A harsh account of life in the projects brings the reader into the lives of three young women, who all, by different unfortunate means, are connected to each other by one man. Reprint.
In the third installment of the runaway hit series Girls from Da Hood, street fiction veterans KaShamba Williams and Mark Anthony are joined by newcomer MadameK, as they turn up the heat with fiery stories that will leave readers breathless.
Two Essence® bestselling Urban Books authors have teamed up to bring the Motor City drama in this latest installment of the popular Girls from da Hood Series. All the Way In, by Treasure Hernandez: Born into the struggle, Sonya and Melody are far from living the good life. They’re missing meals, have no clean clothes to put on their backs, and are forced to sleep in abandoned houses. There are zero possibilities in sight for a legal come-up for either young woman. The desperate teens have no choice but to beg, borrow, and steal if they hope to survive on the savage streets of Detroit. In a twist of fate, the pair link up, adapting a bloodthirsty, anything-goes, what’s-yours-is-mine attitude that they inflict upon all with whom they come in contact. Sonya and Melody are made of no sugar, no spice, and definitely nothing nice! Escaping a Thug’s Love, by Ms. Michel Moore: The Dexter Linwood Area is one of the most notorious neighborhoods in Detroit. Sable and Mike Mike were both born into that pure madness. When they fall in love, the young couple soon becomes DLA royalty, and they embrace all the chaos that comes along with it. Whenever he rocks, she rolls. If she hustles, he grinds. Their gangsta lifestyle is picture-perfect until Mike Mike starts popping pills and getting high on the regular. Soon, bills are not getting paid, vehicles are being repossessed, and shutoff notices become the norm. The last straw is when Sable’s jewelry mysteriously comes up missing. Now, the hood princess wants out of their toxic relationship. Will Mike Mike let her go?
From an award-winning and “stunningly talented” writer, reflections on the line between sexual freedom and sexual exploitation (Samantha Irby, New York Times–bestselling author of We Are Never Meeting in Real Life). Women’s sexuality is often used as a weapon against them. In this refreshing, unapologetic debut, award-winning performance poet and playwright Britteney Black Rose Kapri lends her unmistakable voice to fraught questions of identity, sexuality, reclamation, and power in a world that refuses black queer women permission to define their own lives and boundaries. Black Queer Hoe is a powerful intervention into important and ongoing conversations. “In a debut crackling with energy, honesty, and wit, Kapri moves to reclaim elements of language surrounding women’s sexuality, especially that of black women . . . Kapri assails the ways social norms are routinely used to blame girls and women for the moral failures of boys and men. Embracing the intimacy of a confessional and the sting of a viral tweet, Kapri unabashedly celebrates the various facets of her self and refuses to serve as anyone’s martyr.” —Publishers Weekly
Three Urban Books authors have teamed up to bring the drama in this latest installment of the popular Girls from da Hood Series. Get It, Get It! by Ms. Michel Moore: Monica was conceived on a pile of dirty clothes in the corner of a trap house. Cursed with a mother who worshiped the crack pipe more than her children, she quickly learned a Detroit reality: Get it how ya live or die trying. The young teenager is forced to beg, borrow, and steal to make sure she and her siblings survive to see another day. Cutthroat and conniving, Monica will make it, no matter who she has to step on or step over. You Can’t Break Usby Treasure Hernandez: Voodo and his girl, Moni, are inseparable. Like a modern Bonnie and Clyde from the hood, they let no one, even family, get in their way. When the people they do “around the way” business with turn out to be verified snakes, the ruthless couple gets revenge the only way they know how—street justice. With the law in hot pursuit, it’s Voodo and Moni against the world, just like they always knew it would be. So Far Gone by Katt: Sometimes love is the best feeling in the world, but the wrong kind of love can turn you into an entirely different person. When good-girl-turned-bad Renee gets together with Keithon, it’s them against the world, until the streets get to talking and their fairy-tale relationship turns into a full-blown nightmare. Karma steps in and has her way with the couple, and their lives will never be the same.
