Juicy Reads Vol 1 #4

Issue#4 | Vol.1 | May 2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS

05

5 Best Selling Authors

18

Passion Through Pages: Shay Davis

21

Popular Contemporary Novels

31

The Glow Up: Keta Denise

38

Read Novel from a male's perspective.

Author's Ralph & Edgerson & Kid Gotti

It rings synonymous with hustle and to bear it means you personify what it is to be a boss. On the streets of Houston it holds major weight and is never to be taken lightly. In their hood it brings status, garners respect, and defines loyalty. To break bread with a Broadus is an honor but to actually be a Broadus is to be part of a brotherhood. A legacy. A bond so unbreakable that it would take several armies of adversaries to penetrate it.

“YOU MUST BE UNINTIMIDATED

BY YOUR OWN THOUGHTS BECAUSE IF YOU WRITE WITH SOMEONE LOOKING OVER YOU SHOULDER, YOU’LL NEVER WRITE.” Nikki Giovanni

Three friends experiencing life’s uncertain changes decide they need relaxation beyond the usual girls’ night out. A friend tells them about, The Den, an upscale male strip club. They find out the club is a shell of what really lies beneath—and soon, the ladies are venturing into their mind and body’s wildest desires.

This is Asia McClendon's story.

TAKEAH LATIMORE Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

NEW AUTHOR NEW BOOK FIVE STAR READ Takeah is a free-spirited, God-fearing, family loving, Black woman from Columbus, Ohio, the home of The Ohio State Buckeyes! Takeah started writing at the tender age of nine.

Throughout her teenage years, she won quite a number of contests for writing. As an adult, she rediscovered her love for storytelling by writing and interacting with readers on Wattpad. In March of 2020, Takeah published her first book "Shortie". It's Takeah's fondest hope to be able to share more of her work with readers across the world.

Takeah was born on the East Side of Columbus, Ohio, though the South Side helped raise her. She is the second in a family of 10.

Takeah is a huge fan of music. She believes that her love of music comes from her parents – her daddy raised on her hip-hop greats, from The Sugar Hill Gang to MC Lyte, Public Enemy, and everyone in between, while her mama made sure to embed everything else like gospel, jazz, R&B, and neo-soul. She also attributes her love for poetry and words to her parents since they were the ones who always encouraged her to read the dictionary and really listen to the lyrics of songs. When Takeah is not writing, she spends time with her family, binge-watches A Different World, practices dancing, or serves the community she lives in.

Aside from her love for writing, she is also passionate about empowering, educating, and impacting youth to see and reach their full potential.

Takeah enjoys writing fiction, and her work illustrates Black love in its purest form. In her books, she roots for everybody Black by telling stories of platonic, romantic, and personal love. The characters Takeah writes are inspired by her life's experiences. As you read along the novels, these characters become your friends. You root for them, laugh and cry with them. It's like watching your favorite show over and over again.

Shortie is Takeah's first published novel.

Shortie is about a dope boy named Quinton who runs into a woman named MoniqueSharaye and decides to turn in his player's card to pursue her. Both Mo and Q have their share of home issues, which makes things very interesting along the way, but as their relationship grows, they come to realize that there isn't anything they can't overcome together.

The storyline of Shortie is explosive and juicy.

Some of the moments between Mo and Q are so hilarious that you will laugh till your stomach hurts. But, you will also fall in love with these two main characters. Quinton is so gentle and affectionate with Monique and truly treats her like a queen. Throughout the novel, this couple shares an undeniable love and affection for each other. But as it often happens when you fall in love, trouble finds a way, and they have to face many problems pitfalls on their journey of everlasting love.

For Takeah, the entire process of writing and publishing Shortie was a challenge. She started crafting this story as a teenager, so the characters, the plot, and everything about Shortie literally grew up with her. She battled feelings of nervousness and doubt when she finally decided to share it with the world. At first, she didn't know where she could fit in with the Black love story market, which was saturated with hood romances. There were even a few people who flat out told her that Shortie shouldn't be her first published book at all. But after a lot of research, trial and error, crying, and praying, Takeah was finally able to publish her novel in 2020.

Although Takeah enjoyed reading Black "love" stories since pre-teens, she recognized that lot of novels have a pattern of unhealthy and fatal attraction type of love, with low key verbal abuse or some type of emotional abuse between the main characters. She distinctly remembers thinking, "this can't be what love is. I don't want it to be". Shortie is her response to all the Black "love" stories she read as a pre-teen. It is her way of showing Black people that it's possible to have love without the trauma. That black people are worthy of such.

Takeah is a new author with a lot of protentional – an author you should definitely check out. Shortie is definitely a five-star read with an authentic story. If you are looking for a good book to read, we highly recommend you to pick up Shortie, which is available on Amazon.

BLACK ROMANCE: 5 BEST-SELLING BLACK CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS YOU SHOULD READ ABOUT

Beverly Jenkins Beverly Jenkins was born in 1951 in Detroit, Michigan. She is a novelist that writes historical and contemporary romance stories in the 19th century. Her inspiration for writing began when she became an editor for her elementary school newspaper. In 1969, Jenkins attended Michigan State University where she worked full time in the library department. Eventually, she began working in pharmaceuticals where she wrote romance novels that portrayed the historical events of black history. In 1994, Jenkins published her first novel, Night Song.

