Urban Reviews - Your Source for the Best in AA Fiction!

GiGi Gunn Cajun Moon April 1, 2008   There is a saying in New Orleans about the Cajun Moon—it’s a bad moon rising, and when it’s in the sky, your life can be changed in an instant. Sassy Crillon never believed in the old folks’ tales. She believed in what was real, and real for her was to be in love with Roulon Robespierre. She built her world around him and their five-year relationship. But on one fateful cajun moonlit night, she catches him doing the unthinkable. Now she is left alone, without him. As Sassy learns to enjoy her newfound freedom from “Roux,” she can’t help but wonder if she will ever find true love. Aiden is a rich, successful native Louisanaian who has practically everything—except for true love. There is only one woman he has ever loved. He wants to tell her, but other things and other people keep getting in the way. Still, he is determined to reveal his true feelings. He is just waiting for the chance to tel...

Marsha D. Jenkins-Sanders Jealousy: A Stranger Company Keeper Available Now!   How much should beauty determine a person's worth in society, and how far will one woman go to gain approval?     In this compelling and thought-provoking novel, Marsha D. Jenkins-Sanders explores the stigmas, labels, and fears that contribute to people's feelings of unworthiness, confusion, resentment, and plummeting self-respect, as well as the complicated issues of sexual identity.   Rochelle Jackson is a woman born without, as she calls it, the "pretty gene." She more closely resembles a man and harbors a forbidden secret. This mix of volatile emotion and the simmering resentment bred by years of rejection becomes the destructive force behind her scheme to dethrone Dakota North, Rochelle's beautiful cousin and a prima donna in her own right.   When Rochelle lets loose with her vicious plan, it becomes an all-out war that will leave both parties changed forever. In the tra...

  Sylvia Lett Like Never Before April 1, 2008   The shortest distance between two hearts is love...   ...or so thought Danielle Roberts and Greg Thomas when they were starry-eyed law students planning a future together. But harsh reality—in the form of Greg's ambition and Danielle's interfering father—soon put them on very different paths. Years later, Danielle's professional life is in perfect order; her personal life is a different story. Nothing's been right since Greg left without saying goodbye. But would she take him back if she had the chance? It's time to find out...   A little older and a lot wiser, Greg realizes what he walked away from and doesn't plan to do it again: he's back in Dallas to sweep Danielle off her feet and down the aisle. Still, in spite of chemistry that sizzles more than ever, he'll have to handle his soul mate with care. She's twice shy, thanks to him—but there's something more behind the wall Danielle's ...

Claudia Mair Burney Death, Deceit, & Some Smooth Jazz Available Now!   Amanda Bell Brown is a woman on the edge.   How's a woman supposed to nurse a broken heart when her pet sugar glider is driving her batty, or is that squirrelly? The deafening tick of her biological clock and having no Jazz to soothe her makes Amanda Bell Brown one frazzled forensic psychologist.   When Lieutenant Jazz Brown shows up at Amanda's door unannounced, her heart competes with her head as she struggles to do the right thing. Jazz says he wants to reconnect and make their relationship work. But there's just one tiny problem: his ex-wife is found murdered -- in his apartment.   Now Amanda has to strap on her sleuthing shoes -- the cute gold pair -- and work against time to discover the truth, both for herself and for Jazz. But as the body count rises and surprising clues begin to surface, Amanda wonders if anyone can know the heart of a man -- especially her man.   ...

  Nane Quartay Come Get Some Available Now!     Come Get Some is a vivid tale of street life and the struggle to conquer poverty and discover one's self through the indomitable will of the human spirit. Four friends -- Mugwump, Whiteboy Paul, Truitt, and Willmon Angel -- are tragic outcasts plunged into a world of shifting morality, sexual exploration and the stinging reality of racism. An illicit relationship with a high school English teacher, a tragic altercation with the police and a youthful indiscretion force them each to confront their personal demons, revealing hard truths that alter their lives forever. When one of the friends is murdered, their friendship is shattered and his violent death tears their clique apart as they go their separate ways. Years later, they are reunited and when forced to face the consequences of their actions they hatch a plan to exact revenge on the man responsible for the murder. Thrust into a world of shifting morality, sexual ...

