A Brew for Chaos

Esme Addison

Don’t Go in There!

Pumpkins, craft beer and mermaid magic! Alex Daniels must solve a puzzling
serial killer cold case in the magical third Enchanted Bay Mystery, set in a
cozy small coastal town.
It’s fall, and Aleksandra Daniels is settling into her new hometown of Bellamy Bay in
North Carolina. She loves her job at her aunt’s herbal apothecary, and is enjoying
getting to know her new boyfriend, local detective Jack Frazier. But she’s still trying to
figure out her newly discovered magical powers, inherited from a mermaid ancestor.
Leaves are changing, pumpkins are being picked, and the small coastal town is caught
up in the excitement of the approaching Oktoberfest and craft beer competition. But
Alex’s good friend, local journalist Pepper, is more excited by the upcoming anniversary
of a spooky cold case she’s helping her boss, Jonah, investigate. Back in the eighties, a
serial killer nicknamed The Fisherman abducted ten local women. He was never caught,
and the women never seen again.
Alex isn’t surprised when Pepper asks for her help, but she’s done solving mysteries.
She’d much rather be strolling down main street with Jack, sharing a hot cup of apple
cider, and that’s not going to happen if she keeps meddling in his investigations.
But when Jonah’s body is discovered on the beach, Alex is forced to reconsider. Soon,
she’s caught up in a complex, troubling plot that places not just her own life, but the
lives of everyone she loves, in terrible danger.
An intricately plotted, quirky and charming book that gives you an enticing
genre-blend of cozy mystery, contemporary fantasy and a hint of sci-fi. Fans
of Esme Addison’s An Intrigue of Witches as well as Iris Beaglehole, Amanda
Flower and Ellery Adams shouldn’t miss this “enchanting read” (Kirkus
Reviews).

September 2, 2025

A Poor Man’s Prose

Jahid Wilson Jr

Black to the Future Coming in Hot, Coming of Age

Seventeen-year-old Kaldur's heart has always beat in two places: on the page, and in the community he holds dear. Those precious to him keep him afloat in a world dedicated on seeing him drown. But when he accidentally unleashes soul magic that kills four boys, that love is tested. Kaldur's closest friends rise to the occasion and do what is necessary to protect him. When all is said and done, the bodies disposed of, they swear a blood promise to carry the weight of this secret like they do all others: together.

But together does not mean forever, and one year later Kaldur and his friends are still grieving the tragic car accident that turned their infamous quintet into a quartet. Worst of all, suspicion and scrutiny around the case of the missing boys has forced Kaldur's family to relocate to Georgia. Blaming himself, Kaldur attempts to use magic to resurrect their lost companion. His efforts backfire in the worst way, leading to a dangerous pact with a demon: write fifty magic-infused poems and he will undo his friend's death. As Kaldur and his friends strategize to complete the pact, he discovers his powers connect him to a mysterious woman in his dreams, one who is aware of the deaths he has caused and sends her monstrous emissary to hunt him down.

Even as he faces supernatural conflict in the waking world and dreaming one, Kaldur's new life in Georgia is filled with the messy vibrancy of being a teenager - forming bonds in his first writing community, meeting a woman who shows him it's not about who he was, but who he can be, and leaning on the friends who still stand by his side, hundreds of miles away.

Through laughter, healing, and a love with the deepest roots, Kaldur and his loved ones -both chosen and given -push back against the forces trying to unravel them, proving that even in the face of grief, there's a reason for love, hope, and joy.

July 15, 2025

Amazon Libro.fm

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

Roseanne A. Brown

Coming in Hot, Coming of Age Black to the Future

An instant New York Times bestseller! The first in a gripping fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore in which a grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a collision course to murder each other despite their growing attraction—from debut author Roseanne A. Brown. This New York Times bestseller is perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi, Renée Ahdieh, and Sabaa Tahir. For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts his younger sister, Nadia, as payment to enter the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom. But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition. When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a heart-pounding course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death? "Magic creates a centuries-long divide between peoples in this stunning debut novel inspired by North African and West African folklore. An action-packed tale of injustice, magic, and romance, this novel immerses readers in a thrilling world and narrative reminiscent of Children of Blood and Bone." (Publishers Weekly, "An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List") Don't miss the second book in this epic duology, A Psalm of Storms and Silence!

June 2, 2020

A Terrible Strength

Dr. Kemi Doll, MD MSCR

Real Life | Real Talk

Black women are facing a systemic gynecological health crisis. This book gives them the tools needed to unlearn the medical normalization of their suffering and offers a path forward to healing—by a foremost physician, surgeon, researcher, and gynecological cancer expert. When Dr. Kemi Doll first began training to be a gynecologic cancer surgeon, she quickly noticed that the level of care being offered to women was rarely equal. She started to ask herself: Whose pain was believed? Who was “high maintenance” vs. “angry and non-compliant”? Who died? White women’s pain was doubted, but Black women’s pain was often outright denied. And the locus of this crisis was the womb. Day by day, fibroids, bleeding, inflammation, and cancer struck Black women the hardest, yet the medical field cared very little about their fate. When student physicians would explicitly bring up these alarming disparities, Dr. Doll's teachers would reply: “Black women just don’t do well with this,” followed by, “We don’t really know why.” Since then, Dr. Doll has made it her goal to give Black women the tools they need to unlearn what she calls “womb suffering.” For all women navigating gynecologic care, and the medical professionals who care for them, this comprehensive, authoritative book of science-backed information and lived experience covers: The mechanisms behind the four primary conditions that affect the womb—often with fatal consequences—including Endometriosis, Fibroids, Heavy Bleeding, and Endometrial cancer. An overview of the research conducted on reproductive health outside pregnancy—the lack of which has caused healthcare inequity and obstructed access to care Gripping stories of smart, successful women struggling with and overcoming Womb Suffering What good gynecologic health looks like and why it is vital to reclaiming a full, healthy life; how to feel and respond to your body’s signals; and the tools and vocabulary needed to help advocate and prepare for medical visits. A Terrible Strength links women’s health care to timely conversations on racial justice and healthcare inequity, arming women with the power to secure vibrant health and well-being for the rest of their lives.

May 5, 2026

All American Boys

Jason Reynolds

Coming in Hot, Coming of Age

A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor book, and recipient of the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature.

In this Coretta Scott King Honor Award–winning novel, two teens—one black, one white—grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension.

A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement?

There were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before.

Written in tandem by two award-winning authors, this four-starred reviews tour de force shares the alternating perspectives of Rashad and Quinn as the complications from that single violent moment, the type taken from the headlines, unfold and reverberate to highlight an unwelcome truth.

September 29, 2015

An American Marriage

Tayari Jones

Our Stories, Our Terms

A profound and intimate novel about a couple whose lives are completely altered after one of them is wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he did not commit.

“A moving portrayal of the effects of a wrongful conviction on a young African-American couple.” —Barack Obama

Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.

This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward—with hope and pain—into the future.

A New York Times and Washington Post Notable Book a 2018

Best of the Year Selection of NPR • Time • Bustle • O, the Oprah Magazine • the Dallas Morning News • Amazon

Oprah’s Book Club 2018

Selection Longlisted for the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction

February 6, 2018

As Long As We’re Together

Brianna Peppins

Coming in Hot, Coming of Age

A heartstring-tugging, uplifting, modern spin on Party of Five -- a love letter to family, hope, and finding strength in unexpected places. Even though she has six siblings, sixteen-year-old Novah still knows what it's like to feel lonely. Her friends never remember to invite her anywhere because they assume Novah will be too busy overseeing dinner, baths, and homework -- tasks that fall to her when her parents are at work. She wouldn't mind it so much if her "perfect" older sister, Ariana, wasn’t always excused from helping out. She's the star of the volleyball team, and their parents don't want anything to jeopardize the scholarships she'll need to become the first member of their family to attend college. Needless to say, Novah feels like she's been given a raw deal, especially when she's forced to cancel a maybe-date with her crush, Hailee. Then one terrible night, their parents don't make it back home. A car accident takes their lives and leaves seven heartbroken kids on their own. The Wilkinson siblings have no grandparents, no aunts or uncles. Since Ariana has just turned eighteen, she manages to convince the judge to give her temporary custody. If she can keep her family running smoothly, they'll get to stay in their home. If not, they'll be placed into foster care. Novah will do whatever it takes to keep her family together but finds herself in a constant power struggle when Ariana refuses to take her advice, even once it becomes clear that they are all in way over their heads. Will Novah find her voice and summon the strength to do the impossible? Or will she be forced to say the hardest goodbyes of all?

May 16, 2023

August Lane

Regina Black

Love Jones & Situationships

A Southern small-town romance about the visibility of Black women’s voices in country music, perfect for fans of Beyonce's Cowboy Carter and The Final Revival of Opal & Nev.

"The best romance I've read all year." —The New York Times

A New York Times Notable Book

Every Thursday night, former country music heartthrob Luke Randall has to sing “Another Love Song.” God, he hates that song. But performing his lone hit at an interstate motel lounge is the only regular money he still has. Following another lackluster performance at the rock bottom of his career, Luke receives the opportunity of his dreams, opening for his childhood idol—90’s era Black country music star, JoJo Lane, who’s being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. But the concert is in Arcadia, Arkansas, the small hometown he swore he’d never see again. Going back means facing a painful past of abuse and neglect. It also means facing JoJo’s daughter, August Lane—the woman who wrote the lyrics he’s always claimed as his own.

August also hates that song. But she hates Luke Randall even more. When he shows up ten years too late to apologize for his betrayal, she isn’t interested in making amends. Instead, she threatens to expose his lies unless he co-writes a new song with her and performs it at the concert, something she hopes will launch her out of her mother's shadow and into a songwriting career of her own. Desperate to keep his secret, Luke agrees to put on the rogue performance, despite the risk of losing his shot at a new record deal.

When Luke’s guitar reunites with August’s soulful alto, neither can deny that the passionate bond they formed as teenagers is still there. As the concert nears, August will have to choose between an overdue public reckoning with the boy who betrayed her, or trusting the man he’s become to write a different love song.

An instant USA Today bestseller An NPR 2025 Book We Love A New York Times Notable Book of 2025 A Book Riot Best Book of 2025 A Publishers Weekly Best Romance Book of 2025 A Chicago Public Library 2025 Must-Read Romance

July 29, 2025

Bemused

Farrah Rochon

Coming in Hot, Coming of Age Black to the Future

The untold origin story of the 5 Muses from Disney’s Hercules is revealed in this fresh YA take on Greek mythology from Farrah Rochon, the bestselling author of Almost There.

The Muses narrated Hercules’s story. Now, they’ll narrate their own "gospel truth."

Living in a quiet seaside village with their overprotective mother, teenaged sisters Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Terpsichore, and Thalia are talented performers with no audience. If Calli had her way, she'd pursue her dream of writing epic stories in the city of Thebes. But family comes first, and as the eldest, she'd never leave her beloved sisters behind.

Then, following a disastrous public music performance, their mother reveals a shocking secret: she is Mnemosyne, the Goddess of Memory, and for nearly two decades, she’s been on the run from the gods of Mount Olympus, desperate to keep her daughters safe from their machinations. Before she can share more, she is kidnapped . . . and though the girls don’t know it yet, the villain pulling the strings is none other than Hades, fiery God of the Underworld.

Under Calli’s leadership, the sisters embark on a journey to save their mother and to learn more about their own divine origins. But the path ahead is filled with mythical trials and tribulations, and they’ll need to rely on both their individual talents and the strength of their sisterhood to ensure that they ascend from "zeroes" to "heroes"--or more accurately, heroines.

Penned by New York Times bestselling author Farrah Rochon, this YA fantasy uniquely blends a twist on a Disney classic with a fresh take on Greek mythology.

January 7, 2025

Better Than You Know Yourself

Kristen L. Berry

Don’t Go in There!

