Contemporary African American Fiction

Ananda is on her way to the top. A frail heart and mistrust of men once took her soul to the bottom. Her sassy personality is how she forges her way through life and remains in control. Until she meets the man most women's dreams are made of. Ananda can't believe she'll finally get a happily ever after - until a tawdry secret reveal splits her world in two and forces her to realize that dreams are for children, and she is a grown woman now.

It is the story of 11-year-old Pecola Breedlove--a black girl in an America whose love for its blond, blue-eyed children can devastate all others--who prays for her eyes to turn blue: so that she will be beautiful, so that people will look at her, so that her world will be different. This is the story of the nightmare at the heart of her yearning and the tragedy of its fulfillment.

In many ways, twenty-something Tiffany Patterson has been living the hard knock life…literally. As a child, she watched her father physically abuse her mother on a constant basis. When Tiffany finally grows up, she finds that she hasn’t fared much better than her mother when it comes down to choosing a loving, kind, and supportive significant other. Eventually, Tiffany decides to just give up on dating altogether. But the holiday season is a time for miracles. Perhaps Tiffany’s about to find that God is willing to answer her unspoken prayer for a happily-ever-after.

Debut novelist Michele Grant pens a juicy tale in Heard It All Before. Best friends Jewellen and Renee think they know Dallas men like the backs of their hands. But that’s before Jewellen unexpectedly falls for a guy from the wrong side of the tracks, and Renee gets lured away from her own man by a hard-bodied hottie.

Congratulations is the story of Tiffany Garner and Thomas Anthony Young. After eight months of dating, Tiffany thinks that any day now, Thomas will propose to her. That is until they get into a senseless argument before Thomas leaves on a business trip. Tiffany is hurt by the words that are exchanged. To get her mind off her troubles, she decides to go a wedding with her best friend, Alicia. While there, Tiffany's world is turned upside down when she sees Thomas not out of town, but at the wedding.

Is anything truly beyond redemption, beyond the hope of repair, restoration, or renewal? Absolutely not! Jacqueline Vance might beg to differ, as her life spirals out of control. In her thirties, navigating the complexities of marriage and the ache of childlessness, she finds herself at the heart of a murder mystery in Southern Hills. Amidst the darkest betrayal, she discovers that no one, not even her occasional ally Yolanda, is beyond God's reach for redemption. Through this ordeal, Jacqueline learns to confront her current struggles with resilience, eyeing the possibility of what lies ...

Fifteen years ago, he left without saying a word. Now he's back. And as much as she hates it, the sparks haven't died... Jennifer Banning is happy with her life as a travel nurse. It takes her mind off the fact that she is over thirty and still hasn't found one man she shares that special spark with. The kind of spark she felt in college with Gavin Daniels. But that is now water under the bridge, and Jennifer has decided she will enjoy singlehood and play happy Aunty to her sister's children. Gavin Daniels is on vacation with his sister's family when he spots Jen Banning looking more ...

The moment I encounter the beautiful tour guide, it’s clear I'll stop at nothing until she’s mine. She’s a spitfire. Doesn’t hold her tongue for anyone, especially not me. Women fall hard for me. Not Kara. She wants nothing to do with me. Well, at least that’s what she keeps telling herself. A few of the men in the small town of Talkeetna want to be with Kara. Won’t happen. I’ll show Kara I’m the man for her.

Blessings Await the Faithful… God has blessed Alana Daniels with a gift: a beautiful voice that moves the congregation at her church every Sunday morning. Yes, she loves singing in the choir at Mount Zion, but Alana — a gorgeous young woman with a heart of gold — has a desire to make it to the world’s stage with her talent. She puts a lot of effort into perfecting her vocal skills and it shows big time. Her mother thinks that a woman Alana’s age should be married by now, but Alana has no desire to pursue love because as a kid, she watched her parents’ marriage dissolve into ...

What Happens When a Person Compromises when it Comes to Faith? Nikki Walton has had a true love for Christ for as long as she can remember — since childhood really. But sometimes, she can’t help but think that her narrow walk with the Lord has prevented her from attaining some of the things she wants in life — mainly a soulmate. Things backfire in a major way for Nikki when she puts her faith on the back burner for a few minutes, thinking that doing so will help her snag a husband, the man of her dreams. The man she ends up with turns out to be a true devil in disguise. Realizing that...