Patricia Anne Phillips No Turning Back April 1, 2008   Her Biggest Challenge In Life…   Darian Cantrall may have been born in New Orleans, but ever since she moved to L.A., she can’t imagine living anywhere else. With a dream job and a glamorous life, she has everything she wants. But when her sister Monique’s battle with cancer takes a turn for the worst, Darian returns home to be there for her family and do whatever is needed of her—even if it means taking on the one thing she dreads most…   Just Might Become Her Greatest Joy.   Darian isn’t cut out for motherhood or small-city life. And now it looks like she’s diving right in to both. Monique left behind two small children and Darian is the only one who can raise them. Moving back home brings up all sorts of issues about the past. But when reality sets in, Darian discovers that her fast-paced glamorous L.A. life wasn’t as idyllic as she thought. With he...

Jay Tyvon What Is Luv? March 25, 2008     Set in the bustling cities of Atlanta and Chicago, music executive Justin Vaughn is complacent with his life. Justin spends his time balancing climbing the ladder of success and weaving in and out of meaningless relationships, with more women than he could care to name, or count--until a tragedy occurs and Justin suddenly finds himself in a struggle with demons from his past and present.   Dealing with the nagging shame of being an emotionally absent single father and the emptiness of his whorish existence, Justin attempts to turn his life around, only to be met with pitfalls, disappointments and at times, utter despair. Because of the tangled web Justin so often weaves, he ends up at rock bottom, before he can attempt to pull himself up out of darkness.   What Is Luv? demonstrates that lives can be made anew with true love, friendship, trust, and most of all, patience.   CLICK HERE TO READ A FULL EXCERPT NOW...

  Nikki Nicole A Little Bit Of Sin Available Now!     A businesswoman, wife, and mother, Sinatra Graham’s life is good. She chauffeurs her children to their football games and cheerleading practices while running her own beauty salon with a staff of close friends. Unfortunately, life takes a sudden detour when she discovers her husband’s briefs smeared with lipstick—and it’s not her shade.   With her marriage on the rocks, Sinatra confronts her own relationship demons and revisits a past love, the father of her first child. But after she watches how her cousin struggles to find a good man and fails miserably, Sinatra decides to take a closer look at her marriage and decide how to proceed.   Sinatra keeps her children’s home life stable while She’s Gotta Have It, her beauty shop, keeps her busy as she tries to develop it into a successful business. But an unexpected pregnancy and uncertainty over who the baby’s...

Kendra Norman-Bellamy Battle of Jericho March 25, 2008     Peter Jericho has spent most of his adult life living for God and serving his country as one of the few proud Marines. Just before getting the orders for his third assignment in Iraq, his once solid marriage, suddenly takes a turn for the worse, prompting his wife, Jan, and their twelve-year-old daughter, Kyla, to leave their family home on the Marine base in Twenty-Nine Palms, CA and permanently relocate to Atlanta, GA to live with Jan's mother in an infamous community called Shelton Heights. Peter loves the Lord, but when his calamity increases, will his faith decrease?   As his latest tour of duty nears an end, he decides that it is the perfect time to say goodbye to military life and focus on reclaiming the family he loves so dearly. His plans are abruptly interrupted when Peter finds himself a captured prisoner of war. Survival doesn't seem likely for Master Sergeant Peter Kyle Jericho, and he finds hi...

