Showing results by narrator "L. Steven" in All Categories

It’s been months since Kahllah El-Amin, a.k.a. the Black Lotus, hung up her pistols, retired from the murder-for-hire business, and finally found peace. But when a police officer is murdered and a familiar flower is left at the crime scene, all signs point to it being the work of the Black Lotus. Someone is trying to frame her. Things get more complicated when the case is handed to Detective James Wolf, a former adversary who has since become a friend. To clear her name, Kahllah is forced out of retirement and once again must don the mask of the Black Lotus.

Sixty-six years among Shoshone and Arapahoe Indians on the Wind River Reservation (1883-1949)

Teen sensation Melissa Jones is dragged into a world of conspiracy and violence when her boyfriend is shot dead by police. Melissa joins forces with unlikely allies in a desperate search to uncover the shocking truth behind his murder. Her unlikely allies include a newly elected senator who refuses to be compromised by a wealthy donor, a conspiracy theorist who believes the worst of all enemies has infiltrated the corridors of power, and a Black Lives Matter leader who seeks justice for her brother's murder.

All he ever wanted to be was a good son. Shai Clark was an all-American basketball player with aspirations of one day making it to the NBA, but that all changed when his father was viciously murdered and he found himself thrust into the role of the new head of his family's criminal enterprise.

The year is 1978. The Duncan brothers and their tough-as-nails women have vanquished their rivals and taken their place as the leaders of Waycross, Georgia's criminal enterprises. However, their rise to power has not gone unnoticed, and the family is rocked when their mother, Miss Bettie, is kidnapped and her body is found in a swamp. No one knows who the killers are, but instead of drawing closer, the family is split when their grief-stricken leader, LC, is offered membership in the South's most powerful black organization, the Council.

Growing up on the cold, mean, inner-city streets of Baltimore is Netta, leader of an all-girl clique called the Pussy Pound. With no father and a dope fiend for a mother, Netta learns at an early age how to use her beauty and her body to get the things she wants: money, cars, and jewelry. Chasing the almighty dollar, she meets Black, a local drug dealer with a deep-seated hatred for New Yorkers who falls head over heels in love with her. With a broken heart, Black discovers that Netta is only after his money and seeks the ultimate revenge against her life.

Malek and Halleigh were once innocent high school sweethearts, but their lives changed drastically when they were separated by tragic circumstances and sucked into life on the streets. Now Malek has risen to the top of the drug empire and is running things after Jamaica Joe’s murder. His rival, Sweets, has left town, so Malek has things under control on both the South Side and the North Side. When Halleigh finally escapes from the clutches of Manolo, her pimp, she and Malek are reunited. For a while, things are running smoothly, and Halleigh and Malek are like well-respected hood royalty—until Halleigh grows bored with her life hidden safely away in the suburbs.

In Knucklehead we meet Marcus Hayes, a Black law student who struggles, sometimes unsuccessfully, with the impulse to confront everyday bad behavior with swift and antisocial action. The cause of this impulse is unknown to him. When Marcus unexpectedly becomes involved with the brilliant and kind Amalia Stewart, her love and acceptance pacify his demons. But when his demons return, he is no longer inclined to contain them.

In Choosing Sides, Malek became affiliated with the North Side's biggest kingpin, and Halleigh was manipulated into the streets by his South Side adversary. North versus South, love versus loyalty, and lies versus truth. Now the saga continues in Working Girls, as we are introduced to the Manolo Mamis, the baddest chicks in the game. They're playin' for keeps, and their services come with a price - an expensive one.

Malek Johnson's hustle is the basketball court, and he's the best Flint's projects has ever produced. He's on his way to the University of Michigan, but not for long, because all the NBA scouts say he's destined for the pros after a year or two of seasoning. Malek finds love in the super fine girl everyone calls Halleigh, and he promises her that he will take her out of the hood.

The son of a hustler, it’s no surprise that Power has followed in his family’s footsteps and made a name for himself as one of the most respected hustlers on the streets of New York. Along with his best friend and partner Kane, the duo create a super group that sets out to take the streets and hip-hop world by storm. But soon Power finds himself in the middle of a love triangle gone wrong with a label owner and his lead singer, Egypt, which threatens the freedom and livelihood of everyone involved.

Joey Diamonds is on the verge of being a “made” man, with ice-cold blue eyes that pierce through the hearts of women...and men. After being disowned by his Mafia family, losing the love of his life, and realizing the world at large is his enemy, Joey throws extreme caution to the wind on his journey of self-debauchery in the name of fame and fortune. The Purple Don is the story of how self-destruction is never simply an internal state, and everyone around can be destroyed in the process.

Pulitzer Prize-winning economic journalist Steven Pearlstein argues that our thirty year experiment in unfettered markets has undermined core values required to make capitalism and democracy work. Thirty years ago, “greed is good” and “maximizing shareholder value” became the new mantras...

The first Black mayor of Montgomery, Alabama, shares his story of making his way in a world that wasn’t built for him, drawing on his rich heritage as the son of a civil rights leader. As a proud son of a civil rights leader, Steven L. Reed grew up hearing stories about how his father...

Millions of people in the United States are suffering from IBS-like symptoms. They are being diagnosed and treated as IBS. The purpose of this book is to help these patients figure out what is causing their symptoms and take care of it. For the majority of them diet is the culprit and by recognizing and avoiding it one can put an end to future suffering.

Three stories about one story... The God Particle is told out of chronological order and follows three main interrelated stories. Hitwomen Egypt, Asia, and Persia arrive at an apartment to retrieve a briefcase for their boss. A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but not necessarily in that order. Warning: There will be blood.

These 15 original stories, donated by authors to help keep local theater alive, are fun, quirky, imaginative, and bold - the perfect way to tide over audiences until local stage curtains can once again rise! Each tale turns the spotlight on some unusual snapshot of life or imagination. Sit back, let us entertain you, and know that your purchase has made a big difference for local artists...while we all wait in the wings.

On the outside, Tone seems to have it all. He has a father he looks up to and an older brother who keeps him under his wing - until the day his father crosses a line that changes everything. Tone is forced to enter a world he knew nothing about. Detective Abraham is obsessed with power and money, so he has figured out a way to play on both sides of the tracks when it comes to organized crime. The only thing stopping him from making it to the top spot is Santiago, one of the most feared suppliers in the country.

Around the Way Girls 11 is a fast-paced look at the lives of some street-smart women who think they know it all, but are about to get the lessons of their lives. "Meal Ticket" by Treasure Hernandez: After the tragic death of Yanna's husband at the home of his longtime mistress, Yanna's teenage son is forced to step up and fill his father's shoes as the household's sole meal ticket. The straight-laced student soon links up with an unlikely partner in crime. Also featuring "Party Girls" by Clifford "Spud" Johnson and "Do or Die" by India Johnson-Williams.

Urban Books' popular Girls from da Hood series is back, bringing listeners more dramatic tales about the lives of some tough, resourceful women who can hold their own when things get rough on the streets. This time, Redd, Nikki-Michelle, and Erick S. Gray deliver the stories with their trademark flair. Like a hood-rich Bonnie and Clyde, Candy and Raynail have their hands on all of the drugs that run through the veins of Westwood. When Raynail is set up to take the fall for a crime he didn't commit, Candy goes on a mission to take down everyone involved.