From the nationally bestselling author of We Don’t Talk About Carol comes an emotionally compelling mystery about two best friends caught at the center of a murder investigation that threatens to tear them—and everything they’ve built together—apart.

Jia and Imani’s thirteen-year, thicker-than-blood friendship has endured it all, from divorce and early motherhood to career upheavals and family betrayals. And what began as a weekend farmers market project has grown into a thriving nut butter business—and full-time careers for both women.

Imani couldn’t be happier. She’s finally made her entrepreneurial dreams come true. And she’s found herself in a steamy—though discreet—new romance, something she desperately craves after her marriage became an unexpected casualty of her ambition.

Jia, on the other hand, is crumbling…much like the roof she can barely keep over her toddler’s head, thanks to the debt from trying to kickstart her career. And she can’t bear to admit to Imani that she’s chafing to leave the business she never expected to start and return to her original calling as a chef.

When a life-changing offer to buy their business becomes the greatest test of their friendship, the only person with the power to tip the scales is their cutthroat new investor, Ravi…the man Imani is secretly sleeping with. That is, until he’s found dead on Imani’s kitchen island.

News of Ravi’s death and months-long affair with Imani ignites a major public scandal, and everything Imani and Jia have worked toward threatens to implode. When the investigation into Ravi’s death points to foul play, Imani becomes the primary suspect, and worst of all, victim to Jia’s cold shoulder.

As pressure mounts and more people in their circle die under mysterious circumstances, the two must decide whether to stand together—or lose each other for good.

March 2, 2027

Bibliophile: Diverse Spines

Jamise Harper

Drawn + Written

It's time to diversify your reading list.

This richly illustrated and vastly inclusive collection uplifts the works of authors who are often underrepresented in the literary world. Using their keen knowledge and deep love for all things literary, coauthors Jamise Harper (founder of the Diverse Spines book community) and Jane Mount (author of Bibliophile) collaborated to create an essential volume filled with treasures for every reader:

• Dozens of themed illustrated book stacks—like Classics, Contemporary Fiction, Mysteries, Cookbooks, and more—all with an emphasis on authors of color and own voices
• A look inside beloved bookstores owned by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
• Reading recommendations from leading BIPOC literary influencers

Diversify your reading list to expand your world and shift your perspective. Kickstart your next literary adventure now!

EASY TO GIFT: This portable guide is packed with more than 150 colorful illustrations is a perfect gift for any booklover. The textured paper cover, gold foil, and ribbon marker make this book a special gift or self-purchase.

DISCOVER UNSUNG LITERARY HEROES: The authors dive deep into a wide variety of genres, such as Contemporary Fiction, Classics, Young Adult, Sci-Fi, and more to bring the works of authors of color to the fore.

ENDLESS READING INSPIRATION: Themed book stacks and reading suggestions from luminaries of the literary world provide curated book recommendations. Your to-read list will thank you.

Perfect for: bookish people; literary lovers; book club members; Mother's Day shoppers; stocking stuffers; followers of #DiverseSpines; Jane Mount and Ideal Bookshelf fans; Reese's Book Club and Oprah's Book Club followers; people who use Goodreads.com; readers wanting to expand/decolonize their book collections; people interested in uplifting BIPOC voices; antiracist activists and educators; grads and students; librarians and library patrons wanting to expand/decolonize their book collections; people interested in uplifting BIPOC voices; antiracist activists and educators; grads and students; librarians and library patrons

October 18, 2021

Amazon Bookshop.org

Blood at the Root

LaDarrion Williams

Coming in Hot, Coming of Age Black to the Future

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A COSMOPOLITAN BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEAR

A teenager on the run from his past finds the family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical. Enroll in the debut of a fresh fantasy series unlike anything you've seen before.

“Brings magical living to an HBCU in an unforgettable young adult adventure.” —People

Ten years ago, Malik's life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost grandmother: a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended.

At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself—one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at Caiman: feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries.

In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what's left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion.

Look for all the books in this unforgettable fantasy trilogy: BLOOD AT THE ROOT BONES AT THE CROSSROADS ASHES AT THE ALTAR

May 7, 2024

Bloom How You Must

Tara Pringle Jefferson

Real Life | Real Talk

Self-care isn’t a trend among Black women; it has always been a throughline in our heritage. Consider Coretta Scott King, who along with fellow activists Betty Shabazz and Myrlie Evers-Williams, would enjoy “girls’ trips” to take a break from the stress of the Civil Rights Movement. Remember their contemporary Rosa Parks attended (and led) yoga classes while on the front lines for Black rights in Detroit. Think of the enduring friendship between Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King, a sisterhood in which they have leaned on each other for nearly forty years while thriving in the glaring media and entertainment spotlight. Picture Toni Morrison’s overflowing gardens and lush houseplants she tended while writing classics like Beloved and The Bluest Eye. Recall Audre Lord’s enduring declaration written after her second cancer diagnosis: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Bloom How You Must explores and expands on this self-care legacy and shows how it can help every Black woman today. Tara Pringle Jefferson excavates the roots of self-care and community care as a sustaining force for generations of Black women and transforms her findings into a blueprint women can follow in their daily lives. A blend of guidebook and journal, Bloom How You Must explores several distinct pillars of wellness. With its diversity of insights,practical skills and multigenerational focus, Bloom How You Must is a love letter to the millions of Black women who want a less stressful life but don’t know where to begin. Bloom How You Must gives them the tools they need to improve their health and their daily lives.

December 2, 2025

Amazon Bookshop.org Libro.fm

Bones at the Crossroads

LaDarrion Williams

Coming in Hot, Coming of Age Black to the Future

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In the sequel to the “unforgettable” (People) fantasy debut Blood at the Root, a Black teenager with magical powers returns to Caiman University only to find new dangers and new secrets.

It’s Homecoming season at Caiman University, and all seventeen-year-old Malik Baron wants to do is be a regular college student…or as regular as he can get at a magical HBCU for young, Black Conjurers. He’s ready to go to parties, hang out with his new friends, choose a major, and talk to girls. Instead, he’s reeling from a summer of revelations, heartbreak, and betrayal, and still uncovering the truth about his powers and his legacy.

The family he only just discovered is already fractured beyond repair, and a new relative who shows up on his doorstep brings even more questions. Then there’s the mother he risked everything to find, who might be the biggest threat to the life he’s trying to build. To protect his new community, Malik joins an elite secret society with roots in ancient magic.

His journey takes him even deeper into his own heritage and the history of the magical world, while bringing him closer to a classmate whose friendship might mean something more, if Malik is ready to let her in. But how can he use powers he can’t even control to defend a world he’s not sure will ever fully accept him? And as the pressure and danger builds, will he be able to confront the deepening cracks within the magical society, and those building within himself?

Look for all the books in this unforgettable fantasy trilogy: BLOOD AT THE ROOT BONES AT THE CROSSROADS ASHES AT THE ALTAR

July 29, 2025

Breath of Oblivion

Maurice Broaddus

Black to the Future

Maurice Broaddus returns with Breath of Oblivion, the second book in his Astra Black trilogy, which explores the struggles of an empire. Epic in scope and intimate in voice, it follows members of the Muungano Empire—a far-reaching coalition of city-states that stretches from Earth to Titan and beyond—as it faces renewed threats to its progress. A Best New Science Fiction Pick for New Scientist - Gizmodo - Book Riot Fansided - Transfer Orbit - Reactor Beyond the Orun Gate, Epyc Ro and her elite soldiers are stranded. Capturing an alien ship and searching for a way home, they discover a stowaway who may be the key to overcoming the alien forces swarming all around them. On board the Cypher, Captain Stacia Chikeke is struggling to keep her ship and its fractured crew together. But the discovery of an interstellar phenomenon and the opportunity to explore unites them in a singular purpose, for now. In the slums of Indianapolis, Wachiru Adisa works to free the children of the diaspora detained in Original Earth facilities, only to be captured and sent to a nightmarish criminal justice facility, the Panopticon. On Original Earth, Ishant Sangsuwangul is the newly assigned liaison to the corporate entity running the government there. He feels like a prisoner, but must find a way to stem the tide of conflict as animosity toward his people grows. In the Badlands of Mars, Amachi Adisa and her new teacher Nehanda begin her training to learn from her past, chart her future, and unlock the power that is her birthright. In the Dreaming City, the lunar heart of Muungano power, Maulana Buhari struggles with how to lead his people. Is now the time for isolation or aggression? Together they, and all of Muungano, will guide the empire forward by any means necessary, as enemies of old and new extraterrestrial threats mount.

November 12, 2024

Briarcliff Prep

Brianna Peppins

Coming in Hot, Coming of Age

A 2024 TAYSHAS Reading List selection! Set at a luxe, aspirational boarding school inspired by the author's beloved alma mater Spelman College, this debut is a captivating celebration of the friends we choose, the family we protect, and the love we owe ourselves. It's fourteen-year-old Avielle "Avi" LeBeau's turn to do what everyone in her family has done: leave home to attend Briarcliff Prep—a Historically Black Boarding School (HBBS). And as scared as she is to say goodbye to her parents and move to Georgia, she knows her fearless big sister Belle will be there to show her the ropes. Before long, Avi settles into life at Briarcliff. New friends (and foes), challenging classes (at times too challenging), and maybe a cute tutor-turned-something-more (if her brothers don't get in the way). Meanwhile, Belle does what she always does: she runs the campus's social scene, especially now that she's dating Logan, the pride and joy of Briarcliff's sibling school Preston Academy. But something about Logan doesn't sit well with Avi, no matter how many times Belle reassures her Logan is a good guy. And when Avi stumbles across the truth, her relationship with Belle is put to the test. If Avi reveals what she knows, their sisterhood might never recover. But if she doesn't, she might lose Belle forever. Debut author Brianna Peppins deftly balances a celebration of sisterhood, self-discovery, and Black joy with an empathetic exploration of teen dating violence in this novel that is, at its heart, a love letter to Black girls.

November 15, 2022

Broken Heir

Angel M. Shaw

Love Jones & Situationships

When you're trapped in an elevator with the hottest billionaire playboy on campus... “I don’t think you have any idea what I think of you, Shae.” And that’s it. He says my name, and the way he rolls the vowels feels as intimate as if he’d touched me. “You…think of me?” I say, and I’m grateful I deliver the words without a crack in my voice. “Oh, yes. I think about you.” He chuckles and closes the gap between us. “I like you, Shae Rivers. I like you a lot. So yes, I think about you. A lot.” The words hang between us, and the emergency lights of the elevator slash across half of his face. The Wintermint scent from the gum cools my cheeks, but still, it does nothing for the way I'm getting turned on. “Oh?” I say again and lick my lips. “Don’t do that, Sweetness,” he grinds out, and holy shhh—with him that close to me and the way the words rumble from his mouth…. “Don’t do what?” I ask. My head drops back against the wall as he comes closer. Even closer. “Don’t lick those delectable lips. Not unless you want me to lick them for you next.” Oh. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, then I whimper, because this close, I get a true glimpse of the smile that makes all the girls at Asheford University go wild. When I lick my lips again, Storm’s face transforms. Gone is his teasing, sensual grin, and in its place is…darkness. Oh, snap. What have I gotten myself into? “What did I say about you saying ‘sorry?’” Begin Shae and Storm’s journey through secrets and second chances.