L. Divine Drama High: Lady J Available Now!     For South Bay High's bold, beautiful Jayd Jackson, drama has reached record-breaking heights as she finds herself on the defensive at home, work, and school. Maybe it's time to take her destiny-and her power-into her own hands.   Her relationship with now-ex boyfriend Jeremy behind her, Jayd realizes drama is just a never-ending part of daily life. Even so, she's reached her limit, battling with her new boss, jealousies at school, and tensions at home. To deal with it all, Jayd is ready to give some attention to her legacy as one in a long line of conjure women. But that legacy comes with a line of rivals too-and a couple of them are much too close to home.   First, there's Misty, Jayd's enemy #1 and current girlfriend of Jayd's other ex, KJ. Then there's Jayd's neighbor, Esmeralda, a conjurer from Louisiana whose crystal-clear blue eyes are said to be deadly. When Jayd spots Misty's mom visit...

Monique Miller Soul Confessions March 25, 2008 The skeletons from Phillip Tomlinson’s closet literally come out and knock on his front door, shaking Phillip’s and Shelby’s marriage to a point of no return. Shelby is content with her cozy suburban life. She has a doting husband, a beautiful daughter and a baby boy on the way. Except for a little edema from the pregnancy and a few annoying hang up phone calls, her world is great. Shelby is on cloud nine until she learns about secrets her husband has been hiding as well as lies he has been telling that changes her life forever. For years, Jeana Sands has carried a torch for her college sweetheart, Phillip; a torch which has gradually grown into an uncontrollable inferno. With a heart full of vengeance, Jeana devises a plan to make Phillip pay for pretending to love her.   Note : This is the sequel to Monique Miller's debut novel Secret Sisterhood , both released by Urban Christian.     CLICK HERE...

Victoria Christopher Murray Diamond (The Divas) Available Now!     The Divine Divas. They're fifteen and they're fine, and they want to be the hottest, hippest new girl group to hit gospel music. First they'll have to win the team talent competition. But with looks, energy, and voices like theirs, they are sure they'll go right to the top.   Diamond Winters is the one who formed the Divas. With her wealthy, loving parents and an endless supply of charm, she's always been able to sweet-talk her way into anything. But this time, has Diamond talked her way right into trouble? Diamond has support for her group from her family and church, but she has a lot going on. She's made it onto the school's varsity cheerleading squad, and she's caught the eye of the totally cool senior Jason Xavier. Jax is sweeping her off her feet, but Diamond is starting to feel as if she's in over her head.   Diamond has always been so sure she's in control. Will s...

Pat G'Orge-Walker Somewhat Saved March 25, 2008     In her latest, most soulful and side-splitting send-up of church life yet, Pat G’Orge-Walker’s hilarious cast of parishioners battle their worst vices, the funny and serious sides of aging, and each other…     Mother Sasha Pray Onn and Mother Bea Blister live on the edge—of Christianity, that is, and they’re about to knock Sister Betty off her sanctified perch. As the senior citizen matrons of the Ain’t Nobody Saved but Us-All Others Goin’ to Hell church, their devotion to the Lord must compete with their secret passions for gambling and grudges against each other. But their long-held animosity is about to be complicated when the new pastor, the Reverend Leotis Tom, wants to reorganize the Mothers Board in time for the upcoming Las Vegas Conference and asks a reluctant Sister Betty to run for President.   After a scuffle at a secret Bingo game at the No Hope...

50 Cent & Derrick Pledger The Diamond District Available Now!     D.J.'s got an Ivy League diploma, the sexiest girl in the city, and the five best friends a dude could want. What he doesn't have is cash. When his boy, Dre, steals some ice from a thug after a fight, D.J. comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme worth thousands of dollars. But in this high-stakes game, you don't lie, cheat, and steal without paying the price, and after staring down the barrel of a handgun, D.J. learns a life lesson that college didn't teach him. Now which will he choose -- the straight and narrow or the streets?     CLICK HERE TO READ A FULL EXCERPT NOW!   CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

Victoria Christopher Murray Newsletter Introducing Divine Divas Teen Series March 12, 2008       Hello! For everyone who I haven't talked to through email or on the phone this year, the first thing I want to say is Happy New Year!   I hope your 2008 is already a year of wonderful new beginnings.      Speaking of new beginnings, on Tuesday, March 18 th (next week!) the first book of my teen series, The Divine Divas, will be released.   I cannot tell you how excited I am about this and I hope you'll take the time to meet these four young divas: Diamond, India, Veronique and Aaliyah.   My ladies are fifteen and fine and they want to be the hottest, hippest new girl group to hit gospel music.   These novels have already been optioned to become a television series, so I'm excited.   Please check the Divine Divas out at www.thedivinedivas.com .      Now, I...

