Street Fiction: Urban Fiction Author Interviews, Urban Fiction News, and Urban Fiction Book Reviews » Last Name (E – G)

Beneath the Surface by Roy Glenn

Daniel — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 01:19:04 +0000

Now that he has taken care of all of the people responsible for the murder of his wife, Cassandra, Mike Black faces his toughest opponent, Carmen Taylor, an old girl friend who has recently returned to the city. Carmen is an entertainment reporter for a local television station, who wants to do bigger things. Her opportunity comes while she is covering the opening of an art exhibition. A woman is found murdered, and Carmen is the only reporter on the scene. The police say that the victim, a known call girl named Tangela House appears to have been strangled during sex. Anxious to prove she can do more than just fluff stories, Carmen begins her own investigation into the victim s past, and quickly finds that there is more to the case than just rough sex gone wrong. Now with the help of Mike Black, Carmen must stay alive long enough to uncover what secrets lay beneath the surface.

Get Beneath the Surface and more urban fiction by Roy Glenn.

Street Fame by K. Elliott

Daniel — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:59:06 +0000

There’s a lot going on from Charlotte to Miami to San Francisco — almost none of it favorable to Tommy ‘Fatboy’ Dupree. While one man is sleeping around with Tommy’s live-in girlfriend, another urges a psychopath to rob him for multiple kilos. These men are…his friends…which means the worst is yet to come. Alicia Anderson’s beauty is off the scales. The physically fit college student has a father who is a real estate mogul, so she could care less about a fat boy named Tommy who deals drugs. However, this new woman challenges him to give up the illicit profession and invest everything in a California real estate venture. Their serious love affair is overshadowed by his inability to hustle up enough money to walk away from the game. And although Fatboy has a few tricks in store for all his backstabbing friends, the DEA has plans to throw a nasty twist in his story. But Fatboy has even saved one last trick for the feds. This URBAN SUSPENSE threatens to bring the underground to the surface.

Get Street Fame and more urban fiction by K. Elliott.

In My Hood II by Endy

Daniel — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:05:59 +0000

You thought there would be no one left in the ‘hood after the horrible chain of murders that occurred in In My ‘Hood. But the ‘hood don’t stop living; the saga only continues with a new breed of street dwellers to take their place.

Nettie’s back to wreak havoc on the city of Newark by targeting the HNIC, Leroy “Big Roy” Jenkins. But she is not alone. She recruits Ishmael’s old squad, along with a few people of her own and takes getting money by any means necessary to a new level. But there’s a new cat on the block and his name is Wild. The name is self-explanatory and he has the same vision in sight: to conquer and destroy Leroy. Nettie and Wild join forces to create the illest crew Essex County has seen in decades.

Greed and jealousy rear their ugly heads among the crew, causing a turmoil of destruction that reveals Nettie’s ultimate secret. Will Nettie trade the blade she sucked on for years for a gun? Or will the ‘hood take her out first?

Get the Series

Book One: In My Hood
Book Two: In My Hood II

Joy Comes In The Morning by Ashea Goldson

Daniel — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 20:39:07 +0000

Sister Alex Carter is seemingly a pillar of spiritual strength, working diligently in the ministry, trying to help everyone – but she has a secret. In fact, she’s really a ticking time bomb. She’s set to marry Deacon Joshua Bennings, a bishop’s son and the church’s most eligible bachelor, but she can’t seem to escape a mistake from her past. Now a past lover is making a selfish attempt to expose Alex; so, she learns to fight,

Alex strikes a moral indictment against the church, pledging to right the wrongs of hypocrisy. Meanwhile, a flirtatious church sister is competing for Joshua’s attention, and Alex is not sure he’ll still love her because she is holding on to a job that’s pulling her further away from the will of God for her life.

As Alex wrestles to maintain her spotless reputation, her prepackaged life begins to unravel, bringing her to the brink of losing everything she has worked so hard for. Finding herself in the beautiful plains of Kenya, Alex is forced to face not only her past, but her future as well. Will she ever learn that through Christ, no matter how dark it gets, joy comes in the morning?