June 19, 2025

Amazon

Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl

Amena Brown

Real Life | Real Talk

A delightfully funny essay collection about growing up in the south, the
pitfalls of date night, the things you wish you could say to your therapist, and
why no one should ever tell a Black girl how to Black Girl.
Black women always find a place to meet: in the natural hair aisle, at Beyoncé
concerts, even online in memes and catchphrases. This book is one of those places: a
living room where readers can contemplate how a well-picked afro can defy the laws of
physics and why boob sweat has to exist in the first place. Here, Black Girl is a verb.
Here, Black women can Black Girl in every way we want to.
Brown’s book Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl blends storytelling, humor, and
pop culture commentary to traverse the magic and wisdom she's gleaned from being
raised by Southern Black women, and by being supported by the community of Black
women who hold her down today. After graduating from International Black Girl
Headquarters (the renowned HBCU Spelman College), Amena had built a career
sharing stories and celebrating Black womanhood. In her book, she shares stories of
dancing in Janelle Monae's Tightrope music video and partnering with Tracee Ellis Ross
to compose odes to natural hair. She imparts essential life lessons from the Real
Housewives of Atlanta, and from her grandmother before her upcoming swirl marriage
(“Don’t kiss white boys too hard, because they bruise easily”). She also tells hair tales,
sharing the collected wisdom from her committee of friends when it came to the ideal
style for her first speaking gig at Essence Fest (box braids, 100%).
In the end, Brown shares that Black women are a whole world. A galaxy of customs,
language, code, and unspoken understandings, all explored with humor and heart in
this unforgettable book.
Story Locale:Atlanta, New York, Chicago, San Antonio, and Goldsboro, NC

June 16, 2026

In the Face of the Sun

Denny S. Bryce

Our Stories, Our Terms

“Bryce excels at placing readers in a glamorous time and place…riveting and
vibrant.” – Booklist
Go On Girl Book Club 2021 New Author of the Year She Reads Best Literary
Historical Fiction Coming in 2022 BookRiot 2022 Historical Fiction to Add to
Your TBR Right Now We are Bookish Historical Fiction Novels You’ll Want in
Your Future BiblioLifestyle Most Anticipated Books of 2022 BookBub Best
Books of Spring 2022 & Best Historical Fiction Books of 2022 BookTrib Top
Ten Historical Fiction Books for the Spring 2022
In this haunting novel, the author of Wild Women and the Blues weaves
together two stories as they unfold decades apart, as a woman on the run
from an abusive husband joins her intrepid aunt as they head across the
country from Chicago to Los Angeles, and confront a painful and shadowy past
that has reverberated across generations.
1928, Los Angeles: The newly-built Hotel Somerville is the hotspot for the city's
glittering African-American elite. It embodies prosperity and dreams of equality for
all—especially Daisy Washington. An up-and-coming journalist, Daisy anonymously
chronicles fierce activism and behind-the-scenes Hollywood scandals in order to save
her family from poverty. But power in the City of Angels is also fueled by racism,
greed, and betrayal. And even the most determined young woman can play too many
secrets too far . . .
1968, Chicago: For Frankie Saunders, fleeing across America is her only escape from
an abusive husband. But her rescuer is her reckless, profane Aunt Daisy, still reeling
from her own shattered past. Frankie doesn't want to know what her aunt is up to so
long as Daisy can get her to LA—and safety. But Frankie finds there’s no hiding from
long-held secrets—or her own surprising strength.
Daisy will do whatever it takes to settle old scores and resolve the past—no matter the
damage. And Frankie will come up against hard choices in the face of unexpected
passion. Both must come to grips with what they need, what they’ve left behind—and
all that lies ahead . . .
“The scenes are cinematically vivid, the language fresh and vibrant, the
characters complicated and real.” – Historical Novel Society
“The author of Wild Women and the Blues is back with another historical
fiction novel to dazzle and amaze.” – Book Riot
“An engrossing family saga filled with heartbreak and love, victory,
forgiveness, and loss, and a wonderful character study of several
unforgettable women.” – All About Romance

April 26, 2022

The Other Princess

Denny S. Bryce

Our Stories, Our Terms

A stunning portrait of an African princess raised in Queen Victoria’s court and
adapting to life in Victorian England—based on the real-life story of a recently
rediscovered historical figure, Sarah Forbes Bonetta.
With a brilliant mind and a fierce will to survive, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, a kidnapped
African princess, is rescued from enslavement at seven years old and presented to
Queen Victoria as a “gift.” To the Queen, the girl is an exotic trophy to be trotted out
for the entertainment of the royal court and to showcase Victoria’s magnanimity. Sarah
charms most of the people she meets, even those who would cast her aside. Her keen
intelligence and her aptitude for languages and musical composition helps Sarah
navigate the Victorian era as an outsider given insider privileges.
But embedded in Sarah’s past is her destiny. Haunted by visions of destruction and
decapitations, she desperately seeks a place, a home she will never run from, never
fear, a refuge from nightmares and memories of death.
From West Africa to Windsor Castle to Sierra Leone, to St. James's Palace, and the
Lagos Colony, Sarah juggles the power and pitfalls of a royal upbringing as she battles
racism and systematic oppression on her way to living a life worthy of a Yoruba
princess.
Based on the real life of Queen Victoria’s Black goddaughter, Sarah Forbes Bonetta’s
story is a sweeping saga of an African princess in Victorian England and West Africa, as
she searches for a home, family, love, and identity.

October 3, 2023

The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander

Denny S. Bryce

Our Stories, Our Terms

Inspired by a real-life scandal that was shocking even for the tumultuous
Roaring Twenties, this captivating novel tells the story of a pioneering Black
journalist, a secret interracial marriage among the New York elite, and the
sensational divorce case that ignited an explosive battle over race and
class—and brought together three very different women fighting for justice,
legitimacy, and the futures they risked everything to shape.
For readers of Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher
Murray, a transporting work of fact-based historical fiction from Denny S.
Bryce, bestselling author of Wild Women and the Blues, In the Face of the
Sun, and Can't We Be Friends: A Novel of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe.
New York, 1920s. Born to English immigrants who’ve built a comfortable life, idealistic
Alice Jones longs for the kind of true love her mother and father have. She believes
she’s found it with Leonard “Kip” Rhinelander, the shy heir to his prominent white
family's real estate fortune. Alice, too, is white, though she is vaguely aware of rumors
that question her ancestry—gossip her parents dismiss. But when the lovers secretly
wed, Kip's father threatens his inheritance unless he annuls the marriage.
Devastated but determined, Alice faces overwhelming odds legally and in the merciless
court of public opinion. But there are two people who can either help her—or shatter
her hopes for good: In the 1940s, her estranged niece, Roberta Brooks, must put aside
her disdain for her infamous aunt to combat an unexpected new Rhinelander legal
assault. And in the 1920s, reporter Marvel Cunningham lives to chronicle social change
and the Harlem Renaissance's fiery creativity, but when Alice’s story dominates the
headlines, Marvel's job is to cover it.
At first, Marvel and Roberta, in different decades, see Alice’s legal entanglements as
tabloid sensations generated by a self-hating woman who failed to “pass.” But the
deeper they investigate, the more they will learn about the reasons behind Alice
Jones’s behavior and what the three women have in common. The Trial of Mrs.
Rhinelander will bring to light stunning truths that will force these women to confront
who they are and who they can be in a world that is all too quick to judge.

July 23, 2024

Where the False Gods Dwell

Denny S. Bryce

Our Stories, Our Terms

Inspired by real-life legendary choreographer Katherine Dunham’s
groundbreaking expedition into the heart of Caribbean dance culture, this
uniquely captivating novel imagines the experiences of three very different
women who accompany her, hoping to find their destinies—yet finding
themselves forced to survive a historic event . . .
Chicago, 1935. Othella is an orphaned con artist who needs to escape the city's brutal
underworld . . . or else. Vivian Jean is a wealthy wife, student, and anthropologist
eager to prove herself professionally and personally. Zinzi is a Jamaican labor union
activist determined to bring change to her homeland's plantation system. Thanks to a
series of fortunate mishaps and coincidences, all three join Dunham’s voyage to the
Maroon village of Accompong in Jamaica’s Cockpit Country—and perhaps discover what
they desperately want most . . .
Through skill and curiosity, Othella becomes a valued member of the expedition, even
as she struggles to conceal her past. Zinzi's knowledge of the Cockpit allows the
expedition to explore uncharted territory, even as a forbidden love and fierce
resistance threaten everything she seeks to protect. As Vivian Jean’s observations help
Dunham make unprecedented discoveries, she grapples with her second husband's
guilt and accusations. Yet, amidst their private battles, nature presents an even greater
challenge . . .
When a deadly storm bears down on the island, imperiling the women’s missions—and
their lives—they must form an unlikely sisterhood. To survive, they will need each
other more than anyone or anything they’ve ever needed.
Story Locale:Jamaica, 1935

February 24, 2026

Wild Women and the Blues

Denny S. Bryce

Our Stories, Our Terms

"Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo...a dazzling depiction
of passion, prohibition, and murder.“ —Shelf Awareness
“Ambitious and stunning.” —Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling
author
"Vibrant…A highly entertaining read!” —Ellen Marie Wiseman New York Times
Bestselling author of THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR
“The music practically pours out of the pages of Denny S. Bryce's historical
novel, set among the artists and dreamers of the 1920s.” —OprahMag.com
Goodreads Debut Novel to Discover & Biggest Upcoming Historical Fiction
Books
Oprah Magazine, Parade, Ms. Magazine, SheReads, Bustle, BookBub, Frolic, &
BiblioLifestyle Most Anticipated Books
Marie Claire & Black Business Guide’s Books By Black Writers to Read
TODAY & Buzzfeed Books for Bridgerton Fans
SheReads Most Anticipated BIPOC Winter Releases 2021
Palm Beach Post Books for Your 2021 Reading List
In a stirring and impeccably researched novel of Jazz-age Chicago in all its
vibrant life, two stories intertwine nearly a hundred years apart, as a chorus
girl and a film student deal with loss, forgiveness, and love…in all its joy,
sadness, and imperfections.
“Why would I talk to you about my life? I don't know you, and even if I did, I don't tell
my story to just any boy with long hair, who probably smokes weed.You wanna hear
about me. You gotta tell me something about you. To make this worth my while.”
1925: Chicago is the jazz capital of the world, and the Dreamland Café is the ritziest
black-and-tan club in town. Honoree Dalcour is a sharecropper’s daughter, willing to
work hard and dance every night on her way to the top. Dreamland offers a path to the
good life, socializing with celebrities like Louis Armstrong and filmmaker Oscar
Micheaux. But Chicago is also awash in bootleg whiskey, gambling, and gangsters. And
a young woman driven by ambition might risk more than she can stand to lose.
2015: Film student Sawyer Hayes arrives at the bedside of 110-year-old Honoree
Dalcour, still reeling from a devastating loss that has taken him right to the brink.
Sawyer has rested all his hope on this frail but formidable woman, the only living link
to the legendary Oscar Micheaux. If he’s right—if she can fill in the blanks in his
research, perhaps he can complete his thesis and begin a new chapter in his life. But
the links Honoree makes are not ones he’s expecting...
Piece by piece, Honoree reveals her past and her secrets, while Sawyer fights tooth
and nail to keep his. It’s a story of courage and ambition, hot jazz and illicit passions.
And as past meets present, for Honoree, it’s a final chance to be truly heard and seen
before it’s too late. No matter the cost...
“Immersive, mysterious and evocative; factual in its history and nuanced in
its creativity.” —Ms. Magazine
“Perfect…Denny S. Bryce is a superstar!” —Julia Quinn, New York Times
bestselling author of the Bridgerton series
“Evocative and entertaining!” —Laura Kamoie, New York Times bestselling
author
“Wild Women and the Blues deftly delivers what historical fiction has been
missing.” —Farrah Rochon USA Today bestselling author

March 30, 2021

Call and Response

L. Michelle Smith

Real Life | Real Talk

In collaboration with JVL Media—a captivating exploration of why many
high-performing Black business leaders attribute their transformational
leadership qualities to their experiences growing up in the Black Church and
how we can foster these skills in younger generations despite waning church
attendance.

The Black church in the U.S. has long been a “one-stop shop” for developing Black
leaders, teaching them many of the qualities required to lead effectively in today’s
ultra-competitive, digital, and swiftly transforming corporate world. Many
high-performing Black leaders benefited from their experiences growing up in this
cultural institution steeped in rich history.