The African-American Literature Club voted her as one of the top 50 favorite African-American Authors of the 20th century.

Some of her recent novels include Bring On The Blessings (2009), Destiny’s Embrace (2013), and Wild Rain: Women Who Dare (2021).

Zane If you desire contemporary romance that empowers a different level of intimacy, Zane is the perfect author.

Zane, also known as Kristina Laferna Roberts, was born in 1967. She is known for her contemporary and erotic fiction novels. Zane began her writing journey in 1997 when she wrote erotic stories after putting her children to bed. During this time, she was working as a sales representative where she gained a following from publishing her short stories on the internet. In 2002, she self-published The Sex Chronicles before signing a deal with Simon & Schuster.

Some of her best novels include Addicted (1998), Dear G Spot: Straight Talk About Sex and Love (2007), and her recent novel, The Other Side of the Pillow (2018).

BLACK ROMANCE: 5 BEST-SELLING BLACK CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS YOU SHOULD READ ABOUT

Eric Jerome Dickey Eric Jerome Dickey was born on July 7, 1961, in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1983, he graduated with his Bachelor of Science degree from Memphis State University. During his writing career, he published 15 novels. Some of his stories gave readers a diverse setting, however, he wrote several romance novels. Dickey’s work was featured in several publications, including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. His first few publications, Sister, Sister (1996), Friends and Lovers (1997), Milk In My Coffee (1998) amongst others reached #1 on the Blackboard Bestseller List. At the age of 59, Dickey died of cancer.

Some of his best-sellers include Liar’s Game (2000), Before We Were Wicked (2019), and his most recent novel, The Business of Lovers (2020). Dickey’s recent book, The Son of Mr. Suleman is said to be published in April 2021.

BLACK ROMANCE: 5 BEST-SELLING BLACK CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS YOU SHOULD READ ABOUT

De’Nesha Diamond Adrianne Byrd was born on November 23, 1970, in Memphis Tennessee.

During her early childhood, she was introduced to romance novels by her older brother, and by 1996, she published her first book, Defenseless. In 2006, Byrd cowrote the Hoodwives Trilogy and Diva series, where she portrayed herself as De’Nesha Diamond. The series were urban fiction tales that related to street life. Her best-seller The Beautiful Ones (2005) is displayed in over 400 WorldCat Libraries. During her lifetime, she has written about 50 romance novels that are still an inspiration of today. On October 30, 2020, Byrd passed away. Her death is unknown.

Aside from her Hoodwives and Diva series, Diamond’s other best-sellers are The Hood Life (2009) and Heartbreaker (2010).

September 28, 2021

Cheris Hodges Cheris Hodges places you in a world of intimacy and desire. Born in 1977, Hodges is known for her contemporary romance publications.

At an early age, she always felt that burning desire to become a writer. In 1999, she graduated from Johnson C. Smith University with her degree in Journalism. In recent years, she won the North Carolina Press Association Journalism Award. Today, Hodges lives in North Carolina as a freelance writer and continues her journey in publishing contemporary romance novels.

Some of her best-selling novels include No Other Lover Will Do (2010), Recipe For Desire (2012), and Rumor Has It (2015), and her recent novel Strategic Seduction (2018).

KENDRA NECOLE Kendra Necole is from the nation's capital Washington DC and loves teaching, reading, and writing. She is an avid reader of Urban Fiction and Contemporary Romance and writes Urban Fiction mixed with Romance. Currently, she's working on her BA in Elementary Education while developing her writing craft daily. Her dream is to become a bestselling author while crusading for equality in the education system.

As a trainee teacher and a former student, she strongly believes that every child deserves a quality education with teachers who believe they are champions regardless of the child's social-economic status.

When she doesn't have her head in one of her favorite novels, Kendra is working on her laptop, writing her next masterpiece. For as long as she could remember, she has loved reading. Writing became her passion after reading her first novel by Keisha Ervin. The way the author painted pictures with her words and had the readers emotionally connected with her characters struck a chord deep within her. It was then that Kendra realized that this was what she wanted to do too. She was inspired to write her own books about love, struggle, triumph, and forgiveness.

Kendra's journey as an Urban Romance author started when she began writing her first manuscript at the age of eighteen years.

The story was about a girl named Karma Brown, who grew up in an abusive household and watched her mother experience domestic violence. Every day, after taking a full day of college classes, Kendra would return home exhausted but still determined to work on the story. She tirelessly worked on this manuscript for years, taking it through constant revisions and reworks. But it wasn't until the pandemic when she was furloughed from her job that she brought Karma Brown back out from the dust. She had some free time on her hands, and she used this time constructively to read through her manuscript and revamp it. She retitled it from Karma Brown to what is now known to her readers as "Twisted Off That Cali Love." This story became the series that helped Kendra to become a published author under K.Renee Publications. Today, she is very proud of this decision and is thankful and humbled by the immense love multitude of readers have shown her.

