Black Fiction Addiction

20/08/2024

The Unicorn Woman
Gayl Jones

Set in the early 1950s, this latest novel from Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist Gayl Jones follows the witty but perplexing army veteran Buddy Ray Guy as he embodies the fate of Black soldiers who return, not in glory, but into their Jim Crow communities.

A cook and tractor repairman, Buddy was known as Budweiser to his army pals because he’s a wise guy. But underneath that surface, he is a true self-educated intellectual and a classic seeker: looking for religion, looking for meaning, looking for love.

As he moves around the south, from his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky, primarily, to his second home of Memphis, Tennessee, he recalls his love affairs in post-war France and encounters with a variety of colorful characters and mythical prototypes: circus barkers, topiary trimmers, landladies who provide shelter and plenty of advice for their all-Black clientele, proto feminists, and bigots. The lead among these characters is, of course, The Unicorn Woman, who exists, but mostly lives in Bud’s private mythology.

https://amzn.to/4dhAVtC

19/08/2024

New Releases (Week of August 11, 2024)

19/08/2024

Kingdom of Dust
Lisa Stringfellow

Though the land of Kun used to be lush and green, Amara has only ever known her homeland as a dry, dusty desert. When the griots vanished more than a decade ago, they took their magic with them, along with goddess Oala’s gifts of rain and plenty, leaving Kun controlled by a powerful and uncaring king. And though her foster mother, Zirachi, assures her that Kun is not under a curse, Amara can’t help but wonder if her own origin, which is shrouded in mystery, is somehow linked to the broken kingdom.
When Amara and Zirachi are attacked by the Nkume, the fearsome king’s guard, Amara must flee, leaving all that she has known behind. With nowhere to go but knowing that she is under Oala’s protection, Amara sets off to do the impossible: find the griots and save Kun before the kingdom blows away like dust.

https://amzn.to/3Snj0K2

18/08/2024

Looking for book recommendations.👀

18/08/2024

NEW BLOG POST: AUTHOR KAIA ALDERSON IS ‘IN A LEAGUE OF HER OWN’

Author Kaia Alderson is stopping by today to talk about her latest release. I recently spoke with her about In a League of Her Own. Tell me about your latest

18/08/2024

NEW BLOG POST: AUTHOR NOUÉ KIRWAN IS FLYING HIGH WITH LATEST RELEASE

Author Noué Kirwan has found that sometimes love can be found in unexpected places. She used the idea for her latest release, Frequent Fliers. Tell me about

18/08/2024

NEW BLOG POST: AUTHOR NATASHA D. FRAZIER HAS THE RECIPE FOR SWEET SUCCESS

Author Natasha D. Frazier believes sweet reads and sweet eats have the makings for an amazing second-chance romance. She’s combining the two in her

18/08/2024

It’s a black book thing…

18/08/2024

NEW BLOG POST: AUTHOR YASMIN ANGOE SHARES EXCERPT FROM ‘NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS’

Get ready to see author Yasmin Angoe like you’ve never seen her before. She’s stopping by today to share an excerpt from her latest release, Not What She Se

18/08/2024

If only…

18/08/2024

The Student
Tanisha Stewart

Nicholas always strived for perfection, but he never could measure up to his mother’s unreasonable demands. His hopes of passing the prerequisites for the pre-med program at the prestigious Plankton University are dashed when he fails out.

He has almost lost hope, but maybe he can find it in psychology?

Until he encounters Professor Jackson. For an introductory class, her standards are way too high. As time wears on, Nicholas feels like he’s in over his head. His mother doesn’t know his secret, Professor Jackson won’t let up on his grades, and sooner or later, the walls will come crashing down around him.

Maybe Nicholas can reason with Professor Jackson. Maybe he can make her see his point of view.

Maybe they can come to an agreement about his grades?

Because the only other alternative is to kill her.

https://amzn.to/3SjDGTa

17/08/2024

17/08/2024

Eagle Rock
Ian K. Smith

Billionaire Elliott Kantor, who ruled over a mammoth real estate portfolio in Chicago, was a creature of habit. His trainer came to his house three mornings every week for a five-thirty workout. By six-thirty he was in the car and his driver drove him down into the city where he’d get a shave and trim from his barber every morning, then head over to his offices on Wacker. He always ate breakfast at his desk, had two young assistants who tended to his every whim and demand, then spent all day in and out of meetings growing a business that had already made him one of the wealthiest men in the country.

There were few surprises in his world. Or so everyone thought, until Kantor died in his sleep at age 77, leaving behind a vast fortune and grieving wife, son, and five grandchildren.

When Simon Kantor enlists Ashe Cayne to explore his father's death, the probing private investigator learns there was plenty of "activities" Elliott participated in after hours, including a s*x traffic ring. And as Ashe and readers will discover this is only the beginning, and as our hero dives deeper and deeper into Elliott's hidden world, this may be the end for the intrepid Mr. Cayne.

https://amzn.to/3LJbNjm

16/08/2024

Never the Right Time
Reese Ryan

When on-again, off-again high school sweethearts Cedrick “Ced” Brown and Anika “Nikki” Hart meet up again at the jubilee celebration of their arts high school in Atlanta, they are both at a crossroads in their lives and careers.