Merging cultural study with applied neuroscience and tenets of positive psychology, L.
Michelle Smith dissect how these qualities are demonstrated by leaders across
industries, from resiliency to their sense of undeniable purpose, their ability to build
community and collaborative environments, the delivery and language of their
speaking style to their unique leadership flair. She reveals how this historic institution
has served as a timeless wellspring of leadership development, empowerment, and
cultural preservation and ultimately, is Black leaders’ “secret sauce.”

Call and Response also explores whether the Black Church will be able to continue to
ingrain these skills in future generations. Smith examines how cultural shifts have
resulted in a decline in church attendance, how online attendance has risen since the
Covid pandemic, and finally, how Black leaders may—or may not—be passing these
traditions down to their children.

February 10, 2026

Amazon Bookshop.org Libro.fm

Chain of Ideas

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi

Real Life | Real Talk

The National Book Award-winning historian of Stamped from the Beginning charts how “great replacement theory” has moved from the margins to become the most dominant political theory of our time—and what we can do to safeguard democracy from this insidious threat.

Recall the words chanted in Charlottesville, Virginia, but heard around the world: “You will not replace us!” Recall the string of mass shooters around the world—in Oslo and Christchurch, Buffalo, El Paso, and Pittsburgh—who claimed their crimes were a defense against “White genocide.” Recall business and media figures cultivating anxiety and furor over demographic change. These incidents only scratch the surface of this ascendant idea: Popular and ruling politicians in every region of the world have been expressing some version of great replacement theory, eroding democratic norms in the name of preventing demographic change and restoring national greatness.

What is great replacement theory? Variations on the theory have existed for centuries, but it was given this name by a French novelist in 2011 who believed Black and Brown immigrants were “invading” Europe, brought by shadowy elites to “replace” Europe’s White population. From there, politicians and theorists—whether in the United States or the United Kingdom, Germany or Chile, Hungary or Australia—repackaged the conspiracy as a story of “globalists” welcoming “migrant criminals” and diversity initiatives to take away the jobs, cultures, electoral power, and the very lives of White people. Over time, great replacement theory has expanded the threat to include citizens, men, Jews, Christians, heterosexuals, and ethnic majorities in countries as distinct as Russia, El Salvador, Brazil, Italy, and India. All are targeted with the message that they are under an existential attack that only a strongman can prevent.

In our fast-shifting political landscape, most people are unfamiliar with this theory’s origins and its spread, which isn’t a coincidence. In Chain of Ideas, international bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi uses exacting and clear prose to uncover the roots of great replacement theory and its various mutations around the world. It is an unsettling but indispensable global history of how great replacement theory brought humanity into this authoritarian age—and how we can free ourselves from it.

March 17, 2026

Chante

Marc Avery

Don’t Go in There!

“Marc did a great job setting the table. Looking forward to the next course.” —K’WAN, national bestselling author of Animal “Avery delivers a heart-stopping thriller. Giuseppe “Discipline” Cain is a one-man crime wave.” —Dennis Tafoya, author of Dope Thief, an Apple+ TV series Chanté Morrison is a woman scarred by loss and consumed by revenge. After the death of her boyfriend, cold-blooded serial killer Giuseppe “Discipline” Cain, she makes it her mission to destroy the two homicide detectives she holds responsible: Aaden Bravo and Christian Bennett. Already suspended from active duty after losing a suspect and becoming involved in a public shootout, Aaden and Christian are watching their personal and professional lives unravel. Aaden is reeling from the collapse of his marriage and haunted by their failure to arrest Chanté when they had the chance. Christian is struggling to stay on course through therapy while fighting the temptation to fall back into the women, drugs, and gambling that once ruled his life. What neither detective realizes is that their mounting misfortunes are no coincidence. From the shadows, Chanté is meticulously pulling the strings, exploiting their weaknesses and dismantling their lives piece by piece. As her vendetta pushes both men to the brink, Aaden and Christian must figure out just how far Chanté is willing to go before there is nothing left to save. Can the partners survive the wrath of a grieving woman determined to avenge Discipline’s death, or will Chanté finish what he started?

May 25, 2027

Cord Swell

brittny ray crowell

Drawn + Written

How can we memorialize our dead? How can that memorialization rend the veil between the dead and the living? In her debut volume, brittny ray crowell sifts through decades of obituaries, journals, and other ephemera to exhume the generations of her family from her hometown of Texarkana, Texas. She preserves her relatives’ stories in writing and in works of collage, a style of archive that layers the past and the present literally and poetically.
This unique approach transforms Cord Swell into an altar, an artistically enshrined space where crowell communes with the past and looks to the future. The title poem, in which crowell speaks to an aunt who passed away, poignantly asks, “if there’s any such thing / as paradise . . . / better than the warmth / of your neck . . . / how close am i / to that context of space?” Her question acts as a provisional thesis statement for this collection, a poetic attempt to reveal, redress, and interpret those who came before her, especially in the absence of physical traces. Each poem imagines ways to access family members who have died and calls out to ancestors crowell never met.
In the process, crowell demonstrates capacious syntactical range, nimbly leaping from haibun to erasure poems, interviews to sonnets. She also invents forms she calls “grooves,” which are structured as album tracklists. These techniques marry form with meaning, echoing the voices of lost loved ones in indelible verse. Rhapsodic, inventive, and ambitious, Cord Swell establishes crowell as one of the most creative and dynamic new voices in poetry.

October 7, 2025

Amazon Bookshop.org

Demon's Dream

elle kayson

Love Jones & Situationships

Demon Montana: Clawing my way from the depths of hell to haunt the nightmares and steal the lives of many, I earned the name “Demon.” Hardened by a life that no one should live, I had rules that governed my existence. No caring. No intimacy. No love. And then I saw her… Dream. Beautiful. Brave. Bold. And for thirty days, she was mine. I would follow my rules: have her body, ignore her heart. Then, she looked at me… like she knew me. Like she saw me. Like she loved me. And I knew… thirty days weren’t nearly enough. Dream Castle: Brilliant and bad ass, I was my family’s fixer. I was the queen of negotiating and smoothing ruffled feathers. I had never met a situation I couldn’t talk us out of… until my brother crossed the wrong family and they would accept only one payment for that debt. Me. For thirty days, I was supposed to give myself to a man so brutal, they called him “Demon.” I had to follow his rules, honor his demands, be available to him only. When I met him, he had nightmares in his cold green eyes and an enemy’s blood splattered on his hard, inked body. How could I survive a month with a monster without losing myself? Except… those eyes seemed to thaw a little each time he looked at me. And his chiseled body fit perfectly against mine. There was so much more to the enigma called “Demon,” so many things that made him my “Damien.” Suddenly, the only thing I was worried about losing in thirty days was my heart.

August 25, 2022

Amazon Bookshop.org Libro.fm

Die for Me

Shirlene Obuobi

Love Jones & Situationships

AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER
“I'm obsessed.” —Ali Hazelwood
“One of the most compelling dark romances I’ve read in ages.” – Tia Williams
What my eyes are showing me can’t be possible. Can’t be real. Because if they
are, then I have to accept that Julian Conrad has been alive for a very long
time.
Too long to be human.
A stay-up-all-night, smart, spicy romance following a doctor who finds herself
falling for an alluring, much-younger man with a deadly secret
Sean’s not in the market for love. The only female, let alone Black, interventional
cardiologist at her hospital, she’s watched too many of her male colleagues divorce
their first wives to marry younger models—and then there’s the abusive relationship
she’s spent the better part of her early 30s healing from. Her passions are reserved for
her best friend, her goddaughter, and her job.
Then she meets Julian. Brooding, beautiful and eleven years her junior. In short: A bad
idea.
Julian pursues her in a way that sets off alarm bells in her mind, but she finds herself
unable to resist their undeniable chemistry—even starts fantasizing about him in
dreams that feel altogether too real. They also have a lot in common despite their age
gap. So, to hell with it: If men can date younger, why can’t she? But the more Sean
gets to know him, the more impossible Julian seems: He has a depth and sorrow to
him that’s beyond his years, and sometimes there’s a look in his eyes that’s less than
human, and leaves her feeling more like prey. Plus, Sean herself has been exhibiting
odd symptoms—memory lapses, a lack of restraint that's unlike her, persistent
exhaustion—that all trace back to Julian, making Sean feel more than a little afraid.
Who—or what—is she falling, irrevocably, in love with?
Extraordinarily transfixing, suspenseful, and addictive, Die for Me is nothing short of a
seduction.
Tropes:
- paranormal romance
- age-gap
- mortal/immortal
- forbidden love
Story Locale:Chicago, Illinois

July 14, 2026

Discipline

Marc Avery

Don’t Go in There!

Two homicide detectives track a brazen killer who’s dropping bodies at historical Philadelphia landmarks in this action-packed crime thriller. “Marc did a great job setting the table. Looking forward to the next course.” —K’WAN, national bestselling author of Animal “Avery delivers a heart-stopping thriller. Giuseppe "Discipline" Cain is a one-man crime wave.” —Dennis Tafoya, author of Dope Thief, an Apple+ TV series “Discipline is everything you want in a buddy cop story. Gritty, action-packed, clever, and funny.” —Delaware Today Magazine “Has Netflix series written all over it.” —Philadelphia Magazine Giuseppe “Discipline” Cain is a cold-hearted, calculated, and resentful murderer who turns Philadelphia into his own personal killing ground. As the death toll rises, city officials and the police department clamor to calm the fears of the citizens about this brazen serial killer. When an elected official’s family member is found dead, no one in the city is safe. Detective Aaden Bravo is a highly decorated officer with a legendary clearance rate. Detective Christian Bennett is flashy, reckless, and a serial womanizer. After Christian’s transfer to the Philadelphia Police Department’s homicide division, these two starkly contrasting officers are forced to work together. Despite their disdain for each other, Aaden and Christian’s skill sets complement each other. While Aaden is all about the job and Christian is all about the women, their next case is all about survival. Will they succumb to the pressure of maintaining their partnership, or can they cast aside their differences and stay alive long enough to bring Discipline to justice?

May 27, 2025

Doing It Scared

Erika Bryant

Real Life | Real Talk

One common emotion that every human being has experienced at one time or another during their lifetime, is that of FEAR. In 2016, an article published by the NYU Press announced that Americans currently live in “a culture of fear that can lead to poor decision making, depression, and poor physical health.” Nearly twenty million Americans regularly experience fear and live with some sort of constant phobia or anxiety. In addition, the past year alone has invoked a new level of fear in Americans as they face a worldwide pandemic, new awareness of social and racial injustices, and unprecedented uncertainty.

Doing It Scared is a relatable and inspiring guidebook that taps into the very fears that often haunt and cripple people, preventing them from living the lives of their dreams. Those who are plagued with self-limiting beliefs or the fear of the unknown will be challenged to push beyond their inner barriers that can be stifling. Anyone who has ever experienced fear no matter their age, culture, or background will be gently guided to take a comprehensive look at their strongholds, given tools to dismantle them, and then charged to overcome said fears.

Doing It Scared is personal heart surgery that requires note-taking, truth-telling, self-assessment, and courage. While in the midst of doing their “work”, readers will undoubtedly be confronted by the mountains of fear that lie ahead of them. More than likely, there will be multiple mountains of fear that will be revealed. As each chapter builds and precepts are layered upon one another, this book will serve as a mirror to each reader and cause them to face themselves and fully embrace themselves. By the end of the book, the takeaways and activities will have presented new methods by which the reader can use over and over as they uncover and are faced with new fears.

Each chapter is rooted in some of the basic fears that are deemed universal such as rejection, worthiness, vulnerability, validation, etc. After an anecdotal opening, a story of fear is shared that brings the reader to self-assessment questions. At the end of each chapter, there are lists of highlights and takeaways as well as hands-on exercises that will guide the reader as they uncover inner truths about who and where they “truly are.” For example, in Chapter 3 the reader is instructed to list out any fears they have adopted that were imposed upon them by others. At the end of the chapter, they will have clarity on the fears that are truly theirs and be empowered to set aside and be accountable to and for themselves and themselves only.

