The Gift of Fire / On the Head of a Pin by Walter Mosley

Alibi II: Nard’s Revenge by Teri Woods

February’s Bestsellers in African American Romance

1. Private Arrangements (Kimani Romance) by Brenda Jackson
   (Kimani, 2012-01-24, Mass Market Paperback)
   

   No man has ever tempted her like this…Nikki Cartwright can’t believe Jonas Steele—the Jonas Steele—has chosen her for a high-profile marketing venture. It could make her career. But when she remembers the kiss they once shared, a kiss so intimate it sent their desire skyrocketing from simmering to blazing, Nikki knows she must guard her heart against the seductive Phoenix playboy as if her life depends on it.Jonas has no problem making their professional relationship personal. With the beautiful and talented photographer within his reach, he can erase her from his system once and for all. From a whirlwind Las Vegas affair to jet-setting across four continents, this Steele discovers getting Nikki out of his system is easier said than done, and now he wants her to belong to him heart and soul—as the woman of his most passionate fantasies.…

    

2. Sinners & Saints by Victoria Christopher Murray
   (Touchstone, 2012-01-10, Paperback)
   

   TEAM JASMINE or TEAM RACHEL? Bestselling and award-winning novelists Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley bring their favorite heroines together in a novel that will delight their legions of fans. Jasmine Larson Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams are not your typical first ladies. But they’ve overcome their scandalous and drama-filled pasts to stand firmly by their husbands’ sides. When a coveted position opens up—president of the American Baptist Coalition— both women think their husbands are perfect for the job. And winning the position may require both women to get down and dirty and revert to their old tricks. Just when Jasmine and Rachel think they’re going to have to fight to the finish, the current first lady of the coalition steps in . . . a woman bigger, badder, and more devious than either of them. Double the fun with a message of faith, Sinners & Saints will delight readers with two of their favorite characters from two of their favorite authors.

    

3. A Seductive Kiss (Grayson Friends) by Francis Ray
   (St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 2012-01-31, Mass Market Paperback)
   

   YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON FRIENDSDianna Harrington is known throughout the world as “The Face”-the stunningly beautiful spokesmodel for her family’s fashion empire. She could probably have her pick of any man she wants. But Dianna would rather kick back and relax with a good friend-namely Alex Stewart, who she’s known, and harbored a crush on, her whole life…BUT CAN YOU TRUST YOUR HEART?Ever since they were kids, Alex has been Dianna’s protector and pal, a shoulder to cry on. But as the brother of her best friend, Alex always seemed untouchable. Now a handsome, successful New York lawyer, Alex never realized how lonely Dianna’s life has been-or how innocent she is in the ways of love. Alex wants more than anything to reach out to her, to heal her heart. But is his desire worth the risk? After a lifetime of longing building up between them, somethings gotta give. Maybe all it takes is just one kiss…

    

4. Real Wifeys: Get Money: An Urban Tale by Meesha Mink
   (Touchstone, 2012-01-10, Paperback)
   

   SUCCESS IS THE BEST REVENGE, AND LUSCIOUS WILL DO ANYTHING TO SETTLE THE SCORE. . .  In the new novel from the author of Real Wifeys: On the Grind, rapper Make$’s wifey, Harriet “Luscious” Jordan, finds herself out in the cold financially after Make$ is imprisoned for his role in the brutal rape of Luscious’ friend and his business partner, Kaeyla “Goldie” Dennis–a misguided young woman who once ran a strip club out of her apartment. But Luscious is a first-rate hustler and soon becomes a successful party promoter. There is really only one thing on Luscious’ mind: destroying Goldie. Luscious has never forgiven Goldie for sleeping with Make$ behind her back before the rape, and she’ll stop at nothing to exact revenge. Yet how far can Luscious go in her blazing quest for payback without destroying herself, too? Real Wifeys: Get Money is the second installment in a fierce and gritty new trilogy from one of the most daring voices in street lit.

    

5. Sanctuary Cove (A Cavanaugh Island Novel) by Rochelle Alers
   (Forever, 2012-01-01, Mass Market Paperback)
   

   Sometimes love is the simplest choice of all.Still reeling from her husband’s untimely death, Deborah Robinson needs a fresh start. So she decides to pack up her family, box up her bookstore, and return to her grandmother’s ancestral home on Cavanaugh Island. The charming town of Sanctuary Cove holds happy memories for Deborah. And, after she spies a gorgeous stranger in the local bakery, it promises the possibility for a bright, new future.Dr. Asa Monroe is at a crossroads. Ever since the loss of his family, he has been on a quest for faith and meaning, traveling from one town to another. When he meets Deborah, the beautiful bookstore owner with the warm eyes and sunny smile, Asa believes he has finally found a reason to stay in one place.As friendship blossoms into romance, Deborah and Asa discover they may have a second chance at love. But small towns have big secrets. Before they can begin their new life together, the couple must confront a challenge they never expected . . .

    

6. Murderville 2: The Epidemic (Murderville Trilogy) by Ashley Coleman
   (Cash Money Content, 2012-07-24, Paperback)
   

   New York Times bestselling authors Ashley and JaQuavis are back with the second installment in the epic Murderville series. Love, murder, loyalty, and money fill this hood tale as they continue this international street saga.With Samad’s target on her back, Liberty must survive the harsh streets alone. But when a chance encounter pushes her into the arms of a new friend, Po, the two take on the California kingpin, and step full force into the game. As bullets and sparks fly the unlikely pair embark on a serendipitous journey back to where it all started, Sierra Leone. With a new overseas connection, Po sees an opportunity that is too good to pass up. When his pursuit of the American dream conflicts with Liberty’s past, will they be able to survive? Or will the drug empire that they’ve built together come crashing down?

    

7. A Dangerous Kiss (Grayson Friends) by Francis Ray
   (St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 2012-06-26, Mass Market Paperback)
   

   HE’S GOT SUMMER ON HIS MIND.Sexy, single sports consultant Payton “Sin” Sinclair has tackled the world’s most valuable players–and most eligible women. But ever since his two best friends found love, despite his dangerous secret, he’s tempted to take a chance himself. And that temptation is a woman named Summer… SHE’S GOT SIN IN HER HEART.A self-made restaurant owner with a painful past, Summer has always counted on Sin. Beneath his smooth charm–and hard body–lies a tender-hearted friend who always keeps her going when the going gets tough. But now, swept up in her cousin’s wedding plans, she’s trying not to let the champagne–or Sin’s  innocent passes–go to her head. Because one dangerous kiss will only lead to another…

    

8. Dutch and Gina: A Scandal Is Born by Mallory Monroe
   (Austin Brook Publishing, 2012-01-08, Paperback)
   

   President Walter “Dutch” Harber and his African-American wife Gina thought the birth of their child and the exposure of those seeking to bring their marriage to its knees would have meant blissful times ahead for the interracial couple. But they quickly discover that their enemies have other plans, and blissfulness is the last thing they are about to experience. It all begins when the couple refuses to parade their child in front of cameras or release any photos in a concerted effort to keep him out of the limelight. A scandal erupts where Dutch’s paternity is called into question and where Gina is accused of not only engaging in illicit affairs inside the White House, but of criminal wrongdoing as well. Their marriage, once rock solid, begins to feel the strain of too many battles, too many lies and innuendo, too many people seeking to tear apart a couple that refuses to play political games or live by anybody else’s compass. And when the bombardment becomes too much, when Gina is castigated for simply being herself and is hauled before Congress to give answer to scurrilous attacks on her character, Dutch takes matters into his own hands. And when all is said and done, none of them, not Dutch, not Gina, not even their baby boy, will ever be the same again. In the third installment of the President’s Girlfriend series, the strong-willed couple is confronted by enemies from within and without that not only strains their marriage to the breaking point, but causes their own child to get caught in the blowback.

    

9. With Just One Kiss (Grayson Friends) by Francis Ray
   (St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 2012-02-28, Mass Market Paperback)
   

   IT’S NEVER TOO LATECicely St. John is not impressed by her friend C.J. Callahan’s so-called passion in life: running a New York City bar that he inherited from his uncle. So why can’t Cicely stop thinking about the dance they shared at their mutual friend’s wedding-or the mutual attraction she felt in C.J.’s arms?TO GIVE LOVE A CHANCEAs far as C.J. is concerned, Cicely is a snob whose “passion” in life-writing for fashion magazines-is as pretentious as she is. So why can’t he keep his eyes off her? C.J. has a business to run. And Cicely has a job opportunity in Paris. Neither of them even has time to think about romance right now. But maybe, just once, the two could test their friendship…with just one kiss.

    

10. Moth to a Flame by Ashley Antoinette
    (Urban Books, 2012-01-01, Mass Market Paperback)
    

    In the little city of Flint, MI, the good die young and the people left standing are the grimiest of characters. With reign over the city’s drug trade, Benjamin Atkins made sure that his precious daughter, Raven, was secluded from the grit that the city had to offer. But when Raven’s young heart gets claimed by Mizan, a stick-up kid in search of a come-up, there’s nothing Benjamin can do about losing her to the streets. She chooses love over loyalty and runs off with Mizan, but her new role as wifey soon proves to be more than she can handle.Puppy love always feels right, but things turn stale, and she soon finds that everyone she loves has disappeared. All she has is Mizan, but when hugs and kisses turn to bloody lips and black eyes, she realizes that Mizan is not who she thought he was. Raven becomes desperate for a way out, but this time, Daddy can’t save her. Every time she finds the courage to leave, fear convinces her to stay. Like a moth to a flame, Raven is drawn to Mizan, even though she knows he’ll be the death of her. When the hood life she chose becomes unbearable and the only way out is in a coffin, what will she do?

     

11. Sweet Southern Nights (Kimani Romance) by Rochelle Alers
    (Kimani, 2012-02-21, Mass Market Paperback)
    

    An Eaton too hot to deny The Kentucky clinic where Dr. Levi Eaton is volunteering is worlds away from his wealthy Pennsylvania roots. Still, the South has plenty of attractions—like his colleague’s captivating sister. Angela Chase is sexy, charming, and looking for fun, not commitment. That combination suits Levi just fine, until he begins to appreciate what lies beneath her Southern belle façade. Her fiancé’s betrayal destroyed Angela’s faith in men—and inspired a double life that would shock her prominent family. Hiding her true self from a man as charismatic as Levi isn’t so easy, and for once, she isn’t sure she wants to try. But without the courage to trust him with her secrets, their sultry Southern nights may soon be just a haunting memory…

     

12. Sinful Seduction (Kimani Romance) by Ann Christopher
    (Kimani, 2012-01-24, Mass Market Paperback)
    

    Skylar Lawrence isn’t looking for romance when she arrives at the Davies’ sumptuous Hamptons estate. But when Skylar meets her ex-fiancé’s twin brother, their chemistry is as tumultuous as the storm brewing outside. Sinfully handsome Alessandro Davies exudes the kind of animal magnetism that’s impossible to resist…and hazardous to a woman’s heart.Sandro desires Skylar from the minute the stunning veterinarian turns up at his door, but his honor forbids him from pursuing a relationship. But his plan backfires when he starts falling for the forbidden seductress. Until a shocking discovery threatens to tear Skylar from his arms and force Sandro to give up the woman he needs.…

     

13. When Morning Comes by Francis Ray
    (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2012-06-05, Paperback)
    

    New York Times bestselling author Francis Ray introduces a brand new series featuring long lost siblings who find family, friendship, forgiveness and love.