2024 Global Book Award Silver Medalist Ghosted. It wasn't the first time—and probably wouldn't be the last. But I'll be damned if I let the same man do it twice. Except...it's him. The one with the dreamy eyes and that deep, rumbling baritone. The man I met ten years ago on a balcony, where one electric conversation felt like the start of everything. I thought he was it. He said he'd call. He didn't. Now he's the CEO of the company launching my fashion line—and I'm the woman who can make or break his brand. We're older. Sharper. But the heat between us? Still dangerous. His eyes still ...

Titus Kellum Jr, feels like it is love at first sight when he first lays eyes on Faith. She is smart, beautiful, and classy. She is a labor and delivery nurse. Titus is the CEO of one of his father’s successful marketing firms in New York City. He is a Christian man and he feels like they would be a good match. He asks her out, and he quickly falls in love with her, but he notices that Faith is a little high strung, but he still feels as if she is his soulmate. They soon get married and everything is going well, and they want to start a family, but that is when trouble arises. Every time ...

Once burned, twice shy… Successful donut shop owner, Cassandra Pryor, aka Cassie, has heard that saying plenty of times in her life. However, she never really thought it would be something that she’d have to relate to. When the husband she thought would love and adore her forever turns out to be an abuser, she quickly learns that the saying does, indeed, apply to herself and her life. When she meets a celebrity pastry chef who is newly saved, handsome, and generous, her heart begins to once again yearn for a happy-ever-after. God wants to give Cassie exactly everything that she wants ...

For Taylour Wilde, life has been full of hardship and heartache since the day she was born. After growing up, depending solely on her older brother, becoming self-sufficient and successful enough to return the affection is her number one goal. Upon returning from college, she learns that her brother has found someone new to accommodate. When his vision gets blurred and lines get crossed, she’s forced to do the unthinkable in honor of him. But after he unexpectedly turns on her, she’s left feeling isolated and forced to search for new, meaningful relationships. Kato is like a breath of ...

Mahogany Stone has been through a lot in her life. She's seen a lot. All of the things that she’d witnessed her entire life, shaped her into the woman that she was. Mahogany was never going to fall in love. Love was for the weak. For the weak-minded people who believed in fairytales and all the other BS that people fed us when we were younger. But there was just something about Karlos. He bugged her. He irritated her. He made her laugh and he made her cry. He...... broke her down and she never saw it coming. Karlos Davenport is a playboy. Plain and Simple. And he’s not afraid to admit ...

“Call me Miss B*tch. Yes, I screw married men, so what? I love my life. I worked damn hard to get to where I am. I’m a lawyer in a huge law firm and I pay my own bills, besides the ones they pay. Yes, I enjoy what I do and who I do.” Tracy is single and living her best life in California. Coming from a small town in South Carolina, it’s a welcomed change of scenery. It’s also an escape from her past. She is no longer the small town girl with a broken heart; she’s the corporate attorney with several players on her team. Rich, successful players at that. Though her life is ...

Is it ever meant for Tink to be found, or will she die before she can be captured? Roshaun had everyone out on a rampage, looking for Tink, but once it was discovered that she couldn’t be found, painting the city red wasn’t enough for him until he got the unexpected call. Passion’s past won’t allow her to live in the moment, which leads her back to her old ways, which was one thing, but for her to neglect her family was something Romeo could no longer take. Will they get it together for their family, or crash and end the engagement? Join Tink and the Collins for another ...

The very gorgeous, Dominique Wilson, was born to a crack-addicted mother. Despite that, she's risen above her upbringing and carved a decent life for herself. Nice home — check. Nice car — check. Friends who love her — check. She has all of those things and a half-decent boyfriend, too. However, an out-of-control night of partying leaves her in a situation that will impact her life forever. She knows that God is the only one who'll get her out of her precarious situation. Her faith is strong, and she believes that God always answers prayer. But sometimes even the strongest believers ...

She thought he would save her. Now they are crawling through hell together with nothing left but guilt, rage, and a chance at revenge. Brianna trusted Sergei with everything. Her safety. Her secrets. Her heart. But when the Black Veil captured them both, stripped them, and forced them to perform for the camera, that trust shattered. She expected to hate him. He expected to be hated. But what neither of them expected was the fire that still burns beneath the wreckage. Every scrape of their bodies in the vents, every whispered promise of escape, reignites the hunger they both swore to bury. ...

Absolution was written by USA Today Bestselling Author Reana Malori... Julian Saving lives is his calling, or so he thought. When doing what he loves turns into his greatest fear, the lines between black and white turn gray. A little boy who needs to be saved, and a beautiful mother he can’t stay away from, bring him back from the darkness. Life and death are a part of his daily life, but Julian must find his own road to Absolution before he loses the one person he never realized he needed. Kori Raising her son was her only focus. When their lives are shattered by a devastating event, she...