In essence, DOING IT SCARED is an inspiring and relatable guidebook to overcoming fears that dispels the myth of fear being non-existent or some fleeting emotion that will magically disappear over time. Our belief is that fear is an indicator of a spring-like well of potential for our lives, nudging us forward to embrace said fears. Doing It Scared provides morally sound guidelines that encourage us to not only walk toward our fears but also be inspired and empowered by them. For, beyond the mountains of fear lies a land of blessings more abundant than we could ever imagine...so cheers to Doing it Scared!

March 22, 2021

Amazon Bookshop.org

Doing It Scared in Love & Relationships

Erika Bryant

Real Life | Real Talk

What if the greatest love story you will ever experience is the one you have with yourself?

In this deeply personal follow-up to Doing It Scared, Emmy-nominated producer, television executive, and author Erika Bryant turns her lens toward the one arena where fear often speaks the loudest: love and relationships.

Through candid storytelling, hard-earned lessons, and moments of both heartbreak and healing, Bryant explores the courage required to love authentically, communicate honestly, and show up fully in relationships without abandoning yourself in the process. With her signature blend of warmth, humor, and insight, she invites readers on a journey of self-discovery, vulnerability, accountability, and ultimately, freedom.

From learning to receive love without performing for it, to naming what we need instead of silently resenting what was never expressed, to understanding when to stay and when to let go with grace, this book meets women exactly where they are.

This is not a book about finding the perfect partner.

It is a book about becoming the person who is ready to receive healthy love when it arrives.

Doing It Scared in Love & Relationships is for every woman who has ever loved too hard, held on too long, given too much, or quietly wondered if she was too much.

She is not.

Because sometimes the bravest thing we can do is love anyway.

And sometimes, the most important thing we will ever do is keep doing it scared.

September 9, 2026

Amazon Bookshop.org

Drink Water & Mind Your Business

Dr. Donna Oriowo

Real Life | Real Talk

Let's be real: society was not built with the needs of Black women in mind. And as a result, we learn that the only way to feel good about ourselves is to prioritize everyone else's needs over our own. We find our value in being the perfect partner, mother, daughter, employee, and friend. But that is exhausting. Instead of feeling good about how dope we are―regardless of our service, bank account, or looks―we only feel good about what we do for others.
Supremacy culture teaches us to hate Black people, to hate women, and to especially hate Black women… except when they need us to either save them or serve them. So in a world where our service is required for acceptance, how could we ever feel good about ourselves while also giving the middle finger to systems of power? How can we possibly live our best lives? How are we supposed to feel confident, secure, and fabulous AF in our bodies?
The answer: Self-esteem. Self-esteem as we know it has been gatekept by the white and male supremacist delusions for far too long. It's time to put power where it actually belongs.
In Drink Water and Mind Your Business, Dr. Donna Oriowo helps readers understand the basic foundations of self-esteem―what it is, how society molds it, and how it affects us all―and offers real, meaningful solutions to feel like the most glorious and badass versions of themselves. Based on years of research and Dr. Donna's career as a licensed sex and relationship therapist, this book will help you set boundaries, prioritize your needs, understand your immense worth, and pursue a life that brings you pleasure and joy.

May 13, 2025

Amazon Bookshop.org Libro.fm

Early Departures

justin a. reynolds

Black to the Future Coming in Hot, Coming of Age

Like Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at the End and Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us, Early Departures by Justin A. Reynolds, author of Opposite of Always, is a powerful and deeply moving YA contemporary novel with a speculative twist about love, death, grief, and friendship.

What if you could bring your best friend back to life—but only for a short time?

Jamal’s best friend, Q, doesn’t know that he died, and that he’s about to die . . . again. He doesn’t know that Jamal tried to save him. And that the reason they haven’t been friends for two years is because Jamal blames Q for the accident that killed his parents.

But what if Jamal could have a second chance? A new technology allows Q to be reanimated for a few weeks before he dies . . . permanently. And Q’s mom is not about to let anyone ruin this miracle by telling Q about his impending death. So how can Jamal fix everything if he can’t tell Q the truth?

Early Departures weaves together loss, grief, friendship, and love to form a wholly unique homage to the bonds that bring people together for life—and beyond.

Second Chance: Jamal has just a few weeks to reconnect with Q, but every moment is built on a heartbreaking secret about life and death. Friends to Enemies: Two years of silence and blame stand between Jamal and Q. Can they rebuild what they lost before time runs out for good? Brotherhood: They were once an inseparable comedy duo who chose their own brotherhood. Now, that bond is the only thing that might save them from their shared past. Heartbreaking YA Romance: Jamal is torn between mending the past with Q and building a future with his girlfriend, Autumn, who deserves a truth he can’t bring himself to tell.

September 22, 2020

Fire Sword and Sea

Vanessa Riley

Our Stories, Our Terms

"In her latest, Riley provides a fresh take on high seas adventure through the
eyes of the courageous, swashbuckling, based-on-a-real-life female pirate
Jacquotte Delahaye. The research Riley has done on this 1600s saga is truly
remarkable, second only to her depictions of the lush Caribbean setting and
the diverse, multi-faceted cast of characters. This is one to be
savored." —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen
Queen
The real Pirates of the Caribbean were Black, and women! From Vanessa
Riley, acclaimed author of Queen of Exiles, comes a sweeping, immersive saga
based on the life of the legendary seventeenth-century pirate Jacquotte
Delehaye.
The Caribbean Sea, 1675. Jacquotte Delahaye is the mixed-race daughter of a
wealthy tavern owner on the island of Tortuga. Instead of marriage, Jacquotte dreams
of joining the seafarers and smugglers whose tall-masted ships cluster in the turquoise
waters around Tortuga. She falls in love with a pirate, but when he returns to the sea,
Jacquotte decides to make her own way. In Haiti she becomes Jacques, a dockworker,
earning the respect of those around her while hiding her gender.
Jacquotte discovers that secret identities are fairly common in the chaotic world of
seafaring, which is full of outsiders and misfits. She forms a deep bond with Bahati, an
African-born woman who has escaped slavery and also disguises herself as a man to
navigate the world. They join forces with Dirkje De Wulf, a fearless adventurer who
also lives as a man at sea. As Jacques, Jacquotte falls in love with Lizzôa d'Erville, a
beautiful courtesan who deals in secrets and sex. While others see their work clothes
as a disguise, Lizzôa’s true self is as a woman.
For the next twenty years, Jacquotte raids the Caribbean, making enemies and
amassing a fortune in stolen gold. When her fellow pirates decide to increase their
profits by entering the slave trade, Jacquotte turns away from piracy and the pursuit of
riches. Risking her life in one deadly skirmish after another, she instead begins to plot
a war of liberation.

January 13, 2026

Forbidden Billionaire

Angel M. Shaw

Love Jones & Situationships

He’s my client's father.

That’s the sentence I repeat in the car, in the hallway, in the dark, in the exact tone I would use on somebody else at an ethics hearing.

But then, there are the facts:

I am thirty years old, and I have never been on a date.
I have a panic disorder and a service dog named Kitty.
My locking ritual must be run three times before I can leave my own apartment.

What I do not have is my license to practice therapy, and there’s exactly one thing standing between me and it.
Practicum hours. In person. No exceptions.

So, the single-client accommodation lands me with one boy in a mansion for a single semester.
The problem there? Hunter Brigham: Six-foot-three, tattooed, burn-scarred, and absent from his son’s life for fifteen years, and refuses to explain why.

He offers me the only exit that’s not a resignation. Let's be friends, he says, like a man who has never been anybody's friend in his life.

Neither of us can keep up the ruse.

He asks before he touches me. Every time. He makes me say what I want out loud, which is the hardest thing anyone has ever asked me to do. And his son, the boy whose file has my signature on it, gives us his blessing before either of us will say out loud what this is.

I could lose the degree. I could lose the license. I could lose the ten years it took me to build a life I can stand up in.
But I’m afraid more of what I’ll lose if I don’t say yes….

Book one of a dark billionaire romantic suspense trilogy. The Devils of D.C. Dual POV, first person. She works for him, billionaire single dad, forced proximity, morally grey hero who asks first, sexual awakening, found family. Ends on a cliffhanger. Previously published as Shadowplay.

July 23, 2024

Amazon

Force and Freedom: Black Abolitionists the Politics of Violence

Kellie Carter Jackson

Real Life | Real Talk

From its origins in the 1750s, the white-led American abolitionist movement adhered to principles of "moral suasion" and nonviolent resistance as both religious tenet and political strategy. But by the 1850s, the population of enslaved Americans had increased exponentially, and such legislative efforts as the Fugitive Slave Act and the Supreme Court's 1857 ruling in the Dred Scott case effectively voided any rights black Americans held as enslaved or free people. As conditions deteriorated for African Americans, black abolitionist leaders embraced violence as the only means of shocking Northerners out of their apathy and instigating an antislavery war.

In Force and Freedom, Kellie Carter Jackson provides the first historical analysis exclusively focused on the tactical use of violence among antebellum black activists. Through rousing public speeches, the bourgeoning black press, and the formation of militia groups, black abolitionist leaders mobilized their communities, compelled national action, and drew international attention. Drawing on the precedent and pathos of the American and Haitian Revolutions, African American abolitionists used violence as a political language and a means of provoking social change. Through tactical violence, argues Carter Jackson, black abolitionist leaders accomplished what white nonviolent abolitionists could not: creating the conditions that necessitated the Civil War. Force and Freedom takes readers beyond the honorable politics of moral suasion and the romanticism of the Underground Railroad and into an exploration of the agonizing decisions, strategies, and actions of the black abolitionists who, though lacking an official political voice, were nevertheless responsible for instigating monumental social and political change.

February 1, 2019

Amazon

Friendship Matters

Rona D.

Love Jones & Situationships

"Friendship Matters" is a critically acclaimed romantic comedy that beautifully blends heartfelt emotions with lighthearted humor. The story revolves around three relatable and endearing women who share an unbreakable bond. As you join them on their journey, you'll not only see them as characters but also as your own close friends.

Through the ups and downs they face, these women navigate life's complexities with love, laughter, and unwavering support for each other. Their friendships serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of these connections in our lives. The genuine experiences they go through and the heartwarming relationships they share will leave a lasting impact on you.

Meet Saisha, a sassy and culinary mastermind who fearlessly speaks her mind. She's on a quest for love and encounters someone who she believes will change her world. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride of love, laughter, and life lessons with Saisha!

Next is Euniqé, the pillar of the friendship, who embodies intelligence and wisdom. After a tragic loss, she became a single mother and focused on raising her son while excelling in her job. Her friends are determined to help her open up to dating again, and you'll witness her transformation as she navigates love and friendship with grace and wisdom.

Lastly, we have Kandace, the dutiful one who leads a seemingly content life but is secretly unhappy. When faced with a crossroad, she must prioritize her own well-being for the first time. Brace yourself as Kandace embarks on a journey of self-discovery and makes a decision that could change her life.

Prepare to be pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns in this story, which will have you laughing out loud. By the end, you'll be fully invested in the lives of these characters, cheering them on and craving more of their captivating stories. Get ready for an unforgettable journey that celebrates the power of friendship and leaves you with a warm and satisfied feeling.

February 5, 2022

Amazon

Ghalen

Walter Mosley

Our Stories, Our Terms

An Instant Bestseller!

A beautiful coming-of-age novel from MWA Grand Master and PEN and Edgar Award-winner Walter Mosley that explores love in all forms—romantic, familial, and platonic, centered on one Black family, including a neurodivergent man, and the found bonds that helps ground them.
One of the most acclaimed writers working today, Walter Mosley spins magic once again in this beautiful novel that explores the lives of Black characters and one remarkable family through a lens both universal and unique. It touches on the lives of those whose deepest thoughts and motivations are seldom explored—including the neurodivergent, the incarcerated, and the immigrant tortured by their past—characters who will stay with you and change how you see the world.