     

14. Escape to Paradise (Kimani Romance) by Pamela Yaye
    (Kimani, 2012-01-24, Mass Market Paperback)
    

    Desperate to flee the breaking scandal swirling around her ex, event coordinator Claudia Jefferies flies to exotic Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. As if being pampered at an exclusive spa weren’t enough, now a drop-dead-gorgeous man is showering her with attention! But Claudia’s too smart to get seriously involved, especially with a heartbreaker like Santiago Medina. If only her heart would listen to her head.…From the moment Santiago spots Claudia, he knows it’s more than lust at first sight. And this man is used to getting what he wants. He’ll wine and dine the stunning, soft-spoken Southerner with tropical nights of passion she’ll never forget. But once Claudia finds out who Santiago really is, can he turn a fleeting island idyll into a passionate escape to love?

     

15. Daddy Long Stroke by Cairo
    (Strebor Books, 2012-01-31, Mass Market Paperback)
    

    Dramatic, bold and racy, Daddy Long Stroke uncovers the shocking and painful reality of some men’s belief systems about women and sex. Cairo offers readers a voyeuristic look into the mind of a womanizer who manipulates and seduces women by using what he’s got—good looks, chiseled physique, charisma, and sexual prowess—to get what he wants without remorse, or regret. Sexy and thuggish, Alexander Maples, aka Daddy Long Stroke, is a womanizer. Arrogant and self-indulged, he is what every woman secretly craves in the bedroom—rough, rugged, and ravenous. And he is always happy to deliver. Alexander knows no boundaries when it comes to pleasing a woman, leaving no area untouched, not even her heart—or her wallet. But love is the last thing on his mind. Getting paid, and whetting his sexual appetite are the only things that motivate this salacious gigolo. And any woman trying to claim him finds herself on the receiving end of heartache, tears, and drama. Written in raw, graphic language, Daddy Long Stroke is a cautionary tale of one man’s insatiable thirst for sex and his quest to bed down as many women he possibly can—no matter the costs, and no matter who gets hurt in the process.

     

16. A Wish and a Prayer: A Blessings Novel by Beverly Jenkins
    (William Morrow Paperbacks, 2012-04-10, Paperback)
    

    Anyone worried that living in a small town could be boring certainly hasn’t lived in Henry Adams, Kansas. From the wealthy divorcÉe who saved this historic town founded by freed slaves to the romantic entanglements that have set tongues wagging and hearts fluttering (and everything in between), there’s plenty to keep the lovably eccentric townsfolk busy. Preston Miles is happy living with his foster parents, but an e-mail from his maternal grandmother is about to change all that. . . . Riley Curry, the former town mayor, is convinced his pet hog, Cletus, acted in self-defense when he sat on—and killed— a man. Now Riley just has to prove it in a court of law. . . . And as for Rocky, she has already had a lifetime of hurt. Will she risk opening her heart—and her life—to Jack? Warm, funny, poignant, and unforgettable, Beverly Jenkins’s latest excursion to Henry Adams is a true delight—a welcome return to a place that always feels like home.

     

17. Long Distance Lover (Arabesque) by Donna Hill
    (Kimani Press, 2012-01-24, Mass Market Paperback)
    

    World-class sprinter Kelly Maxwell doesn’t have time for romance. But when she suffers an injury on the track, she begins to reevaluate her life. Facing a difficult recovery at a physical rehab facility in New York, Kelly must decide whether she really loves the sport. But after meeting with her physical therapist, Dr. Alex Hutchinson, she faces yet another hurdle.Alex Hutchinson has fallen in love with the wrong woman before—another athlete just like Kelly. Now, years later, he doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice. He tries to back off, but the attraction is too strong. And when he realizes that Kelly’s coach has his own agenda, Alex tries to protect her even more. But is he ready to heal his broken heart?

     

18. These Arms of Mine (Kimani Romance) by Judy Lynn Hubbard
    (Kimani, 2012-01-24, Mass Market Paperback)
    

    When Alesha Robinson ended her torrid affair with Derrick Chandler, she gave up the love of her life. Now fate’s giving them a second chance. But when Alesha asks Derrick to save her brother, she never dreams what the scorned multimillionaire will demand in exchange: becoming his wife—in name only.Even after Alesha shattered his trust, Derrick never stopped loving her. His strings-attached proposition was supposed to be strictly business: revenge for her cruel betrayal as he rebuilds his public image. Until desire reignites—hotter than ever.As the ex-lovers give in to their passion, a marriage of convenience is about to become inconvenient. And Derrick realizes just how far he’ll go to keep Alesha in his bed, in his arms, in his heart—forever.

     

19. Diamond Life: A Novel by Aliya S King
    (Touchstone, 2012-02-07, Paperback)
    

    BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR . . . Set in the highest ranks of the music industry’s fame machine, Diamond Life is an intoxicating story of love, sex, ambition, money, betrayal, and the surprising realities of making it big. Alex Maxwell’s career as a journalist and celebrity ghost writer is taking off, despite the slightly embarrassing authorship of hip-hop super-groupie Cleo Wright’s memoir. And while Alex’s star is on the rise, it pales in comparison to her husband Birdie’s multiplatinum debut and world tour. Slowly but surely, everything they swore would never happen begins to come true, like leaving Brooklyn for a mansion in suburban Jersey and letting a reality TV crew into their home. Birdie is confronted time and again by the sexy groupies who pursue famous rappers like heat-seeking missiles and he’s forced to make some life-changing choices. Meanwhile, aging rapper Z, in recovery from drug addiction, is too busy trying to repair his marriage to leave much time for his son Zander, newly signed to Z’s label and struggling to maintain his appeal in the wake of a domestic violence scandal with his diva girlfriend Bunny. Record label president Jake is trying to deal with the death of his wife, multiplatinum R&B artist Kipenzi Hill, by drowning his sorrows in alcohol and women. When he meets Lily, a beautiful, quiet waitress, he can’t get her out of his head. But Lily has her own problems to handle and she wants nothing to do with the fame, drama, and baggage that Jake carries with him. This juicy follow-up to Aliya S. King’s Platinum is a scintillating roman à clef that takes readers behind the curtain once again for the real scoop on the biggest players in the hip-hop game—and the first ladies who hold them together.

     

20. Can’t Stop Loving You by Bette Ford
    (Avon, 2012-01-31, Mass Market Paperback)
    

    Temptation in paradise Smart, sexy, successful Laura Murdock never mastered the fine arts of loving and trusting. Taking a well-deserved vacation from her work at a Detroit women’s crisis center, she’s prepared for three glorious weeks in the Virgin Islands. What she’s not ready for is Wilham Sebastian Kramer. A brilliant artist, Wilham is pure magic—as bold and bewitching as his remarkable paintings. When Laura agrees to pose for him, she realizes she’s stoking a fire too hot for either of them to control. So she runs from his arms, driven away from quite possibly the perfect man by a lifetime of cruel lessons. But the flame will not die—and the memory of their sweet and sultry island magic haunts her sleepless nights, tempting her back. Yet Laura is far too wise and much too stubborn to admit she desires this man with all her soul. After all, she knows pain and heartbreak always follow surrender . . . don’t they?

     

February’s Bestselling African American Romances for the Kindle

1. Unrequited Love by Yvonne A Weems
   (Romanic Persuasions Publishing, 2012-01-09, Kindle Edition)
   

   Shavon and Tracy share a love no one can deny, and they are surely destined to spend the rest of their lives together. Tracy, an up and coming writer at Classic Magazine, wants to provide for his future with Shavon which means accepting a promotion and moving from Detroit to New York. With success comes sacrifice and unfortunately his family and friends–especially Shavon–get the short end of the stick. So consumed with work and getting his writing career off the ground, he is unaware of the wedge that he has driven between them.Shavon loves Tracy completely and continues to fulfill her promise of love no matter how bad things seem to be. They had gone through changes before and survived, but this time was different. She needed him now more than ever. In her darkest hour, she faces her pain without him. Will Shavon find it in her heart to forgive and forget? Will Tracy be able to penetrate her unrequited love?

    

2. Private Arrangements (Kimani Romance) by Brenda Jackson
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-02-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   No man has ever tempted her like this…Nikki Cartwright can’t believe Jonas Steele—the Jonas Steele—has chosen her for a high-profile marketing venture. It could make her career. But when she remembers the kiss they once shared, a kiss so intimate it sent their desire skyrocketing from simmering to blazing, Nikki knows she must guard her heart against the seductive Phoenix playboy as if her life depends on it.Jonas has no problem making their professional relationship personal. With the beautiful and talented photographer within his reach, he can erase her from his system once and for all. From a whirlwind Las Vegas affair to jet-setting across four continents, this Steele discovers getting Nikki out of his system is easier said than done, and now he wants her to belong to him heart and soul—as the woman of his most passionate fantasies.…

    

3. After the Storm by Jewel Moore
   (ShadesOfGrey Publishing, 2012-01-26, Kindle Edition)
   

   This is the 1st in a 3-part story.Natalie Harding can’t believe that someone as absolutely gorgeous as her work colleague Stephano Romano would want to date her. But after one unexpected, totally hot Friday evening encounter on her office desk of all places, she’s convinced that maybe, just maybe he returns the feeling she’s harboured for him in the fifteen months they have worked together.Her bubble of euphoria doesn’t last for long, though. The very next Monday she watches in shock as he kisses the young woman who drops him off to work at the office before sauntering in looking as though someone had kept him up all night.Is there an innocent explanation for the kiss and Stephano’s bleary-eyed appearance? Did his father suffer chest pains and have to be rushed to the hospital where the doctors kept him in all night for close monitoring? Or is it just an excuse Stephano’s using to cover his night of pleasure with another woman.

    

4. Nectar (Bedtime Erotica for Freaks) by Lexy Harper
   (Ebonique Publishing, 2012-01-28, Kindle Edition)
   

   Word Count: 9,446Print Length: 28 pages (approx.)Nectar is taken from Bedtime Erotica for Freaks (like me), so if you’ve read that book you’ve met this lactating diva who takes the term ‘breast-feeding is best’ literally when she sets up house with brothers, Timothy and Jeffery, or ‘Tom and Jerry’ as she calls them.

    

5. Nothing Else Matters by Leslie DuBois
   (Little Prince Publishing, 2012-01-18, Kindle Edition)
   

   Revised 1/25/12When racism tears a school apart, can love put it back together?As the senior star quarterback of Charleston Preparatory school in South Carolina, Scott Kincaid is poised for a spectacular professional career in sports. Though he and Reyna Lewis have been best friends for six years, between leading Charleston Prep to victory week after week, and seeking the approval of his tyrannical, racist mother, he doesn’t have time to develop anything more with her. But when his once perfect, healthy body is attacked by a debilitating disease, he reevaluates what is important in life. Just when he finally realizes he’s in love with his half black, half Puerto Rican best friend Reyna, a presidential election throws their small private school into racial turmoil. Now it’s up to Scott and Reyna to unify their school and their city. But it just might cost them their newfound relationship.

