15 Books Published by Melodrama Publishing on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

Click for more detail about Checkmate - the Baddest Chick by Nisa Santiago Checkmate - the Baddest Chick

by Nisa Santiago
Melodrama Publishing (Jul 24, 2012)
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The Baddest Chick Motto: Your time at the top is short-lived. Enjoy it while you can.

Kola, the reigning Queen of New York, has Harlem on lock and is making paper hand over fist. If the stresses of hustling hard weren’t enough, the love of her life is mixed up with a Brooklyn chick, a bounty has been put on her head for a hit she didn’t sanction, and her sister’s ex-man, Chico, is trying to rock her to sleep. Kola has 99 problems, but Apple ain’t one.

Apple, gone but not forgotten while trapped in a Mexican hellhole, is still the most hated chick in New York. She’s low on friends and can’t seem to climb back up on her pedestal. With revenge in her heart and murder on her mind, Apple attempts to overcome her situation just in time to reclaim her title as The Baddest Chick the world has ever seen.


Click for more detail about The Criss Cross (Life, Love & Loneliness) by Crystal Lacey Winslow The Criss Cross (Life, Love & Loneliness)

by Crystal Lacey Winslow
Melodrama Publishing (Mar 22, 2011)
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Nikki Ling is the independent, foxy daughter of the merciless streets of Brooklyn, forced to make a living the only way she knows how. Things seem to get brighter when a wealthy South African diplomat asks for her hand in marriage, but it doesn’t take long after the honeymoon before she sees his true colors. The soft-spoken, reserved gentleman she thought he was, is actually pathologically kinky and sadistic. Entrenched in the midst of her marital turmoil, she one day meets a mysterious stranger who approaches her with what seems like the ticket to a better life. Will the promise of turning things around ultimately become a reality, or is Nikki walking into a double cross?


Click for more detail about Life, Love & Loneliness by Crystal Lacey Winslow Life, Love & Loneliness

by Crystal Lacey Winslow
Melodrama Publishing (Feb 08, 2011)
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Scandal Plays a Lead Role
Life, Love & Loneliness, the debut novel from Crystal Lacey Winslow, takes its reader on a tumultuous journey through the life of Lyric Devaney, an aspiring black actress who knows exactly what she wants out of life. Lyric owns the uncanny ability to manipulate others to achieve her goals, and she has no qualms about stepping on the toes of friends, lovers, family, and acquaintances who stand between her and her desires. Lyric’s latest scheme lands her a six-figure movie deal and the film’s starring role, but still, she wants more. Involved in an affair with a prominent political figure, Lyric is infatuated with his status, ambition, and, of course, wealth. But greed, scandal, and tragedy catch up with her at the worst time possible and her carefully constructed castle comes crashing down.


Click for more detail about In My Hood Part 2 by Endy In My Hood Part 2

by Endy
Melodrama Publishing (Feb 02, 2010)
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The dust has settled from havoc that took place In My Hood. No one thought there’d be anyone left standing, but out of the ashes emerges Nettie, a street-smart diva on a fearless mission to create one of the illest crews The Brick City has seen in decades. But she doesn’t plan on falling head over heels for Wild, a local bad boy. Now playing the position as his ride-or-die chick, Nettie is conflicted on whether she should fall back and let her man take over her empire, or regain her position as the head chick in charge.


Click for more detail about In My Hood part 3 by Endy In My Hood part 3

by Endy
Melodrama Publishing (Dec 01, 2009)
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The streets of Newark have never been as cutthroat as in Endy’s third installment of her In My Hood epic. Just when the hood seems at momentary peace, the emergence of an enigmatic hit-woman known as the Black Widow jolts everyone back to attention when she marks one of the hood’s dignitaries as her target. But she’s not done. She’s on the hunt, out for blood, and relentless in her pursuit to right the wrongs committed against her family. Ishmael and Desiree’s fifteen-year-old son Nyeem is trying to step out of his father’s shadow and avoid becoming another casualty of the hustle. Escaping from his heritage becomes especially troublesome, however, when his world is shaken to its core by an extraordinary turn of events. The fall of the head hustler in town conjures up droves of backstabbers, small-timers on the come-up, and young Nyeem facing a grown man’s decision just to survive.