Ghalen, a brilliant young Black man, is the son of two seemingly mismatched parents. His mother, a gifted scientist, whose own mother expected her to exceed all the achievements in her family, and his father, a gentle cook at a small vegan restaurant, whose idiosyncratic nature shows the young woman a radically different love and understanding of life, despite his inexperience and lack of education.

His parents’ grand love story starts it all off, setting us up to follow Ghalen and his family so deeply, that each new twist and turn feels personal.

The journey through Ghalen’s coming-of-age tale, as he ventures out into the world, is marked with peaks and valleys and such a drive that you can’t help but strap in for it all, while not wanting it to end.

Lush and cinematic, with the narrative drive and indelible power of Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead and Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting, Ghalen is one of this bestselling, prize-winning writer’s finest achievements.

May 26, 2026

Hard Times

Maurice Broaddus Wayne Brady

Black to the Future

Nazareth Anthony Scott the Second—divorced, former PI, and retired Marine—never saw eye-to-eye with his son, Jalen. Estranged, Jalen never measured up to his expectations, especially after getting kicked out of boot camp for mouthing off. And Jalen thinks Naz is nothing but a corporate cog, working as Head of Security at VesMet, a top-tier research and development firm.
But after a mysterious email from Jalen arrives containing his case against VesMet, followed by a frantic call from Jalen’s girlfriend that he’s gone missing in North Carolina, Naz knows that he must head south to find his son. But things aren’t what they seem in Maysville: Naz learns Jalen was part of a community protest against VesMet’s proposed AI data center, and he disappeared while investigating the whereabouts of several local Black men.
Meanwhile, Jalen wakes up on “The Farm,” not knowing how he got there. His life and those of the incarcerated are ruled by the heartless whip of warden and monitored by the red-eyed gaze of robotic guards. Jalen feels like he’s been trapped outside of time, defending himself from the cruelties of a prison seemingly drawn from history books and science fiction alike.
Meanwhile, Naz must fight to break out his son before he becomes lost forever. But soon each man learns that The Farm’s location lies beyond time itself. Somehow, father and son must find a way back to each other, but breaking out—or in—will test everything Naz and Jalen have ever known.
Adrenaline-charged and culturally timely, HARD TIMES takes on the history of incarceration in the United States, and sets it to a hip-hop beat, shaking up the idea of how past injustices permeate into our present—and how we can stop them from becoming a threat to all of our futures.

March 30, 2027

Amazon Bookshop.org Libro.fm

Harlem Rhapsody

Victoria Christopher Murray

Our Stories, Our Terms

Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR!

She found the literary voices that would inspire the world…. The extraordinary story of the woman who ignited the Harlem Renaissance, written by Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Personal Librarian.

In 1919, a high school teacher from Washington, D.C arrives in Harlem excited to realize her lifelong dream. Jessie Redmon Fauset has been named the literary editor of The Crisis. The first Black woman to hold this position at a preeminent Negro magazine, Jessie is poised to achieve literary greatness. But she holds a secret that jeopardizes it all.

W. E. B. Du Bois, the founder of The Crisis, is not only Jessie’s boss, he’s her lover. And neither his wife, nor their fourteen-year-age difference can keep the two apart. Amidst rumors of their tumultuous affair, Jessie is determined to prove herself. She attacks the challenge of discovering young writers with fervor, finding sixteen-year-old Countee Cullen, seventeen-year-old Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen, who becomes one of her best friends. Under Jessie’s leadership, The Crisis thrives…every African American writer in the country wants their work published there.

When her first novel is released to great acclaim, it’s clear that Jessie is at the heart of a renaissance in Black music, theater, and the arts. She has shaped a generation of literary legends, but as she strives to preserve her legacy, she’ll discover the high cost of her unparalleled success.

February 4, 2025

Amazon Bookshop.org Libro.fm

Heart Of The Streets

KOLD

Our Stories, Our Terms

He Was A Nobody... He Was New To The Streets....

Romeo wasn’t born into the game — he lucked up into it.

After discovering a duffle bag, containing the keys to a world he knew nothing of, Romeo made a choice that changed his life forever. With no blueprint for the streets, he had to rely on the one woman who was willing to teach him the game — Zara. Smart, fearless, and connected, Zara molded him into a hustler the city couldn’t ignore.
Now, Romeo has his sights on chasing the crown, he’s also chasing Zara — and that’s the real war. She sees the potential in him... but every time he falls into the arms of another woman, she wonders if he’s built for more than just the streets. With dwindling ties between her and her father after learning a secret he hid all her life, her trust in men becomes even more rocky, leaving her no patience for Romeo's flirtatious words never backed by action.

These youngins have Clarksville on fire and every day is another story for Breaking News.

Romeo has a new supplier, Karma, who is deadly and powerful — but with power comes pressure. Romeo can’t tell if she’s a blessing... or the very trap that’ll take him out after learning what it takes to do business with her.

Meanwhile, Zara’s world was flipped upside down after discovering her biggest enemy — Monique — is actually her sister. Monique would love another sister, but revenge seems to be the only option after speculating how Zara got her information about their family ties.

As Romeo’s name rings louder in the city, so are the threats awaiting him. Malik wants revenge for the death of his mentor. Lazy wants to reclaim everything he lost. And both men are coming for Romeo’s head with a vengeance. Not to mention the threats beyond the city that he's unaware of.

This is Clarksville — the streets don’t play fair.

Love gets tested.

Loyalty gets questioned.

And survival? That’s earned in blood.

Now that Romeo's in this life, enjoying the perks, can he handle the smoke that comes with it?

Can he truly become the, HEART OF THE STREETS???

April 13, 2025

Amazon

Homeward

Angela Jackson-Brown

Our Stories, Our Terms

The country is changing, and her own world is being turned upside down. Nothing—and no one—will ever be the same. Georgia, 1962. Rose Perkins Bourdon returns home to Parsons, GA, without her husband and pregnant with another man’s baby. After tragedy strikes her husband in the war overseas, a numb Rose is left with pieces of who she used to be and is forced to figure out what she is going to do with the rest of her life. Her sister introduces her to members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee—young people are taking risks and fighting battles Rose has only seen on television. Feeling emotions for the first time in what feels like forever, the excited and frightened Rose finds herself becoming increasingly involved in the resistance efforts. And of course, there is also the young man, Isaac Weinberg, whose passion for activism stirs something in her she didn’t think she would ever feel again. Homeward follows Rose’s path toward self-discovery and growth as she becomes involved in the Civil Rights Movement, finally becoming the woman she has always dreamed of being. Praise for Homeward: "This is a harrowing novel about the push and pull of fidelity, family, and faith under the crush of history. Angela Jackson-Brown has written a deeply emotional novel that feels timeless while also speaking to the particularly troubled times in which we live." —Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author of When Ghosts Come Home A stirring tale of one woman’s experience in the Civil Rights movement that changed a nation, written from Angela Jackson-Brown’s experience of being born and raised in the rural South. Stand-alone novel Includes Discussion Questions for book clubs

October 10, 2023

Hood Wellness

Tamela J Gordon

Real Life | Real Talk

“A funny, thought-provoking, and profound memoir about the intersection of Blackness and health. Gordon’s vision of a more just future feels both inspiring and possible.” — Kirkus Starred Review

What does self-care look like when struggling to make ends meet, living with a disability, or navigating intersectional marginalization? How can you prioritize well-being while divesting from systems built to destroy you? The answer: Hood Wellness, a groundbreaking exploration that challenges the oppressive systems deeply rooted in health and wellness industries in the United States.

In a world where self-care is critical to survival, Gordon offers a revolutionary perspective that celebrates individuals' unique privileges, challenges, and desires. By defying the norms of multi-billion-dollar industries, Hood Wellness illuminates the possibilities that emerge when we prioritize well-being while divesting from harmful structures.

Hood Wellness is also a deep exploration of people forced to overcome harrowing circumstances with little more than communal support and the will to get well.

From terminal illness and police violence to embracing gender identity in a society that's attacking trans and queer rights, each story reflects America's extreme political, racial, and gender climates. Gordon challenges everything we think we know about wellness by calling out the wellness industry's inability to include those outside the margins of white, heteronormative identities. She lays plain that self-care as we know it is mostly just surface-level "cute," and communal care is the call-to-action that America needs.

Drawing on elements of memoir, self-help, humor, critical race theory, and devastatingly honest storytelling, Gordon guides readers on a transformative journey toward a new paradigm of wellness.

This compelling book serves as a beacon, empowering individuals to cultivate resilience and self-love in today's world. As Gordon shares her personal odyssey, she intertwines the stories of others, revealing her profound discoveries, triumphs, and passions related to self-care.

Hood Wellness introduces readers to an inclusive and accessible self-care primer and an approach to well-being that holds the potential to bring about profound change in their lives.

June 18, 2024

How to be Antiracist

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi

Real Life | Real Talk

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the National Book Award–winning author of Stamped from the Beginning comes a “groundbreaking” (Time) approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society and in ourselves—now updated, with a new preface.

“The most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind.”—The New York Times

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—The New York Times Book Review, Time, NPR, The Washington Post, Shelf Awareness, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews

Antiracism is a transformative concept that reorients and reenergizes the conversation about racism—and, even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. At its core, racism is a powerful system that creates false hierarchies of human value; its warped logic extends beyond race, from the way we regard people of different ethnicities or skin colors to the way we treat people of different sexes, gender identities, and body types. Racism intersects with class and culture and geography and even changes the way we see and value ourselves. In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of antiracist ideas—from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilities—that will help readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.

Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science with his own personal story of awakening to antiracism. This is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a just and equitable society.

January 31, 2023

Keeping It Real

Paula Chase

Coming in Hot, Coming of Age

“Fun and juicy.”—New York Times
“A solid story of summer growth and exploration.”—Kirkus Reviews
Marigold Johnson is looking forward to a future full of family, friends, and
fashion—but what will she do when it all explodes in her face? When she
discovers that her entire life is a lie?
Paula Chase, the author of So Done, Dough Boys, and Turning Point, explores
betrayal, conformity, and forgiveness—and what it means to be family—in this
stand-alone novel perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds, Rebecca Stead, and
Renée Watson.
Marigold Johnson can’t wait to attend a special program at her family’s business, Flexx
Unlimited, for teens who love fashion. But Mari quickly realizes that she’s out of place
compared to the three other trainees—and one girl, Kara, seems to hate her on sight.
As tension builds and the stakes at the program get higher, Mari uncovers exactly why
Kara’s been so spiteful. She also discovers some hard truths about herself and her
family.
Paula Chase explores complex themes centering on friendships, family, and what it
means to conform to fit in. Keeping It Real is also a powerful exploration of what
happens when parents pick and choose what they shield their children from. Timely
and memorable, Paula Chase’s character-driven story touches on creativity, art,
fashion, and music. A great choice for the upper middle grade audience.
What happens when the girl who seems to have it all finds out her whole life is built on
a lie?
A Shocking Secret Sister: Marigold thinks her biggest problem is Kara, the new
girl at the summer fashion program who hates her on sight. The truth is much,
much closer to home.
Complex Friendship Drama: As the tension with Kara escalates, Mari’s
relationship with her best friend Justice is tested, forcing her to question who she
can really trust.
Private School and Class Divides: A powerful look at the pressure to fit in, as
Marigold navigates her elite private school, her family’s hip-hop legacy, and the
judgment that comes with both.
A Powerful Coming-of-Age Story: Perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and
Renée Watson, this novel tackles tough questions about family, forgiveness, and
what it truly means to be real.