    

6. A Seductive Kiss (Grayson Friends) by Francis Ray
   (St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 2012-01-31, Kindle Edition)
   

   Bestselling author Francis Ray celebrates the lifelong bonds between the Grayson family and their friends—with a heartwarming love story years in the making…Dianna Harrington is known throughout the world as “The Face”—the stunningly beautiful spokesmodel for her family’s fashion empire. She could probably have her pick of any man she wants. But Dianna would rather kick back and relax with a good friend— namely Alex Stewart, who she’s known, and harbored a crush on, her whole life…Ever since they were kids, Alex has been Dianna’s protector and pal, a shoulder to cry on. But as the brother of her best friend, Alex always seemed untouchable. Now a handsome, successful New York lawyer, Alex never realized how lonely Dianna’s life has been—or how innocent she is in the ways of love. Alex wants more than anything to reach out to her, to heal her heart. But is his desire worth the risk? After a lifetime of longing building up between them, something’s gotta give. Maybe all it takes is just one kiss…

    

7. Diluted Desire by Desiree Day
   (2012-01-09, Kindle Edition)
   

   When Violet Murphy suspects her husband of seven years is cheating, she takes matters into her own hands and devises a plot to catch him red handed.Violet places the following posting on the Internet:Beautiful Lady Needed to Seduce my HusbandI need your help, my husband is cheating on me; but I can’t catch his lying behind. I am looking for a beautiful lady to seduce him. You must be willing to sleep with him and take pictures or videos of your lovemaking. The lucky lady will be compensated for clothing, travel and food. You must be available 24/7, no exceptions. If you think you are a seductress and can get my husband into bed, please contact me. Please send me full body shots of you clothed and unclothed, no picture no reply.Will the posting harm or strengthen Violet’s marriage? Will the players realize that by engaging in a deadly game of the heart there is bound to be some casualties?

    

8. These Arms of Mine (Kimani Romance) by Judy Lynn Hubbard
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-02-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   When Alesha Robinson ended her torrid affair with Derrick Chandler, she gave up the love of her life. Now fate’s giving them a second chance. But when Alesha asks Derrick to save her brother, she never dreams what the scorned multimillionaire will demand in exchange: becoming his wife—in name only.Even after Alesha shattered his trust, Derrick never stopped loving her. His strings-attached proposition was supposed to be strictly business: revenge for her cruel betrayal as he rebuilds his public image. Until desire reignites—hotter than ever.As the ex-lovers give in to their passion, a marriage of convenience is about to become inconvenient. And Derrick realizes just how far he’ll go to keep Alesha in his bed, in his arms, in his heart—forever.

    

9. Inferno (The Wolf Pack Series) by Maureen Smith
   (Wordsmith Enterprises, 2012-01-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   Will their love withstand the inferno…?High school sweethearts Stan and Prissy Wolf have been happily married for fifteen years. They have everything they could ever want—a beautiful home, five children that they absolutely adore, rewarding careers, and a sizzling chemistry that hasn’t diminished over the years. But, lately, Prissy has noticed a change in her sexy firefighter husband. She doesn’t want to believe the worst—that he’s having an affair. But his recent behavior is too suspicious to ignore. As a silent chasm grows between them, she fears that Stan’s secret will soon destroy the life they have built together….

    

10. Sinful Seduction (Kimani Romance) by Ann Christopher
    (Kimani Romance, 2012-02-01, Kindle Edition)
    

    Skylar Lawrence isn’t looking for romance when she arrives at the Davies’ sumptuous Hamptons estate. But when Skylar meets her ex-fiancé’s twin brother, their chemistry is as tumultuous as the storm brewing outside. Sinfully handsome Alessandro Davies exudes the kind of animal magnetism that’s impossible to resist…and hazardous to a woman’s heart.Sandro desires Skylar from the minute the stunning veterinarian turns up at his door, but his honor forbids him from pursuing a relationship. But his plan backfires when he starts falling for the forbidden seductress. Until a shocking discovery threatens to tear Skylar from his arms and force Sandro to give up the woman he needs.…

     

11. A Hustler’s Promise: Some Promises Won’t Be Broken by Jackie Chanel
    (Books by J.C Publishing, 2012-01-07, Kindle Edition)
    

    Money is the root of all evilOr so they say…Two street hustlers, bound together by a simple promise, have to make a choice…The Streets Are Calling.

     

12. Schooling Carmen by Kathleen Cross
    (WilliamBlue Publishing, 2012-01-06, Kindle Edition)
    

    Desperate to stand out in a family of overachievers, beautiful, bigoted, and bitchy Carmen DuPrè will do anything to leave the “hellhole” high school she works in—even if it means getting groped by a geezer who’s promised her a promotion. She’s not worried about things getting out of hand though—if there’s one thing Carmen knows, it’s how use her looks to get what she wants—including courtside Lakers seats and diamond jewelry—from attentive men she cares nothing about.But when a devastating medical diagnosis threatens to permanently knock her off her pedestal, Carmen might have to trade her looks for her life—and she’s not sure a life without beauty is worth living—which is why she’s risking hers by ignoring her doctor’s advice.Is it coincidence or divine intervention when a sexy stranger walks into her world insisting there’s a whole lot more to Carmen DuPrè than what’s on the surface? If it’s not too late for her to turn things around, her mysterious guardian angel wants to dish out some serious schooling in a few subjects Carmen knows little about—like faith, hope…and love.

     

13. Sinners & Saints by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
    (Touchstone, 2012-01-10, Kindle Edition)
    

    TEAM JASMINE or TEAM RACHEL? Bestselling and award-winning novelists Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley bring their favorite heroines together in a novel that will delight their legions of fans. Jasmine Larson Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams are not your typical first ladies. But they’ve overcome their scandalous and drama-filled pasts to stand firmly by their husbands’ sides. When a coveted position opens up—president of the American Baptist Coalition— both women think their husbands are perfect for the job. And winning the position may require both women to get down and dirty and revert to their old tricks. Just when Jasmine and Rachel think they’re going to have to fight to the finish, the current first lady of the coalition steps in . . . a woman bigger, badder, and more devious than either of them. Double the fun with a message of faith, Sinners & Saints will delight readers with two of their favorite characters from two of their favorite authors.

     

14. A Love Story 2 by David Weaver
    (SBR Publications, 2012-01-30, Kindle Edition)
    

    An absolute tearjerker. Take this erotic emotional journey with Jamal after he gets betrayed while in prison. Upon release, he is thirsty for payback and will climb over whoever he has to in order to get his vengeance.But he forgot one thing… the person you climb over to get to the top is the person you have to see when you climb back down.*Warning* Intense erotic scenes, no fillers; all meaning.*Double Warning* Get the Kleenex out before you start reading.Written in the same poetic metaphorical style as the first entry of this series, this title will definitely not disappoint. If you’ve ever read a book by David Weaver before, then you should already know what to expect… the unexpected.

     

15. Long Distance Lover (Arabesque) by Donna Hill
    (Kimani Arabesque, 2012-02-01, Kindle Edition)
    

    World-class sprinter Kelly Maxwell doesn’t have time for romance. But when she suffers an injury on the track, she begins to reevaluate her life. Facing a difficult recovery at a physical rehab facility in New York, Kelly must decide whether she really loves the sport. But after meeting with her physical therapist, Dr. Alex Hutchinson, she faces yet another hurdle.Alex Hutchinson has fallen in love with the wrong woman before—another athlete just like Kelly. Now, years later, he doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice. He tries to back off, but the attraction is too strong. And when he realizes that Kelly’s coach has his own agenda, Alex tries to protect her even more. But is he ready to heal his broken heart?

     

16. College Or Dance, Which One? (A Cold Weather Campus Story – CWC) by Hatemi Aminde Pendant
    (XAMBooks, 2012-01-27, Kindle Edition)
    

    Mature Content; For Adults OnlyWhy is it, the one school that I can afford that has this ultra-specialized program I have to take, is in Moose-Goose, Canada? Help! Am a Florida girl. South, Florida. Plus to pay for school, I have to strip in a gentlemen’s club. It’s not that I mind taking off my clothes in front of a bunch of horny guys and girls, but, why does it have to be so cold.

     

17. Billionaire’s Retreat by EDDIE JOHNSON
    (Rare Jewels Publishing Company, 2012-01-13, Kindle Edition)
    

    Billionaire’s Retreat is a Titillating Romance, Murder Mystery, and Suspense Thriller. The main character Sarah Giltry’s husband Jared Jones goes missing after retiring from a local fire department. She offers a quarter of a million dollars to anyone that can find him. Jared’s Mother Rachelle is convinced that she is linked to his disappearance. Fraud charges fly rampant as one of Sarah’s government contracts comes into question. Also, she is accused of having an affair with the City Councilman that is alleged to have taken the bribe. The desire to have more and more seems to be her sole motivation. Rachelle hires Private Investigator Daniels Burks to locate her son.

     

18. DUTCH AND GINA: A SCANDAL IS BORN (The President’s Girlfriend Series) by Mallory Monroe
    (Austin Brook Publishing, 2012-01-08, Kindle Edition)
    

    President Walter “Dutch” Harber and his African-American wife Gina thought the birth of their child and the exposure of those seeking to bring their marriage to its knees would have meant blissful times ahead for the interracial couple. But they quickly discover that their enemies have other plans, and blissfulness is the last thing they are about to experience. It all begins when the couple refuses to parade their child in front of cameras or release any photos in a concerted effort to keep him out of the limelight. A scandal erupts where Dutch’s paternity is called into question and where Gina is accused of not only engaging in illicit affairs inside the White House, but of criminal wrongdoing as well. Their marriage, once rock solid, begins to feel the strain of too many battles, too many lies and innuendo, too many people seeking to tear apart a couple that refuses to play political games or live by anybody else’s compass. And when the bombardment becomes too much, when Gina is castigated for simply being herself and is hauled before Congress to give answer to scurrilous attacks on her character, Dutch takes matters into his own hands. And when all is said and done, none of them, not Dutch, not Gina, not even their baby boy, will ever be the same again.In the third installment of the President’s Girlfriend series, the strong-willed couple is confronted by enemies from within and without that not only strains their marriage to the breaking point, but causes their own child to get caught in the blowback.

     

19. Pleasure After Hours (Kimani Romance) by AlTonya Washington
    (Kimani Romance, 2012-01-01, Kindle Edition)
    

    Working for powerhouse shipping owner Mataeo North is a dream job for Temple Grahame. The jet-setting bachelor depends on her for everything. But there’s just one thing: he has no idea that Temple’s been in love with him since college. Or so she thinks…until the night her studly boss takes her in his arms and uncovers her passionate secret.Mataeo doesn’t make a move without consulting the savvy South Carolina beauty. Now, on the verge of closing a major deal, he needs Temple more than ever. And not just as his right-hand woman and best friend. What will it take to convince this sensual, independent woman that once they’ve crossed the line from friends to lovers, there’s no turning back?