Click for more detail about Still Wifey Material (Wifey, Part 4) by Kiki Swinson Still Wifey Material (Wifey, Part 4)

by Kiki Swinson
Melodrama Publishing (Nov 12, 2008)
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Kira is back and needs to make up for lost time. After deciding to leave the Witness Protection Program she gets disturbing news that Quincy an old flame, Rhonda her business partner, Sunshine an old rival, and her grandmother were all murdered. Kira wants a new beginning so she moves to Houston, Texas with her cousin, Nikki in search of southern hospitality. Little does she know that the streets in Houston and the men who run them are just as dangerous as the hometown she fled. Determined to prove that she is still wifey material, Kira jumps back onto the club scene in search of another sugar-daddy. When she meets Fatu, a Nigerian nightclub owner, her situation is instantly upgraded when he asks to marry her. As Kira begins to make plans for her wedding, her cousin Nikki has plans of her own. Tired of always living in Kira’s shadow, Nikki is furious that once again Kira is walking away with the boss. Especially when she had eyes on Fatu first! Nikki is prepared to breakup Kira’s engagement by any means necessary but Kira has bigger problems. Fatu isn’t the legitimate businessman Kira thought he was. She’s uncovered confidential information about Fatu that he is willing to kill for in order to keep secret. Fatu, the notorious crime boss has finally met his match and she’s a woman by the name of Kira!


Click for more detail about A Deal with Death by Endy A Deal with Death

by Endy
Melodrama Publishing (Oct 15, 2008)
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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, is 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 upon young cats who want to be in the drug game. Once you ve been recruited there is only one way out Death!


Click for more detail about Tale Of A Train Wreck Lifestyle by Crystal Lacey Winslow Tale Of A Train Wreck Lifestyle

by Crystal Lacey Winslow
Melodrama Publishing (Oct 15, 2008)
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Lisa Henderson wants to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Only she doesn’t have the patience to do things the correct way. Destined to make something great out of her life, her father’s constant praise and adulation turns the once ambitious and intelligent girl into a self-centered, conniving, and vindictive woman. Always at odds with her mother, in constant competitive mode with her sister, Lisa sets out to prove the naysayers wrong! Success is at her fingertips if only she could stop opting to take shortcuts to get what she wants. A series of bad decisions have quickly landed her in more trouble than she can sort out. When she goes to the same friends and family for help all whom she’d betrayed in the past door by door gets slammed in her face. Desperate, and on the run from authorities, she goes into seclusion with a large chunk of her latest victim’s money. With a huge home in the exclusive community of Saddle River, New Jersey, she finally feels safe. Luxuriating in her new lifestyle she experiences a sense of security and the prestige she’s longed for. Little does she know an arch-enemy has plans to make her new home her casket. Always stoic in the face of danger, Lisa isn’t going down without a fight! Back by popular demand Nikkisi Ling and Joshua Tune (The Criss Cross) are woven into this tale of larceny, deceit and greed. And you won t believe who sets them up to get double-crossed!


Click for more detail about Eva First Lady of Sin by Storm Eva First Lady of Sin

by Storm
Melodrama Publishing (Jan 01, 2007)
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Eva LoDolce… Bi-racial, bi-curious and breathtakingly beautiful, no man (or woman) is safe from her insatiable, sexual appetite. Eva LoDolce… Her young, voluptuous body is her most reliable weapon of mass destruction until she’s reduced by Brand, an impressively wealthy, handsome, male whore and the first lover to push her past mere orgasms to mind-numbing ecstasy. Brand has secretly given Eva something more than both had bargained for. And living with the guilt and shame of her sexual health crisis threatens to change her life forever! Hold on tightly and take a wild ride on Eva’s emotional rollercoaster as she surrenders to her lusts and looks for love in all the wrong places. Eva LoDolce… Can a life-altering situation change Eva’s hypersexual lifestyle or must unsuspecting others pay the price for one man’s misdeeds? Who will be the next willing victim of the First Lady of Sin?


