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Dylan Monroe is the kind of chick females love to hate, but children and dogs mysteriously adore. She''s a material girl, living in a material world filled with diamonds, furs, limousines, celebrities, and private planes. To the world, she has it all, but behind closed doors, she has nothing. Almost bankrupt, she finds solace with State, a wealthy entrepreneur with a heart of steel, the man who breaks her heart time and time again. When State leaves her heart in shambles, she turns to Angel, her best friend''s brother. She''s had a secret crush on him for years. Swept off her feet by her new love, but still mending from the pain of the old one, Dylan finds herself caught up in a web of lies, lust, love, and betrayal. National bestselling author Keisha Ervin delivers a sophisticated love story filled with laughter, witty banter . . . and excessive shopping!

The Cartel has come full circle with this fast-paced, groundbreaking novel, the finale to the hit series by New York Times bestsellers Ashley & JaQuavis. Miamor is fighting for her life in the belly of the beast. She''s been kidnapped, and she''s staring death in the eye. Is the reign over for the head of the Murda Mamas? Carter is in federal custody and leaves the Diamond Empire to Zyir and Mecca. When the past comes back to haunt Mecca and the truth finally comes to light, will The Cartel rise or fall? Breeze is in the clutches of the crazed Ma''tee, and she desperately searches for a way out. Will she escape, or die his love slave? The answers to these questions lie inside the pages of Cartel 3: The Final Chapter. Open it to discover the shocking truth, and prepare yourself for the unpredictable conclusion of one of the best street series of all time.

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. Julio, a seasoned Dominican kingpin, is behind bars too, but he definitely isn''t new to the joint. He''s doing Federal time, and he thinks it''s going to be a cakewalk, but this time around, he''s forced to gain respect the hard way from a whole new breed of petty thieves and wannabe gangsters. He will have to knock a few young boys out first and then just take over . . . or can he? What happens to love that has been tested by time and space, hurt and tears? Can it find its way back? Julio and Tara''s lives, along with the people they love the most, will be changed forever by prison. Will it be for the better or worse?

"Be careful what you pray for" is an old adage, but third grade teacher Maya Richards comes to discover that it''s more than just a cliché. Maya has been with her soul mate, Kenneth Green, for more than ten years. She never doubted that he would one day ask for her hand in marriage, but on the eve of their anniversary, their relationship ends abruptly, and she finds herself alone for the first time in thirteen years. Maya turns to her family and best friend to help deal with her heartbreak, but is left to heal on her own. Her parents have discovered a love for traveling, her sister is preparing to move across the country, and her best friend is busy tending to her husband and children. Instead of seeing this time as an opportunity to get closer to God, Maya begs God to send her a new mate. Impatient and desperate, she begins a relationship with gym teacher Lloyd Bradford, despite many warning signs. As she struggles to escape a dangerous situation, Maya learns that the relationship that matters most in life is the one that she has with Christ. As Maya finds the strength to break away from Lloyd''s tight reigns, will she trust God and allow Him to restore peace in her life?

Carl Weber brings together two popular literary divas to give readers what they’ve been asking for: stories about big, beautiful women. Age is just a number, and whoever said that full-figured women don’t know how to bring fire to a relationship was sadly mistaken. Symone Davenport is a 22-year-old college senior who has set herself up for a very secure future, but all her achievements feel more like a duty than a labor of love. Her true love is singing R&B, but she doesn’t believe her plus-size figure could ever be diva material. She settles for fading into the background in her father’s church choir. It takes the help of Jaylen Richards, the handsome new choir director to not only unlock her talent and try to bring her into the spotlight, but to unlock her heart. Janice was never thin, but the fifty pounds she packed on after her sister’s sudden death two years ago sent her way beyond the size 14 she used to be. With a gorgeous face, personality, and brains she isn’t lacking friends, but her insecurities about her weight gain get in the way of things reaching the next level with men.Flirting over the phone and via e-mail with Tony is easy, since he’s hundreds of miles away, but when business brings him to Janice’s Chicago office, she goes out of her way to avoid meeting him face to face. She assumes he’ll take one look at her and not even remember their conversations. She couldn’t be further from the truth, and soon their romance blossoms. In his arms nothing, especially size, matters; however, when lies are uncovered and things come undone, layers of Tony are exposed. Will it reveal a golden pear or a rotten apple? Did he play on her insecurities for his own selfish gain, and is he just more dead weight she will eventually have to lose?