     

20. Sweet Revenge by Samone Watkins
    (JSTAR Publishing, 2012-01-01, Kindle Edition)
    

    Confident, intelligent, sexy, Chanel Taylor gets what she wants whenshe wants it. Emotionally unattached and sexually free she plays men likea chess game while never considering the consequences of her actions.Until one man rips her soul apart leaving her begging for redemption andthirsty for revenge. As Chanel fights to piece her life back together she can’thelp but open up and finally let someone in. But is her urge for paybackmore important than her happiness? Emotional and physically drainedChanel finds herself struggling against the inevitable to even the score. Sweet Revenge takes you on a journey of betrayal, sacrifice, andvulnerability as Chanel seeks to accomplish the ultimate sweet revengeagainst her enemies.

     

February’s Bestselling African American Books for the Kindle

1. Unrequited Love by Yvonne A Weems
   (Romanic Persuasions Publishing, 2012-01-09, Kindle Edition)
   

   Shavon and Tracy share a love no one can deny, and they are surely destined to spend the rest of their lives together. Tracy, an up and coming writer at Classic Magazine, wants to provide for his future with Shavon which means accepting a promotion and moving from Detroit to New York. With success comes sacrifice and unfortunately his family and friends–especially Shavon–get the short end of the stick. So consumed with work and getting his writing career off the ground, he is unaware of the wedge that he has driven between them.Shavon loves Tracy completely and continues to fulfill her promise of love no matter how bad things seem to be. They had gone through changes before and survived, but this time was different. She needed him now more than ever. In her darkest hour, she faces her pain without him. Will Shavon find it in her heart to forgive and forget? Will Tracy be able to penetrate her unrequited love?

    

2. Private Arrangements (Kimani Romance) by Brenda Jackson
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-02-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   No man has ever tempted her like this…Nikki Cartwright can’t believe Jonas Steele—the Jonas Steele—has chosen her for a high-profile marketing venture. It could make her career. But when she remembers the kiss they once shared, a kiss so intimate it sent their desire skyrocketing from simmering to blazing, Nikki knows she must guard her heart against the seductive Phoenix playboy as if her life depends on it.Jonas has no problem making their professional relationship personal. With the beautiful and talented photographer within his reach, he can erase her from his system once and for all. From a whirlwind Las Vegas affair to jet-setting across four continents, this Steele discovers getting Nikki out of his system is easier said than done, and now he wants her to belong to him heart and soul—as the woman of his most passionate fantasies.…

    

3. After the Storm by Jewel Moore
   (ShadesOfGrey Publishing, 2012-01-26, Kindle Edition)
   

   This is the 1st in a 3-part story.Natalie Harding can’t believe that someone as absolutely gorgeous as her work colleague Stephano Romano would want to date her. But after one unexpected, totally hot Friday evening encounter on her office desk of all places, she’s convinced that maybe, just maybe he returns the feeling she’s harboured for him in the fifteen months they have worked together.Her bubble of euphoria doesn’t last for long, though. The very next Monday she watches in shock as he kisses the young woman who drops him off to work at the office before sauntering in looking as though someone had kept him up all night.Is there an innocent explanation for the kiss and Stephano’s bleary-eyed appearance? Did his father suffer chest pains and have to be rushed to the hospital where the doctors kept him in all night for close monitoring? Or is it just an excuse Stephano’s using to cover his night of pleasure with another woman.

    

4. Nothing Else Matters by Leslie DuBois
   (Little Prince Publishing, 2012-01-18, Kindle Edition)
   

   When racism tears a school apart, can love put it back together?As the senior star quarterback of Charleston Preparatory school in South Carolina, Scott Kincaid is poised for a spectacular professional career in sports. Though he and Reyna Lewis have been best friends for six years, between leading Charleston Prep to victory week after week, and seeking the approval of his tyrannical, racist mother, he doesn’t have time to develop anything more with her. But when his once perfect, healthy body is attacked by a debilitating disease, he reevaluates what is important in life. Just when he finally realizes he’s in love with his half black, half Puerto Rican best friend Reyna, a presidential election throws their small private school into racial turmoil. Now it’s up to Scott and Reyna to unify their school and their city. But it just might cost them their newfound relationship.

    

5. A Seductive Kiss (Grayson Friends) by Francis Ray
   (St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 2012-01-31, Kindle Edition)
   

   Bestselling author Francis Ray celebrates the lifelong bonds between the Grayson family and their friends—with a heartwarming love story years in the making…Dianna Harrington is known throughout the world as “The Face”—the stunningly beautiful spokesmodel for her family’s fashion empire. She could probably have her pick of any man she wants. But Dianna would rather kick back and relax with a good friend— namely Alex Stewart, who she’s known, and harbored a crush on, her whole life…Ever since they were kids, Alex has been Dianna’s protector and pal, a shoulder to cry on. But as the brother of her best friend, Alex always seemed untouchable. Now a handsome, successful New York lawyer, Alex never realized how lonely Dianna’s life has been—or how innocent she is in the ways of love. Alex wants more than anything to reach out to her, to heal her heart. But is his desire worth the risk? After a lifetime of longing building up between them, something’s gotta give. Maybe all it takes is just one kiss…

    

6. Diluted Desire by Desiree Day
   (2012-01-09, Kindle Edition)
   

   When Violet Murphy suspects her husband of seven years is cheating, she takes matters into her own hands and devises a plot to catch him red handed.Violet places a posting on the Internet. Will the posting harm or strengthen Violet’s marriage? Will the players realize that by engaging in a deadly game of the heart there is bound to be some casualties?

    

7. These Arms of Mine (Kimani Romance) by Judy Lynn Hubbard
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-02-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   When Alesha Robinson ended her torrid affair with Derrick Chandler, she gave up the love of her life. Now fate’s giving them a second chance. But when Alesha asks Derrick to save her brother, she never dreams what the scorned multimillionaire will demand in exchange: becoming his wife—in name only.Even after Alesha shattered his trust, Derrick never stopped loving her. His strings-attached proposition was supposed to be strictly business: revenge for her cruel betrayal as he rebuilds his public image. Until desire reignites—hotter than ever.As the ex-lovers give in to their passion, a marriage of convenience is about to become inconvenient. And Derrick realizes just how far he’ll go to keep Alesha in his bed, in his arms, in his heart—forever.

    

8. Inferno (The Wolf Pack Series) by Maureen Smith
   (Wordsmith Enterprises, 2012-01-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   Will their love withstand the inferno…?High school sweethearts Stan and Prissy Wolf have been happily married for fifteen years. They have everything they could ever want—a beautiful home, five children that they absolutely adore, rewarding careers, and a sizzling chemistry that hasn’t diminished over the years. But, lately, Prissy has noticed a change in her sexy firefighter husband. She doesn’t want to believe the worst—that he’s having an affair. But his recent behavior is too suspicious to ignore. As a silent chasm grows between them, she fears that Stan’s secret will soon destroy the life they have built together….

    

9. Sinful Seduction (Kimani Romance) by Ann Christopher
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-02-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   Skylar Lawrence isn’t looking for romance when she arrives at the Davies’ sumptuous Hamptons estate. But when Skylar meets her ex-fiancé’s twin brother, their chemistry is as tumultuous as the storm brewing outside. Sinfully handsome Alessandro Davies exudes the kind of animal magnetism that’s impossible to resist…and hazardous to a woman’s heart.Sandro desires Skylar from the minute the stunning veterinarian turns up at his door, but his honor forbids him from pursuing a relationship. But his plan backfires when he starts falling for the forbidden seductress. Until a shocking discovery threatens to tear Skylar from his arms and force Sandro to give up the woman he needs.…

    

10. A Hustler’s Promise: Some Promises Won’t Be Broken by Jackie Chanel
    (Books by J.C Publishing, 2012-01-07, Kindle Edition)
    

    Money is the root of all evilOr so they say…Two street hustlers, bound together by a simple promise, have to make a choice…The Streets Are Calling.

     

11. Schooling Carmen by Kathleen Cross
    (WilliamBlue Publishing, 2012-01-06, Kindle Edition)
    

    Desperate to stand out in a family of overachievers, beautiful, bigoted, and bitchy Carmen DuPrè will do anything to leave the “hellhole” high school she works in—even if it means getting groped by a geezer who’s promised her a promotion. She’s not worried about things getting out of hand though—if there’s one thing Carmen knows, it’s how use her looks to get what she wants—including courtside Lakers seats and diamond jewelry—from attentive men she cares nothing about.But when a devastating medical diagnosis threatens to permanently knock her off her pedestal, Carmen might have to trade her looks for her life—and she’s not sure a life without beauty is worth living—which is why she’s risking hers by ignoring her doctor’s advice.Is it coincidence or divine intervention when a sexy stranger walks into her world insisting there’s a whole lot more to Carmen DuPrè than what’s on the surface? If it’s not too late for her to turn things around, her mysterious guardian angel wants to dish out some serious schooling in a few subjects Carmen knows little about—like faith, hope…and love.

     

12. Sinners & Saints by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
    (Touchstone, 2012-01-10, Kindle Edition)
    

    TEAM JASMINE or TEAM RACHEL? Bestselling and award-winning novelists Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley bring their favorite heroines together in a novel that will delight their legions of fans. Jasmine Larson Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams are not your typical first ladies. But they’ve overcome their scandalous and drama-filled pasts to stand firmly by their husbands’ sides. When a coveted position opens up—president of the American Baptist Coalition— both women think their husbands are perfect for the job. And winning the position may require both women to get down and dirty and revert to their old tricks. Just when Jasmine and Rachel think they’re going to have to fight to the finish, the current first lady of the coalition steps in . . . a woman bigger, badder, and more devious than either of them. Double the fun with a message of faith, Sinners & Saints will delight readers with two of their favorite characters from two of their favorite authors.

     

13. A Love Story 2 by David Weaver
    (SBR Publications, 2012-01-30, Kindle Edition)
    

    An absolute tearjerker. Take this erotic emotional journey with Jamal after he gets betrayed while in prison. Upon release, he is thirsty for payback and will climb over whoever he has to in order to get his vengeance.But he forgot one thing… the person you climb over to get to the top is the person you have to see when you climb back down.*Warning* Intense erotic scenes, no fillers; all meaning.*Double Warning* Get the Kleenex out before you start reading.Written in the same poetic metaphorical style as the first entry of this series, this title will definitely not disappoint. If you’ve ever read a book by David Weaver before, then you should already know what to expect… the unexpected.

     

14. Long Distance Lover (Arabesque) by Donna Hill
    (Kimani Arabesque, 2012-02-01, Kindle Edition)
    

    World-class sprinter Kelly Maxwell doesn’t have time for romance. But when she suffers an injury on the track, she begins to reevaluate her life. Facing a difficult recovery at a physical rehab facility in New York, Kelly must decide whether she really loves the sport. But after meeting with her physical therapist, Dr. Alex Hutchinson, she faces yet another hurdle.Alex Hutchinson has fallen in love with the wrong woman before—another athlete just like Kelly. Now, years later, he doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice. He tries to back off, but the attraction is too strong. And when he realizes that Kelly’s coach has his own agenda, Alex tries to protect her even more. But is he ready to heal his broken heart?