As a new Black author, Kendra has faced many challenges, but she feels that her biggest challenge is getting out her own head and penning down the story. Kendra loves writing Urban Fiction mixed with Romance and considers this her genre. Currently, she is working on her next release, which is a story about an older woman and a younger man.

Through her captivating stories, Kendra wants to teach lessons about the nature of love and life. She is also willing to share a sneak peek of an unreleased piece with her readers.

Kendra's fans can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and email.

VETTE A Boss and an Independent Author

The 44-year-old author, otherwise known as Vette Wilson in the literary world, hails from Cleveland, Mississippi. Currently living in Pennsylvania, she began writing in 2015, after being signed to Diamanté Publications. Having published 21 novels, Vette has established herself as one of the best-known authors in the industry. The author, mother, sister, daughter, and friend has many successful businesses under her belt: Bossette Behavior LLC, a ghostwriting and literary consulting agency; Bossette Behavior Presents, an independent publishing company and Goddess of Eden Cosmetics and Skincare!! In addition to being a law student, Tacara is also majoring in Criminal Justice. She is now an independent author.

She began writing when she was twelve after reading Maya Angelou and Stephen King. Despite writing books in all genres, her favorite genre to write is erotica. Her new novel is titled Office Affairs and is self-explanatory.

I would recommend all readers to check it out.

Governor Malik is a woman's worst nightmare when it comes to loyalty, but her dream when it comes to pleasure.

Office Affairs 5 star Scandal, Sex & Getting Even! It's the juicy situations happening in this book that make me enjoy this book so much. A mind-blowing OMG moment left me speechless. I love how Vette left so many details outlined so that the story would be exciting and interesting at the same time, and how the victory at the end gives it a satisfying ending. Get on this one, because this was great.

Shay Davis is a paralegal who fights legal battles by day and a creator of soulstirring black love stories by night. She has been nominated for New Black Author of the Year by Black Girls Who Write, featured on Hood Delights Podcast and Brazen Babe Reviews Podcast, and featured in Sistah Girls Book Club Newsletters.

Shay's love affair with writing began with the movie Harriet the Spy and her subsequent obsession with journaling every detail of her life. She began writing stories in high school when she passed her notebook with stories around all her friends, and everyone always wanted more of her stories.

The past few years have honed her skills even more, and she has created several captivating short stories in her favorite genre of Black Romance. As luck would have it, Shay is actually named after the romance novel "Shanna" written by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss in 1977.

Shay released her debut novel in July of 2020, and since then, she has published six books and one audiobook, under her alias, Eva Sherie. Shay uses this alias when she delves more into erotica. Since she straddles the line between contemporary romance and erotica, using an alias for more erotic work helps her to keep the work a little more balanced. Overall, Shay's style falls under Black Love/romance, focusing on mature sexy male leads and powerful, strong, and real female leads. To date, she considers her biggest achievement as ranking number one on the Bestseller charts for her black romance, "The Marriage Contract". This brilliant black romance is still in the top 10 of the Bestsellers charts, two months after being released.

Shay has always loved writing. She found solace between the pages of her journal, releasing her innermost thoughts and penning her every desire. Her career as a paralegal involves writing every day, but not soul-touching love stories, just boring legal documents. After twelve years as a paralegal, she was sitting at her desk, in the middle of drafting a document, when inspiration struck, and she began penning "Stay A Little Longer". The excitement she felt at that moment sealed her desire to become a published author. Her passion for capturing her emotions turned into creating magnetic stories of black love from the feelings that stirred deep within her.

For Shay, there's just something special about painting detailed pictures from the words that float around in her head. She finds it very satisfying to be able to portray a sexy love scene or the build-up of tension between the pages of her novels.

She loves that she can pull readers into the story and make them feel connected to the characters she creates. Overall, it's the storytelling that she loves the most and the ability to weave connections between characters.

Shay's goal is to continue to release novels and turn them into audiobooks. She has already turned one book into an audiobook and has other titles in the works. Ultimately, she wants to be able to give up drafting legal documents and spend my days creating entertaining stories of Blake Love, traveling the world, and having a more flexible schedule once her son starts kindergarten.

Upgraded By A Gangsta by: Dedra B.

In a world filled with females, there’s Kardy Brass, a down to earth struggling mother who works at Walmart to make ends meet. Her workplace serves as an outlet from the drama in her home. When an unexpected opportunity knocks and she accepts it, Kardy believes that her life is changing for the better or so she thought. Soon, she realizes that escaping chaos is lost on her, especially since she can’t catch a break and chaos seems to follow her. With her life dangling in front of her and everything feeling almost on the edge, Kardy is close to losing her mind as things continue to slip further away from her grasp… that is until she crosses paths with a gangsta.

Millz and his brother Onyx run the streets of Chicago, both legally and illegally. With Millz being one year his brother’s senior, he calls all the shots or do he really? Being a man that moves to his own beat and carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, Millz’s load becomes quite heavy, especially when you mix in baby momma drama and the streets. Tired of playing second fiddle, Onyx wants to make his own name known, leaving a trail of boneless skeletons that are not quite ready to be revealed.

Shanika believes she is the baddest chick in the city of Chicago, holding on to the fact that she has Millz’s one and only child, trusting that it puts her ahead of the game.

