This humorous tale of love and triumph ties two unlikely suitors together in a merry mix of plotting and gossip. On one side is R&B superstar, Jamaica, and on the other is the passionate, but impoverished Tameer. When the two are brought together in what is meant to be a temporary relationship — arranged by Jamaica’s best friend and personal assistant LaChina — both are surprised when true feelings burst onto the scene and disrupt everyone’s plans.

With Tameer’s drunken father, Jamaica’s socialite mother, and a band of super-ghetto, meddling friends all blended together, Two Thin Dimes becomes a hilarious, topsy-turvy fight for love in a world gone mad.

Going beyond the simple rich girl, poor boy tale, Caleb Alexander brings his popular style to a whole new level and draws his growing audience along with him as the story takes on social class, unexpected romance, loyalty to friends, and — most importantly — the cost of true love.

Get Two Thin Dimes and more urban fiction by Caleb Alexander.

Get Memoirs Of An Accidental Hustler and more urban fiction by J. M. Benjamin.

Get Heaven and Earth and more urban fiction by J. M. Benjamin

In a world of restriction, sometimes seduction outweighs loyalty, lust blurs the lines of boundaries, and every now and then, sex is stronger than love…

Reigning king of the streets Julez Payne traded in his banger for the briefcase, and couldn’t be more content. And when he puts a ring on the pretty little finger of the irresistible Noelle, life seems to be perfect. Sounds too good to be true? That’s because it is. Noelle’s far from the ideal housewife and Julez secretly has his own battle of temptation that he’s fighting in the dark. So when the mansion walls come tumbling down, all of the skeletons lurking in the closets come spilling out for all to see! And who’s there to witness?

Enter scene Slim and Jordin. This couple’s had their share of rough times and things don’t seem to be looking up. Fresh out of prison, Slim struggles to stay on the straight and narrow while Jordin deals with her own insecurities and a hidden desire for the passion that Slim leaves her lacking. Praying for a miracle, Jordin hopes to live a life as lurid and luxurious as her gorgeous best friend Noelle and wealthy husband Julez. But when suppressed desires from the past resurface, Jordin finds out in a Restricted world, everyone has ulterior motives, even her!

This sophisticated novel gives you your own personal magnifying glass, allowing you to take a close look into the lives of four dynamic heroines who are all bound by their lies, restricted by desires, and freed by indulgence…The soaps have been revamped and brought to life in the pages of this love thriller!

Warning: Proceed with caution, you are now Unrestricted!

Get Restricted and more urban fiction by Takerra Allen

Liberty is dying of a fatal heart condition, though she desperately wants to survive until her 25th birthday when her sister has promised to visit her. A’shai blames himself for not protecting Liberty, but all Liberty asks is for A’shai to tell her a story, to help her remember what brought them to this point. He knows that this is the last story he will ever tell and the last she will ever hear.

As Liberty lies dying, A’shai walks her though their past, reliving their ill-fated journeys through the streets. Their story will take them from an arranged marriage, through Mexico’s drug cartel, child brothels, hustling in Detroit, to escaping the high-powered heads of L.A.’s underworld. But ultimately, this is a story of love and redemption that will leave you breathless from the unpredictable and mind-blowing ending.

Get Murderville: First of a Trilogy and more urban fiction by Ashley and JaQuavis

Get great deals and new urban fiction automatically at Black Expressions Book Club

Get The Legend of Cagney and more urban fiction by Alah Adams

Get Belly of the Beast and more urban fiction by Caleb Alexander.

Get the Series

Book One: Thicker Than Water
Book Two: Still Thicker Than Water

Get the Series

Book One: Thicker Than Water
Book Two: Still Thicker Than Water

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get started writing?

I used to write for fun as a kid but never shared my writing with too many others out of fear that they would criticize it. So writing was a very personal hobby for me for many years. Then, in 2003, a friend of mine dared me to go onstage at a poetry slam and perform one of my pieces. I did (nervously) and got a standing ovation. As I exited the stage a lady said to me, “You write so WELL. You should write a book.” I went home that night and started what became my first novel “Black”. The rest is history.

Do you have a special routine when you write?

I tend to write most – and best – late at night when everyone is asleep, the NYC streets are quiet and the Quiet Storm is playing on the radio. My best work is created in those moments.

Tell us more about your last book, and what are you working on now?

Aftermath is the sequel to Snapped, and it picks up with these four women that readers have loved and loved to hate. We find out what happens to Misa after she committed murder, how Camille picks up the pieces of a failed marriage, how Dominique copes with a broken heart and a pregnant daughter and how Toya confronts the past she has tried so hard to bury. I had a great time writing it! Now, I’m working on a sequel to my most acclaimed (and my favorite novel) White Lines.

Who are a few street fiction authors or titles that you have enjoyed reading?

K’wan, Crystal Lacey-Winslow, Amaleka McCall, Tushonda Whitaker, Treasure E. Blue. They are my favorite urban fiction writers.

Outside of street fiction, who are few authors that you enjoy?

Diane Whetstone-McKinney, asha bandele, Bernice McFadden…there are so many!

Who’s your favorite character from your books?