October 19, 2021

Know the Mother

Desiree Cooper

Our Stories, Our Terms

Short, searing glimpses of how race and gender shadow even the most intimate moments of women’s lives. While a mother can be defined as a creator, a nurturer, a protector—at the center of each mother is an individual who is attempting to manage her own fears, desires, and responsibilities in different and sometimes unexpected ways. In Know the Mother, author Desiree Cooper explores the complex archetype of the mother in all of her incarnations. In a collage of meditative stories, women—both black and white—find themselves wedged between their own yearnings and their roles as daughters, sisters, grandmothers, and wives. In this heart-wrenching collection, Cooper reveals that gender and race are often unanticipated interlopers in family life. An anxious mother reflects on her prenatal fantasies of suicide while waiting for her daughter to come home late one night. A lawyer miscarries during a conference call and must proceed as though nothing has happened. On a rare night out with her husband, a new mother tries convincing herself that everything is still the same. A politician's wife's thoughts turn to slavery as she contemplates her own escape: "Even Harriet Tubman had realized that freedom wasn't worth the price of abandoning her family, so she'd come back home. She'd risked it all for love." With her lyrical and carefully crafted prose, Cooper's stories provide truths without sermon and invite empathy without sentimentality. Know the Mother explores the intersection of race and gender in vignettes that pull you in and then are gone in an instant. Readers of short fiction will appreciate this deeply felt collection.

March 14, 2016

Love Me Down to Christmas

Aries Skye

Love Jones & Situationships

Tender, nostalgic, and deeply romantic, Love Me Down to Christmas is a heartfelt holiday romance about first love, family, healing, and the kind of love that never forgets its way home. “Love Me Down to Christmas delivers everything we love about a cozy holiday romance—small-town charm, heartfelt moments, and just the right amount of spice. Aries Skye masterfully blends friends-to-lovers chemistry with unexpected twists that keep you turning the pages while still wrapping you in the warmth of a sweet hometown love story.” –ROBBI RENEE, bestselling author of Somebody’s Husband Amariah Luke built a successful life far away from Skye Ridge, the small town filled with memories she’s spent years trying to outrun. But when her father falls ill just before Christmas, she returns home for the holidays and comes face-to-face with the one man she never truly forgot. Jacob Gold never stopped loving Amariah. Not after the silence and not even after all those years apart. And now that she’s back in Skye Ridge for Christmas, he’s determined not to lose her a second time. When Amariah’s father makes one heartfelt Christmas wish, Jacob sets out to win her back with a holiday countdown inspired by the memories, traditions, and quiet gestures that once made them inseparable. From snow-covered nights and spiked cocoa to long-buried confessions and second chances wrapped in twinkling lights, every day brings them closer to the love they left unsaid. But as Christmas draws near, Amariah must decide whether the life she built away from home is truly where her heart belongs…or if the future she’s been searching for has been waiting for her in Skye Ridge all along. Story Locale:Fictitious town - Skye Ridge

September 29, 2026

Love on Board

Aries Skye

Love Jones & Situationships

BOOK RIOT’S BEST NEW ROMANCES BY BLACK AUTHORS “In a memorable journey of love, healing, fulfillment in one's career and family, and second chances, Aries Skye’s Love on Board is a flawlessly delivered and entertaining story that true love can weather any storm and transform lives forever.” —Yasmin Angoe, bestselling author of Her Name Is Knight and Not What She Seems “My heart is still smiling. Love on Board captures the right note of hesitancy and uncertainty layered with the giddiness and heartwarming emotions that comes with rediscovering love after heartbreak.” — TIYE, USA Today bestselling author of Madly Driven Aquila Richards-Oliver has the life many envy: a high-profile husband, two beautiful sons, and a seemingly perfect role as wife, mother, and big sister. But perfection comes at a steep price. When her marriage to a world-renowned chef unravels under the weight of betrayal and long-buried truths, Aquila chooses herself—for the first time in years—and begins the hard work of rebuilding her life on her own terms. Roman Patterson has built everything but a family. At thirty-five, the successful entrepreneur has more wealth than time and more regrets than romance. Convinced love has passed him by, he reluctantly agrees to a singles cruise, expecting nothing more than cocktails and casual distractions. What neither Roman nor Aquila expects is to find each other—on a boat in the middle of paradise. They make a pact to enjoy the cruise as friends, but their connection is instant, and the chemistry is undeniable. As sparks fly and emotions deepen, they’re forced to face the realities waiting back on land: exes, children, broken trust, and wounds that still sting. Can Aquila let down her guard and believe in love again? Can Roman prove he’s more than a fleeting escape? Or will the past sink the promise of something real? Story Locale:Miami, FL

January 27, 2026

Love on the Ninth Floor

Aries Skye

Love Jones & Situationships

Trending on TikTok takes on an entirely new meaning when the ‘for you’ becomes a viral love story in the making. Aries Skye makes a sizzling debut in this flirty feel-good romance, perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Farrah Rochon. Zany and vivacious Nissi Richards always had her sights set on one goal—her career. As the youngest doctor at Optimal Dentistry, Nissi is the epitome of Black Girl Magic and a #GoalCrusher. Dating, however, was a different topic, or rather more of a non-existent headline. Despite her best friend's botched matchmaking attempts and her meddlesome sisters who insist she hook a man, love and marriage were never on Nissi's to-do list—at least not that she'd admit. Kannon Jordan was a man of simplicity. Unimpressed with the whims of every short skirt that flitted by, or the sexy social media prospects, the ravishing fireman was content with the bachelor's life. A cosmic shift in his beliefs takes a nosedive once he crosses paths with a dazzling doctor in distress. When Kannon rescued Nissi from a malfunctioned elevator, she never thought she'd see the handsome fireman again. Suddenly, when a TikTok video goes viral, the two strangers are miraculously reconnected. Will Nissi and Kannon surrender to their feelings, or will they deny their chemistry and the possibility of love at first sight? “You will root for Aries Skye’s swoon-worthy characters in this powerful testament to kindred connections and destined love!” —N’TYSE, national bestselling author and film producer

October 24, 2023

Love on the Rebound

Aries Skye

Love Jones & Situationships

A romantic chase in which a fitness guru falls for a full-figured paralegal, however, her self-esteem and past relationship struggles leaves her doubting if Mr. Fitness is Mr. Too-Good-To-Be-True. “Aries Skye delivers a sexy, compelling love story with relatable characters. Kinston and Angela prove that a love worth having is a love worth fighting for, especially when it's literally been right in front of you all along.” —Tati M. Richardson, USA Today bestselling author After Angela Richards’ fiancé abandons her for another woman, she is left with the lingering aftershocks that keep her heart sealed off from love. To the outside world, she is the same fiery and sassy spitfire woman with a larger-than-life attitude of the norm, but personally, she immerses herself in a contented existence while living vicariously through her sisters, Nissi and Aquila. Besides, it’s easier to mind their business than deal with the devastation of her own. Enter Kinston Jordan. He’s quiet, handsome, rugged, and a renowned fitness instructor. He’s also the older brother of her sister Nissi’s soon-to-be husband, and he has his sights set on Angela. The only problem—Angela refuses to travel down heartbreak lane again, especially with a man like Kinston. How could a fitness guru have eyes for a full-figured woman? Unbeknownst to Angela, Kinston has his own pitfalls with love and just as many reasons to protect his heart as she does. Can these two wounded souls rebound from their past to find love in their future?

November 26, 2024

Love You To Death

Christina Dotson

Don’t Go in There!

When two best friends' hobby of crashing weddings takes a deadly turn, they’re forced to embark on a road trip of survival in this addictive thriller. How well do we really know our friends? As the only Black women at an antebellum-themed wedding, Kayla and Zorie should’ve known this heist was doomed from the start. They should never have come, but when their financial situation became dire, they agreed to hit one last wedding. Jaded and cynical Kayla has spent the last decade trying to fix her life since an angsty teen prank led to her arrest. Now, with her housekeeping job at a subpar hotel and her disappointing, Cinderella-esque relationship with her dad and obnoxious stepsister, she hates the life she’s built. Her only bright spots are her best friend, Zorie, and their favorite weekend pastime of crashing weddings to steal the money and pawn the gifts. But what started as a lark has evolved into a greedy obsession, making each wedding haul riskier than the last. While trying to avoid the angry bride and groom, Kayla and Zorie's getaway takes a gruesome turn and suddenly the “Wedding Crasher Killers” are national news. The best friends are forced to hit the road to dodge the authorities, but their escape plan leaves behind a bloody trail of destruction from Georgia all the way to the bayou. As past grudges resurface, Kayla realizes that the best friend she thought she knew is more dangerous than she could ever have realized. Sharp, unpredictable, and madcap from start to finish, Love You to Death is the most fun—and deadly—road trip you’ll ever take. Story Locale:Road trip in the South; from Georgia to New Orleans, LA

July 22, 2025

Loving Me Enough

Vivi D

Love Jones & Situationships

Avery Westry is a highly focused beauty from the south who will punch first and ask questions later. Her tough demeanor and take no shit attitude is a carefully curated shelter protecting her fragile heart. She loves hard, upholds loyalty above all else, and considers herself the first line of defense for those in her circle of trust. Past experiences and personal shortcomings have convinced her that the happily ever after she dreams of may be out of her reach.

Cairo Monroe is a star athlete and heir to a family empire with a shady foundation. His priorities are football, family, and friends, in that order. He doesn’t have time for a relationship and has never met a woman who comes close to steering him off course. Cairo is a natural protector and provider who wants the best for himself and his family. He challenges me in ways I never expected. His perspective often sends me spiraling into thoughts I didn’t know I had.

Drew is a player on and off the court. He doesn’t take life too seriously and plays his cards close to his chest. Not many people know the family drama he has to deal with behind the scenes because he covers it with charm and a million-dollar smile. His longest friendship is his most precious. In Drew’s mind, everything will happen according to his timeline.

Will Avery’s unrequited love be her knight in shining armor, or will he wait too long and let another man take his spot? Will Avery let down her walls long enough to receive what her heart desires? Faced with an unspeakable tragedy, screaming self-doubt, and fierce independence, will love endure the good and bad times?

May 9, 2025

Amazon

May a Divine Awaken

Michael A. Tinsley

Coming in Hot, Coming of Age Black to the Future

In the first book of a heart-pounding new YA fantasy series, an orphaned teen is thrust into a divine war—and must decide whether awakening his true powers is worth risking his soul. For sixteen-year-old Marcus Azure, the unusual blemishes on his skin have always made him feel insecure and unwanted. Orphaned at a young age, stares and whispers incite rumors of him being cursed. But all Marcus wants is to gain respect as a worthy soldier and a protector for his land. Hoping to gain acceptance and silence the rumors, Marcus competes for a coveted spot in the Land of Aypha’s elite military. Before Marcus can earn his place, a mysterious group of assassins incinerate his village, destroying all he knew. On his own once again, Marcus’s quest for answers takes him on a journey across new lands where he discovers his world is ruled by Divines—powerful warriors with abilities to manipulate metals, harness the wind, and control the shape of water. As Marcus plunges deeper into the Divine world, he encounters the former Queen of the Aminas, Sinclair Bonet. She reveals the attack on his land is tied to something far worse. A war across the eight Divine Lands of Pyris is coming. If Marcus and others are to survive, he’ll need to awaken a secret yet volatile power within him. As the battle rages closer and secrets unravel, Marcus must confront the truth of whether the blemishes he was shunned for are truly a curse or a sign of something greater. Series Overview: May a Divine Awaken is the first book in a new YA fantasy trilogy. (The first title is self-published and the re-publication/packaging of this title will replace the current book on Amazon.) Book 1 - Fall 2026 Book 2 - Fall 2028 Book 3 - Fall 2030

November 3, 2026

These Heathens

Mia McKenzie

Our Stories, Our Terms

From the “razor-sharp and outrageously funny” (Taylor Jenkins Reid) mind of
Mia McKenzie comes a vibrant novel exploring how one weekend can change
your whole life.
FINALIST FOR THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE • LONGLISTED FOR THE
ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL AND THE ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE • A
CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Dear Lord, please forgive me for the sins I’ve committed. And for the one I’m still
planning to commit tomorrow. Amen.
Where do you get an abortion in 1960 Georgia, especially if your small town’s midwife
goes to the same church as your parents? For seventeen-year-old Doris Steele, the
answer is Atlanta, where her favorite teacher, Mrs. Lucas, calls upon her brash, wealthy
childhood best friend, Sylvia, for help. While waiting to hear from the doctor who has
agreed to do the procedure, Doris spends the weekend scandalized by, but drawn to,
the people who move in and out of Sylvia’s orbit: celebrities whom Doris has seen in
the pages of Jet and Ebony, civil rights leaders such as Coretta Scott King and Diane
Nash, women who dance close together, boys who flirt too hard and talk too much,
atheists! And even more shocking? Mrs. Lucas seems right at home.
From the guests at a queer kickback to the student activists at a SNCC conference,
Doris suddenly finds herself surrounded by so many people who seem to know exactly
who or what they want. Doris knows she doesn’t want a baby, but what does she want?
Will this trip help her find out?
These Heathens is a funny, poignant story about Black women’s obligations and
ambitions, what we owe to ourselves, and the transformative power of leaving your
bubble, even for just one chaotic weekend.

