For readers of Victor LaValle, Tananarive Due, and Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad, this ingenious reimagining of the vampire origin story set during the early days of American slavery blends alternate history with supernatural horror, as the last surviving member of an ancient African vampire tribe meets a slave desperate for freedom, and together, they lead an army of enslaved people in a cinematically blood-soaked battle for freedom and revenge.
What if nobody ever freed the slaves…because they freed themselves—150 years before the Civil War?
In the Province of Carolina, 1710, freedom seems unattainable for Willie, for his beloved Gertie, and for their unborn child. They live, suffer, and toil under their brutal master, James “Big Jim” Barrow, whose grand plantation was built by the blood, sweat, and tears of the enslaved. To flee this hell on earth is be hunted and killed. Until one strange night Willie is offered a dark hope by Rafazi, an enigmatic slave with an irresistible and blood-chilling path to liberation. Hailing from the Kingdom of Ghana, Rafazi is the lone survivor of the Ramanga, an African vampire tribe rendered nearly extinct by plague. Rafazi has roamed the world for centuries with an undying desire to replenish the power that once defined his heritage. In Willie, Rafazi has found his first biddable subject to be turned and to help in a hungry revolt. And Willie desires nothing more than to free his people from malicious bondage. Whatever it takes. One by one, as an army of blood slaves thirsting for revenge is gathered, the headstrong Gertie fears that no good can come from the vampiric legacy that courses through Rafazi’s veins. Willie knows that only evil can fight evil. And when the woman he loves stands between the reemergence of the Ramanga and the justified slaughter of the oppressors, Willie must make an irreversible decision. Only one thing is certain: on the Barrow plantation, and beyond, blood will spill. Part historical drama, part supernatural horror, and part alternate history, Blood Slaves is an ingenuous and defiant new creation myth of the vampire, one rooted in both justice and the sometimes-violent means necessary to achieve it.
In an arrestingly vivid novel spanning seven decades and two continents, bestselling author Rochelle Alers chronicles one woman’s remarkable journey from a cloistered 1950s Mississippi town founded by formerly enslaved people to the striking diversity of Paris and Rome in the 1960s and 70s, through the flashy glamour of 1980s Wall Street, to present day New York. Take The Long Way Home is an unforgettably moving, epic story of love and loss, overcoming adversity, and the fierce determination of a singular woman as she rises from the restraints of the Jim Crow South to build a remarkable life throughout some of history’s most turbulent eras—and the four men who challenge her to fight for happiness along the way.
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shanora Williams comes a tale of revenge served ice cold––and a warning to be careful what you scheme for. To the world Lola Maxwell is perfection––a gorgeous, giving woman with a heart made of gold. CEO of a popular charity, and owner of a billion-dollar company, she is admired by everyone she knows, especially the elite women and men of South Beach. But there is one thing the world should know about their sweet, sweet Lola––something that proves she is far from being the pure woman they all think she is. Lola dearest is a thief. She stole from Ivy and took something that Ivy will never get back. And now? Well, now Ivy is watching her every move, and it’s just Ivy’s luck that she has no idea who Ivy really is. Ivy’s getting closer to her, volunteering for her charity, joining her gym class, and even getting acquainted with her husband. Soon Ivy will become her best friend and a person she trusts, and once Ivy has her trust, she’ll stop at nothing to ruin the perfect life she built…
Former child star Xavier Starks is ready to step into the role of talent manager for his father’s company, Pure Talent Agency. Xavier put in time at the company, working hard to prove that he’s not only capable, but willing to take the reins and protect his father’s legacy. But his hopes are doused when his father passes him over for the promotion in favor of the girl next door, who is most definitely a woman now. Zara Reid is not just another pretty face. She’s beautiful, talented, ambitious, and has a reputation for taking good care of her clients. With an impressive roster of acclaimed clients, it is no surprise that many agencies have tried to lure her to their teams. But only one firm offered her what she needed. A chance to work for and learn from the man that she’d watched since she was a kid, the man she’d modeled her own career after. Jax Starks. As ire turns to want, the two can’t deny their chemistry in and out of the conference room. Zara makes it clear that coworkers with part-time benefits is all they will ever be, but, well, Xavier didn’t make a name for himself because he took no for an answer, and he makes it his mission to get that yes. By any means necessary.
In this brand-new series from award-winning author Rebekah Weatherspoon, a charming cowboy and his sleeping beauty find their modern day happily ever after. With a headline spot on a hit morning show and truly mouth-watering culinary skills, chef Evie Buchanan is perched on the edge of stardom. But at an industry party, a fall lands Evie in the hospital—with no memory of who she is. Scrambling to help, Evie’s assistant contacts the only “family” Evie has left, close friends who run the luxury dude ranch in California where Evie grew up. Evie has no recollection of them—until former rodeo champion Zach Pleasant walks into her hospital room, and she realizes his handsome face has been haunting her dreams. Zach hasn’t seen Evie in years—not since their families conducted a campaign to make sure their childhood friendship never turned into anything more. When the young cowboy refused to admit the feelings between them were real, Evie left California, making it clear she never wanted to see Zach again. Now he refuses to make the same mistake twice. Starting fresh is a risk when they have a history she can’t recall, but Zach can’t bear to let go of her now. Can he awaken the sleeping beauty inside her who might still love him?
When Olivia Gale gets fired and dumped all in the same day she jumps at the chance to get out of New York City. Her aunt needs help at the family bakery, Goode n’ Sweet, back down south in Sugar Lake, and a little indulgence in her pie-making hobby is exactly the pick-me-up Olivia needs so she can get her life back on track. She can’t afford to be distracted – not by her sour relationship with her younger sister, or the success of her short-lived baking career, or how well-suited Liv is to life in the sweet southern town. But the biggest distraction of all is Clayton Morris, firefighter, single dad, and the boy next door. Clayton has grown from the young boy that first broke Liv’s heart – and Sugar Lake might be a sweet place for a second chance…
