Showing results by publisher "Recorded Books" in African American

Critics have compared her work to that of Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, but J. California Cooper has a warm, witty style that’s definitely her own. Each of her short stories is a gem of downhome wisdom, polished with a bit of gossip, some heartbreak, and lots of humor.

New to Los Angeles, Hosanna Clark, a farm worker from Texas, befriends Holocaust survivor Gilda Rosenstein. Together they build a cosmetics company and a deep friendship. Then Gilda disappears, taking with her the company's assets. The loss leaves Hosanna financially ruined and emotionally damaged. Years later, after her death, Hosanna's daughter will look to collect the debt Gilda owes.

Both Noon and Herbie have secrets. Because of this she can’t be intimate with her husband, and he sneaks out to a hot jazz singer named Ethel - who has a secret of her own. When the city proposes to build a road through their neighborhood, Noon begins a crusade to keep it from happening - and maybe save her marriage in the process. Tumble into this amazing novel and feel the love and warmth of a special block in South Philly. This is an extraordinary depiction of the true meaning of family and fellowship.

Having hit a rocky point in his marriage, Darnell decided to seek comfort in someone other than his wife. In turn, his decision to have one night of pleasure has caused an avalanche of events not only for himself but for everyone involved. Just when he chose to end it, he finds out that he has gotten more than he bargained for. Now he has to put the pieces of his marriage back together, but will it be too late?

Raised by a widowed mother, Jill Reed has come a long way from her difficult youth. But while she may not have had money, Jill never doubted she was rich in love. Her mother, Connie, made Jill the center of her world. Now, even though she has a young family of her own, it’s Jill’s turn to care for her ailing mother. When early dementia begins to set in, Connie starts talking about Jill’s “other life.” Jill assumes it’s just rambling confusion. Still, Connie’s stories about Jill’s childhood, and her father’s early death, never quite added up.

Subverting celebrated classics of poetry and mythology and examining horrors from contemporary film and cultural fact, National Book Award-winner Justin Phillip Reed engages darkness as an aesthetic to conjure the revenant animus that lurks beneath the exploited civilities of marginalized people. In these poems, Reed finds agency in the other-than-human identities assigned to those assaulted by savageries of the state. In doing so, he summons a retaliatory, counterviolent black spirit to revolt and to inhabit the revolting.

As Lucinda, LaMeka, Charice, and Trinity struggle to turn their lives around, they each hit a crossroads. Despite their mounting troubles, they still hope for a better life. But what will they sacrifice for a chance at a life they've always dreamed of? And at what costs? It won't be easy, and the consequences can be detrimental, and in some cases, even deadly.

Other Women's Husbands by Anna J: Nobody wants a bone but a dog. That's been Zaria's motto for as long as she can remember. Gorgeous in the face and thick in the waist, she drapes every inch of her plus-size frame in nothing but designer if for no other reason than her own insecurities. She has to stay on point because in her world, she can't be fat and sloppy at the same time.

Things are finally coming together for Perri as she continues on her journey to womanhood. While she ultimately decides to let Derrick sweep her off her feet, Plus' feelings for her never seem to waver. However, when Derrick gets drafted into the NBA and has to relocate hundreds of miles away, Perri is faced with the decision to either stay in Maryland or leave with her fiancé for good. Now that Plus has completely stepped up as a father, the mere mention of Perri taking Camille away leaves him emotionally shattered. But after everything he's put Perri through is this now his karma?

Carmen has gotten her wish. Renee is no longer queen. Being stripped of her title and the power that comes with it, Renee must start from scratch and rebuild what she once controlled. Having turned their backs on one another, Renee's once strong circle is now dismantled, and each individual is after what ripped them apart - Carmen. Carmen's making it hard for them to capture her and doing whatever she must to survive. Renee wants revenge along with everyone else, but will she achieve it, or will she die in battle without the help of Julian and Dane?

Watch the drama unfold with this trio as more secrets are revealed and lives are torn apart, all in the name of love. How will it end? Will Destiny finally get her man, or will her husband's mistress end up on top?