Nikki was once part of a top-selling female group. The lead singer left the group to become an international sensation, while Nikki is still struggling to establish a solo career. She plans to move to Europe and work with a few producers there, feeling that’s her best chance to find herself musically and emotionally.

Cedrick, one of the hottest producers on the radio, thought he lost Nikki forever when she got engaged to someone else. Now that she’s free again, he’s tired of the off-again, on-again dance with Nikki. He’s ready for something real, and Nikki has always been the only woman for him. He just needs one last chance to prove that he and Nikki are the perfect match in love and music.

Ced, co-owner of a newly formed record label, offers Nikki a one-album contract to be produced over twelve weeks. That’s all he needs to show her that she’s the one who owns his heart and that he’s the one who will always put her needs first—in love and music.

Once the album is done, they’ll decide whether to give the project and their relationship their all or walk away forever.

https://amzn.to/3A68gco

16/08/2024

Never the Right Time
Reese Ryan

When on-again, off-again high school sweethearts Cedrick “Ced” Brown and Anika “Nikki” Hart meet up again at the jubilee celebration of their arts high school in Atlanta, they are both at a crossroads in their lives and careers.

Nikki was once part of a top-selling female group. The lead singer left the group to become an international sensation, while Nikki is still struggling to establish a solo career. She plans to move to Europe and work with a few producers there, feeling that’s her best chance to find herself musically and emotionally.

Cedrick, one of the hottest producers on the radio, thought he lost Nikki forever when she got engaged to someone else. Now that she's free again, he's tired of the off-again, on-again dance with Nikki. He’s ready for something real, and Nikki has always been the only woman for him. He just needs one last chance to prove that he and Nikki are the perfect match in love and music.

Ced, co-owner of a newly formed record label, offers Nikki a one-album contract to be produced over twelve weeks. That’s all he needs to show her that she’s the one who owns his heart and that he’s the one who will always put her needs first—in love and music.

Once the album is done, they’ll decide whether to give the project and their relationship their all or walk away forever.

https://amzn.to/3A68gco

15/08/2024

Positive vibes only.

15/08/2024

Freedom Is Mine
M.K. Seven

Freedom Waymon and Ifeanyi Bello are both on the path of healing, each carrying the weight of shattered hearts and lost love.

Freedom, a recent divorcee, is scarred by the emotional and mental abuse inflicted by her ex-husband. Her self-confidence is fragile, often overshadowed by her perceived flaws of her plus-size body. This vulnerability starkly contrasts with Ifeanyi's strong, confident demeanor.

Ifeanyi, a widower, immerses himself in his work as an engineer to navigate his grief and fill the void left by his late wife. Despite his pain, he longs for the freedom to love again fully.

Determined to make her mark in the male-dominated construction industry, Freedom faces an uphill battle. On the other hand, Ifeanyi is convinced that Freedom is responsible for the unethical practices that led to his company's misfortunes and views her with disdain. Their mutual animosity is unmistakable, and they seem destined to be eternal enemies.

But fate intervenes with a sudden storm that will challenge their beliefs. Will they weather the tempest together, becoming each other's shelter, offering safety and hope, or will their brokenness keep them apart?

https://amzn.to/4djvERZ

14/08/2024

This Time It’s Love
Taccara Martin

Jaxon Hart is a world-renowned musician who has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the industry. Offstage, however, he's an unapologetic heartbreaker, leaving a trail of emotional wreckage in his wake.

His life takes a sharp turn when his estranged father dies, leaving him as the unexpected guardian of his 12-year-old half-sister, Mila, whom he's never met. Thrust overnight into single parenthood, Jaxon faces the very thing he's spent his life avoiding: vulnerability. This forces him to confront his fear of genuine love and meaningful connections.

Enter Hadassah "Dash" St. James, the dedicated head of Mila's charter school. Her love for children mirrors her commitment to her job, but a shadow of past trauma has dulled her once-bright spirit, sealing her heart away. Yet, she meets someone who can see through the mask she wears, someone who understands her in a way no one else has.

As Dash aids Jaxon and Mila in adjusting to their new circumstances, they, in turn, help her to rediscover her vibrancy and joy.

https://amzn.to/3WnfuQO

13/08/2024

Capture My Love
Taye Mo’Nae

Past relationships have left Nova scarred. Finishing up school and opening her boutique were her main focus until she ran into Grayson.
Grayson was worried about being a great father & his photography career when Nova ran into him, in the most literal sense.

While Nova tries to run from Grayson afraid he’ll turn out like the rest of the men who broke her heart, Grayson is determined to show her different. Not the one to let go without a fight he’s determined to show her the beauty he sees behind the lens.

https://amzn.to/3zU66ga

12/08/2024

New Releases (Week of August 4, 2024)

12/08/2024

Love at Second Sight
Ayoka K.

Heartbreak. Resilience. Family. Friendship. Motherhood. Love At Second Sight, a new romance novel by Ayoka B., delivers on universal themes in descriptive prose, layered with unforgettable characters that we want to get to know. And it is much more than a romance novel; it examines community, all types of love and joy. This page-turner is infused with lyrics and poetry.