Living the lavish life on his dime, life for her is perfect until her woman’s intuition kicks in, forcing her to step out of her stilettos and into her sneakers. Losing her meal ticket is out of the question, so Shanika is willing to do whatever to keep Millz.

When drama, betrayal, lies, and deception surface, this group is hit head on. Will new love trump old love? Or will tragedy cease all? Power, greed, and trust are major players in this first book of the Upgraded by A Gangsta series.

POPULAR CONTEMPORARY NOVELS S.L. Jenkins Jenkins writes about sex, love, and relationships in her novels. She published three novels in 2020: Let’s Make Sex Great Again, Letters To My Man, and Scars On My Heart. Her best-selling novella, Let’s Make Sex Great Again, features 7 short stories about

BDSM,

intimacy,

sexual

fantasies,

and

healing from heartbreaks. You will get lost in the power of imagery while meeting several women that unleash their sexual desires.

Tiffany D. Jackson Jackson published Grown, which became a New York Times best-seller. Her story uncovers mysteries and behind-the-scenes events while empowering young, Black women to have a voice in pursuing the American Dream.

Alyssa Cole Cole is another New York Times best-selling author that creates a fictional masterpiece in romance.

She has two stories to her popular Runaway Royals series: How to Catch a Queen and How to Find a Princess. The first story uncovers an arranged marriage with a Black king who has no desire to fall in love with his queen. When problems occur in their marriage and kingdom, the queen is on the run, leaving an unexpected desire to find her. The second story, How to Find a Princess, describes a princess who finds love in a female investigator who was initially hired to track her down.

POPULAR CONTEMPORARY NOVELS Talia Hibbert Hibbert is a USA Today Best-Selling Author with a New York Times best-seller: Get A Life, Chloe Brown. The series uncovers three Black sisters who encounter a world filled with romance in their perspectives. The first novel is a hilarious romantic comedy of a Black woman who is tired of being “bored” and gets her next-door neighbor to show her a new sexual experience. Hibbert’s other novels in this series are Take A Hint, Dani Brown, and Act Your Age, Eve Brown.

Takerra Allen Allen speaks about first love, losses, and womanhood in her story, Last Stop From Innocence. This novel takes you back to suburban life in the 90s era. It describes a young, Black girl who heads to New Jersey to live with her father. She finds her first love, but things don’t seem picture-perfect when she experiences heartbreak.

While healing, she battles with the rocky relationship she

has

with

her

father.

As

she

develops

into

womanhood, she realizes the changes she needs to make on the path to finding herself again.

DANIELLE ALLEN Danielle Allen is a novelist, professor, and life coach.

Living authentically has been the key to her living her best life. With a background in social sciences, helping people better understand themselves so they can become the best version of themselves is one of her passions.

Writing contemporary romance novels that change the status quo of the genre is another.

Instagram @ authordanielleallen TikTok @authordanielleallen Book + Main bookandmainbites.com/danielleallen Facebook facebook.com/danielleallenauthor Twitter @ xDanielleAllenx Official IG @ xDanielleAllenx Bookbub @ authordanielleallen

DELIZHIA JENKINS

I Write Magic

Delizhia Jenkins is an urban fantasy and paranormal romance author currently residing in Inglewood, CA. Ms Jenkins is a true romantic at heart, fusing romance with the paranormal and a dash of "color." This is what makes her novels unique and enthralling. More interestingly, Ms Jenkins' prides herself on writing for "the woman without the fairytale" and brings magic and melanin to each novel she writes.

Ms Jenkins' fascination with the genres of sci-fi and urban fantasy began in her childhood, with books like RL Stine's Goosebumps and the Fear Street series. As she grew older, her interests moved towards authors like Anne Rice, LA Banks, K'Wan, Carl Weber, and Omar Tyree. She also considers J.R. Ward' and Karen Marie Morning among her alltime favorite authors.

I write for the woman who still believes in magic...

Ms Jenkin's love of writing began to manifest itself in elementary school and her passion for storytelling gradually developed into a journey of writing. Her journey as a writer started in 2013, with the publication of her first African American romance novel, "Love at Last".

But Ms Jenkins later realized that her true magic lay in writing about the ancient, the esoteric, and the supernatural. Since her release of "Nubia Rising: The Awakening" in 2014, she has been true to her calling. She prefers the genres of sci-fi and paranormal because she feels that they do not limit her storytelling.

For Ms Jenkins, growing up as a person of color was not very easy; her interests in TV shows like Xena, Hercules or movies like Blade were neither supported by family nor peers. But Ms Jenkins has always stood fearless against challenges. Her journey as a black sci-fi author has not been a walk in the park. But since she picked up her pen, she has received a lot of support.

With each new book, she has gained more and more readers who are enthused to read her books and delve into the enchanting world of the supernatural she creates.

As an author, Ms Jenkins loves all her books. But "The Lost Queen", which is a story about a single mother who discovers that she is the descendent of the god Mercury and the heir to his kingdom, is special to her. It's her favorite book because it's based on her relationship with her daughter and her journey towards true self-discovery.

She claims that “In the Light of Darkness” is her least favorite novel since she believes there was a lot more she could have done with the storyline.