Click for more detail about In My ‘Hood by Endy In My ‘Hood

by Endy
Melodrama Publishing (Nov 08, 2006)
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Every city has a hood, and every hood has a drug-infested corner. As a once successful businesswoman, Desiree "Rae-Rae" Johnson use to avoid driving through that section of the neighborhood—until she fell on hard times. After becoming a crack addict, she starts living with her soul mate Bilal "Bunchy" Wilson, the man who introduced her to cocaine. After witnessing a double murder and struggling to survive the everyday dramas to support their drug habits, they manage to pull off one of the biggest robberies in New Jersey’s history. Bilal is sentenced to life for murder and armed robbery and meets his sudden death in prison, leaving Desiree to face the demons of her past alone. After turning her life around, she meets one of the top men in the game, Ishmael Jenkins, and falls for him, not knowing his secret past. Ishmael is comfortable in his position in the hood and falls for Desiree just as hard. All hell breaks loose as Ishmael’s loyalty is tested and Desiree struggles to maintain her sobriety. Between love, murder and a possible relapse, will they survive? Or will they be another statistic in this society in which we live? Have you seen this in your hood? Well, this is what happened In My ’Hood.


Click for more detail about Stripped by Jacki Simmons Stripped

by Jacki Simmons
Melodrama Publishing (Nov 08, 2006)
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FROM THE DESK OF JACKI SIMMONS: PROLOGUE © 2005 Trina ain’t hardly the baddest bitch. Trust me, the diamond princess ain’t have a damn thing on La Perla. She, no matter how many songs she writes, will never be me. She claims that shit; I lived that shit. And then some. Furs kept me warm. Diamonds weighed me down. My ass got permanent jet lag from all the trips I was taking. Parking lot full of cars, safe full of money, cabinets full of liquor. The finest men in the world beat my door down trying to get a taste. All I had to do was smile to get whatever I wanted. I can still smell the blaze they used to hit with me; the champagne that flowed for me is still on my lips. I’m still smiling thinking about how fun those parties were. I had been a good girl my whole life, and when I finally broke out of my shell, I was ready to give ’em hell. They say life has a way of making you live it. No truer words have ever been spoken. At the peak, at the very top, the height of my fame, something happened. It’s called life. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, it went and got worse. I don’t blame anyone else but myself. Too busy ballin’ outta control to notice what was going on with the real world. I thought I was slick, thought I could outsmart life, but the Good Lord looked me in the eye and like Biggie, said, “You dead wrong.” By the time my high came down, I was out of it, left and right. The queen had to give up her crown and go back to stomping grapes with the rest of the kingdom. I’ve come a long way in the past few months. No doubt I’ve still got a long way to go. I’ll never get over it but I can try and move on. I’ve buried my demons and made peace with my past. If anyone didn’t like it, they can kiss my honey-brown ass. I’m not proud of any of it. But I did what I had to do to survive. I heard a funny statement the other day. Something like, “It’s a cold world out there, and if you ain’t under the umbrella, you gonna get rained on.” Lord knows I was soakin’ wet.


Click for more detail about Cross Roads by Carl Patterson Cross Roads

by Carl Patterson
Melodrama Publishing (Sep 08, 2006)
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Southern Pines, North Carolina, is supposed to be a place where you can raise your children and not worry about safety. That was true until single mother Dorothy and her two sons, Bobby and Johnny, have to abandon their hometown when death comes knocking on their door. In a quest to flee after her best friend and mother-in-law are murdered, Dorothy hastily relocates her kids from their beloved community in the south to the gang- and drug-infested streets of Bedford Stuyvesant, New York. Brooklyn breeds a new batch of worries as the younger son, Bobby, joins a vicious street gang. As Bobby struggles with the peer pressure of the ghetto—drug hustlers, prostitutes, gang violence, shootouts, and stabbings—his brother, Johnny, plans to kill the woman who gave him life. Cross Roads is a classic timepiece set in the 1950s but is reminiscent of modern times. Just as the Bishops and Chaplins fought for territory back then, Bloods and Crips wage the same wars in today’s society. This inspiring coming-of-age story details how a young boy is forced to become a man while fighting for his life and the safety of his family.