Get Joy Comes In The Morning by Ashea Goldson.

Knee Deep in the Game by Boston George

Daniel — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 04:02:46 +0000

Pop is a young kid from the projects looking for a way to make a quick dollar, and an even quicker way to escape from his crazy mother’s house. His whole life takes a turn when he bumps into Fresh, the neighborhood dope man who’s on the lookout for a tough soldier he can trust and depend on. When their paths cross, the two immediately bond, but when trust issues, two sisters, and a freshly released convict come into the picture, things hit the fan faster than a New York minute. Pop’s courage, loyalty, and heart get put to the test when he has to decide how far he’s willing to go in order to come up.

Get Knee Deep in the Game and more urban fiction by Boston George.

Crazy Blue Eyes by S.W. Frank

Daniel — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 20:28:08 +0000

Alfonzo Diaz navigated the rough streets of New York City by gaining a fearsome reputation as ‘Los Ojos Azules’, czar of a burgeoning drug cartel in Spanish Harlem. When his beloved Uncle is murdered, he meets the fearless and beautiful Selange who unlocks the secrets of his heart. Alfonzo seeks to find the killer and ultimately learns he is the prey. Can Alfonzo protect his family and the woman he loves from a tenacious killer or will a secret about his father destroy his only chance at happiness?

Get Crazy Blue Eyes and more urban fiction by S.W. Frank.

My Brother’s Keeper by Courtney Gardner

Daniel — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:44:21 +0000

Without a foe, a soldier never knows his strength, and the thought must be developed through the exercise of strength. Be faithful to the trust, and deceive not the man who relied upon you. It is less evil in the sight of God to steal than to betray your brother.

My Brother’s Keeper. This is a new era of time now, and one young man refuses to give up his hopes and dreams to let America forget about the blood that bred power and loyalty, making history repeat itself again. He brings the ancient medicine of the underworld to sons of men, bringing them up out of the greatest depths to reclaim the throne of their vast estate. He brings the wisdom and words of the olden times.

WE ARE BROTHERS ‘TIL DEATH DO US PART. LOYALTY WE WILL SUCCEED. DISHONOR I WILL LAY IN MY BLOOD BY THE HAND OF MY KEEPER.

Get My Brother’s Keeper by Courtney Gardner and more new urban fiction.

America’s Soul by Erick S. Gray

Daniel — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:35:45 +0000

Soul has just finished his 18-month sentence for a parole violation. Still in love with his son’s mother, America, he wants nothing more than for them to become a family and move on from his past. But while Soul was in prison, America’s music career started blowing up and she became entangled in a rocky relationship with a new man, Kendall. Kendall is determined to keep his woman by his side, and America finds herself caught in a tug of war between the two men. Soul turns his attention to battling the street life that landed him in jail, setting up a drug program to rid the community of its tortuous meth problem, but will Soul’s efforts cross his former best friend, the murderous drug kingpin Omega?

Get America’s Soul and more urban fiction by Erick S. Gray.

Prodigal by Zaria Garrison

Daniel — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 02:25:27 +0000

Phylicia Morgan and Phoebe Cox are twins who share more than just identical looks. They both love the same man, Reverend Gary Morgan, the pastor of Freedom Inspiration. But Gary only has eyes for one twin. Phylicia is the virtuous woman the minister wants by his side, and soon he makes her his wife. Brokenhearted, Phoebe tries to live her life without him, but her jealousy consumes her, and she flees her hometown.

Twelve years leater, their mother falls gravely ill, and the sisters come face to face again. Phylicia’s intuition tells her to watch her back, because Phoebe is still looking to settle the score. Phoebe happily observes as her sister’s holy matrimony crumbles into a hurtful melodrama. Bound and determined to replace her sister in Gary’s life, it’s going to take an act of God to keep her from doing so.

Get Prodigal and more urban Christian fiction by Zaria Garrison.