But it’s doubtful whether her fans would agree with this statement.

Another interesting fact you will notice in her books is that she leaves quite a bit of spiritual gems for readers to think about. Many of her stories are based on esoteric knowledge gained from sources like the Book of Enoch. Ms Jenkins also attempts to incorporate lessons she has learned in her life into her books for readers' personal growth.

These hidden messages make Ms Jenkins a unique author all fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels should undoubtedly read.

October 31, 2021.

She was supposed to be the “Chosen One”. She was next in a long line of vampire hunters to yield her sword against the darkness. But the Darkness had consumed the world, feasting on humanity as she barely has the will to stand.

Vampires have completely taken over, forcing what is left of humanity into the shadows, into a hidden city named Sanctum. With their sources of blood having reached depletion, vampires scour the earth in search of more blood.

And when they find it, will this broken Huntress stand and fight to protect what is left of humanity? Or, is the only way to save the world she was sworn to protect is stand and watch it burn?

OF

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AUTHOR JENEE Jeneé is a Detroit native and a proud Libra who loves to laugh and make others laugh. She is a twenty-nineyear-old mother of three: two boys and a girl. She also has a degree in Business Management. Jeneé is a loving and caring person, but being on her bad side wouldn't be the best idea!

Jeneé loves long walks on the beach, and her favorite color is purple. She has a very straightforward personality, and she says that can't handle liars and thieves, and if you push her to the point of cutting you off, you can forget coming back. Jeneé has two brothers and one sister with an added sister or two that she gained along the way. She loves all of her siblings with all her heart. She is currently in a healthy long-term relationship and enjoying every minute of it. Her partner is perfect – he is the most loving and compassionate man she has ever met, just like the hero in a romance novel.

Jeneé believes that she got her love of reading from her mother, who was a big fan of Harlequin romances. Jeneé's fascination with Urban fiction began in her preteens, even though she was too young for the genre back then.

I always say "Treat yourself, don't cheat yourself."

Jeneé's writing journey began with her late best friend, Diamond, who loved to write. Jeneé says that Diamond was always writing something, and it was very rare to see her without a pen or a notebook. When Jeneé and Diamond were about twelve or thirteen, Diamond invited Jeneé to join her in writing a movie script and asked her to add her own ideas and thoughts. This was the moment that really started off Jeneé's passion for writing. She sat down in front of the computer, and the words immediately started flowing out of her. From that moment, she was hooked on writing. It was probably about three years later that she got ahold of a desktop so that she could write on freely and completed her first book. However, Jeneé didn't drop any published work until October of 2019.

Unfortunately, Diamond, her writing buddy, passed away a few years ago, and Jeneé believes that writing keeps her close to her friend and keeps her memory alive.

As an upcoming Urban Fantasy author, Jeneé has run into several difficulties.

Jeneé believes that it's only natural to face challenges when you are doing what you love. Fortunately, she hasn't come across anything that she hasn't been able to handle, but she is ready if any should arise.

Although Jeneé started out writing Urban Fiction, she is now slowly moving towards the Urban Romance genre. Of course, a good Urban Fiction book can't even be called such without a little drama and some bomb sex.

Jeneé's latest release is called Guilty Pleasures. It's a story of turning tables and being able to navigate life and the people in it without getting your emotions involved. She is also working on part two of the novel, and fans can stay in touch with her progress through social media.

The Glow UP Keta Denise has always had a special knack for creating unique and captivating stories. Writing stories on pen and paper for family and friends was something she did for fun until one day, the call to write a full novel became too loud to ignore. Keta is most drawn to penning crime novels with an urban fiction twist and a little romance thrown into the mix.

Keta always had a very vivid imagination and a strange love for murder mysteries and serial killer documentaries. In addition to being an author, she is also an avid reader. Her all-time favorite author is K'wan Foye.

Ashley Antoinette, Keisha Ervin, and Deja King are a few of the authors who inspired her.

She first fell in love with writing in elementary school. Telling stories had always been so fun for Keta – she loved creating a whole new world in my head. She penned her first tale when she was about 19.

She started writing "The Heist", her first published novel, in 2011. Since then, she must have written about 10 different drafts, and the characters and the storyline have seen some drastic changes. Writing and editing this novel over the years helped Keta to perfect her storytelling. She finally made the decision to send the novel to an editor in 2020. This decision proved to be one of the best decisions she has ever made, and her journey as a published author has been nothing short of amazing thus far.

As an author, the biggest challenge Keta has faced so far is simply trusting in her pen. It's very easy to obsess over a plot or characters, wondering whether there are enough twists and suspense to keep the readers intrigued. Ultimately, obsessing over these can hinder the writing process.

Another challenge she has faced is insecurity that comes from comparing herself to other authors. It's hard to remember but imperative to know that no two authors are built the same.

Keta's novels have unique storylines with a writing style just outside of the ordinary. Her upcoming novel is "The Heist 3", which is the finale of her Heist series. She writes about black men and women who are all educated in some capacity, running businesses, and showcasing substantial intellect. In Keta's novels, you can always expect the unexpected; she may write about anything from jewelry heists to people being fed to alligators.

