An African American girl comes of age during the civil rights movement in April Sinclair's hilarious, insightful novel that was named Book of the Year (Young Adult Fiction) for 1994 by the American Library Association Jean "Stevie" Stevenson lives in Chicago's South Side, a neighborhood that acutely feels the social changes of the 1960s. Curious and witty, bold but naïve, Stevie ponders questions such as what makes good hair, and which skin shade is better in light of "Black Is Beautiful." Amid the War on Poverty, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., race riots, and the Black Power movement, Stevie grows into a socially aware young adult with a burgeoning sexuality and pride in her identity. Learning as much from her mother's strictness, her father's steady encouragement, and her grandmother's strength as she does from her wild friend Carla and her white teacher Nurse Horne, Stevie makes the sometimes harrowing, often hilarious, always enthralling...

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. Santiago's only weakness is his daughter, Serena. Detective Abraham develops a plan that involves his son, Tone, getting close to Serena.Against his better judgment, Tone goes along with his father's plan and sets out to win Serena over with his charm. What he hasn't planned on is Serena turning the tables and stealing his heart. Now Tone is faced with choices that leave him questioning his loyalty to his family.

"Thoroughly well-written stories...fans of noir will enjoy this batch of sordid tales set in the sweltering heat of the tropics."--Publishers Weekly"Kingston Noir subverts the simplistic sunshine/reggae/spliff-smoking image of Jamaica at almost every turn...The collection amply rewards the reader with a rich interplay of geographies and themes."--The Los Angeles Times"Kingston Noir goes darker and deeper than any before...the purest of noir, and the richest depictions of Jamaica."--The Huffington Post“Kingston Noir is an eclectic and gritty melange of tales that sears the imagination . . . Kingston Noir proves its worth as a quintessential piece of West Indian literature—rich, artistic, timeless, and above all, draped in unmistakable realism.”--The Gleaner (Jamaica)"Some of these stories are mysterious, some are straightforward, but all are dark. There isn’t a single light-hearted story in the bunch, which falls in line perfectly with the noir theme. Readers beware, there are some stories in this book that address the darkest parts of human nature: rape, torture, murder. It’s not for the faint of heart. However, they are all well-written and tap into the true underbelly of another culture."--Examiner.com"Several of the stories in Kingston Noir succeed brilliantly in reproducing the simultaneously estranging and horrifying effects of urban violence in Jamaica. And there is something appropriately unsettling about the differences between the stories, collected and edited by Colin Channer, such that the sense of being dislodged somewhere puzzlingly dissimilar from the place one began sometimes mimics the feeling of moving through Kingston… traversing this collection as if going 'down the road,' with all the abrupt stops, shifts, and turns that Jamaicanism implies, does offer a way of connecting, piece by piece, story by story, to fragments of the city tucked away in consciousness and memory. It is a city rarely encountered in fiction; this collection satisfies a need and makes one hungry for more."--sx salon: a small axe literary platformOriginal stories by: Marlon James, Kwame Dawes, Patricia Powell, Colin Channer, Marcia Douglas, Leone Ross, Kei Miller, Christopher John Farley, Ian Thomson, Thomas Glave, and Chris Abani.From Trench Town to Half Way Tree to Norbrook to Portmore and beyond, the stories of Kingston Noir shine light into the darkest corners of this fabled city. Joining award-winning Jamaican authors such as Marlon James, Leone Ross, and Thomas Glave are two "special guest" writers with no Jamaican lineage: Nigerian-born Chris Abani and British writer Ian Thomson. The menacing tone that runs through some of these stories is counterbalanced by the clever humor in others, such as Kei Miller's “White Gyal with a Camera,” who softens even the hardest of August Town’s gangsters; and Mr. Brown, the private investigator in Kwame Dawes’s story, who explains why his girth works to his advantage: "In Jamaica a woman like a big man. She can see he is prosperous, and that he can be in charge." Together, the outstanding tales in Kingston Noir comprise the best volume of short fiction ever to arise from the literary wellspring that is Jamaica.

