The riveting first book in the acclaimed God series sweeps readers back to the streets, porches, and parlors of civil rights–era Ohio to bring to life the beginning of an enduring friendship between two girls from opposite sides of the track …Annette Goode is a shy, awkward, overweight child with a terrible secret.Frightened and ashamed, Annette withdraws into a world of books and food. But the summer she turns thirteen, something incredible happens: Rhoda Nelson chooses he...

Raised in the South with strong religious influences, Michele Andrea Bowen makes her literary debut with Church Folk. Weaving together the turbulent 1960s Civil Rights movement with the chaos within the Greater Hope Gospel United Church, Bowen carries a message of hope that transcends human failings. Young, handsome Rev. Theophilus Simmons and his new bride Essie settle into pastoral life as the "first couple" of the congregation. Although Theophilus makes references to the civil rights st...

VOICES: a sacred sisterscape, spearheaded by Grammy-nominated poet aja monet (When The Poems Do What They Do), is an audio experience of stories written by, narrated by, and centering Black women across the diaspora. It encourages radical listening for the sake of connection, compassion, and community and celebrates the interior lives Black women embody. “We seek to encourage and establish a culture that fosters radical truth-telling love & solidarity,” —aja monet, Artist...

New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe's heart-stopping tale about a woman who's suffered too much to give up on herself, even if everyone else has …Growing up, Annette Goode thought all men were as low-down as the father who abandoned her, including the boarder who abused her for years and the men she slept with to earn the money she needed to run away from her life. Now, after decades of heartache and severing ties with her dangerously unstable friend Rhoda, Annette's real...

The emotionally complex novels of Mary Monroe's God Don't series have won the New York Times best-selling author a multitude of devoted fans. In God Don't Play, trouble comes a woman's way just when she thinks she's finally got it all figured out. Annette Goode couldn't be happier with where she is in life. She has a good job, a comfortable home, and a wonderful husband and daughter. But tough times lie ahead. Out of the blue, Annette begins receiving anonymous hate mail and threatening ph...

In Michele Andrea Bowen's Up at the College, Yvonne Copeland-dumped by her husband and now homeless-returns to her hometown of Durham, North Carolina. Landing a job as an adjunct professor, she begins rebuilding her life and her relationship with God. And then she meets the university's basketball coach, who's everything she wants in a man-except for a defect only God can change. ". a feel-good story full of humor and hope."-Library Journal

Essence #1 best-selling author Michele Andrea Bowen pens saucy African-American stories with Christian themes. Holy Ghost Corner is an inspiring story about one woman's hopes for a blessed future with the right man as she struggles with her own religious principles. Theresa Hopson is the successful owner of one of the hottest new stores in Durham, North Carolina: Miss Thang's Holy Ghost Corner and Church Women's Boutique. But success isn't enough without someone to share it with. Theresa n...

An instant classic, beloved New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Mary Monroe’s debut novel The Upper Room introduced unforgettable, indomitable, and thrillingly scandalous heroine Mama Ruby.Mama Ruby’s known for taking things that aren’t rightfully hers, like her best friend’s stillborn infant, who she brought back to life and christened Maureen.She’s also rumored to have done away with her husband. Some fear her, others try their best to avoid her. But Mama ...

Victoria Christopher Murray authors superb novels of African-American Christian fiction. Joy, a work of both romance and tragedy, is bound together by the unshakable faith of its protagonist. Anya Mitchell seems to have it all--a profitable financial services business, a handsome fiance, and an expensive diamond ring. But there are unwelcome doubts lingering in her mind. Danger also looms on the horizon, as a stalker lurking at the edge of her life draws closer. After Anya is savagely atta...

The best of friends.. Since they were five years old, Jasmine Cox Larson Bush and Kyla Blake had a bond that could not be broken. They shared secrets, marked milestones, and held each other up through life's adversities. It was a friendship that they both thought would last forever. But when Jasmine's jealousy led her to seduce Kyla's husband, Dr. Jefferson Blake, that bond was severed and their friendship was damaged forever.. The worst of times.. Now, twenty years later, a major tragedy ...

Carl Weber is an Essence best-selling author and recipient of the African-American Bookseller of the Year Award. His stories are intoxicating dramas with smart, sexy characters. The Preacher's Son captivates with all the intensity expected of a Weber novel. Bishop T.K. Wilson is a pillar of the community, pastor of the largest African- American church in Queens, NY, and has always tended to the needy. Running for borough president, he faces one shocking revelation after another that could ...

The Reverend Curtis Black faces shocking new revelations about his wife in the ninth installment of the award-winning series from New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby.It's been months since Reverend Curtis learned that his wife Charlotte had affairs with two different men, and for now, he continues to be cordial and respectful to her. But he's also made it clear that once their son Matthew graduates high school, he will be filing for divo...