All it takes is one murder to change a million lives, and that''s exactly what happens to Kasheef Williams on a cold, black Friday. After a reunion with an old friend goes wrong in a Long Island night club, Kasheef is forced to protect himself by any means necessary. The only problem is that prying eyes see everything.  Those eyes belong to Alija Bell. After walking in on a situation she was never meant to see, she runs; but Kasheef sees her face, and he tells her that it''s best for her to get temporary amnesia.                 Afraid for her life and the safety of her daughter, she keeps her mouth shut—but when a tape of the murder surfaces, the only face that''s visible is Alija''s. Now the police are looking for their eye witness, and Kasheef has to get to Alija before her day comes to testify against him in court.                 In this dramatic, hood-savvy tale, things aren''t always as they seem. Somebody holds the ticket to the jury''s verdict. Lies and truth collide. Everyone has a different angle, but the only question is, who has the most influence over Kasheef''s fate?

Pop is a young kid from the projects looking for a way to make a quick dollar, and an even quicker way to escape from his crazy mother''s house. His whole life takes a turn when he bumps into Fresh, the neighborhood dope man who''s on the lookout for a tough soldier he can trust and depend on. When their paths cross, the two immediately bond, but when trust issues, two sisters, and a freshly released convict come into the picture, things hit the fan faster than a New York minute. Pop''s courage, loyalty, and heart get put to the test when he has to decide how far he''s willing to go in order to come up.

Meet Jerome, Lamant, and Marcus, three single men who share one thing in common: their high maintenance needs drive women away. Jerome Hart''s ideal relationship is not to be in one. He enjoys his single life, and has no intention of slowing down his bed-hopping, fast-lane ways. Twenty-eight-year-old Lamant James is busy as usual, figuring out how to balance his sixty-hour work week with his search for the ideal mate. His rigid dating rules have women running for their lives.Recently divorced forty-year-old Marcus Hill would prefer a not-so-desperate housewife mail-ordered and shipped from the 1950s. He never saw his divorce coming, due to his belief that he was a super duper husband. Why their ideal women are so hard to find is beyond any of them. The possibility of changing themselves is unthinkable. Can they evolve, or face ending up alone?

Envy Wilson, Layla Hobbs, and Kacie Mayweather are three 30-year-old friends who lean heavily on one another for support in troubled times. Layla fights the battle of obesity coupled with low self-esteem, but her melodious voice can soothe the savage beast. Who can fulfill her desire for love? Envy is Layla''s backbone, and one of the few people in her life who doesn''t beat up on her about being overweight. But Envy has her own dark and sordid secrets that she refuses to share, not even with Layla and Kacie. Kacie, born with cerebral palsy, has always felt the need to prove that she can get a man just like any "normal" woman. She has six children and five baby daddies, but has never had a husband. When she meets an older man at church, she hopes her prayers for a perfect love will be fulfilled. Through their trials, the three of them cling to each other. The circumstances they face will hopefully teach them how to cling to God.

