African American Short Stories

Previously titled "I Want Love", Daddy's Girl tells the tale of a young woman raised without a father, beginning from childhood.

Aisha is a young girl forcefully married to a wealthy forty-year-old man.The poverty in her family is heightened by the drought in her country. Daily, she visits her mother’s dry farmland, praying for rain to fall and moisten the soil. She knows all hope is lost. Having sustained her family for as long as he could, after her father’s sudden disappearance, her uncle decides the marriage is their last resort. She must marry her old suitor, or bear the responsibility should her mother and younger ones perish in poverty. Aisha weighs her options and decides to marry, with a hidden agenda ...

Roberto "Papa" Huffington. Beloved husband. Father. Friend. This is a very short story in honor of his legacy that he has left behind.

Showcasing the work of literary giants like Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, and authors whom listeners may be surprised to learn were "in the life", Black Like Us is the most comprehensive collection of fiction by African American lesbian, gay, and bisexual writers ever published.

Precy Bee was only five years old when the civil war that devastated her country and claimed the lives of over two hundred and fifty thousand people ended. The Liberians sighed with relief and began to piece their economy together, but not for long. While Precy and her family humbly live their low standard lifestyle, Ebola slowly creeps into her country and deals them a fatal blow, shaking the very foundation of her family. Once again, her people are dying as they fight a different war against a fatal Virus more lethal than AIDS, and Precy doubts the possibility of her precious family ...

A civil rights activist and key figure in African American literary history, Alice Dunbar-Nelson made her mark during the emerging Harlem Renaissance. Violets and Other Tales is her debut (included here in full, save for three stories later updated in The Goodness of St. Rocque). The collection includes poetry, short stories, and essays offering a varied examination of class differences, racial identity, oppression, intolerance, and women’s societal roles. The Goodness of St. Rocque and Other Stories assembles 14 of Dunbar’s short works of fiction.

From The Casino To The Bedroom: A Steel Harbor Erotic Romance Short Story tells the passionate tale of Yolanda and Andre, two individuals whose chance meeting at a casino leads them down a path of lust, desire, and eventual love. Yolanda is an alluring older woman with an air of sophistication, while Andre stands tall at six feet five inches, his caramel skin exuding a commanding presence. Their attraction is immediate, and they find themselves drawn to each other despite their initial reservations. As their romance unfolds in the gritty backdrop of Steel Harbor, they indulge in a series of...

In ROMANCE: QUICKIES (Nicole's Encounter - 12), Nicole is hot off an unforgettable encounter with a cocky rival attorney, which kicks her determination into high gear. She’s going to bed more men than her friends, damn it, come hell or high water! When an interesting client arrives at her office for a divorce consultation, she sets her sights on him with renewed vigor. He doesn’t know what hits him...or does he? Nicole’s neatly organized office will never be the same again... Seven friends living in New York City. One unusual competition. Who can have the most intimate encounters in a...

She still holds a grudge. When the one who abandoned her returns, will she let bitterness tear apart all she loves? Washington, DC, 1997. Maxine “Maxi” Weldon is living her best life. After her childhood sweetheart bailed when their son was six, the devoted mother forged a promising career and happy home with her big-hearted husband. But the hard-working Jamaican native becomes alarmed when she walks in on her usually levelheaded twelve-year-old hanging up on a suspicious phone call. With layoff rumors at work weighing heavily on her mind, Maxi's stress rises exponentially when she ...

An enthralling collection of short stories based on Dwight's own family history. He takes us through the lives of African Americans and Native Americans in the early parts of the United States. A must listen.

In the 1970s, Topper and Sanya flee to Miami as political violence consumes their native Kingston. But America, as the couple and their two children learn, is far from the promised land. Excluded from society as Black immigrants, the family pushes on first through Hurricane Andrew and later the 2008 recession, living in a house so cursed that the pet fish launches itself out of its own tank rather than stay. But even as things fall apart, the family remains motivated, often to its own detriment, by what their younger son, Trelawny, calls “the exquisite, racking compulsion to survive.”

Which One Are You? is a collection of 19 short stories that deal with a variety of topics, including family, life, friends, and making choices. The stories are told from a variety of perspectives, and they offer insights into the human condition that are both thought-provoking and inspiring.

From the author of Dead Man's Mayhem and Execution's Karma is How to Survive the End, a young adult apocalyptic fiction delivering the full clash of popular thought against isolated imagination, with a twist of witty humor and doses of cruel reality. When the entire world is in full collapse and devastation, the question now becomes - how do we survive the end? This is the question that a teenage Dayton tries to solve as he uses ancient texts to pinpoint when the end will be, however, when no one believes him and it all seems like one big hoax, he forgets about it, too, just so he can fit ...

Mary Williams He’s way out of my league. Perfect brown combover. Flawless smile. A figure sculpted like a Greek god. I never thought I’d have a chance with him, a man who is the envy of men and the want of women. Then, he asked me to Christmas dinner. I can’t handle my excitement as I knock on his mom’s door. Is this for real? Ryan Evans I’ve wanted her since the day I laid eyes on her. She’s beautiful with gorgeous light brown skin forming a voluptuous pear shape and a radiant smile. She takes my breath away every time. When my mom pushed me to bring her to Christmas dinner, I ...

Poet Jean Toomer’s short-story and poetry collection.

For over thirty years, The Journey Prize Stories has consistently introduced audiences to the next generation of great Canadian writers. The 33rd edition of Canada's most prestigious annual fiction anthology proudly continues this tradition by celebrating the best emerging Black writers in the country, as selected by a jury comprising internationally acclaimed, award-winning writers David Chariandy, Esi Edugyan, and Canisia Lubrin.

Delight in intriguing, thought-provoking conversations about ethics, philosophy, and social issues! After Dinner Conversation is a monthly literary magazine publishing short fiction. Each issue features both established writers and up-and-coming authors who contribute fascinating philosophical insights on controversial topics like marriage equality, assisted suicide, the meaning of death, animal rights, and defining your "purpose." It's time to go deep in search of truth! If you love reading imaginative short stories on hot topics that make your brain think deeply but also have you laughing...

"No justice, no peace!" The crowd marched through the streets, chanting as their hearts and minds are weighed down heavily. Each individual’s soul has been tattered and worn. The Black and Brown faces that make up the group all house expressions of anguish, pain, and restlessness. The words—"We the Jury, find the defendant, Tyler Mitchell, not guilty"—sting as they fall upon the ears of those who have gathered on the courthouse steps. Another White male has mercilessly taken innocent and unarmed lives. When will it end?

Our True Mahogany Series features stories compiled with the African American woman in mind, but that will also appeal to women of all cultures interested in an intimate and often sensual account of the female experience. Women facing temptation, suffering heartbreak, finding their first true love or romance at long last are just a few of the fascinating themes of these collections. How do you know when you're falling in love? There's that warm, tingly feeling when you see him, the flying sparks, the sweaty palms and butterflies in your stomach to let you know it's true love. Relive the ...

Pick a master and serve. Serve them well and die. Marigold wants to die the right way. She wants a transformative bite from her master. Vampires have it all: the statuesque look, the immortal life, and the power to enchant others. All she has is debt, a distracted boyfriend, and a desire to be more than human. When unwanted holiday gifts are exchanged between two master vampires, Marigold’s wish might come true if she can survive until dawn. A perfectly sized introduction into the new paranormal worlds created by urban fantasy and paranormal romance author Azaaa Davis. Start reading Hiss,...