Initially, Keta wanted to write about a creole character from New Orleans, but then she came across a news article about a female jewel thief, and the seeds of the story of the Heist began to take root in her mind. "The Heist" is about the jewel thief, Jules St. Laurent, who is planning his final and most lucrative heist. Things go off without a hitch, but in an unexpected turn of events, he is robbed for the diamonds he'd just acquired. He then sets out on a mission to find the men that robbed him and, in the process, meets Londyn Francis. Londyn is seemingly naive and way too trusting.

When she meets Jules St. Laurent, she thinks things in her life are changing for the better, but she actually has no idea of the dangers she's facing.

Nothing happens as Jules expects it to, and pretty soon, secrets and bombshells are revealed as he struggles to reclaim the diamonds that were stolen from him. A few of the characters will undoubtedly make you mad, but there are some that will make you love them.

This is a raw, unedited sneak peek of the third installment of The Heist series coming out soon!

Clouds of smoke danced around the living room as Jules smoked what had to be his fourth blunt in as many hours. He hadn’t eaten, hadn’t slept, nor had he called in to check on his daughter. Besides calling Wingo every hour on the hour, he’d done nothing but sit in the solitude of his home, smoking and brooding. Not knowing where Londyn was and what she was up to was causing him to go insane.

Anger ate away at him as he thought of how she’d fucked him over. She’d done a good job at leading him to believe she was innocent. That she was everyone’s pawn to get back the diamonds that had been stolen from him, but he’d been wrong. Londyn was perhaps even more astute than her brother had been. To flip the script on him, making him fall in love with her, create life with her, marry her, only to find out that his original assumption of her had been true was a feat he couldn’t believe she’d pulled off. Jules usually wasn’t the type of man that one could easily run game on. That’s exactly what Londyn had done though, and now he needed to correct it. Killing Londyn would undoubtedly leave an unfillable hole in his heart, but it was a necessary evil. There was just no way he could let her live after breaking his heart so relentlessly. He would take care of her, which meant he’d have to take care of Logan as well. That was fine with him, because Logan was the true cause of it all.

Had it not been for Logan, he would never have known Londyn. He would’ve never been introduced to a love so great, then have to suffer through the heartache of knowing that she never truly loved him. They both had to go. He’d rid himself of them in the physical and pray that he’d soon be free of them emotionally, because if he was being honest with himself, he truly did love Logan like a brother. Once he’d divested himself of the people that caused him pain, he would take his daughter back to Louisiana, and raise her with the help of his parents.

He’d already decided that he wouldn’t vilify Londyn’s name with their daughter and would instead make up some bullshit about how wonderful of a woman she was.

Growing anxious, he pulled out his phone and dialed Wingo’s number for the millionth time that morning.

“I was just about to call you,” Wingo stated groggily.

“You got something?”

“Yea man, I got something. Her ass is on some real hide and go seek shit.

She most definitely did not want to be found.”

“Clearly, she forgets who I am.”

“Clearly. Like, I told you earlier, she didn’t use any credit cards or debit cards which was wise. The one thing she didn’t think about, was that even if you’re using cash, one thing you can’t get around is providing identification.

It took me a while, but I was able to infiltrate DMV’s records to see if her id had been scanned.”

T “Had it?”

“Indeed. She’s been a little bit of everywhere. A few days ago, she was in Vegas, then flew back to Virginia, from Virginia she flew out to Barbados, then back to Virginia again, which is the last time she used any of her bankcards.”

“Vegas and Barbados?”

“Yea. After the last time she went to Virginia--which I’m assuming is when she sold the diamonds off, is when I’m thinking she started using cash.”

“Where did she go from there?”

“Her id was scanned at Dulles Airport. I couldn’t see where she purchased a plane ticket to, but the next place her id was scanned was at Hartsfield Jackson Airport.”

“Atlanta?”

“Yep, and she also stopped at an Enterprise rental car, and rented a white Toyota Camry according to their database. I can’t tell you where she went after that because if it was a hotel that’s accepting cash, I’m sure they don’t go through the task of scanning ids. If she went somewhere else, I wouldn’t know where for obvious reasons.”

“Do me a favor and book me the next flight out to Atlanta, text me the details. I’m pretty sure whoever the nigga she was fucking with is in Vegas and that’s why she went there. Maybe they’re in Atlanta together. Unless she’s gotten a burner phone, then she’s had to use her phone while she was there, I need to know where.”

Had it not been for Logan, he would never have known Londyn. He would’ve never been introduced to a love so great, then have to suffer through the heartache of knowing that she never truly loved him. They both had to go. He’d rid himself of them in the physical and pray that he’d soon be free of them emotionally, because if he was being honest with himself, he truly did love Logan like a brother. Once he’d divested himself of the people that caused him pain, he would take his daughter back to Louisiana, and raise her with the help of his parents.

He’d already decided that he wouldn’t vilify Londyn’s name with their daughter and would instead make up some bullshit about how wonderful of a woman she was.

Growing anxious, he pulled out his phone and dialed Wingo’s number for the millionth time that morning.

“I was just about to call you,” Wingo stated groggily.

“You got something?”

“Yea man, I got something. Her ass is on some real hide and go seek shit.