Persephone "Persi" Sinclair has always lived a principled and disciplined life—with one exception. She''s in love with a married man. She can''t help herself; she''s had a crush on Brad Shelton since high school. When Brad finally dumps her to rekindle things with his wife, Persi gathers her shattered pride, dusts off her old dreams, and moves to Paris. Persi reconnects with Nick Betancourt, a former college classmate of Brad''s who''s playing saxophone at Bricktop''s Jazz Club. Reluctantly, Persi begins to date the free-spirited Nick, and is slowly seduced by his charm. What begins as a carefree adventure through the French countryside with no past, no future, and no designs on permanence, turns into something much deeper. The couple gets married in Monte Carlo and returns to their Paris flat. Persi settles into the role of Mrs. Nick Betancourt and deems herself fulfilled, content, and happy—until Brad shows up at their front door one day, announcing that he''s left his wife for good. The decision is Persi''s. Does she return to her former lover, who is finally offering marriage, or does she remain with her husband and see where their newfound love leads?

Celia Alexander assumed she had faced the ultimate test of faith when her husband, Khalil, went to prison, and she''s still trying to get her life back to normal in spite of her inability to forgive him. When she discovers that her husband is somehow connected to the disappearance of a young girl in Detroit, Celia soon discovers evil has no boundaries. She revitalizes a search that may be more than she can handle. Khalil Alexander may be incarcerated, but he is far from confined. He has created an unusual business operation to feed his disturbed mind and fund his quest to be released. With a family in turmoil, their daughter, Kaleia, hides her pain like a well-worn diary. The troubled sixteen-year-old heads down a destructive path, invisible in plain sight. While mysteries unravel and truths are unveiled, Celia learns that her family''s peace will depend on faith and wisdom.

Brice Simpson is a newly promoted heroic detective with a secret past. He''s riding the waves of fame, but he still feels he has something to prove, so Detective Simpson picks up a cold case on the murder of a fourteen-year-old girl. He''s convinced the case will bring him redemption for his past indiscretions, but he soon finds out that the details surrounding the girl''s murder may hit closer to home than he expects. When his younger sister goes missing, Brice''s life is thrown into a tailspin that may cost him everything he has worked for. Casey Pete is a famous porn queen. Dominique Branch is a newly married preacher''s wife with a shameful secret. They were the best of friends until they let jealousy, lies, drugs, and Jordan Bleu take over their lives. When Casey attempts suicide, Dominique is reunited with the past she wishes she could erase. Thrust back together by fate, Casey, Dominique, and Jordan are forced to confront each other and the demons from their past—one of which is murder. When this unlikely trio crosses paths with Detective Simpson, they turn out to be the only people that might be able to help him solve the haunting cold case and find his missing sister. Will they be able to put the pieces of their lives back together in enough time, or will they all finally realize the steep price of fame?

With everything they''ve come to rely on suddenly gone, sisters Tanqueray, Unique, and Sinclair Nation should be facing the tragedy together. But instead, they begin to pull apart in their search for a way out of the ghetto. This divide nearly conquers them, as Tanqueray drifts further into the life she swore she would never be brought into. Unique, overwhelmed with concern for her sick child, follows the misunderstood guidance of an overzealous preacher, whose advice places her life in jeopardy. Sinclair, looking for love, finds trouble instead when she again turns to the streets. These sisters will have to fight hard to keep it together through all their hardships.

For five years, Pamela Roberts, has balanced the demands of being a single mother and a devoted Christian. She unselfishly places the needs of her son, Matthew, above her own. Although she tries to convince everyone that she''s happy with Jesus alone, Matthew handpicks the perfect present for her—a husband. Everything about the man her son chooses is perfect, except for his past. Micah Stevenson is excited when he learns the son of the woman he has been praying about wants him to join their family permanently. Believing Pamela Roberts is his soul mate sent from God, Micah pursues her. Once he is certain of her love for him, Micah reveals his dark history, shaking the foundation of the once loving and stable relationship. Trust is broken as judgments and prejudices threaten to deny the couple''s destiny. Will the man he used to be prevent Pamela from loving Micah for the man he is now?

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? Gavin Mills always despised his twin brother, but now the fact that they are mirror images might work to his advantage. When Gavin gets a taste of Merlin''s wife, he decides he has to have her, no matter the consequences.Gina Meadows took in the children of her common law husband, Ronald, mainly because she feels guilty that she is unable to conceive. Imagine her surprise when she discovers she''s pregnant. It could be just the thing she and Ronald need to rekindle their relationship . . . or it could spell disaster. With so many demons still plaguing them, this family reunion will be anything but easy.