Good question! Hmmm…probably Sunny from White Lines. She was a real multi-dimensional and layered character. I think readers will get to peel back even more of her layers in the sequel I’m writing now.

What do you say to critics of street fiction? And why should librarians purchase street fiction for their collections?

Most critics of urban fiction paint us all with the same brush. They label us all negatively. I have some issues with the genre also. I feel that SOME of it belittles black women and demeans black men. I think that editing is often overlooked and that the content leaves a lot to be desired SOMETIMES. But that’s not every writer. If I picked up an Oprah’s book club selection like “A Million Little Pieces” only to find out that the author was lying, would it be fair to label ALL of Oprah’s book club books as fraudulent? I think not. You can’t hold an entire genre accountable for the sins of a few. If you look closer among urban or street fiction, you will find some true gems. Similar to rap music, if you get past the language you deem offensive and some of the raw imagery, there is a true art form there and some really powerful stories. Libraries should continue to stock our books because we have gotten an entire new generation READING. Should people ONLY read urban fiction?? No. But they shouldn’t ONLY read sci-fi or romance novels either. But chances are, once you get a person addicted to reading street fiction, the door will be open for them to read other things as well. There’s a lot to be learned about the human condition from street fiction authors, though. If you look closer than the surface, you’ll see some powerful things.

Check out Tracy’s books and get updates about her on Facebook or Twitter.

Sheree has always been a tough girl, able to take care of herself. Then she finds herself in a situation where she can’t. She needs help. She needs answers. But she can’t get either from the people she she turns to — her parents, her friends, and especially, her boyfriend, who calls her Baby Girl and treats her like she’s disposable.

So who can Sheree turn to? Maybe the answer lies deep within herself, and it’s truly time for her to grow up.

In a voice that rings strong ant true, debut novelist Lenora Adams tells a story that is rich, complex, and achingly real.

Get Baby Girl by Lenora Adams and more teen urban fiction.

Get Aftermath: A Snapped Novel and more urban fiction by Tracy Brown.

Read The Series

Book 1: Snapped
Book 2: Aftermath

Get Heaven Sent and more urban Christian fiction by Montre Bible.

Nigel Fredericks has a history of stalking women. He’s been accused, but never convicted. Now he’s set his sights on Lyric. She’s at a low point in her life, and Nigel knows just how to take advantage of that vulnerability. Lyric’s life is turned upside down; Nigel is like a cancer eating away at her mental stability, her marriage, and ultimately, her life.

Will Michael reevaluate his priorities and his faith in time to save his family?

Get My Mother’s Child and more urban Christian fiction by Dwan Abrams.

Walk with Me by Al-Saadiq Banks

Newark, New Jersey is eager to get rid of the infamous, Miracle. A predicate with a long list of felonious crimes. When he’s arrested for the brutal murders of his two codefendants, he realized that his life is over. Walk with Me by Al-Saadiq Banks walks you through the seemingly dark life of Miracle, capturing the ironic circumstance of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Al-Saadiq Banks is a resident of Newark, New Jersey and the author of bestselling novels No Exit, Block Party, Sincerely Yours and Caught ‘em Slippin’.

Cagney & Lacey by Crystal Lacey Winslow

When two felons growing up on opposite coasts meet – the attraction is magnetic. When Lacey’s past comes back to haunt her – Cagney’s love is put to the test. Will Cagney ride or die for this lady? Just like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, these two embark on a killing spree in their quest to leave the past behind. Lace is also the Essence bestselling author of Life, Love & Lonliness and The Criss Cross. She also collaborated on an Essence and Blackboard bestselling novel, Four Degrees of Heat and contributor in the novel, Kiss the Year Goodbye. She’s just completed her third novel, Sex, Sin & Brooklyn II. Lace is the founder of Melodrama Publishing which published the #1 Essence bestselling novel, Wifey.

Snake Eyes by Mark Anthony

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That’s the old adage in the ‘hood. But what happens when your friend is your enemy? All hell breaks loose in Snake Eyes. Mark Anthony weaves a dramatic street tale that will leave you on the edge of your seat! Mark Anthony is the Essence bestselling author of Paperchasers, Dogism and his page-turner, Lady’s Night. He is the founder of Q-Boro Books.

The Deceitful Hunted by Isadore Johnson

Quawi Ubati’s desperation to hold on to his billion dollar cocaine empire built by blood and fear has led him to hunt down two men responsible for the ultimate betrayal. This notorious Nigerian drug lord unleashes havoc that not even the powerful F.B.I. could withstand in order to find and kill these individuals who he once trusted before planning the ultimate escape. Isadore Johnson is the author of the rapid selling double street novels, Drug Dealer Part 1 & 2.

Keepin’ it Gangsta by J.M. Benjamin

Keepin’ it Gangsta is the only way the notorious ‘Dicer’ knows how to live. Feared by many because of his murderous and infamous reputation, he still finds a soft spot in his black heart to hold down the only woman that has ever truly loved him. But in true ‘Dicer’ fashion he can only keep it gangsta! J.M. Benjamin is the author of Down in the Dirty.

Get Menace II Society and more urban fiction.