Crave All Lose All by Erick S. Gray

Daniel — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:07:38 +0000

Vincent lost his job and moved in with his mother. His friend Tyriq is a big time drug dealer and willing to sponsor him into a drug cartel. Vincent is reluctant, but his baby mama is nagging and bills are piling up. Hustling is the way. But his long-time friend (and an experienced hustler) Spoon is against Vincent getting down. Vincent ignores Spoon’s advice and joins Tyriq. Vincent quickly starts stacking major figures. The expensive cars, jewelry and fast women prove addictive. What he craves could be his downfall. The higher he climbs, the more envy he encounters. Vincent is caught in a costly, ugly and vicious war. Younger soldiers are ready to kill in order to rise. Does Vincent have what it takes to succeed at this most ruthless, dirty game?

Get Crave All Lose All and more urban fiction by Erick S. Gray.

Q & A with Mikal El-Amin

Daniel — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 13:39:33 +0000

Street Fiction had the opportunity to interview author and publisher Mikal El-Amin from Double-Up Publishing.

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

I was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina and have lived in several other states, with the bulk of my time outside of N.C. being in Brooklyn. I’m not one to act like I’ve been writing before I started talking. I’ve had an ambition of being a writer for a while though.

I was actually encouraged to start writing by my friends closest to me. I would share basic stories with them and they would tell me how much they enjoyed my stories, and that I should be a writer. Knowing that what I’ve experienced and have seen was actually much more dynamic than the basic campfire stories that I would share, I thought I would make it a goal to become a successful writer.

Do you have a special routine when you write?

Not necessarily because writing comes naturally for me. Sometimes I may watch the extras and making of a great movie like

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

“187 Iz An Art” is a novel I used to get me in the game. I’ve read tons of urban fiction and much of it is hot, but I felt like sometimes writers would hold back. I wanted to put out a hustle-hard story that held no punches so it is truly raw. I have good versatility as well and will show this in future releases. I plan on releasing another urban fiction title as well as a romance title in 2010, and they both will have a unique twist.

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

Of course Donald Goines because he opened the doors for brothers and sisters. His stories were real unique too which was especially impressive back then since the market wasn’t saturated with street fiction, and there wasn’t as big a need to show a great distinction from others of the genre. I also like lesser known authors who put out novels that are fire.

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

I like Frederick Douglass. His oratory and literary skills were tremendous. I also like Dubois, Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, and Robert Greene cause “The 48 Laws of Power” was real ill.

Who’s your favorite character from your books?

From “187 Iz An Art” I would have to say Killa, because he is a thinker. He’s the type that is hard to beat because he can go hard with his weapon, or crush a foe just by out maneuvering him. Like the way he handled Officer Warren without the use of a weapon.

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

With critics maybe they aren’t as open minded as they think; or don’t understand the dynamics of the hood. They also may not understand the desperation of needing food NOW or the hopelessness of being homeless with no job and no skills, but having an alternative of a connect to instant money a call and conversation away.

As far as a negative opinion one may have towards this genre claiming that it is violent or dark; there is no difference between the violence in street fiction and that in a novel full of demons, vampires or werewolves that CREATIVELY kill some Joe will sucking away at their spirit. Whoa!

Librarians should definitely add street fiction to their catalogs because there is an established audience that consistently grows, and the genre continues to break further into mainstream as well.

Take another example for instance… Hip-hop artists create music and are constantly criticized for their lyrics, but if they were rapping with a similar content that is contained in mainstream poetry they would be heralded. Once hip-hop broke into the mainstream though, look at how it became one of the biggest forms of the entire world’s pop culture.

Hip-hop and street fiction were both born from the same culture, so the potential of our genre is unlimited also. When mainstream fully embraces street fiction it will also be tops in the literary industry.

Shouts to Street Fiction for providing a platform for authors and readers to voice their opinions.