     

15. Billionaire’s Retreat by EDDIE JOHNSON
    (Rare Jewels Publishing Company, 2012-01-13, Kindle Edition)
    

    Billionaire’s Retreat is a Titillating Romance, Murder Mystery, and Suspense Thriller. The main character Sarah Giltry’s husband Jared Jones goes missing after retiring from a local fire department. She offers a quarter of a million dollars to anyone that can find him. Jared’s Mother Rachelle is convinced that she is linked to his disappearance. Fraud charges fly rampant as one of Sarah’s government contracts comes into question. Also, she is accused of having an affair with the City Councilman that is alleged to have taken the bribe. The desire to have more and more seems to be her sole motivation. Rachelle hires Private Investigator Daniels Burks to locate her son.

     

16. DUTCH AND GINA: A SCANDAL IS BORN (The President’s Girlfriend Series) by Mallory Monroe
    (Austin Brook Publishing, 2012-01-08, Kindle Edition)
    

    President Walter “Dutch” Harber and his African-American wife Gina thought the birth of their child and the exposure of those seeking to bring their marriage to its knees would have meant blissful times ahead for the interracial couple. But they quickly discover that their enemies have other plans, and blissfulness is the last thing they are about to experience. It all begins when the couple refuses to parade their child in front of cameras or release any photos in a concerted effort to keep him out of the limelight. A scandal erupts where Dutch’s paternity is called into question and where Gina is accused of not only engaging in illicit affairs inside the White House, but of criminal wrongdoing as well. Their marriage, once rock solid, begins to feel the strain of too many battles, too many lies and innuendo, too many people seeking to tear apart a couple that refuses to play political games or live by anybody else’s compass. And when the bombardment becomes too much, when Gina is castigated for simply being herself and is hauled before Congress to give answer to scurrilous attacks on her character, Dutch takes matters into his own hands. And when all is said and done, none of them, not Dutch, not Gina, not even their baby boy, will ever be the same again.In the third installment of the President’s Girlfriend series, the strong-willed couple is confronted by enemies from within and without that not only strains their marriage to the breaking point, but causes their own child to get caught in the blowback.

     

17. Pleasure After Hours (Kimani Romance) by AlTonya Washington
    (Kimani Romance, 2012-01-01, Kindle Edition)
    

    Working for powerhouse shipping owner Mataeo North is a dream job for Temple Grahame. The jet-setting bachelor depends on her for everything. But there’s just one thing: he has no idea that Temple’s been in love with him since college. Or so she thinks…until the night her studly boss takes her in his arms and uncovers her passionate secret.Mataeo doesn’t make a move without consulting the savvy South Carolina beauty. Now, on the verge of closing a major deal, he needs Temple more than ever. And not just as his right-hand woman and best friend. What will it take to convince this sensual, independent woman that once they’ve crossed the line from friends to lovers, there’s no turning back?

     

18. Sweet Revenge by Samone Watkins
    (JSTAR Publishing, 2012-01-01, Kindle Edition)
    

    Confident, intelligent, sexy, Chanel Taylor gets what she wants whenshe wants it. Emotionally unattached and sexually free she plays men likea chess game while never considering the consequences of her actions.Until one man rips her soul apart leaving her begging for redemption andthirsty for revenge. As Chanel fights to piece her life back together she can’thelp but open up and finally let someone in. But is her urge for paybackmore important than her happiness? Emotional and physically drainedChanel finds herself struggling against the inevitable to even the score.Sweet Revenge takes you on a journey of betrayal, sacrifice, andvulnerability as Chanel seeks to accomplish the ultimate sweet revengeagainst her enemies.

     

February’s Bestselling African American Books in Hardcover

February 2012′s top-selling African American books in hardcover:

1. The Family Business by Carl Weber
   (Urban Books, 2012-02-01, Hardcover)
   

   By day, the Duncans are an upstanding family who run a thriving car dealership in Queens. By night, they live a dangerous secret life! Carl Weber and Eric Pete deliver a thrilling underworld drama in The Family Business.L.C. Duncan, patriarch of the family, is at the age when he’s starting to think about retirement in sunny Florida. But the recession is taking a bite out of the business and, worrying more, he has to decide which of his children should take over. When his workaholic son Orlando gets the nod, Orlando’s siblings—including the favorite son Vegas, conniving daughter London, glamorous party girl Paris and flamboyant nightclub owner Rio—are up in arms. But so are the Zunigas, a rival family whose fragile business alliance with the Duncans may explode at any moment.When Vegas suddenly breaks away from the family, London’s lawyer husband, Harris, makes a play for the company and all hell breaks loose. Selling cars, it turns out, is only a small part of the Duncans’ family business. Each member of the family has a secret expertise to reveal. And now, under siege from the Mafia, Mexican drug cartels and the Zunigas, the Duncans will have to stick together—or die separately!

    

2. Our Black Year: One Family’s Quest to Buy Black in America’s Racially Divided Economy by Maggie Anderson
   (PublicAffairs, 2012-02-14, Hardcover)
   

   Maggie and John Anderson were successful African American professionals raising two daughters in a tony suburb of Chicago. But they felt uneasy over their good fortune. Most African Americans live in economically starved neighborhoods. Black wealth is about one tenth of white wealth, and black businesses lag behind businesses of all other racial groups in every measure of success. One problem is that black consumers–unlike consumers of other ethnicities– choose not to support black-owned businesses. At the same time, most of the businesses in their communities are owned by outsiders.On January 1, 2009 the Andersons embarked on a year-long public pledge to “buy black.” They thought that by taking a stand, the black community would be mobilized to exert its economic might. They thought that by exposing the issues, Americans of all races would see that economically empowering black neighborhoods benefits society as a whole. Instead, blacks refused to support their own, and others condemned their experiment. Drawing on economic research and social history as well as her personal story, Maggie Anderson shows why the black economy continues to suffer and issues a call to action to all of us to do our part to reverse this trend.

    

3. We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March by Cynthia Levinson
   (Peachtree Publishers, 2012-02-01, Hardcover)
   

   We ve Got a Job tells the little-known story of the 4,000 black elementary-, middle-, and high school students who voluntarily went to jail in Birmingham, Alalama, between May 2 and May 11, 1963. Fulfilling Mahatma Gandhi s and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. s precept to fill the jails, they succeeded where adults had failed in desegregating one of the most racially violent cities in America. Focusing on four of the original participants who have participated in extensive interviews, We ve Got a Job recounts the astonishing events before, during, and after the Children s March.

    

4. To Free a Family: The Journey of Mary Walker by Sydney Nathans
   (Harvard University Press, 2012-02-13, Hardcover)
   

   What was it like for a mother to flee slavery, leaving her children behind? To Free a Family tells the remarkable story of Mary Walker, who in August 1848 fled her owner for refuge in the North and spent the next seventeen years trying to recover her family. Her freedom, like that of thousands who escaped from bondage, came at a great price—remorse at parting without a word, fear for her family’s fate.This story is anchored in two extraordinary collections of letters and diaries, that of her former North Carolina slaveholders and that of the northern family—Susan and Peter Lesley—who protected and employed her. Sydney Nathans’ sensitive and penetrating narrative reveals Mary Walker’s remarkable persistence as well as the sustained collaboration of black and white abolitionists who assisted her. Mary Walker and the Lesleys ventured half a dozen attempts at liberation, from ransom to ruse to rescue, until the end of the Civil War reunited Mary Walker with her son and daughter.Unlike her more famous counterparts—Harriet Tubman, Harriet Jacobs, and Sojourner Truth—who wrote their own narratives and whose public defiance made them heroines, Mary Walker’s efforts were protracted, wrenching, and private. Her odyssey was more representative of women refugees from bondage who labored secretly and behind the scenes to reclaim their families from the South. In recreating Mary Walker’s journey, To Free a Family gives voice to their hidden epic of emancipation and to an untold story of the Civil War era. (20111024)

    

5. Quilts in the Attic: Uncovering the Hidden Stories of the Quilts We Love by Karen Musgrave
   (Voyageur Press, 2012-02-15, Hardcover)
   

   As both history and art, quilts help express the human experience and can lead quilters to discoveries about themselves, about the past, and about artistic creation as a whole. Quilts in the Attic features 30 heartwarming stories of great quilt discoveries—from bidding on a breathtaking quilt at an estate auction in Virginia to uncovering a little-known art form in France to finding and repairing a priceless heirloom quilt that had been used, neglected, and damaged, these stories from everyday stitchers and well-known quilters alike reveal the mystery and meaning of the quilts we love.

    

6. The Healing: A Novel by Jonathan Odell
   (Nan A. Talese, 2012-02-21, Hardcover)
   

   The pre-Civil War South comes brilliantly to life in this masterfully written novel about a mysterious and charismatic healer readers won’t soon forget  Mississippi plantation mistress Amanda Satterfield loses her daughter to cholera after her husband refuses to treat her for what he considers to be a “slave disease.” Insane with grief, Amanda takes a newborn slave child as her own and names her Granada, much to the outrage of her husband and the amusement of their white neighbors. Troubled by his wife’s disturbing mental state and concerned about a mysterious plague sweeping through his slave population, Master Satterfield purchases Polly Shine, a slave reputed to be a healer. But Polly’s sharp tongue and troubling predictions cause unrest across the plantation. Complicating matters further, Polly recognizes “the gift” in Granada, the mistress’s pet, and a domestic battle of wills ensues.   Seventy-five years later, Granada, now known as Gran Gran, is still living on the plantation and must revive the buried memories of her past in order to heal a young girl abandoned to her care. Together they learn the power of story to heal the body, the spirit and the soul.  Rich in mood and atmosphere, The Healing is the kind of novel readers can’t put down—and can’t wait to recommend once they’ve finished.

    

7. No Crystal Stair (Carolrhoda YA) by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
   (Carolrhoda Books, 2012-02-01, Hardcover)
   

   A documentary novel of the life and work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem bookseller’You can’t walk straight on a crooked line. You do you’ll break your leg. How can you walk straight in a crooked system?’Lewis Michaux was born to do things his own way. When a white banker told him to sell fried chicken, not books, because Negroes don’t read,’ Lewis took five books and one-hundred dollars and built a bookstore. It soon became the intellectual center of Harlem, a refuge for everyone from Muhammad Ali to Malcolm X. In No Crystal Stair, Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Vaunda Micheaux Nelson combines meticulous research with a storyteller’s flair to document the life and times of her great uncle Lewis Michaux, an extraordinary literacy pioneer of the Civil Rights era. ‘My life was no crystal stair, far from it. But I’m taking my leave with some pride. It tickles me to know that those folks who said I could never sell books to black people are eating crow. I’d say my seeds grew pretty damn well. And not just the book business. It’s the more important business of moving our people forward that has real meaning.’

    

8. DJ Rising by Love Maia
   (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012-02-06, Hardcover)
   

   The first thing I hear is music. The first thing I’ve always heard is music.Meet Marley, an unassuming high school junior who breathes in music like oxygen. In between caring for his heroin-addicted mother, and keeping his scholarship at a fancy prep school, he dreams of becoming a professional DJ.When chance lands Marley his first real DJ job, his career as “DJ Ice” suddenly skyrockets. But when heart-rending disaster at home brings Marley crashing back down to earth, he is torn between obligation and following his dreams.