She most definitely did not want to be found.”

“Clearly, she forgets who I am.”

“Clearly. Like, I told you earlier, she didn’t use any credit cards or debit cards which was wise. The one thing she didn’t think about, was that even if you’re using cash, one thing you can’t get around is providing identification.

It took me a while, but I was able to infiltrate DMV’s records to see if her id had been scanned.”

T “Had it?”

“Indeed. She’s been a little bit of everywhere. A few days ago, she was in Vegas, then flew back to Virginia, from Virginia she flew out to Barbados, then back to Virginia again, which is the last time she used any of her bankcards.”

“Vegas and Barbados?”

“Yea. After the last time she went to Virginia--which I’m assuming is when she sold the diamonds off, is when I’m thinking she started using cash.”

“Where did she go from there?”

“Her id was scanned at Dulles Airport. I couldn’t see where she purchased a plane ticket to, but the next place her id was scanned was at Hartsfield Jackson Airport.”

“Atlanta?”

“Yep, and she also stopped at an Enterprise rental car, and rented a white Toyota Camry according to their database. I can’t tell you where she went after that because if it was a hotel that’s accepting cash, I’m sure they don’t go through the task of scanning ids. If she went somewhere else, I wouldn’t know where for obvious reasons.”

“Do me a favor and book me the next flight out to Atlanta, text me the details. I’m pretty sure whoever the nigga she was fucking with is in Vegas and that’s why she went there. Maybe they’re in Atlanta together. Unless she’s gotten a burner phone, then she’s had to use her phone while she was there, I need to know where.”

“I can do that,” Wingo yawned into the phone. “Give me a few and I’ll have the flight information to you. By the time you touch down in Atlanta, I should have something more for you.”

“Good looking out Wingo,” Jules stated and disconnected the call.

After a quick shower, he dressed in all black attire, called Rock and Shane to let them know that he needed them in Atlanta ASAP, and left his house en route to the airport. Londyn may could run, but she would soon learn that from him, there was no hiding.

Not sure about you all, but I am ready to read The Heist 3!! Keta Densie's The Heist series is well worth reading if you have not already done so, make sure to read the reviews as well!

From Summerville, South Carolina, KayReenea is a 20-something black romance author. Her love of reading started in 7th grade after she was assigned to read Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper. Since then she has been an active reader.

The sophomore year in college was KayReenea's first experience with writing and performing spoken poetry at open-mic events. It wasn't until the epidemic hit that she began to write her book. one day at work, the main characters of her book popped into her head, and so Close

THEY SAY THAT YOUR SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL IS SUPPOSED TO BE ONE OF YOUR BEST YEARS, BUT FOR MICHELLE SWEET AND ANTHONY HENDERSON, IT BECOMES THE ULTIMATE TEST. THE TWO SEEMINGLY HAD THE PERFECT SUMMER, BUT WITH ONE BATTLING INSECURITIES AND THE OTHER A TARGET OF A JEALOUS EX, THEY SOON FIND OUT WHETHER OR NOT THE YEAR WILL TEAR THEM APART. **THIS IS A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL AND AN INTRODUCTION TO A SERIES THAT FOLLOW THESE CHARACTERS INTO ADULTHOOD**

Close to You

to You was born. She finished Close to You

FACEBOOK: AUTHOR KAYREENEA

halfway through and signed with Reign of

TWITTER: @AUTHORKAYREENEA

Literature Publishing on December 28, 2020, and finished the book three days later on December 31.

INSTAGRAM: @AUTHORKAYREENEA YOUTUBE: KAYTHEBOOKWORM PODCAST: BRUTAL HONESTY WITH KAYREENEA

Ralph Edgerson Facebook: Ralph Edge Edgerson; author page Decisions, The Series. IG: 19edge73 ПОЛУЧИТЕ СКИДКИ

Ralph Edgerson Jr., the author of the five-star rated urban novel "Decisions" saga, is the youngest of three and was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He enjoys creating dramas that keep his readers enthralled in the storyline and hearing readers fascination with his stories and the characters. What he loves the most is hearing the excitement from his children saying, "My father is an author."

Ralph always had a wild imagination but didn't start writing stories and poems until high school. Impressed with his visual writings in class, his English teacher introduced him to Journalism which helped him to perfect his skills. But once he joined the workforce, writing fell to the back burner of his mind. After meeting his soulmate in September of 1995, Ralph focused on family, and his firstborn arrived in November of 2003. In 2005, Ralph faced some major challenges in life, and he moved his family to Houston, Texas, for a new beginning, but that didn't come without trials. Thoughts of the unknown and uncertain brought Ralph back to an old friend that allowed him to vent in the way of literary release in 2006. It was just a way to occupy his mind for the time being, but the creation of the "Decisions" saga began without him even knowing it. Ten years had passed, and writing fell off again for Ralph as he focused more on family, but he still occasionally wrote poems. It was a poet Ralph met on social media that suggested having "Decisions" and his other stories published. He published his first novel, "Decisions", in July of 2018. In June of the following year, he had the second installment of his first book published, and he hasn't stopped writing since.