When Pastors Willie Green and Vanessa Morton got married and moved to merge their churches, they never expected so much resistance. Now it seems someone is sending a strong message by setting fire to the Harvest Baptist Church building.The newly unified Pleasant Harvest Baptist Church is no more than four months into business as usual before Co-Pastor Willie Green is drawn into the middle of an arson investigation. Alexis Montgomery, an overzealous reporter, sees the experienced pastor as a great source to latch onto as she tries to unearth the stories that might solve the crime. Instead of being bothered by the presence of this woman, Co-Pastor Vanessa uses it as a distraction to help conceal her own secrets.Orchestrating the unification rift makes Deacon Charley Thompson a prime suspect. His unexpected silence only fuels the accusations of guilt, and his meek wife becomes his unlikely spokesperson. Meanwhile, his nephew, Abe Townsend, couldn''t care less about family allegiances. Led by an anonymous publicist, Abe and the remaining displaced members of Harvest Baptist Church gain notoriety when news reports garner an outcry of sympathy and support. What should have been a simple unification of two churches has turned into something much more complicated, and it will take plenty of faith to hold it all together.

Diamonds are forever . . . or are they? The Cartel runs Miami, and loyalty to their organization runs deep, but when someone breaks the rules, things may be beyond repair. A snitch in the crew has dismantled the notorious Cartel, and now disloyalty threatens to tear the family apart. Young Carter is in the fight for his life, as he faces drug kingpin charges due to the treachery of his best friend, Ace.Kidnapping, murder, deception, and seduction fill this highly anticipated sequel. Will Zyir find out that Breeze is still alive? Will Mecca be exposed as his brother''s killer? Is Miamor dead or alive? Ashley and JaQuavis are back with The Cartel 2. Their twisted tale of deceit will have you on the edge of your seat, trying to figure out what happens next.

The port of Miami brings in millions of dollars worth of cocaine every year, and The Cartel controls eighty percent of it. The Diamond family is a force to be reckoned with, but all hell breaks loose when they lose their leader. The most ruthless gangster Miami has ever seen, Carter Diamond leaves behind a wife, twin sons, a daughter, and a secret. The secret is his illegitimate son, Carter Jones. When Young Carter learns of his father''s death, he comes to town and is introduced to the legacy of The Cartel. Miamor is a woman who uses her beauty to enhance her skill as a contract killer. She is the leader of The Murder Mamas. When her crew is hired to take down The Cartel, they get caught slipping, and Miamor loses her sister in the process. She is determined to get revenge from The Cartel. Unknowingly, she meets the son of Carter Diamond, and he immediately catches her heart. She is sleeping with the enemy, and when she finds out, she is torn between love and revenge. Young Carter and Miamor lead two different lifestyles. They are on opposing teams, and when their worlds collide, the truth will be unveiled in an unpredictable ending.

Walk with Halleigh and Malek as they introduce you to a new struggle in a new city . . . a place called Flint, Michigan, one of the roughest little cities in America. It''s a place where the good die young, loyalty is a rarity, and everybody has a hustle.In Flint Book 1: Choosing Sides, Malek became affiliated with the North Side''s biggest kingpin, and Halleigh was manipulated into the streets by his South Side adversary. North versus South, love versus loyalty, and lies versus truth. Now the saga continues in Flint Book 2: Working Girls, as we are introduced to the Manolo Mamis, the baddest chicks in the game. They''re playin'' for keeps, and their services come with a price, an expensive one.Halleigh is knee-deep in the game. She has become lost, turned out at the hands of her pimp, Manolo. Will she and Malek ever meet again? And if they do, will they share the same love that they once had, or is it too late? Welcome to Flint Book 2: Working Girls. The saga continues.