    

9. Deceit and Devotion by RM Johnson
   (Simon & Schuster, 2012-02-21, Hardcover)
   

   Delving into the depths of treachery and affection, RM Johnson returns with another thrilling drama.Johnson will pull you in from the outset. When Nate Kenny convinces Daphanie Coleman to sign over custody of her newborn baby to the father, his ex-wife, Monica, vows to help the young woman. But Monica is still recovering from a gunshot to the head that put her in a coma. Daphanie hires Austin Harris to help win her baby back, but divorced and lonely, Austin falls for Monica and tries to pull her into a relationship—one she is reluctant to start.Meanwhile, Caleb Harris, Austin’s brother, must pay back a loan shark to save his family from home eviction. But debt isn’t his only problem—his son has fallen deeper and deeper into crime. And as Daphanie struggles to win back her child, she must decide whether or not she will live by the rules of a man she despises in order to stay in her child’s life.This electrifying novel features the unforgettable Harris brothers, the major players of Johnson’s Million Dollar series, in a gripping new drama of passion and revenge. Deceit and Devotion—a rich tapestry of family, love, and loyalty—is not to be missed.

    

10. Panther Baby by Jamal Joseph
    (Algonquin Books, 2012-02-07, Hardcover)
    

    In the 1960s he exhorted students at Columbia University to burn their college to the ground. Today he’s chair of their School of the Arts film division. Jamal Joseph’s personal odyssey—from the streets of Harlem to Riker’s Island and Leavenworth to the halls of Columbia—is as gripping as it is inspiring.Eddie Joseph was a high school honor student, slated to graduate early and begin college. But this was the late 1960s in Bronx’s black ghetto, and fifteen-year-old Eddie was introduced to the tenets of the Black Panther Party, which was just gaining a national foothold. By sixteen, his devotion to the cause landed him in prison on the infamous Rikers Island—charged with conspiracy as one of the Panther 21 in one of the most emblematic criminal cases of the sixties. When exonerated, Eddie—now called Jamal—became the youngest spokesperson and leader of the Panthers’ New York chapter.He joined the “revolutionary underground,” later landing back in prison. Sentenced to more than twelve years in Leavenworth, he earned three degrees there and found a new calling. He is now chair of Columbia University’s School of the Arts film division—the very school he exhorted students to burn down during one of his most famous speeches as a Panther.In raw, powerful prose, Jamal Joseph helps us understand what it meant to be a soldier inside the militant Black Panther movement. He recounts a harrowing, sometimes deadly imprisonment as he charts his path to manhood in a book filled with equal parts rage, despair, and hope.

     

11. Killing the Messenger: A Story of Radical Faith, Racism’s Backlash, and the Assassination of a Journalist by Thomas Peele
    (Crown, 2012-02-07, Hardcover)
    

    When a nineteen-year-old member of a Black Muslim cult assassinated Oakland newspaper editor Chauncey Bailey in 2007—the most shocking killing of a journalist in the United States in thirty years—the question was, Why? “I just wanted to be a good soldier, a strong soldier,” the killer told police.   A strong soldier for whom? Killing the Messenger is a searing work of narrative nonfiction that explores one of the most blatant attacks on the First Amendment and free speech in American history and the small Black Muslim cult that carried it out. Award-winning investigative reporter Thomas Peele examines the Black Muslim movement from its founding in the early twentieth century by a con man who claimed to be God, to the height of power of the movement’s leading figure, Elijah Muhammad, to how the great-grandson of Texas slaves reinvented himself as a Muslim leader in Oakland and built the violent cult that the young gunman eventually joined. Peele delves into how charlatans exploited poor African Americans with tales from a religion they falsely claimed was Islam and the years of bloodshed that followed, from a human sacrifice in Detroit to police shootings of unarmed Muslims to the horrible backlash of racism known as the “zebra murders,” and finally to the brazen killing of Chauncey Bailey to stop him from publishing a newspaper story.   Peele establishes direct lines between the violent Black Muslim organization run by Yusuf Bey in Oakland and the evangelicalism of the early prophets and messengers of the Nation of Islam.  Exposing the roots of the faith, Peele examines its forerunner, the Moorish Science Temple of America, which in the 1920s and ’30s preached to migrants from the South living in Chicago and Detroit ghettos that blacks were the world’s master race, tricked into slavery by white devils. In spite of the fantastical claims and hatred at its core, the Nation of Islam was able to build a following by appealing to the lack of identity common in slave descendants.  In Oakland, Yusuf Bey built a cult through a business called Your Black Muslim Bakery, beating and raping dozens of women he claimed were his wives and fathering more than forty children.  Yet, Bey remained a prominent fixture in the community, and police looked the other way as his violent soldiers ruled the streets. An enthralling narrative that combines a rich historical account with gritty urban reporting, Killing the Messenger is a mesmerizing story of how swindlers and con men abused the tragedy of racism and created a radical religion of bloodshed and fear that culminated in a journalist’s murder.THOMAS PEELE is a digital investigative reporter for the Bay Area News Group and the Chauncey Bailey Project. He is also a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism.  His many honors include the Investigative Reporters and Editors Tom Renner Award for his reporting on organized crime, and the McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage. He lives in Northern California.

     

12. Born along the Color Line: The 1933 Amenia Conference and the Rise of a National Civil Rights Movement by Eben Miller
    (Oxford University Press, USA, 2012-02-01, Hardcover)
    

    In August, 1933, dozens of people gathered amid seven large, canvas tents in a field near Amenia, in upstate New York. Joel Spingarn, president of the board of the NAACP, had called a conference to revitalize the flagging civil rights organization. In Amenia, such old lions as the 65 year-old W.E.B. DuBois would mingle with “the coming leaders of Negro thought.” It was a fascinating encounter that would transform the civil rights movement. With elegant writing and piercing insight, historian Eben Miller narrates how this little-known conference brought together a remarkable young group of African American activists, capturing through the lives of five extraordinary participants–youth activist Juanita Jackson, diplomat Ralph Bunche, economist Abram Harris, lawyer Louis Redding, and Harlem organizer Moran Weston–how this generation shaped the ongoing movement for civil rights during the Depression, World War II, and beyond. Miller describes how Jackson, Bunche, Harris, and the others felt that, amidst the global crisis of the 1930s, it was urgent to move beyond the NAACP’s legal and political focus to build an economic movement that reached across the racial divide to challenge the capitalist system that had collapsed so devastatingly. They advocated alliances with labor groups, agitated for equal education, and campaigned for anti-lynching legislation and open access to the ballot and employment–spreading their influential ideas through their writings and by mass organizing in African American communities across the country, North and South. In their arguments and individual awakenings, they formed a key bridge between the turn-of-the-century Talented Tenth and the postwar civil rights generation, broadening and advancing the fight for racial equality through the darkest economic times the country has ever faced.In Born along the Color Line, Miller vividly captures the emergence of a forgotten generation of African American leaders, a generation that made Brown v. Board of Education and all that followed from it possible. It is an illuminating portrait of the “long civil rights movement,” not the movement that began in the 1950s, but the one that took on new life at Amenia in 1933

     

13. Freedom Papers: An Atlantic Odyssey in the Age of Emancipation by Rebecca J. Scott
    (Harvard University Press, 2012-02-27, Hardcover)
    

    This saga opens with the enslavement of a woman from Senegambia, and then traces her family’s quest, across five generations, for lives of dignity and equality. The story of Rosalie and her descendants unfolds against the background of three great antiracist struggles: the Haitian Revolution, the French Revolution of 1848, and the U.S. Civil War. (20111204)

     

14. From Slave to State Legislator: John W. E. Thomas, Illinois’ First African American Lawmaker by David A Joens
    (Southern Illinois University Press, 2012-02-29, Hardcover)
    

    As the first African American elected to the Illinois general assembly, John W. E. Thomas was the recognized leader of the state’s African American community for nearly twenty years and laid the groundwork for the success of future black leaders in Chicago politics. Despite his key role in the passage of Illinois’ first civil rights act and his commitment to improving his community against steep personal and political barriers, Thomas’s life and career have been long forgotten by historians and the public alike. This fascinating full-length biography—the first to address the full influence of Thomas or any black politician from Illinois during the Reconstruction Era—is also a pioneering effort to explain the dynamics of African American politics and divisions within the black community in post–Civil War Chicago. In From Slave to State Legislator, David A. Joens traces Thomas’s trajectory from a slave owned by a doctor’s family in Alabama to a prominent attorney believed to be the wealthiest African American man in Chicago at the time of his death in 1899. Providing one of the few comprehensive looks at African Americans in Chicago during this period, Joens reveals how Thomas’s career represents both the opportunities available to African Americans in the postwar period and the limits still placed on them. When Thomas moved to Chicago in 1869, he started a grocery store, invested in real estate, and founded the first private school for African Americans before becoming involved in politics. From Slave to State Legislator provides detailed coverage of Thomas’s three terms in the legislature during the 1870s and 1880s, his multiple failures to be nominated for reelection, and his loyalty to the Republican Party at great political cost, calling attention to the political differences within a black community often considered small and homogenous. Even after achieving his legislative legacy—the passage of the first state civil rights law—Thomas was plagued by patronage issues and an increasingly bitter split with the African American community frustrated with slow progress toward true equality. Drawing on newspapers and an array of government documents, Joens provides the most thorough review to date of the first civil rights legislation and the two controversial “colored conventions” chaired by Thomas. Joens cements Thomas’s legacy as a committed and conscientious lawmaker amid political and personal struggles. In revealing the complicated rivalries and competing ambitions that shaped black northern politics during the Reconstruction Era, Joens shows the long-term impact of Thomas’s friendship with other burgeoning African American political stars and his work to get more black representatives elected. The volume is enhanced by short biographies of other key Chicago African American politicians of the era.

     

15. Death Blow to Jim Crow: The National Negro Congress and the Rise of Militant Civil Rights (The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture) by Gellman Erik S.
    (The University of North Carolina Press, 2012-02-01, Hardcover)
    

    During the Great Depression, black intellectuals, labor organizers, and artists formed the National Negro Congress (NNC) to demand a “second emancipation” in America. Over the next decade, the NNC and its offshoot, the Southern Negro Youth Congress, sought to coordinate and catalyze local antiracist activism into a national movement to undermine the Jim Crow system of racial and economic exploitation. In this pioneering study, Erik S. Gellman shows how the NNC agitated for the first-class citizenship of African Americans and all members of the working class, establishing civil rights as necessary for reinvigorating American democracy. Much more than just a precursor to the 1960s civil rights movement, this activism created the most militant interracial freedom movement since Reconstruction, one that sought to empower the American labor movement to make demands on industrialists, white supremacists, and the state as never before. By focusing on the complex alliances between unions, civic groups, and the Communist Party in five geographic regions, Gellman explains how the NNC and its allies developed and implemented creative grassroots strategies to weaken Jim Crow, if not deal it the “death blow” they sought.