HoneyB (Mary B. Morrison) Sexcapades: A Novel Available Now!     Nick and Natalie are two lovers whose sexual lives are more than above average, but they are both competing for the same CEO position in the firm that they work for. Justin Flint has the power to persuade the Board of Directors. He is bisexual and attracted to both Nick and Natalie, but he doesn't know that they are lovers. After secretly sleeping with both of them, Justin announces his decision. Natalie has gotten the position in Paris. Nick is furious because he has sacrificed his sexuality and his manhood for this position. Natalie is now torn between the love of her life and her dream job. She chooses to move to Paris. Although she is in Paris, she is miserable without Nick, so she creates a position for an assistant so that he will come to Paris also. Will Nick follow her? Will past skeletons come back to haunt her and Nick?     CLICK HERE TO READ A FULL EXCERPT NOW!   CLICK HERE TO ...

Xavier Knight (C. Kelly Robinson) The Things We Do For Love Available Now!     Ten years ago, Jesse Law was a twenty-year-old with the world at his feet. After surviving a painful, often lonely childhood as the youngest child in a music dynasty, he forged a high-profile career, blazing a path on the charts later followed by the likes of Usher and Justin Timberlake. Those heady times are far in the past now, and Jesse's life is far richer thanks to his emerging values, the love of his wife, Dionne, and a lower-key but fulfilling career as lead singer of the gospel group. As far as he has come, though, Jesse's days are burdened by a shameful reality.     CLICK HERE TO READ A FULL EXCERPT NOW!   CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!  

Kensington Adds Another African American Unit   Dawn Marie Daniels and Candace Sandy Continuing to aggressively expand its African American publishing program, Kensington Publishing will launch a new imprint focused on inspirational books that will be called Souls of My Sisters, a program based on a bestselling title of the same name by Dawn Marie Daniels and Candace Sandy...   Read more at: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6537495.html?nid=2286&source=link&rid=268399219      

 The RAWSISTAZ B-A-D Contest is LIVE!        RAWSISTAZ (and our sponsors) are giving away books EVERY SINGLE DAY in March , in a continued celebration of Black History as a tribute to the authors and publishers who support our reading addictions.  Days coincide with the day of the month and you must submit your entry by midnight that day and only that day, unless otherwise instructed.  (You can not submit more than one entry per day, but you can stop back through daily).   http://www.rawsistaz.com/BAD-Giveaway.htm

  Urban-Reviews.com Monthly Newsletter  March 2008 - Keeping You Up-To-Date On African-American Fiction, Hip-Hop, and R&B! March 2008 - New Reviews AA Fiction Music Inside Out Q&As WE HAVE FOUR GIVEAWAYS THIS MONTH! All you have to do is wait for the special message to the group and then send your name and mailing address to the specific email address mentioned in that message! We will announce the winners via the Yahoo Group. You can only win ONE BOOK during the month and the contest is restricted to residents within the continental United States!!! Check out what we are giving away this month on our CONTEST PAGE! Good Luck everybody! ZOOBA.COM - The Best Way To Get AA Fiction titles! Brand New Hardcover Editions - $9.95 With Free Shipping! March 2008 - On The Line With Radiah Hubbert (Audio Interview)   Mark Anthony talks to Radiah Hubbert about: - His newest novel 'Reasonable Doubt' - His publishing c...