The Romeo and Juliet of the streets are still struggling to find their way back to each other after fate has cruelly separated them.In order to move up in rank on the streets of Flint, Michigan, Malek knows that he''s going to have to deal with some jealous players in the game, but when he''s forced to go up against players on his own team, the rules change.Halleigh, on the other hand, learns that everything isn''t always how it seems. Those who she thought had a foot on her neck, keeping her held down and imprisoned in a life she didn''t freely choose for herself, are, in fact, the same ones who might be able to help her escape.In Flint Book 3, will Halleigh and Malek end up on the same team? But more importantly, will it be the winning team?

Malek and Halleigh were once innocent high-school sweethearts, but their lives changed drastically when they were separated by tragic circumstances and sucked into life on the streets. Now Malek has risen to the top of the drug empire and is running things after Jamaica Joe''s murder. His rival, Sweets, has left town, so Malek has things under control on both the South Side and the North Side. When Halleigh finally escapes from the clutches of Manolo, her pimp, she and Malek are reunited. For a while, things are running smoothly, and Halleigh and Malek are like well-respected hood royalty—until Halleigh grows bored with her life hidden safely away in the suburbs. She ventures into Flint and meets up with her old drug-using partner, convincing him to enter the new rehab facility—the same place that''s cutting into Malek''s business by helping his customers get sober. To make matters worse for Malek, Sweets has returned and wants to take over his side of town again. As he struggles to hold onto his reign at the top, will Malek be able to keep Halleigh out of the crossfire?

The love story with a hood flavor is back, but there is still no happy ending for Halleigh and Malek. Their situation has just taken a turn for the worse. Halleigh has been kidnapped by Malek''s adversary, who''s holding her for ransom. Malek only has 72 hours to save her, or she will be gone forever. With the help of Scratch, a seasoned junkie with a soft spot for Halleigh, Malek terrorizes the city to get his true love back. Will Halleigh make it out alive, or will she finally fall victim to the game?Treasure Hernandez brings you an action packed, suspenseful story that will have you wanting more of Flint. Welcome to the most dangerous city in America.

Hustling men for their money has always come easy for Tasha. Hailing from New York and raised by a junkie mother, she had to learn early how to use her beauty to her advantage. Tasha thinks she''s seen it all on the streets of New York, but when she follows a childhood friend to the little city of Flint, Michigan, she realizes that sometimes the smallest cities breed the grimiest of individuals. When Tasha and her friends link up with Manolo, one of Flint''s known stick-up kids, they take the hustlers of Flint for all they''re worth. Any man who falls for a pretty face is a target, and under the guidance of Manolo, the girls quickly learn the game of manipulation and deceit. They become known as The Manolo Mamis, and their skills gain them thousands of dollars in no time. Tasha is living the life of the young and fly, but when tragedy strikes and the stakes are raised, she has to choose between loyalty and self-sacrifice. When the only man she''s ever loved becomes her target, will she decide to save him, or will she remain loyal to The Manolo Mamis?

In this latest installment of Treasure Hernandez''s super hot series, the intensity heats up even more—more drama, more sex, more lies . . . more Flint! Ever since fate sent them down separate paths, Halleigh and Malek have been trying to work their way back to the innocent love they once shared. Now they''re fi nally together again, but the rough streets of Flint keep threatening to tear them apart. Halleigh''s life is hanging in the balance, and Malek has been knocked from his throne as the king of the city. Things are getting deep. This hustler''s love story will take you on an emotional roller coaster as Halleigh and Malek search each other''s souls and their own as well. Some deep, dark secrets are exposed, and their love will be put to the test. Flint Book 5: Back to the Hood will have you at the edge of your seat until the last sentence.

