African American Short Stories

In Dale's Tales, Dale Guy Madison takes young listeners on a journey through a series of African-American stories and folktales. From the humor of How God Created Butterflies to the magical realism of Flying Away to Freedom, Dale's retellings of classic folktales will delight and inspire. The collection also includes Dale's brand-new story Three Heads of Hair.

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

Early morning, while sweeping the village in preparation for the village festival, Boma—an only son— is kidnapped and whisked away from the shores of Calabar to the Caribbean Island as a slave. The village festival requires all participants to remain mute throughout the spiritual cleansing to prevent misfortunes from befalling the Kalabari community. When caught in the captives’ net, Boma faces a dilemma to save himself or his people. He chooses to protect his family and embarks on a journey to the unknown. In chains, he organizes with the other captives to kill the slave masters and ...

Mahogany is now coming face to face with the reality of her secrets and lies; she will have life-altering decisions to make soon. Finding new love, having a beautiful family, great friends, her dream career, and financial stability means nothing as she deals with her internal demons. Will her friends and family stick beside her? Will finally turning to God help her, or is she too deep in that it's just too late?

Jacob is an old man who has secluded himself in an apartment convinced that something is after him. As he retells strange coincidences throughout his life, maybe he's right.

While vacationing in Jamaica, trying to get over a broken heart, Chyna Daniels runs into island native Nelson Portis. On a physical level, Nelson satisfies all of Chyna's wants and needs to help her forget the breakup, but Nelson wants much more. Will Chyna give Nelson the one thing he wants the most? Her Heart.

The Story of Jamie is a fictitious short story loosely connected to actual events about a young girl named Jamie. She was born in the 1940s, and struggled most of her life to find her true identity. During her many devastating conflicts in life, she cycles through love, pain, and perseverance as she finds happiness while maturing and flourishing into a mother and a wife.

Lyla’s in love with Walter and believes she will do anything to keep him—at least she thinks she will. Rhonda loves to go partying and clubbing—especially on ladies' night. When one of the male dancers comes to her table, it doesn’t end well when he returns to the stage.

Jilted! What should have been the happiest day Calvin Walker experienced ended up being the absolute worst. The love of his life left him waiting at the altar without so much as a ‘Dear John’ letter. With the prodding of his best friend, Calvin decides to not let his honeymoon go to waste. He needs a fresh start, and what better place to get it than in Spain. Will a little bit of Spanish flavor be enough to mend Calvin's broken heart?

Emilia Cruz has a crush on her best friend, Drake Johnson. They’ve been friends for over fifteen years, and through that time, Emilia always struggled to find a way to explain how she truly felt about Drake, until she learns that she might lose a chance to express her feelings for him when he takes a job in London. To keep Drake in her life, she challenges him to a race. If she wins, he stays, if he wins, he leaves. With the rules set, can she win the race for her chance at love? Running for Love is a short interracial romance story. It is only 2,800 words.

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.

When writer John Chapter is found dead, it's the words he didn't write that might hold the key. In the heart of the roaring twenties, Harlem is a nexus of intellectual verve and literary prowess. Esteemed writers hold court at elegant soirées, critics debate the merits of the newest works, and ambition is the lifeblood of every aspiring novelist and poet. But as autumn casts its golden-red spell over the city, Harlem murmurs with mysteries that remain unseen beneath its vibrant surface. Lanie Price, a society reporter with unparalleled access to Harlem's elite, is accustomed to uncovering ...

Spanning the early 1900s up to modern times, the connected stories here trace the intersecting lives of travelers, expatriates, and local folks in ways that shock, illuminate, and reveal. From the American photographer who finds her world disturbed by new forms of love and lust, to a charismatic priest confronted by the earthly perks of fame and stardom, the diverse mix of characters are united by the universal search for love and understanding - a challenge on an island simmering with issues of politics, power, and race.

A Blackburn Legacy Short Romance Timberlyn Blackburn, a skilled werewolf hunter, is thrown into chaos one night when she receives an unexpected invitation from the elusive vampire Matthias Devereux. In the shadow-laden alleys of Philadelphia, Timberlyn stands at the crossroads between her lethal calling and the forbidden allure of Matthias, a figure from her past whose mere thought stirs a tumultuous mix of dread and desire. Torn between her duty to hunt and the seductive pull of a vampire’s touch, she’s drawn into a whirlwind of passion and peril, where the line between predator and ...

The story is about a gossipy woman finding out that being a "good Christian" is indeed a 24 hour job.

This small collection of short stories of riveting and dark plots dabbles in politics, religion, martial arts, social identity, and various other facets of life like baby farms, revealing what man proves to be when he tries! Titles include "A Cold One", "Lagos Hustle", "Cornbread, Fried Chicken, and Sauerkraut", "Rest in Peace", "Alpine Nightmare", "My Style Is Better Than Yours", "Furqaan", "Turf", and "The Part: The Re-assassination of Abe Lincoln".

DeShawn Watts has always followed the rules and obeyed law enforcement for as long as he could remember. But why does a life in the suburbs with a loving wife, a beautiful daughter, and a nice job feel so hollow whenever DeShawn talks to his jailbird brother, Darnell? Respectability is a short story detailing the lives of Black men and asking what it really means to be free today in America.

Growing up as a kid, I always thought I would meet my true love. I would have this magical romance where everything was perfect. However, life doesn’t work like that. Instead of meeting my true love and living happily ever after, I have a kid with a deadbeat and get evicted from my apartment. My life couldn’t get any worse. Out of options, my best friend offers me a place to stay. Little did I know that my love life would turn upside down. This is the short story of how I found my true love. Always There is a short, 3,700 word BWWM interracial romance where two friends become lovers, ...

Sharron Carpenter is nervous as tonight is her first date with Brad Williams, a handsome single parent she met on a dating app. The two have already had several video calls, through their online dates, but tonight is the first date at a restaurant. Do sparks fly between the two, or does the date end on a sour note? The First Date is an interracial BWWM clean romance. This short story is around 3,400 words.

Some temptations are just too tantalizing to ignore. Can't Help the Way That I Feel, edited by Emmy award-winning and Essence best-selling author Lori Bryant-Woolridge, is a collection of titillating stories, each exploring a delicious enticement. In "The Sangria Seduction," lemon sangria becomes the elixir of lust for a player trying to seduce the naughty out of one very nice girl.