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

Anna J., a native of Philadelphia, is a multi-faceted author whose catalog spans across all genres. Her debut novel, My Woman His Wife, arrived on the scene in 2004 solidifying Anna's place in the literary industry. Deciding to switch gears, Anna J. tossed her hat into the thriller/suspense arena in the spring of 2025, introducing the world to Dylan Hunt, MMC in The Hunt: An Erotic Thriller. Further testing the limits of her creativity, Anna also contributed to her favorite past time and released Big Back Activities Vol. I and II. These coloring books that cater to those that enjoy a good meal. Anna is currently working on a future release. Okay bye.   Radiah Hubbert:  Tell us about What Happened to Zaniyah ? Anna J: What Happened To Zaniyah is about what happens when you think you have it all figured out. Internet predators, life after death, and how we cope with the decisions we make in life. RH:  How difficult was it to write this storyline? AJ:  This was my most...

  Shelia Goss is a national bestselling and award-winning author known for her captivating romance novels and dynamic, emotionally rich storytelling. With bold narratives, high-glam energy, and heroine-centered plots, Shelia brings heart, heat, and sophistication to every page. She is the author of more than twenty-one books, including the Essence bestselling My Invisible Husband and the critically acclaimed The Joneses and Delilah. USA Today praised her, saying, "Goss has an easy, flowing style with her prose." An AAMBC Romance Author of the Year and Library Journal Best Books honoree, Shelia continues to make her mark in both the literary and screenwriting worlds. Her work spans multiple genres, but romance remains her heart and passion. Radiah Hubbert: Tell us about Worth the Risk . Shelia Goss: Worth the Risk is a glamorous, emotionally layered romance set in the high-stakes world of Hollywood. The story follows an ambitious woman who has built her career under the spot...

  RH:Tell us about us about Splitting Souls. Kaylynn Hunt: Splitting   Souls is a look through the eyes of a Black Detective in a town in Oklahoma as he navigates his way through a case that keeps growing. As he unravels the clues, so do you. And you’ll never see what’s coming next. RH:Why did you pick Oklahoma as the backdrop for this story? KH: I actually have family in Oklahoma. It seemed like the perfect place to have this story unravel. Lending to the character’s angst in the town. RH:Do you know when will we see these characters again? KH: All I’ll say is that you may see SOME of the characters within the next year. RH:What are some of your upcoming projects? KH: As far as books: 2026 Almanac Anthology: Just Read Crew   (A 12 story anthology)   Releases Dec 31, 2025 https://amzn.to/4rcDg0D I’m also planning to bring page to screen Summer 2026 with a movie adaptation of HWY 725 Called The Killing Path RH: Where can readers find you? KH: Connect via my linktree h...

  Radiah Hubbert : Tell us about Passion For the Heist . K’wan: Passion started out as my ode to the outlaw. Those unrepentant spirits, who operate by their own sets of rules. It was about the thrill of the heist, but I think it changed somewhere along the lines, as I began to develop Passion’s character more. What I found myself with was two stories being told at once. On one side you have Pain, the former heist man who is looking to go straight but having a hard time of it. Then you have Passion, the troubled girl living what feels like an unforgiving life. What I ended up with is two stories about halves that end up becoming a whole. If that makes sense?   RH: How did you come up with the title for this book? K: Well, it was originally called “The Passion of The Heist,” which was a play on the movie title Passion of the Christ. My editor felt like it needed tweaking. Something that was not quite as long, but still hit the mark I was shooting for. So we re-named it “Passi...

  Radiah Hubbert: Tell us about If I Was Your Girlfriend. Marlon McCaulsky: This book is about four lifelong friends who live in Atlanta. This is a sexy, sophisticated portrayal of a hip Afrocentric Atlanta native Rashida and her three girlfriends Joyce, Denise, and Taylor. In this sexy, soulful tale of love, betrayal, and friendship set in modern-day Atlanta, these four young African Americans try to hold on to what's really important; sisterhood. RH : How do you feel about this book getting released through a major publisher after so many years? MM: To be honest I feel blessed. This didn't have to happen. I originally self-published this book in 2018 and was excited to finally get it out to the people. It did it's thing, well received, and it opened the door for a lot of opportunities. Now to have the opportunity to re-release this book to a bigger audience is amazing.   Not too many authors get an opportunity like this so I'm very thankful. Thank you to my litera...

Radiah : Tell us about Black Girls Must Die Exhausted. Jayne: Black Girls Must Die Exhausted is the story of 33-year-old Tabitha Walker.   She’s a woman who has really focused on societal expectations and living according to “standards.”   What’s more, as a black woman, she faces additional pressures because those standards weren’t necessarily created with her in mind.     The story kicks off meeting Tabitha (who we call Tabby, as we get to know her) on her worst day, just after she’s become aware of a fertility crisis that throws her carefully laid plans into disarray. Everything she’s taken for granted now needs to be reconsidered.   And along that process, Tabby must learn a new way to look at fulfillment, apart from just meeting standards and for her own happiness, learn how to shift from just surviving to starting to think what thriving would be like for her.   Jayne: What I hoped to do with this book was authentically center a black female protagonist...

Radiah: What inspired you to create your own publishing companies? Julia: First, my father taught school in the day and was an entrepreneur at night.   I saw the power of entrepreneurship and owning my business up close and personal.   Secondly, I admit it and very transparent about having control issues.   Long before the popular phrase of ‘owning your own table rather than begging for a seat at someone else’ table became popular I knew I wanted to own, control and be the visionary of my own company.   Radiah:   How do you balance running your own publishing company and writing your own books? Julia: Discipline and a passion for what I write.   I know plenty of publishers who do not write for themselves but just publish other people.   The writing bug bit me and bit me hard.   Additionally, I enjoy teaching from my own books.   It allows me to interject my own voice on a subject as well as leave my own legacy on the subject matter for the n...

   K’WAN is the best-selling, award-winning author of more thirty novels, including the wildly popular Animal series, Black Lotus , Gangsta , Road Dawgz , Street Dreams , Hoodlum , and Section 8 . He has been featured in Vibe , King , Entertainment Weekly , and Time magazine . K’wan was the recipient of the 2012 and 2013 Street Lit Book Award Medals (SLBAM) in adult fiction for Eviction Notice and Animal . His credits also include featured commentary in the documentary Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp (produced by Ice-T) as well as a recurring role as an analyst on TV One’s Celebrity Crime Files . K’wan resides in New Jersey, where he spends his time writing, cooking, and binge-watching reruns of The Vampire Diaries with his teenage daughters. Black Lotus 2: The Vow is his latest novel.   Radiah:   Tell us about Black Lotus 2 : The Vow. K’wan:  Black Lotus 2 picks up a few months after the events in Black Lotus, and right before Kahllah’s character is introd...