You're all I need to get by...

Have you ever been homeless? Ever been without lights and water? Did you ever fear that the neighbors would catch you cutting the water on at the crack of dawn or fear that the water company would come around and remove the meter for having the water on illegally? No? Well, Renae has. Meet Renae Zuri Brown, your typical 19-year-old carefree girl living a not-so-glamorous life. She was born and raised in Virginia Beach; just trying to understand the harsh reality of 'struggling' She has a secret that only her little brother knows about and demons she's been trying to escape from. She doesn't smile the same anymore, but could things change? Kingston Stone, is a 22-year-old, aggressive yet ambitious, pretty boy from New Orleans with a similar past of his own. He had a style of his own, hustler and heartbreak mentality, that was until he stumbles onto "Library Girl's" path. Just 2 people from different hometowns with similar history fighting to make this complicated life work. She wants to keep him away but something keeps drawing him to her. She's never been in love and he normally hits and quits, can they beat the odds and fight through all of the darkness to see the light of their love? Will he be the one to save her, if it's from herself? Will they team up and create the dangerous Empire from the ground up or will he leave unable to handle the baggage that comes with her family? Let's find out.

Cassie + Saint = Basketball 🏀? (Yeah...I'm not good at descriptions so just read and find out...😉) also I'm splitting this book into two parts. Y'all gon see why. It's a looooooong book. (COMPLETED)

A strung out mother, selfish aunt, ho-ish sister, and no where to turn are only a few of the problems that Devyn has to deal with. She just wants to finish school and leave everything behind her, but that same everything is determined to keep her exactly where she is. Trying to find a way out of seemingly no way, Devyn Yanis is faced with the harsh realities of the real world on her own. When she meets Ace, the biggest drug dealer in the whole city, she finds it almost impossible to steer clear of him. Will he change her life for the better or will he only complicate her already complicated life?

Shanelle is August's ride or die. From the slums to the fame and fortune, Shanelle's been there through it all. The two seem to be meant to be, but sometimes fame changes people. What happens when August gets caught up in the money, weed, and women?

"Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice. I say the darker the flesh, then the deeper the roots." -Tupac Young, African-American teen Ebony Brooks is considered an outcast to society. Not because of any disabilities or awkward personality traits, but because of her rich cocoa skin. However, Ebony is still confident with her dark complexion and receives uplifting praise from her family. Ebony travels through her entire life being a target to other kids, but when will she take a stand and stick up for her beautiful chocolate complexion? cover slayed by @aneonsky This story will be entering in the Wattys2016.

Arianna Taylor is the single mom of two children. Apart from her raising her small family, she strips to provide. When she finally moves on with her life, her unreliable 'Baby's Daddy' shows back up in her life after 3 years and causes a worldwind of disasters.

Fresh out of high school Kashmere has everything figured out for the most part, until she meets August and decides give him a chance. She doesn't know it yet but her life will never be the same. © 2014-2015 RaquelR.™. All rights reserved.

seen the bullshit coming and fell for it .

"With him it wasn't about the material shit, or the money. He captured my heart with his..." Growing up in the care of her grandmother because her mom was unfit, Anastasia saw the harsh realities of the 'hood' life. All of the boys had their eyes on her. Anastasia only saw one person, the good boy, Jason. Jason had his fair share of turmoil. With a mother battling addiction, and a hustling big brother who washed his hands of the situation, he had to figure things out on his own. Football was Jason's everything and way out of the hood, but when the bills start piling and his mom spiraling out of control, Jason is forced to make a decision that alters not only his life, but the lives of the ones he love as well. Sometimes love is a dangerous thing, we'd do anything to protect the ones we love. If each moment meant nothing, and the relationship was a fling, Why'd You Call It Love?