     

16. Negro Comrades of the Crown: African Americans and the British Empire Fight the U.S. Before Emancipation by Gerald Horne
    (NYU Press, 2012-02-01, Hardcover)
    

    While it is well known that more Africans fought on behalf of the British than with the successful patriots of the American Revolution, Gerald Horne reveals in his latest work of historical recovery that after 1776, Africans and African-Americans continued to collaborate with Great Britain against the United States in battles big and small until the Civil War. Many African Americans viewed Britain, an early advocate of abolitionism and emancipator of its own slaves, as a powerful ally in their resistance to slavery in the Americas. This allegiance was far-reaching, from the Caribbean to outposts in North America to Canada. In turn, the British welcomed and actively recruited both fugitive and free African Americans, arming them and employing them in military engagements throughout the Atlantic World, as the British sought to maintain a foothold in the Americas following the Revolution. In this path-breaking book, Horne rewrites the history of slave resistance by placing it for the first time in the context of military and diplomatic wrangling between Britain and the United States. Painstakingly researched and full of revelations, Negro Comrades of the Crown is among the first book-length studies to highlight the Atlantic origins of the Civil War, and the active role played by African Americans within these external factors that led to it.

     

17. Kehinde Wiley: The World Stage, India, Sri Lanka by Gayatri Sinha
    (Rhona Hoffman Gallery, 2012-02-29, Hardcover)
    

    Kehinde Wiley’s acclaimed World Stageseries inserts into the language of old master portraiture the very ethnicities and ethnic iconography that western art has most excluded from it, or that western art has portrayed solely in colonial, Orientalist terms. Among the countries he has previously depicted in this ambitious traveling epic are Brazil, Africa and China. The rhetoric of Wiley’s paintings is powerful in its candor, color and its playfulness with constructions of visual meaning, and as Paul Miller (DJ Spooky) also notes, “Wiley’s canvas surfaces are a mirror reflection of America’s unceasing search for new meanings from the ruins of the Old World of Europe and Africa.” This volume includes a selection of new World Stageportraits, focusing on India (specifically the cities of New Delhi and Mumbai) and Sri Lanka. Text in English and Hindi.

     

18. Carl Van Vechten and the Harlem Renaissance: A Portrait in Black and White by Emily Bernard
    (Yale University Press, 2012-02-28, Hardcover)
    

    Carl Van Vechten was a white man with a passion for blackness who played a crucial role in helping the Harlem Renaissance, a black movement, come to understand itself. Carl Van Vechten and the Harlem Renaissance is grounded in the dramas occasioned by the Harlem Renaissance, as it is called today, or New Negro Renaissance, as it was called in the 1920s, when it first came into being. Emily Bernard focuses on writing—the black and white of things—the articles, fiction, essays, and letters that Carl Van Vechten wrote to black people and about black culture, and the writing of the black people who wrote to and about him. Above all, she is interested in the interpersonal exchanges that inspired the writing, which are ultimately far more significant than the public records would suggest.This book is a partial biography of a once controversial figure. It is not a comprehensive history of an entire life, but rather a chronicle of one of his lives, his black life, which began in his boyhood and thrived until his death. The narrative at the core of Carl Van Vechten and the Harlem Renaissance is not an attempt to answer the question of whether Van Vechten was good or bad for black people, or whether or not he hurt or helped black creative expression during the Harlem Renaissance. As Bernard writes, the book instead “enlarges that question into something much richer and more nuanced: a tale about the messy realities of race, and the complicated tangle of black and white.”

     

19. King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village by Peggielene Bartels
    (Doubleday, 2012-02-21, Hardcover)
    

    The charming real-life fairy tale of an American secretary who discovers she has been chosen king of an impoverished fishing village on the west coast of Africa. King Peggy has the sweetness and quirkiness of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series and the hopeful sense of possibility of Half the Sky.  King Peggy chronicles the astonishing journey of an American secretary who suddenly finds herself king to a town of 7,000 souls on Ghana’s central coast, half a world away. Upon arriving for her crowning ceremony in beautiful Otuam, she discovers the dire reality: there’s no running water, no doctor, and no high school, and many of the village elders are stealing the town’s funds. To make matters worse, her uncle (the late king) sits in a morgue awaiting a proper funeral in the royal palace, which is in ruins. The longer she waits to bury him, the more she risks incurring the wrath of her ancestors. Peggy’s first two years as king of Otuam unfold in a way that is stranger than fiction. In the end, a deeply traditional African town has been uplifted by the ambitions of its headstrong, decidedly modern female king. And in changing Otuam, Peggy is herself transformed, from an ordinary secretary to the heart and hope of her community.

     

20. The Oxford History of Popular Print Culture: Volume Six: US Popular Print Culture 1860-1920 by Christine Bold
    (Oxford University Press, USA, 2012-02-20, Hardcover)
    

    What did most people read? Where did they get it? Where did it come from? What were its uses in its readers’ lives? How was it produced and distributed? What were its relations to the wider world of print culture? How did it develop over time? These questions are central toThe Oxford History of Popular Print Culture, an ambitious nine-volume series devoted to the exploration of popular print culture in English from the beginning of the sixteenth century to the present.Volume six explores a cornucopia of US popular print materials from 1860 to 1920, the period when mass culture exploded into the everyday lives of large swathes of the population. Thirty specially written essays by scholars from a wide range of disciplines – history of the book; literary, cultural, media, and film studies; social history, journalism, and American Studies – probe the material conditions, proliferating genres, and cultural work of newly affordable and accessible forms. A dozen short entries address additional topics, genres, and approaches. A chronology of the relevant legal, technological, and organizational developments of the period and a list of online and physical archives provide further support for study in this burgeoning field. Cumulatively, the volume revisions the power of ‘the popular’ in its many meanings – widely circulated, commercialised, vernacular, working-class, cheap, accessible; it recovers and analyses neglected cultural webs and networks, as well as individual authors, famous and forgotten; and it interrogates conventional cultural hierarchies and high/low binaries. The volume pursues some key issues in rich archival and analytical detail. How did new technologies of production and distribution shape a plethora of print forms, including advertising leaflets, postcards, tracts, pamphlets, dime novels, story papers, newspapers, magazines, and cheap books? How did upheavals in the publishing industry and new regulatory mechanisms affect circulation and consumption? How did various genres mediate social and political transformations of the period? How did popular print forms consolidate transnational and borderlands networks? How were particular cultural communities, including Native American, African American, Asian American, and Mexican / America alternately served and oppressed by popular print? How was it seized in support of labour and woman suffrage, and how was it wielded by governmental and educational institutions? How did print interact with other media?

     

February’s Bestselling African American Paperbacks

February 2012′s top-selling African American books in paperback.

1. Guilty Gucci by Ashley Antoinette
   (Urban Books, 2012-02-01, Paperback)
   

    

2. Health First!: The Black Woman’s Wellness Guide by Eleanor Hinton Hoytt
   (SmileyBooks, 2012-02-01, Paperback)
   

   The story of Black women in America is one of triumph and grace, even with odds stacked high against them. Health First! The Black Woman’s Wellness Guide provides you with a comprehensive guide to your #1 resource: yourself. Today, as Black women face an unprecedented health crisis, denial and self-neglect are no longer viable options. This groundbreaking volume is rooted in the pioneering work of the Black Women’s Health Imperative, the nation’s only nonprofit organization devoted to advancing the health and wellness of Black women and girls. It offers a core health philosophy—too long denied Black women—based on putting your health first. Health First! explores Black women’s most critical health challenges, connecting the dots through honest discussions with experts and the uncensored stories of real women—from adolescence through  elderhood. The focus is on prevention and awareness, across generations and circumstances—from candid conversations about reproductive health and HIV/AIDS to frank explorations of Black women’s Top 10 Health Risks, including cancer, obesity, and violence. No matter what your age or health status, this unprecedented health reference will become a trusted ally as you seek accessible and relevant information to help you navigate your most pressing health needs. In an age of uncertainty, it’s time to take control and truly discover the vitality, power, and joy that can be yours when you learn how to put your health first.

    

3. Baby Momma by Ni’chelle Genovese
   (Urban Books, 2012-02-01, Paperback)
   

   Welcome to the fast paced high stakes world of Rasheed an anti-hero you’ll love to hate much like Scarface. Caught up in a game of fast money, faster women, and a hustler’s dream, Rasheed’s secrets and lies threaten to completely sever his alliance with his baby’s mother Michelle. Trapped in an emotional whirlwind of sex, love, and mistrust, Michelle attempts to hold the threads of their lives together. With the passing of each day their bond unravels further forcing Michelle closer to confronting the reality which is her life or suffering in silence. A cautionary tale for all “Baby Mommas” filled with tragedy,irony,violence and betrayal.

    

4. Black Cool: One Thousand Streams of Blackness
   (Soft Skull Press, 2012-02-07, Paperback)
   

   Black Cool explores the ineffable state and aesthetic of Black Cool. From the effortless reserve of Miles Davis in khakis on an early album cover, to the shock of resistance in black women’s fashion from Angela Davis to Rihanna, to the cadence of poets as diverse as Staceyann Chin and Audre Lorde, Black Cool looks at the roots of Black Cool and attempts to name elements of the phenomena that have emerged to shape the global expectation of cool itself.Buoyed by some of America’s most innovative thinkers on the subject — graphic novelist Mat Johnson, Brown University Professor of African Studies Tricia Rose, critical thinking and cultural icon bell hooks, Macarthur winner Kara Walker, and many more — the book is at once a handbook, a map, a journey into the matrix of another cosmology. It’s a literal periodic table of cool, wherein each writer names and defines their element of choice. Dream Hampton writes about Audacity. Helena Andrews about Reserve, Margo Jefferson on Eccentricity, Veronica Chambers on Genius, and so on. With a foreword by Henry Louis Gates that bridges historical African elements of cool with the path laid out for the future, Black Cool offers a provocative perspective on this powerful cultural legacy.

    

5. What Kind of Fool by Rhonda McKnight
   (Urban Books, 2012-02-01, Paperback)
   

   Secrets and lies from the past intricately tie two couples together, but threatens to tear their relationships apart.

    

6. The Stalker Chronicles by Electa Rome Parks
   (Urban Books, 2012-02-01, Paperback)
   

   She’s back, and this time it’s all about revenge.Tall, dark, and handsome bestselling male author Xavier Preston thought his nightmare–in the form of Pilar, a fanatical stalker/fan–had finally ended. Little does he know it’s only beginning. When Xavier met Pilar, he got much more than he bargained for. What started out as an erotic one-night stand quickly turned into a dangerous game of obsession and pain, with both parties playing to win. Then she simply disappeared.Stunning Pilar hasn’t gone away, though. In fact, she has been very near, watching his every move and patiently waiting for him to realize they were meant to be together forever. She still believes they’re soul mates, and the only option for her is “Until death do us part.” If she can’t have Xavier, then no one can. Now no one is safe–not his friends, and definitely not him. Revenge can be a real killer.