Raymond Brown, popularly known as Smooth Suave, is one of Jamaica's biggest drugs lords. With eight children by six baby mommas and counting, he's a player for life. A true baller, he lavishes in his wealth. He's a shot caller with "soldiers" wheeling and dealing all over Jamaica. It's Suave's world, and everyone else just lives in it, or so he thinks. Raymond Brown's nemesis, King Kong, sees it differently. They've been rivals since childhood, and King Kong's hell-bent on destroying Suave at any cost. As the war over power, drugs, and money intensifies, bodies are dropping like flies.

The era is 1988, Detroit is the scene, and crack is the movement. It's a time when young black men can become self-made millionaires seemingly overnight by selling dope. The crack era has become to blacks what Prohibition was to the Italians - a time to get over! It's a time that inspires generations of street dreams.... Fresh out of high school, young Wink has but one thing on his mind - rollin' fresh. Infatuated by all the trappings of the game, Wink and his B-boy crew jump headfirst into the ills of the drug trade, determined to taste the good life.

Being raised in the game by conniving, money-hungry, married-to-the-streets parents, the only thing 17-year-old Porsha Jackson was sheltered from was fairytales. Calvin, her father, is one of the most feared and respected drug dealers in the city, and Trinity, her mother, has a reputation for a firm hand and on-point aim. From hustling and grinding to balancing a few hours of school a week to keep social services off the family's back, Porsha has been groomed from an early age to hold her own and help run the family's business.

With Cameron fighting for his life, Skye is forced to step up to the plate. She is on a vicious quest to get answers, as well as revenge, while still preparing for motherhood. Throughout her journey, Skye battles with the struggle of trying to remain true to her morals or succumbing to the dangerous lifestyle that she has been sucked into. Secrets are revealed, lies are exposed, and friendships are tested as the dramatic Power Trip continues.

Savannah was everything Dre wanted in a woman: beautiful, educated, independent, and classy. On top of that, she was the best lover Dre had ever had. It had to be kismet that brought these two together because karma would have never allowed it. Savannah had made too many negative deposits into karma's bank without any withdrawals to end up with a good man like Dre. Perhaps, karma and kismet were in cahoots.

When former drug kingpin Keith "Big K" Turner is released from prison after serving 16 years, things aren't as they once were. Not only has the neighborhood he once reigned over changed; his entire family has changed as well. When his wife, Desiree, is found murdered, all fingers point to Big K's enemies in the streets. But that may be just the way the killer wants it to seem. When Detective Brice Simpson, the newly dubbed "hood detective" takes the case, he soon finds himself up against some of the hood's most dangerous people, some of whom he grew up with.

Darica and Dolan Rogiers appear to have the picture-perfect marriage, but the one thing they are missing is a child to love. When Nolan, Dolan’s estranged brother, shows up, he seems to be the only person who can help them. Sometimes the very thing we think is the solution to our problems is really our worst nightmare. The brothers’ relationship is not only complicated, but it has its own special rules, baggage, and skeletons, leaving their women to deal with pregnancy problems, commitment issues, and baby mama drama.

Cases hit emotional chords when two lawyers force their clients to reckon interracial relationships and family drama. Will the racial tension of their cases destroy them or make them stronger? When the prestigious law firm of Wayne, Rothstein, and Lincoln catches two major cases - a rape case against a white NBA star who allegedly raped a black stripper, and a murder case against a black rapper who allegedly killed a gay couple and two policemen - Bill O'Neil and Ben Turner are tasked with handling these racially charged litigations.

As the daughter of a former NBA player and a criminal attorney, 21-year-old Skye Lewis is faced with the immense pressures of becoming as successful as her parents. Upon starting her first year of law school she meets third year student Cameron Carter. Almost immediately, they find themselves extremely attracted to one another. However, Cameron has a host of secrets and a complex occupation, which he tries to keep from Skye. Through an unlikely turn of events, Skye finds out about Cameron’s secret life and is forced to choose between true love or her own well-being.