz, the possibilities seem endless, but not everyone adjusts well to change. Over the years, respect has been lost and decisions challenged. As secrets are unveiled, blood will be shed and lives will be lost. Will betrayal stand in the way of prosperity?

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.

Simone knows if she plays with fire, she runs the risk of getting burned, but she just can't help herself. Living large off the paternity scam of a lifetime, she has two baby daddies cashing her out for her infant son. Even her own best friends are getting tired of her low-down, manipulative ways. Unfortunately, the streets begin to talk, and the out-for-self mother's luck taps out.

The riveting Hell's Diva series continues as Mecca Skyes returns to take her revenge on the only person she ever thought she could trust. Beautiful Mecca was only a kid when her parents were killed, and she was saved from the rough streets of Brooklyn when her aunt Ruby, the "Godmother of Crime", took her in. Ruby rubbed out the goons that murdered Mecca's parents, and everything seemed fine - until Ruby betrayed Mecca by sleeping with her man, setting in motion a series of events that nearly left Mecca dead from a gunshot wound.

Kourtney “Ko-Ko” Jackson has no boundaries when it comes to being promiscuous. Known for having flirtatious behavior, along with an out-of-control sex addiction, Ko-Ko goes after every man who crosses her path. However, she will ultimately cross the line when she uses her playful seduction to catch her best friend Lynn’s only son, Rayshawn.

Mona and Shawn Black seem like they are just getting back to normal. But both are still keeping secrets from each other and their family. James Parks leaves prison older but not wiser - seeking revenge. He knows of the secrets that the Black family holds.

Shawn Black seems to be a mild-mannered family man who loves music recitals, football games, and family outings. What observers don’t realize is that Shawn is living a life on both sides of the fence. He harbors dangerous secrets that could hurt his family. Shawn makes a mistake when he befriends James, a gold-digger with an agenda. Pushing Shawn head first into a life of lust and deception, he will get what he wants.

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.