To keep up with what’s new with Mikal and Double-Up Publishing, check out:

http://www.doubleuppublishing.com/books.html
http://www.myspace.com/doubleuppublishing
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Double-Up-Publishing/185187135473
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Double-Up-Publishing/185187135473#/DoubleUpPublishing?ref=name

187 Iz An Art by Mikal H. El-Amin and Richard L. Brown

Daniel — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 13:25:14 +0000

Kamikaze and Killa are cousins, from the inner city streets of Durham, North Carolina. They hustle drugs and commit minor crimes, in order to keep pocket money. Kamikaze becomes infatuated with Paula an older girl from his projects, but after she rejects him, he realizes that the world he is from is motivated by money and power. Paula, Tiffany, and Nee Cee, are three close friends from Liberty Street Projects, whom are all very beautiful street savvy older girls. The three friends willingly enter into a deadly life of hustling, deceit, and violence, when they join the cousins after they notice Kamikaze and Killa gaining power in their neighborhood. The two cousins form a powerful drug organization called the 187 CRU, and the three girls take on the ranks of lieutenants. Because of its tight organization the 187 CRU grows in power fast, all on the premise of the crew’s motto, which is to murder it’s way to power.

Read our interview with Mikal El-Amin.

Get 187 Iz An Art and more urban fiction.

A Deal with Death by Endy

Daniel — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:29:34 +0000

Nina Boyd is the mother of two teenage boys and a functioning drug addict. Her two sons, Malik and Marquis, understand their mother’s struggle and out of love they ignore her addiction.

Marquis, the youngest at seventeen, in Nina’s pride and joy. He has just graduated from high school and has college next on his agenda. However, Malik, who thinks he is grown at only nineteen, has dropped out of high school and made a deal with death.

Todd “Death” McClain, a well-known street-dealer, preys on young cats who want to be in the drug game. Once you’ve been recruited there is only one way out – Death!

Can Nina overcome her addiction in time to help her son? Will Marquis intervene and come to his older brother’s rescue? Will Malik’s deal with death destroy him and all that he loves?

Get A Deal with Death by and more urban fiction by Endy.

Streets of New York, Volume 3

Daniel — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:04:52 +0000

In the trilogy’s previous entry, jealousy ignited long-simmering tensions between Promise, Squeeze, and Show, leading to an all-out gang war. Streets of New York Volume 3 finds the neighborhood reeling from the pain of losing a son and brother to gang violence, yet still, the mayhem continues. The lives of best friends hang in the balance. Regrets abound, but suspicions linger. Bonds are tested and covers blown. Those not from the streets must watch their backs or risk the wrath of street justice. As the novel races to a dramatic close, the fate of an entire family is up in the air. Coauthored by hip-hop lit heavyweights Erick Gray, Mark Anthony, and Anthony Whyte, and with a powerful forward by Treasure Blue, the “Uncle of Urban Lit,” Streets of New York Volume 3 is a satisfying finale to an action-packed unforgettable saga.

Get the Series

Book One: Streets of New York, Volume 1
Book Two: Streets of New York, Volume 2
Book Three: Streets of New York, Volume 3

Streets of New York, Volume 2

Daniel — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:13:01 +0000

Volume II brings together the collective efforts of Anthony Whyte, Erick S. Gray and Mark Anthony with devastating foreward aptly delivered by K’wan. A year later Promise tries to pull farther away from the gangsta life, but the streets keep calling. Squeeze and Show are making out like bandits with a nightclub they now operate in Brooklyn, called the Brooklyn café. Grindin’s in the streets is no longer an option but this legal hustle still requires street muscles and trouble follow the pair like heat on a hot, sunny day. The hustle of the streets is brought to the club scene with the same energy. Promise is envious and returns to claim what he believes he’s owed. This sets off a divide amongst the gang. It’s a rift so wide that a war amongst partners is set-off, leaving participants reeling and grieving with deadly losses. Find out how it all unfolds in the Streets of New York Volume II.

Get the Series

Book One: Streets of New York, Volume 1
Book Two: Streets of New York, Volume 2
Book Three: Streets of New York, Volume 3