On his journey of writing for 20+ years, Ralph has learned several lessons in writing, style, compatibility, and flow of writing. Ralph always wanted to add a little difference in the urban fiction genre, not just go with the flow. All his novels are based in New Orleans because it is his hometown, so he writes what he knows, what he has experienced and what is true to his heart.

"Decisions", his first novel, is about a family in New Orleans going through their everyday life when a tragic accident leaves Cedric Daniels, the main character, in a coma for 7 months.

When Cedric awakens from his coma, he finds out that his wife of 5 years is 9 months pregnant. After he gets out of the hospital is when things get crazy. Besides being a true pageturner, this novel is the type of story where you can relate to every character, and the storyline has unexpected twists like a suspense novel.

At the beginning of 2021, Ralph released "A Lotus Dream", a story about a young woman that finds herself in the exotic dance industry. "Decisions Trilogy", the finale of the Decisions series, should release around June or July. "Levi's Labyrinth", an origin story of a character in the Decisions universe should release around October or November. "Tears That Created Deep Rivers", a diary of a young woman and "Seeds of Laveau", his very first horror novel, are both in the writing process at the moment.

Ralph enjoys hearing readers' comments and reviews about his novels – both good and bad.

For Ralph, real success is hearing the enjoyment of his work, seeing his name on the cover of a book that he worked hard at creating and knowing it will still be there after he is long gone.

Decisions 4 star A must-read. This novel followed Cedric and his journey through his marriage and family. I am really impressed by the plot twist. It shows how marriage can be so difficult and how good and bad it can be. The novel was scandalous, overcoming battles as a family and love. How things get done in the dark will eventually come to light. Looking forward to reading part two!

Author Kid Gotti an African American Male, 39, representing DC, MD, and Northern Virginia, Graduated from high school and prison

educated,

Father

hustler

and

gangster. As a 13-year-old, he fell in love with writing his first piece of art in the form of a poem about his life, as it was the first time at that age Kid Gotti realized that expression was not just about the words spoken all the time.

As much as his first love being poetry - my unguarded truth - I honestly never intended to limit myself to that style said Author Kid. On Amazon, he currently has two novels available called Invisible to They: Being Black In America, and Fuck a Friend. His latest novel is a short but sweet, brief but drool-worthy sample platter of erotica. The second part will be longer but wanted to see how it played out. A street-lit novel titled "Bigger than Business" will be released next. It's my take on the New York-DC

Sex is a beautiful thing, and its only made more beautiful by the people you engage in it with. The question is, should friends fuck? Is it safe to not only cross that line, but erase it all together in search of orgasmic pleasure? Drew, Steffon, Bea, and Yesly are about to find out how dangerous good pleasure can be. FUCK A FRIEND is a story about how these dominos can fall once the first one is knocked over. The ride is AMAZING, and it promises to defy your wildest dreams if you're bold enough to ride the wave. It won't defy gravity though. What goes up, must then in turn go down.

Face down, ass up, that is.

relationship said Author Kid Gotti.

FUCK A FRIEND

AS A BLACK MAN I'VE FELT INVISIBLE AT TIMES. I'VE FELT LIKE MY FEELINGS MATTERED AS LITTLE AS MY OPINION, AND FOR THAT REASON I WAS SILENT. I WAS STILL THINKING THOUGH, AND THOUGHT IS THE CAUSE OF ALL THINGS WHETHER THEY BE GOOD OR BAD. INVISIBLE TO THEY WAS BORN FROM THOSE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS. SPOKEN WORD POETRY IS THE VEHICLE FOR MY TRUTH, AND THIS TWENTY-POEM SELECTION WILL SERVE AS AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MAN I STRUGGLED TO FIND WITHIN. HOPEFULLY, I CAN INSPIRE SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE THE JOURNEY OF SELF-REFLECTION BECAUSE IT’S A JOURNEY FULL OF BEAUTY. NO KNOWLEDGE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN KNOWLEDGE OF SELF, AND THAT IS WHAT THEY WORKED SO HARD TO KEEP HIDDEN FROM US. LET THE LIGHT BANISH THE INVISIBLE SHACKLES OF DARKNESS, ALONG WITH THE ONES WE CAN SEE. THE TIME HAS COME...

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AT SHE READS FIRE YOU CAN ROCK A T-SHIRT, SIP YOUR FAVORITE TEA, CARRY YOUR FAVORITE READS, AND MORE. I HAVE WHAT YOU NEED. EVERYTHING IS NOW AVAILABLE AT WWW.SHEREADSFIRE.COM Juicy Reads wants to feature you.

Visit www.shereadsfire.com and submit your request.

“As a creative of many genres I’m not afraid to write about controversial topics.”

ASHANTAY KEYS

Ashantay Keys is a self-published bestselling author of seventeen novellas and novelettes. “I write what I like to read. I just love a great storyline,” she said. Reading has always been an interest until she discovered her calling was to write.“I write the stories I enjoy reading. I enjoy an

intriguing

storyline,”

says

Ashantay

Keys.

An

experienced writer of many genres she doesn’t hesitate to write about controversial topics. Here are some of her novels from her catalog visit her social media to learn more.

Facebook: Ashantay Keys Instagram: A.queara