Welcome to Flint, Michigan, one of the roughest little cities in America, a place where the good die young, loyalty is a rarity, and everybody has a hustle. Malek Johnson''s hustle is the basketball court and he''s the best Flint''s projects has ever produced. He''s on his way to the University of Michigan, but not for long, because all the NBA scouts say he''s destined for the pros after a year or two of seasoning. He finds love in the super fine girl everyone calls Halleigh, and he promises her that he will take her out of the hood. When Halleigh''s virginity is traded in exchange for her mother''s drug tab, their dream spirals out of control and they are quickly separated and sucked into the life that they have so desperately tried to avoid. With no place to go, their destinies take them down separate paths. Malek becomes affiliated with the North Side''s biggest kingpin and Halleigh is manipulated into the streets by his South Side adversary. North versus South, love versus loyalty, and lies versus truth. What will they choose? Walk with Halleigh and Malek as they introduce you to a new struggle in a new city . . . a place called FLINT.

In the tradition of Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim comes A Pimp''s Life, the story of the rise and fall of Mack Jones. He''s at the top of his pimp game in Queens, New York, until he breaks one of the cardinal rules of Pimping 101 and falls in love with one of his girls. Destiny was once an innocent young girl tricked into selling her body, but now she''s as tough as the most seasoned professionals on the street. Then a tragic turn of events causes her to open her heart once again. When Mack is shot, she stays by his side during his recovery, proving herself to be as devoted as any wife would be to her husband. After she sees that Mack has regained his strength, Destiny finally gathers the courage to leave the life behind her, and Mack is forced to make a decision. He won''t stop her from leaving, but he must decide if he will follow her out of the game. Will he stay with what he''s always known, or take a chance on love? And even if he does choose to get out, will the streets let him go that easy?

Essence® bestselling author Chunichi is back and keepin'' it raw. Ceazia Devereaux has seen it all on the streets. She''s gone from a gangster''s girl to being married to the game. After the murders of a few of her associates, she''s ready to divorce herself from the lifestyle she once knew and become the "good girl" she was raised to be. Ceazia finds her way to Atlanta, where she hopes to find a man who can take care of her. Parlay is a big-name rapper who fits the bill perfectly. Ceazia sets up a chance encounter with him, thinking she''s on her way to a fresh start. Danielle, her arch-enemy, has other plans for Ceazia. She''s bound and determined to make Ceazia pay for her past sins. But when she gets caught up in the very same web she weaves and someone sets out to destroy Danielle''s life, will her thirst for revenge take a back seat?

Every Hustler''s reign ends in one of two ways. . .prison or death. Refusing to let the prediction become a reality, Julius "Jules" Carter creates new rules to an old game. Strategically, he forms one of the most notorious drug operations Harlem has ever seen. Jules thought the game was his biggest challenge that is until he meets Tish. Young and Ambitious she is determined to escape from Harlem''s allure, but her love for Jules has her rooted. She gets tangled in his web of lies and deceit. When she finds out about his past demons and connects them with her own, she soon finds out that there''s a thin line between love and hate. You can''t turn a bad girl good, but once a good girl turns bad she''s gone forever. Julius finds out the hard way that everything done in the dark eventually comes to light. Ashley and JaQuavis narrate a fast paced, suspenseful tale of one of Harlem''s biggest drug lords, his rise to power, and the woman behind him.

Jewel is young and beautiful, and with several hustles under her belt, she''s all about making money. This doesn''t leave much time for friends, but she''ll always make time for Touch, the local hustler. He''s been her friend since grammar school, when they made a lifelong pact to look out for each other. Lucky for them, their promise has never been put to the test—until now. When Michael Burroughs arrives on the scene from L.A., he floods the East Coast with top-notch product, and quickly earns his title as the California Connection—Calico for short. He''s also a smooth brotha with a knack for getting whatever he wants out of women then tossing them to the side. When he meets Jewel, sparks fly, and things quickly spin out of control. Touch knows how Calico operates and doesn''t want to watch his friend get used and abused. Little does he know, he doesn''t have to worry about her, because Jewel has a few tricks of her own. When Calico shows his true colors, Jewel knows just how to get revenge. Will her plans backfire, or will she be the last woman standing?