My name is Christianna Faith Leonard. I am named after a man of great honor. Yet, how deep I fall short from my namesake is immeasurable. From a distance, my life is a dream. My house in the suburbs is beautiful. Our picturesque family photo sits on the mantle of a fireplace looking as if it were ripped straight out of a magazine. I never miss choir rehearsal. My grades and volunteer work have earned me a scholarship to college. My polite manners are impeccable; quick to say please and thank you. I am the trusted neighborhood babysitter. But behind the facade of a good girl, I am a young woman covered in guilt, sin, and secrets. Shame is my childhood friend, never too far away like a loyal companion. Even still, my biggest dream is to just be loved and accepted for who I really am. You can call me Tianna or Ti for short. I am a good girl. I am a hood girl.My name is Bianca Williams. My mom chose my name. People call me Bi for short. I can't tell you how many times they call me that for a different reason altogether. It's annoying and kinda pisses me off. But I ain't letting nobody have power over me like that. If there is one thing I learned growing up in North Camden, is having tough skin. Can't let them see you sweatin' the small stuff. Can't show weakness or you'll get eaten up alive out here. Yet, a big, soft heart beats within me. I can't let it become hardened like these cold, crime-ridden streets. I have dreams and goals. My dad doesn't know it, but he needs me. I need to make my Mom proud. Don't get me wrong, I will throw hands up real quick because I am ain't scared of anyone or anything. Well, anything except being alone. That is a fear that a hood mentality can't seem to eradicate. Even still, I long to be loved and safe. I am a hood girl. I am a good girl.
The whole gang is back in the highly anticipated sequel of It is What it is a Hood Love Story. Everyone has a past filled with secrets. The question is will the person you're with, love you the same when they find out your deepest and darkest secrets? This time around love will be entangled with hidden skeletons and everyone has them. Whose love is strong enough to overcome secrets and whose relationship will fall by the wayside? Carlos hasn't exactly been a choir boy; but no one can deny the love he has for Lucky. Is love really enough when his past indiscretions have left permanent scars on Lucky's heart that are now manifesting through distrust and insecurities? Can Lucky let his previous mistakes stay in the past or is she bound to let it ruin their future? When we last left off in an act of jealousy and mistrust Lucky set forward a chain of events that left both her and Los in handcuffs. Is this the last straw? Or can their love survive this test?Both Keema and Jah are living the life they'd always dreamed. Husband and wife are now parents to a bouncing baby boy and another blessing on the way. The newlyweds soon find out that life isn't as perfect as they thought it would be. When Keema is suddenly contacted by someone from her past, will she end up letting this individual sabotage her future?Ty and Nice are finally together and she couldn't be happier. With the honeymoon phase of their relationship over she's finding out that balancing her career and home life isn't all that easy. Especially, when outside forces seem to keep trying to pull them apart. With Mia creating Baby Mama drama in epic proportions and a dark secret threatening to ruin their relationship could their relationship survive?
Drama is no stranger to Tiara James. When it felt like the world had finally changed the hand that she'd been dealt, reality continued to creep up on her. With a mom on the verge of becoming an alcoholic and an alcoholic crack-addicted father who use to beat her mom in front of her, who could blame Tiara for finding a family on the streets. Tiara's loyalty to her friends was undeniable. The crew consisted of, Tiara, Tamika, Shavon, Renee, Ke Ke and Karen. They jumped, robbed and fought other girls who stood in their way. When trouble surfaced, the crew had no problems with getting their hands dirty. Tiara was faithful to her crew handling any drama that presented itself. But when jealousy get's the best of friends, things continued to get ugly. With an older brother Tre James wrapped deeply into the streets becoming a drug dealer at 13, their younger brother Sharod had no choice but to admire both Tre and Tiara's lifestyle. Tragedy continued to hit home and Tiara's life continued to go down hill. She lost people who she loved and trusted the most to death, jail or betrayal. From welfare, section 8, jail, drugs, abusive relationships and lies, Tiara's future seems uncertain. Will she finally rise above the drama that meets her at every corner, or remain trapped in the jaws of the hood? Brace yourself as Tiara James takes you on a rollercoaster ride in her footsteps, in her hood, telling her story.
Long out-of-print, My Old People Say has remained a primary resource for students of the history and culture of northwestern North America. Catherine McClellan’s three decades of collaboration with the Inland Tlingit, Tagish and Southern Tutchone resulted in two splendid, scholarly volumes that document rich and detailed memories of late nineteenth century social organization, subsistence strategies and resource allocation, as well as aesthetic, spiritual and intellectual traditions.