June 17, 2025

Merciless Billionaire

Angel M. Shaw

Love Jones & Situationships

Hunter and Winter's story continues in Merciless Billionaire...

Everyone assumes the billionaire saved me.

He didn't.

He came with an army of men and a private plane, but he arrived four days late to a cabin with a body in the snow outside it. I put it there. I want that on the record before anyone tells you this is a love story about being rescued.

Hunter Brigham was raised by a man who taught him there is no good and no evil. Only predators and prey. He owns a fortress in Virginia, sixteen bodyguards, and a teenage son he's still learning how to father.

He also owns a list of every man who accepted bribes to make sure I could be taken. He's working his way down it.

So this is my life now: his gates, his guards, my dog at the foot of a bed that isn't mine, and his boy who measures affection in seconds.

Hunter almost lost me once, and he vows he'll never fail to keep me safe again. He says he'll give me everything…everything but the truth.

I found out anyway.

Everyone assumes the billionaire is going to save me.

Let them.

Book two in The Devils of D.C. Saga, previously published as Oathbreaker, a dark dual-POV billionaire romantic suspense with a survivor heroine who saves herself, a morally grey hero who falls first and hard, forced proximity, found family, and an Autistic teen who steals the whole book, ending on a cliffhanger with no HEA. Explicit, open door. No cheating. The story concludes in Shattered Billionaire. Content warnings at angelmshaw.com/content-warnings.

August 27, 2024

Amazon

Miles Morales Spider-Man

Jason Reynolds

Coming in Hot, Coming of Age

“Everyone gets mad at hustlers, especially if you’re on the victim side of the hustle. And Miles knew hustling was in his veins.”

Miles Morales is just your average teenager. Dinner every Sunday with his parents, chilling out playing old-school video games with his best friend, Ganke, crushing on brainy, beautiful poet Alicia. He’s even got a scholarship spot at the prestigious Brooklyn Visions Academy. Oh yeah, and he’s Spider Man.

But lately, Miles’s spidey-sense has been on the fritz. When a misunderstanding leads to his suspension from school, Miles begins to question his abilities. After all, his dad and uncle were Brooklyn jack-boys with criminal records. Maybe kids like Miles aren’t meant to be superheroes. Maybe Miles should take his dad’s advice and focus on saving himself.

As Miles tries to get his school life back on track, he can’t shake the vivid nightmares that continue to haunt him. Nor can he avoid the relentless buzz of his spidey-sense every day in history class, amidst his teacher’s lectures on the historical "benefits" of slavery and the modern-day prison system. But after his scholarship is threatened, Miles uncovers a chilling plot, one that puts his friends, his neighborhood, and himself at risk.

It’s time for Miles to suit up. Complete your Marvel YA collection with these best-selling fan-favorite novels:

Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee Gamora and Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee Unstoppable Wasp by Sam Maggs Black Widow: Red Vengeance by Margaret Stohl Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster by Liza Palmer

October 2, 2018

My Governement Means to Kill Me

Rasheed Newson

Our Stories, Our Terms

"Full of joy and righteous anger, sex and straight talk, brilliant storytelling and humor, Rasheed Newson’s debut novel has given us the story of Trey, set against the history of 80s queer Black New York, AIDS, and the movements that changed the era. A spectacularly researched Dickensian tale with vibrant characters and dozens of famous cameos, it is precisely the book we’ve needed for a long time. That—and a rollicking read! What more could you want?” —Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize- winning author of Less

Born into a wealthy Black Indianapolis family, Earl “Trey” Singleton III leaves his overbearing parents and their expectations behind by running away to New York City with only a few dollars in his pocket. In the city, Trey meets up with a cast of characters that changes his life forever. He volunteers at a renegade home hospice for AIDS patients, and after being put to the test by gay rights activists, becomes a member of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP). Along the way Trey attempts to navigate past traumas and searches for ways to maintain familial relationships—all while seeking the meaning of life amid so much death.

Vibrant, humorous, and fraught with entanglements, Rasheed Newson’s My Government Means to Kill Me is an exhilarating, fast-paced coming-of-age story that lends itself to a larger discussion about what it means for a young gay Black man in the mid-1980s to come to terms with his role in the midst of a political and social reckoning.

August 22, 2023

Nola and Baldwin

Donna Hill

Our Stories, Our Terms

Their Eyes Were Watching God for a new generation craving a romantic finale—a sweeping historical tale that is a journey of the heart and of the times.

Dual narration by Robin Miles and Aaron Goodson.

If it wasn’t for Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Nola Denny didn’t know how she would have survived her father’s tragic death or her mother’s descent into mental illness. Inspired by Hurston’s main character, Janie Crawford, Nola sets out to find her own voice, silenced by the weight of being a caretaker and the pains of her past. On her journey to New York, Nola stops in Meridian—a detour that unexpectedly leads to a fresh start, a home, and her own Tea Cake, a Pullman Porter named Baldwin Carter.

Baldwin escaped a loveless childhood and found a caring stranger who invited him into her home and gave him a chance at a new life. A proud, hardworking Pullman Porter, Baldwin must endure bowing and scraping to passengers who barely see him as a man. When he encounters Nola, he instinctively knows he has met his anchor, a woman who makes every inch of him stand tall.

Experiencing loss, hardship, and months of separation, Nola and Baldwin must come to terms with their pasts to share a future together. The young couple know that time and distance cannot separate them, and that the sacrifices they must make are not only for themselves, but for all those who come after them, searching for a better life.

Set during the end of the Great Depression, and shaped by real-world events, crisscrossing the country from South to Midwest to North, Nola and Baldwin is an epic tale of a love powerful enough to overcome the dark forces of racism that threatens to tear it apart.

November 10, 2026

Nubia: The Awakening

Clarence A. Haynes

Black to the Future Coming in Hot, Coming of Age

From beloved actor and producer Omar Epps and writer Clarence A. Haynes comes the biggest epic fantasy of the year. A powerful saga of three teens, the children of refugees from a fallen African utopia, who must navigate their newfound powers in a climate-ravaged New York City. Perfect for fans of Black Panther and Children of Blood and Bone.

For Zuberi, Uzochi, and Lencho, Nubia is a mystery. Before they were born, a massive storm destroyed their ancestral homeland, forcing their families to flee across the ocean to New York City. Nubia, a utopic island nation off the coast of West Africa, was no more, and their parents’ sorrow was too deep for them to share much of their history beyond the folklore.

But New York, ravaged by climate change and class division, is far from a safe haven for refugees, and Nubians live as outcasts, struggling to survive in the constantly flooding lower half of Manhattan, while the rich thrive in the tech-driven sky city known as the Up High.

To many, being Nubian means you’re fated for a life plagued by difficulties and disrespect. But Zuberi, Uzochi, and Lencho are beginning to feel there might be more. Something within them is changing, giving each of them extraordinary powers. Extraordinary and terrifying powers that seem to be tied to the secrets their parents have kept from them.

And there are people Up High watching, eager to do anything they can to become even more powerful than they already are. Now Zuberi, Uzochi, and Lencho will be faced with the choice—do they use their inheritance to lift their people, or to leave them behind.

November 8, 2022

On Rotation

Shirlene Obuobi

Our Stories, Our Terms

AS SEEN ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA!
ONE OF TEEN VOGUE'S 25 BOOKS BY BLACK AUTHORS THEY CAN'T WAIT TO
READ THIS YEAR
ONE OF BETCHES' "22 BOOKS YOU NEED TO READ THIS YEAR"
"As a fan of Grey’s Anatomy (and Chicago Med!), I couldn’t put down On
Rotation, and you won’t be able to, either. Shirlene Obuobi makes you feel as
if you’re actually right there with the lovable Angie, and I personally couldn’t
get enough."—Meg Cabot, New York Times bestselling author
For fans of Grey’s Anatomy and Seven Days in June, this dazzling debut novel
by Shirlene Obuobi explores that time in your life when you must decide what
you want, how to get it, & who you are, all while navigating love, friendship,
and the realization that the path you’re traveling is going to be a bumpy ride.
Ghanaian-American Angela Appiah has checked off all the boxes for the “Perfect
Immigrant Daughter.”
Enroll in an elite medical school
Snag a suitable lawyer/doctor/engineer boyfriend
Surround self with a gaggle of successful and/or loyal friends
But then it quickly all falls apart: her boyfriend dumps her, she bombs the most
important exam of her medical career, and her best friend pulls away. And her parents,
whose approval seems to hinge on how closely she follows the path they chose, are a
lot less proud of their daughter. It’s a quarter life crisis of epic proportions.
Angie, who has always faced her problems by working “twice as hard to get half as far,”
is at a loss. Suddenly, she begins to question everything: her career choice, her
friendships, even why she's attracted to men who don't love her as much as she loves
them.
And just when things couldn’t get more complicated, enter Ricky Gutierrez—brilliant,
thoughtful, sexy, and most importantly, seems to see Angie for who she is instead of
what she can represent.
Unfortunately, he’s also got “wasteman” practically tattooed across his forehead, and
Angie’s done chasing mirages of men. Or so she thinks. For someone who’s always
been in control, Angie realizes that there’s one thing she can’t plan on: matters of her
heart.

June 21, 2022

Ours

Phillip B Williams

Our Stories, Our Terms

Named a Best Book of the Year by The New Yorker, People, Los Angeles
Times, NPR, and more
“An inventive ode to self-determination and also a surrealistic vision of Black
life as forged within the crucible of American history . . . [written in] lush,
ornamental prose.” —The New Yorker
“Fans of The Underground Railroad, The Water Dancer, and Let Us Descend
will devour this lyrical and surreal saga.” —Oprah Daily
From a writer of singular voice and vision, a mesmerizing epic that reimagines
the past to explore the true nature of freedom
In this ingenious, sweeping novel, Phillip B. Williams introduces us to an enigmatic
woman named Saint, a fearsome conjurer who, in the 1830s, annihilates plantations all
over Arkansas to rescue the people enslaved there. She brings those she has freed to a
haven of her own creation: a town just north of St. Louis, magically concealed from
outsiders, named Ours.
It is in this miraculous place that Saint’s grand experiment—a truly secluded
community where her people may flourish—takes root. But although Saint does her
best to protect the inhabitants of Ours, over time, her conjuring and memories begin to
betray her, leaving the town vulnerable to intrusions by newcomers with powers of
their own. As the cracks in Saint’s creation are exposed, some begin to wonder
whether the community’s safety might be yet another form of bondage.
Set over the course of four decades and steeped in a rich tradition of American
literature informed by Black surrealism, mythology, and spirituality, Ours is a stunning
exploration of the possibilities and limitations of love and freedom by a writer of
capacious vision and talent.

February 20, 2024

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