"When Alecia “Joy” Middleson meets Minke, a young hustler from Brooklyn, he quickly becomes her world. He feels the same way about her—she is his better half. By the age of eighteen, Alecia is married and has two children by Minke. Their life is like a fairy tale, until Minke discovers that he’s been deceived by his wife and leaves her and her children with only the clothes on their backs.
Heartbroken and lonely, Alecia cant shake the feeling that she will never be the same. Her mother always told her that this day would come and she hates herself for not being prepared for it. Now she’s alone and her confidence is shot. She’s lost what she thought was the perfect size eight frame and she’s not comfortable in her new full-figured body. Desperate for attention from anyone, she finds herself in one bad situation after another, from living in shelters to dealing with abusive men, from drug use to fighting with her selfish mother. The only good thing in her life is her kids. All in all she’s a hot mess.
On the brink of a mental breakdown, she finally gathers the courage to change her outlook on life and take charge. Along the way she will make some choices that aren’t always the best, but if this hot mess can stay the course, she just might find her happiness again."
"When a military soldier dies, everyone feels the pain. When a street soldier dies, only those close to him mourn. But both soldiers have something in common: they fought for what they believed in. Home from their final tour, a team from the 82nd Airborne Division out of Ft. Bragg, NC faces harsh realities: a broken relationship, the death of a child, and even the murder of one of their own. They quickly realize that whether you’re raised on a military base and trained in the military, or you come from the hard knocks of the projects and you are trained to go, a soldier is a soldier. Confident that their skills can be used on American soil to produce American dollars, these soldiers, armed with discipline, organization, and killer instincts began making moves on the streets. What they didn’t expect was to encounter a team of street soldiers who quickly teach them that on this concrete battlefield, the game is played with an entirely different set of rules. Edd McNair offers a compelling tale of the hardships soldiers face—whether they’re going to war to fight for their country or going to war on the inner-city streets. A soldier is a soldier and his life matters."
"Anita is a young, strong black woman who made her dreams a reality: the house, the cars, a generous bank account, and a fiancé who was getting ready to go pro. Everything was perfect. She was only a step away from finishing her doctorate when her world was shattered. Her fiancé left her, and he left her HIV-positive. Then she met Prince; fresh out of jail on a murder charge but with every intention of changing his life around. When Anita crosses his path, she is a blessing in helping him get his business and his life on track and elevated, but she never figured he was the type to fall in love.
When Leah’s teenage love Dropp got caught up and sent away for a five-year bid, Brit, a low key hustler, was there to show her that she never had to be alone again. Leah fell hard for Brit, married him, and made a family. But now Dropp is home and back on the streets claiming fame with Leah on his mind. His persistence makes her question her love for Brit and why she still feels that Dropp belongs to her.
Truck and Cadillac grew up in South Norfolk, Oakley Park projects. The terror they caused through the city made mothers and grandmothers fall to the ground letting out heartbreaking cries. These brothers moved in the streets with only one thing on the mind: getting money! Until their sister Precious is caught in the middle, and when tragedy hits home, they all reach a Turning Point."
"My Time to Shine takes listeners into one family’s struggle for survival during the crack epidemic of the late 1980s. Black, a small-time thug with big dreams, discovers the demand for crack cocaine in the Virginia housing projects where he lives and sees the drug as a meal ticket for his family. His younger cousin Lo, who idolizes Black, joins him in his business endeavors. But as they work side by side with hustlers and killers, the pair is soon thrown into situations beyond their control, and the bonds of their family are thoroughly tested."
"Angela grew up in an all-black, uperclass neighborhood in Virginia Beach. Being raised by conservative parents, street life was almost nonexistent. Her college years at Hampton University would truly educate her; not only in school, but also in life. She never imagined the attention her body and beauty would bring her.
Angela finds herself torn between Mac, a successful real estate broker; and Damien, a young Jamaican hustler from Brooklyn. Both show Angela love in their own way, and her choice will be her destiny."
"Fresh from his self-imposed exile in New York, Black makes his long-awaited return, reuniting with his brothers Junie and Dee to handle the family business—moving mad weight, expanding their drug empire, and eliminating any and everything that gets in their way. Unfortunately, such wheeling and dealing always comes with a price, and for Black, Junie, and Dee, it’s no different.
With a roller-coaster-like plot that twists and turns until the very end, Edd McNair’s Black Reign II keeps it real and gives listeners a look at the hood from the inside like never before."
"You’ve seen them in print before, and their books are hot, hot, hot! Now see what Edd McNair, Keisha Ervin, and Brenda Hampton can do when they join forces to bring you three stories in the latest installment of Girls from da Hood.
Being married to notorious gangsta rapper Sean Pynn isn’t as glamorous as it appears to be. Behind closed doors, Queen is dealing with knock-down drag-out fights, verbal abuse, and neglect. When her bodyguard, Ahsim, comes into the picture, things change in a hurry.
When a man thinks his woman is cheating, he keeps tabs on her. When a woman thinks her man is cheating, she calls Jakki. Rochel “Jakki” Thomas’ way of catching a man in the act is a little risky, but she’s worth every penny.
Niecy Brickhouse and her twin sister Naquel are living the glamorous life—until Naquel is shot by their older sister’s boyfriend. Everyone is calling it a suicide, but Niecy knows the painful truth about her sister’s death, and it sets her on a dangerous, self-destructive path. Will she be able to overcome her depression, or will her new life on the streets be the death of Niecy?"
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