    

7. Hard Candy 2: Secrets Uncovered by Amaleka McCall
   (Urban Books, 2012-02-01, Paperback)
   

    

8. With Just One Kiss (Grayson Friends) by Francis Ray
   (St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 2012-02-28, Mass Market Paperback)
   

   IT’S NEVER TOO LATECicely St. John is not impressed by her friend C.J. Callahan’s so-called passion in life: running a New York City bar that he inherited from his uncle. So why can’t Cicely stop thinking about the dance they shared at their mutual friend’s wedding-or the mutual attraction she felt in C.J.’s arms?TO GIVE LOVE A CHANCEAs far as C.J. is concerned, Cicely is a snob whose “passion” in life-writing for fashion magazines-is as pretentious as she is. So why can’t he keep his eyes off her? C.J. has a business to run. And Cicely has a job opportunity in Paris. Neither of them even has time to think about romance right now. But maybe, just once, the two could test their friendship…with just one kiss.

    

9. When Solomon Sings by Kendra Norman-Bellamy
   (Urban Books, 2012-02-01, Paperback)
   

    

10. Black Friday: Exposed by Ashley and JaQuavis
    (Urban Books, 2012-02-01, Paperback)
    

    All it takes is one murder to change a million lives, and that’s exactly what happens to Kasheef Williams on a cold, black Friday. After a reunion with an old friend goes wrong in a Long Island night club, Kasheef is forced to protect himself by any means necessary. The only problem is that prying eyes see everything. Those eyes belong to Alija Bell. After walking in on a situation she was never meant to see, she runs; but Kasheef sees her face, and he tells her that it’s best for her to get temporary amnesia. Afraid for her life and the safety of her daughter, she keeps her mouth shut, but when a tape of the murder surfaces, the only face that’s visible is Alijas. Now the police are looking for their eyewitness, and Kasheef has to get to Alija before her day comes to testify against him in court. In this dramatic, hood savvy tale, things aren’t always as they seem. Somebody holds the ticket to the jury’s verdict. Lies and truth collide. Everyone has a different angle, but the only question is, who has the most influence over Kasheef’s fate?

     

11. The Cameo Necklace: A Cecile Mystery (American Girl) (American Girl Mysteries) by Evelyn Coleman
    (Amer Girl, 2012-02-28, Paperback)
    

    As Cécile exits a crowded showboat after enjoying a lavish Floating Circus, she stumbles–and when she gets up, she realizes that the cameo necklace she borrowed from her aunt is no longer on her neck. Knowing that the necklace was the last gift Tante Tay’s husband gave her before he died, Cécile is desperate to find it. As she tracks down the people in the crowd who were near her when she fell, her search takes her into many corners of New Orleans, from a society tea party to the crowded French Market, even the dangerous cypress swamps…and deep into secrets she never imagined! An illustrated Looking Back essay provides facts about the 1850s.

     

12. Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe
    (Dafina, 2012-02-01, Paperback)
    

    New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe presents an unforgettable tale featuring Mama Ruby, the indomitable heroine of her acclaimed novel The Upper Room. Now readers will get a peek into Ruby’s early years, as she transforms from a spoiled small-town girl into one of the South’s most notorious and volatile women…Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Ruby Jean Upshaw is the kind of girl who knows what she wants and knows how to get it. By the time she’s fifteen, Ruby has developed a taste for fast men and cheap liquor, and not even her preacher daddy can set her straight. Most everyone in the neighborhood knows you don’t cross Ruby. Only Othella Mae Cartier, daughter of the town tramp, understands what makes Ruby tick. When Ruby discovers she’s in the family way, she’s scared for the first time in her life. After hiding her growing belly with baggy dresses, Ruby secretly gives birth to a baby girl at Othella’s house. With few choices, Othella talks Ruby into giving the child away-and with the help of a shocking revelation, convinces Ruby to run off with her to New Orleans. But nothing can erase Ruby’s memories of the child she lost-or quell her simmering rage at Othella for persuading her to let her precious baby go. If there’s a fine line between best friend and worst nightmare, Ruby is surely treading it. Because someday, there will be a reckoning. And when it comes, Othella will learn the hard way that no one knows how to exact revenge quite like Ruby Jean Upshaw…

     

13. Coming Home: A Novel (Winds of Change) by Stacy Hawkins Adams
    (Zondervan, 2012-02-13, Paperback)
    

    If forgiving your ex-husband was easy, everybody would do it. Brent had cheated on Dayna and coldly said goodbye to her seven long years ago—dashing her hopes of having children or growing old with the love of her life. Working hard to make herself successful as a hospital executive, Dayna has moved on, finding comfort in a new dating relationship with a faith-filled colleague, Warren. But when Brent resurfaces on her doorstep at just the wrong time, Dayna’s heart threatens to come unglued. Why is Brent asking for forgiveness now? And why are he and his new wife, Tamara, interested in reconciliation with Dayna? The unbelievable answers in Coming Home begin to surface as Brent boldly asks Dayna to support him at the most crucial time of his life. While Tamara’s heart brims with guilt, both women will discover what it means to reach beyond pain and baggage to love unconditionally, leaving the consequences to God.

     

14. Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies by Trice Hickman
    (Dafina, 2012-02-01, Paperback)
    

    What would you do if the secret you were keeping could set you free, yet ultimately devastate the ones you love?………After six years of marriage, Victoria and Ted are the ultimate power couple. She’s a beautiful, business savvy sister who owns one of Atlanta’s most sought after event planning companies. He’s a powerful, blue-eyed CEO who knows how to take care of business in and out of the boardroom. But their seemingly happy life begins to unravel in the blink of an eye when long held desires and decades old secrets come back to haunt them. Victoria’s road to deceit begins when Parker Brightwood re-enters her life. She thought she’d gotten over the brazenly handsome surgeon who once stole her heart, but an unusual set of circumstances ushers the ebony prince back on the scene, and this time he’s determined to win her back at any cost. Ted’s undoing begins with his mother’s sudden death, and a mysterious secret that leads to unexpected places. When the truth is finally revealed, it’s a realization so shocking, it threatens the life and marriage he holds so dear. As Victoria and Ted journey down a road filled with uncertainty, they’re forced to take a hard, honest look at themselves and confront their hidden fears. Can they repair the damage before it’s too late, or will they follow a path headed toward destruction?

     

15. Sweet Southern Nights (Kimani Romance) by Rochelle Alers
    (Kimani, 2012-02-21, Mass Market Paperback)
    

    Sweet Southern Nights

     

16. Diamond Life: A Novel by Aliya S King
    (Touchstone, 2012-02-07, Paperback)
    

    BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR . . . Set in the highest ranks of the music industry’s fame machine, Diamond Life is an intoxicating story of love, sex, ambition, money, betrayal, and the surprising realities of making it big. Alex Maxwell’s career as a journalist and celebrity ghost writer is taking off, despite the slightly embarrassing authorship of hip-hop super-groupie Cleo Wright’s memoir. And while Alex’s star is on the rise, it pales in comparison to her husband Birdie’s multiplatinum debut and world tour. Slowly but surely, everything they swore would never happen begins to come true, like leaving Brooklyn for a mansion in suburban Jersey and letting a reality TV crew into their home. Birdie is confronted time and again by the sexy groupies who pursue famous rappers like heat-seeking missiles and he’s forced to make some life-changing choices. Meanwhile, aging rapper Z, in recovery from drug addiction, is too busy trying to repair his marriage to leave much time for his son Zander, newly signed to Z’s label and struggling to maintain his appeal in the wake of a domestic violence scandal with his diva girlfriend Bunny. Record label president Jake is trying to deal with the death of his wife, multiplatinum R&B artist Kipenzi Hill, by drowning his sorrows in alcohol and women. When he meets Lily, a beautiful, quiet waitress, he can’t get her out of his head. But Lily has her own problems to handle and she wants nothing to do with the fame, drama, and baggage that Jake carries with him. This juicy follow-up to Aliya S. King’s Platinum is a scintillating roman à clef that takes readers behind the curtain once again for the real scoop on the biggest players in the hip-hop game—and the first ladies who hold them together.

     

17. I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin’s Life in Letters by Bayard Rustin
    (City Lights Publishers, 2012-02-28, Paperback)
    

    Published on the centennial of his birth, and in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, here is Bayard Rustin’s life story told in his own words. Bayard Rustin has been called the “lost prophet” of the civil rights movement. A master strategist and tireless activist, he is best remembered as the organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, one of the largest nonviolent protests ever held in the U.S. He brought Gandhi’s protest techniques to the American civil rights movement and played a deeply influential role in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., helping to mold him into an international symbol of nonviolence. Despite these achievements, Rustin often remained in the background. He was silenced, threatened, arrested, beaten, imprisoned and fired from important leadership positions, largely because he was an openly gay man in a fiercely homophobic era. Here we have Rustin in his own words in a collection of over 150 of his letters; his correspondents include the major progressives of his day — for example, Eleanor Holmes Norton, A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, Ella Baker, and of course, Martin Luther King, Jr.Bayard Rustin’s eloquent, impassioned voice, his ability to chart the path “from protest to politics,” is both timely and deeply informative. As the Occupy movement ushers America into a pivotal election year, and as politicians and citizens re-assess their goals and strategies, these letters provide direct access to the strategic thinking and tactical planning that led to the successes of one of America’s most transformative and historic social movements.

     

18. Trust in Black America: Race, Discrimination, and Politics by Shayla Nunnally
    (NYU Press, 2012-02-01, Paperback)
    

    The more citizens trust their government, the better democracy functions. However, African Americans have long suffered from the lack of protection by their government, and the racial discrimination they have faced breaks down their trust in democracy. Rather than promoting democracy, the United States government has, from its inception, racially discriminated against African American citizens and other racial groups, denying them equal access to citizenship and to protection of the law. Civil rights violations by ordinary citizens have also tainted social relationships between racial groupsosocial relationships that should be meaningful for enhancing relations between citizens and the government at large. Thus, trust and democracy do not function in American politics in the way that they should, in large part because trust is not colour blind. Based on the premise that racial discrimination breaks down trust in a democracy, Trust in Black America examines the effect of race on African Americans’ lives. Shayla Nunnally analyzes public opinion data from two national surveys to provide an updated and contemporary analysis of African Americans’ political socialization, and to explore how African Americans learn about race. She argues that the uncertainty, risk, and unfairness of institutionalized racial discrimination has led African Americans to have a fundamentally different understanding of American race relations, so much so that distrust has been the basis for which race relations have been understood by African Americans. Nunnally empirically demonstrates that race and racial discrimination have broken down trust in American democracy. Shayla C. Nu nnally is Assistant Professor with a joint appointment in Political Science and African American Studies at the University of Connecticut.

     

19. Cheaper to Keep Her part 3 (More Money More Problems) by Kiki Swinson presents Unique
    (K.S. Publications, 2012-02-28, Paperback)
    

     

20. Fast Animal by Tim Seibles
    (Etruscan Press, 2012-02-07, Paperback)
    

    This collection by African American poet Tim Seibles explores a range of poetic form, including lyric, ode, narrative, and mystical. Like a “fast animal,” the poet’s voice can swiftly change direction and tone as he crisscrosses between present and past. Tim Seibles, who teaches at Old Dominion University, is the author of six previous books, including Body Moves and Hurdy-Gurdy. His poetry has been featured in Best American Poetry 2010. Seibles has been the recipient of an NEA grant for poetry and Open Voice award.

     

Strings of Color by Marian L. Thomas