NINE LIVES KIKI SWINSON Wild-card Aiden. Dead-shot Ava. Efficient, fast, and brutal, this notorious brother-sister hit team grew up abused, unwanted—and in lethal tune with each other. Killing nine targets in ten days will be their biggest score yet. But as Ava sets up their final target, she falls hard for him and a chance at a normal life. And that's a betrayal she may not live to regret . . . THE CRUSHED ICE CLIQUE NOIRE At first all ghetto princesses Honore and Cucci want is quick cash-flow. But after sexing jewelry distributor Slimy Sam and learning his illegal tricks of the trade, they assemble a crack team of thieves for one dazzling scam. Replacing diamonds with fakes and selling the reshaped real deal on the black market is making them crazy-rich. But when Sam double-crosses them, these diamond divas must survive to steal another day . . ."Treachery, betrayal, and revenge add to the twists and turns...

Diamond and Mica have been best friends since grade school, and have always watched each other's backs. After Mica moves out of their drug-infested neighborhood, they have a scandalous falling out and lose touch. It isn't until Diamond hooks up with one of North Philly's most notorious drug dealers that she's able to leave the place that she's always called home. Under extreme circumstances, Mica and Diamond meet up and are back on the map as the Laverne and Shirley of the ghetto, but unfortunately, both friends have ulterior motives for rekindling their friendship. The two plot to get rid of the dealer and hit the road with his fortune, but one of them has her own sinister plan that could leave the other staring death in the eye. Jealousy and greed create plenty of drama for Diamond. Even when she thinks she's on her way to a happily-ever-after ending, she finds herself fighting against foes she never saw coming. Will her "I rule the world" disposition keep her on top, or...

The Last Heist Kiki SwinsonShannon Mitchell gambled that betraying her husband's biggest heist ever was her way out of the game for good. Losing that bet put her in lockdown--and at the top of Todd Mitchell's revenge-fueled hit list. Now she'll work every seductive move and lethal play to survive. 'Cause when it comes to wreaking her own vengeance, this devious beauty isn't taking any prisoners. . . Caked Up De'nesha DiamondHarlem Banks already has twenty-five million reasons to break out of the federal pen. But saving his desperately ill daughter is at the top of his list, even as he's racing his ex-partner-in crime to his stashed loot . . . while U.S. Marshals are hot on his trail. His only chance is the one woman he can't stop loving--even if she's the one endgame he'll never escape. . .

Going once... Identity theft mastermind Lauren Kelly has always had a taste for the finer things--including Matt Connors, her lover and accomplice. But she's not the only one... Going twice... When their partner, Yancy, stumbles onto a tycoon's multi-million dollar bank account, Lauren expects everything will go smoothly--until she discovers Yancy and Matt are planning the ultimate betrayal... Someone's going to be gone... Fortunately, Lauren is one step ahead of Matt. Once she disappears with every last dollar, they'll have no doubt they chose the wrong woman to deceive. But all three of them chose the wrong target...Praise for Kiki Swinson"A sizzling, action-packed, electric and gut-wrenching novel."--RT Book Reviews on Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless"The action is unrelenting and over-the-top. Readers looking for pure grit will want to take a look."--Publishers Weekly...

Everybody knows you don’t marry the rebound guy.And yet, that’s exactly what Charlie does. But once the husband is out of picture–kinda–she’s ready to leap forward with her life. She returns to the neighborhood she left, the business she missed, and into arm’s reach of Nixon–the reason she needed a rebound guy in the first place.Other than rebuilding her life, Charlie has one main goal now that she’s back in the place she considers home: Stay as far away from Nixon as she can. But their long history, his magnetic charm, and a certain sense of unfinished business makes that much, much harder than Charlie thought.Nixon is willing to own up to his part in their break up, but for Charlie, finding a place of forgiveness is going to take much more than that. She’s willing to take a chance on friendship–something they’ve had since they were kids–but falling in love again? That’s a whole different story.