Meet our female protagonist, Shane. Her life is full... of poetry, motherhood and friends. She is a Single Mom who is pensive, passionate and generous and loves her family. Ambitious and hard-working, Shane is carving her path. Enter Mike. He is talented, complicated and guarded. Their undeniable connection changes their hearts and lives. And yes, it's steamy!

https://amzn.to/3WhX7wB

11/08/2024

🤷🏾‍♀️

11/08/2024

Moth to a Flame
Khara Campbell

They are an unlikely pair to be drawn to each other. He’s a drug dealer and she’s a widowed Sunday school teacher. She teaches about the love of Christ. He ascribes to a dangerous life. She’s seen as the good in the world. He’s seen as the problem. Despite the differences, the undeniable attraction is there. Yet, it doesn’t need to be acted upon. They know this. They try this. But the heart wants what the heart wants. Though, the heart is not always right.

https://amzn.to/4fj2q7S

10/08/2024

A League of Her Own
Kaia Alderson

An ambitious Harlem woman’s husband upends her social climbing when he buys a Negro Leagues baseball team and appoints her as the team’s business manager. Overnight, Effa Manley goes from 125th Street’s civil rights champion to an interloper in the boys’ club that is professional baseball.

Navigating her way through gentlemen’s agreement contracts, the very public flirtatious antics of superstar Satchel Paige, and a sports world that would much rather see this woman back in her “place” at home, Effa ultimately whips her team, the Newark Eagles, into the Negro Leagues Champions of 1946. But how long will she get to enjoy the fruits of her success before Major League Baseball tears it all apart?
Based on the incredible life of Effa Manley, an unforgettable and inspiring story about a woman with a dream who wound up with a baseball team.
https://amzn.to/3zT4TWh

09/08/2024

It’s been a while since I shared my books, and since it’s National Book Lovers Day, I thought it was a great time to do so.

09/08/2024

Second Tide’s the Charm
Chandra Blumberg

When two marine biologists with a complicated history are thrown together on a shark study broadcast over social media, it's anything but smooth sailing. This charming and s*xy second chance romance is the perfect beach read for fans of Helen Hoang and Ali Hazelwood.

At first glance, Hope Evans just landed the perfect job: spending the summer on a shark research boat. Except as every marine biologist knows, it’s what’s going on beneath the surface that counts, and Hope’s new position comes with a big catch—the boat belongs to her ex-boyfriend, Adrian Hollis-Parker. For three years Hope’s been treading water, staying away from anything that reminds her of their past. It’s time to dive back into a job that could springboard her career—and maybe offer much-needed closure.

Since their split, Adrian has risen to internet fame as a shark expert with the launch of his YouTube channel to dispel myths and educate viewers about sharks. But success rings hollow without Hope. Embracing this new career trajectory was a risk, but working in cramped quarters with the woman he never stopped loving? That has the potential to backfire in heartbreaking ways.

Side by side, weathering storms of every kind, they’ll have to navigate the murky waters of past hurts…and hope it’s not too late to chart a new course…

https://amzn.to/3YiFMX5

08/08/2024

Are you a procrastireader?

08/08/2024

Not What She Seems
Yasmin Angoe

After years of self-exile, Jacinda “Jac” Brodie is back in Brook Haven, South Carolina. But the small cliffside town no longer feels like home. Jac hasn’t been there since the beloved chief of police fell to his death—and all the whispers said she was to blame.
That chief was Jac’s father.

Racked with guilt, Jac left town with no plans to return. But when her granddad lands in the hospital, she rushes back to her family, bracing herself to confront the past.
Brook Haven feels different now. Wealthy newcomer Faye Arden has transformed the notorious Moor Manor into a quaint country inn. Jac’s convinced something sinister lurks beneath Faye’s perfect exterior, yet the whole town fawns over their charismatic new benefactor. And when Jac discovers one of her granddad’s prized possessions in Faye’s office, she knows she has to be right.
But as Jac continues to dig, she stumbles upon dangerous truths that hit too close to home. With not only her life but also her family’s safety on the line, Jac discovers that maybe some secrets are better left buried.

https://amzn.to/3zTNlth

07/08/2024

🥰

07/08/2024

The Bookshop Sisterhood
Michelle Lindo-Rice

When life rewrites the story, only friendship will see them through.

After years of hard work, four best friends—Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni and Leslie—are finally on the verge of opening the bookstore of their dreams. A place where their community can find solace with an intriguing new read, a comforting beverage and book-loving friends.

But before they can cut the ribbon, their worlds are upended.

Toni receives devastating news just months before her wedding, while Celeste’s struggling marriage threatens to collapse completely. Leslie learns a shocking secret about her family, and a lotto ticket changes Yasmeen’s life—but not for the better.

As the bookstore’s grand opening fast approaches, the four women must lean on each other now more than ever to navigate their grief and uncertainty. And together, they’ll learn that sometimes, even life’s most unexpected plot twists can lead to beautiful new beginnings.

https://amzn.to/3Yho0DG