Click for more detail about Menace II Society by Al Saadiq Banks, Mark Anthony, and Crystal Lacey Winslow, Isadore Johnson, Jm Benjamin Menace II Society

by Al Saadiq Banks, Mark Anthony, and Crystal Lacey Winslow, Isadore Johnson, Jm Benjamin
Melodrama Publishing (Jan 30, 2006)
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Menace II Society is a gritty work of fiction that captures the allure of sex, money, murder and power. These bestselling authors have collaborated on a page-turner.

Crystal Lacey WinslowCagney & Lacey, Crystal Lacey Winslow
When two felons growing up on opposite coasts meet’the attraction is magnetic. When Lacey’s past comes back to haunt her’Cagney’s love is put to the test. Will Cagney ride or die for his lady? Just like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, these two embark on a killing spree in their quest to leave the past behind. Lace is also the Essence bestselling author of Life, Love & Loneliness and The Criss Cross. She also collaborated on an Essence and Blackboard bestselling novel, Four Degrees of Heat and a contributor in the novel, Kiss the Year Goodbye. She’s just completed her third novel, Sex, Sin & Brooklyn II. Lace is the founder of Melodrama Books & Things and Melodrama Publishing which published the #1 Essence bestselling novel, Wifey.

Al-Saadiq BanksWalk with Me, Al-Saadiq Banks
Newark, New Jersey is eager to get rid of the infamous, Miracle. A predicate with a long list of felonious crimes. When he’s arrested for the brutal murders of his two co-defendants, he realized that his life is over. Walk with Me by Al-Saadiq Banks walks you through the seemingly dark life of Miracle, capturing the ironic circumstance of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Al-Saadiq Banks is a resident of Newark, New Jersey and the author of bestselling novels No Exit, Block Party, Sincerely Yours and Caught ’em Slippin’. The founder of True 2 Life Productions, he is currently working on his fifth novel, Block Party 2.

Mark AnthonySnake Eyes, Mark Anthony
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That’s the old adage in the ’hood. But what happens when your friend is your enemy? All hell breaks loose in Snake Eyes. Mark Anthony weaves a dramatic street tale that will leave you on the edge of your seat!
Mark Anthony is the Essence bestselling author of Paper Chasers, Dogism and his newly released page-turner, Lady’s Night. He is a resident of Queens, New York and the founder of Q-Boro Books.

Isadore JohnsonThe Deceitful; Hunted, Isadore Johnson
Quawi Ubati’s desperation to hold on to his billion dollar cocaine empire built by blood and fear has led him to hunt down two men responsible for the ultimate betrayal. This notorious Nigerian drug lord unleashes havoc that not even the powerful F.B.I. could withstand in order to find and kill these individuals who he once trusted before planning the ultimate escape. Isadore Johnson is the author of the rapid selling double street novels, Drug Dealer Part 1 & 2. He is currently working on his third novel, Snitch.

J.M. BenjaminKeepin’ it Gangsta, J.M. Benjamin
Keepin’ it Gangsta is the only way the notorious ’Dicer’ knows how to live. Feared by many because of his murderous and infamous reputation, he still finds a soft spot in his black heart to hold down the only woman that ever truly loved him. But in true ’Dicer’ fashion he can only keep it gangsta! JM Benjamin is the author of Down in the Dirty.


Click for more detail about Up Close  Personal by Crystal Lacey Winslow Up Close Personal

by Crystal Lacey Winslow
Melodrama Publishing (Dec 15, 2003)
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Poetry drama revolving around specific situations in the authors life.


Click for more detail about Sex, Sin, & Brooklyn by Crystal Lacey Winslow Sex, Sin, & Brooklyn

by Crystal Lacey Winslow
Melodrama Publishing (Jun 28, 1905)
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319 pages plus acknowledgments.