Life in the streets take on a whole new meaning in this urban anthology of "hood" tales compiled by New York Times bestselling author Wahida Clark. WHAT'S REALLY HOOD! Black Is Blue by Victor L. Martin delves into the life of a corporate woman who falls in love with a thug and finds out just how easy it is to stray from the straight and narrow. Eighteen and hungry Wiz's only addiction to drugs is the money it made. But Crystal changed all of that and shows him just how powerful a woman can be in The P is Free by LaShonda Teague. In The LastLaugh by Bonta, Bobo, a member of the infamous Eight-Trey street gang, learns that gang life isn't all it's cracked up to be as "street wars" take on a whole new meaning. Shawn "Jihad" Trump tells the story of loyalty, love and honor, when The Point Blank Mob is brought to its knees leaving the crew fighting for their lives and freedom in All for Nothing. And New York Times bestselling author, Wahida Clark, introduces Nina, a woman tired of being disrespected by men who takes revenge to the ultimate level in Makin' Endz Meet.

Most of us believe that we are unique and coherent individuals, but are we? The idea of a "self" has existed ever since humans began to live in groups and become sociable. Those who embrace the self as an individual in the West, or a member of the group in the East, feel fulfilled and purposeful. This experience seems incredibly real but a wealth of recent scientific evidence reveals that this notion of the independent, coherent self is an illusion - it is not what it seems. Reality as we perceive it is not something that objectively exists, but something that our brains construct from moment to moment, interpreting, summarizing, and substituting information along the way. Like a science fiction movie, we are living in a matrix that is our mind. In The Self Illusion, Dr. Bruce Hood reveals how the self emerges during childhood and how the architecture of the developing brain enables us to become social animals dependent on each other. He explains that self is the product of our relationships and interactions with others, and it exists only in our brains. The author argues, however, that though the self is an illusion, it is one that humans cannot live without. But things are changing as our technology develops and shapes society. The social bonds and relationships that used to take time and effort to form are now undergoing a revolution as we start to put our self online. Social networking activities such as blogging, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter threaten to change the way we behave. Social networking is fast becoming socialization on steroids. The speed and ease at which we can form alliances and relationships is outstripping the same selection processes that shaped our self prior to the internet era. This book ventures into unchartered territory to explain how the idea of the self will never be the same again in the online social world.

There are stories about the woods around Salvation Creek and the people who have gone missing. Now their friend is one of them. A riveting, fast-paced YA mystery told entirely through first person police interviews of four teens over the course of a few hours. It was all her idea. They would get away from their parents and spend the weekend camping. Down by Salvation Creek, the five of them would make smores, steal kisses, share secrets. But sometime around midnight, she vanished. Now the four friends who came back are under suspicion—and they each have a very different story to tell about what happened in the woods. The clock is ticking. What are they hiding? Who is lying? Dark truths must come to light if their friend is to be found... Told entirely through first-person police interviews, this riveting mystery asks: what really happened that night? Perfect for: Fans of Holly Jackson and Jennifer Lynn Barnes Mysteries and police procedurals People looking for young adult books best sellers Also by Chelsea Sedoti: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett As You Wish It Came from the Sky Praise for Chelsea Sedoti: "Easy to read and hard to put down."—VOYA on As You Wish "A dark, comedic mystery about a girl's quest for proof that ultimately helps her discover some truths about herself." —Justine on The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett "[A] quirky, intelligent novel." —Booklist on It Came from the Sky

HOOD LIVIN Ghetto Grace is about young black adults living in the hood from a realistic perspective. Its about pain, anger, and love. Hood Livin, touches on various aspects in which young adults are coming up in the so-called hood experience. Justice is twenty-four, and although its his last year of college, hes dealing with the problems of his ex-girlfriend leaving town with his young daughter and trying to come to terms with his mothers illness and his responsibility to his best friends little brother. At the same time, he falls in love with a young sister. Kisha is twenty-three and just broke up with her boyfriend when she caught him playing on her. Shes the third oldest of seven children. Her mothers early death forced her to become the woman of the house and to care for a drunkard father. Regg had his first year of college at eighteen. Hes trying to cope with his brothers death and being an adult teenager. He realizes its not all that easy, nor is it what he expected. Coco is Kishas best friend, and shes having her own issues. Her only brother is in prison, and shes caught up in a relationship that is not healthy for her. Her boyfriend is the leader of the local drug-selling gang who values the chase of that paper more than her life. Crime is the leader of the Bishops. He is all about that money and making sure he and his people eat. He doesnt care what he has to do to get it or who he has to kill in order to keep his spots up and flowing. As each deals with their own independent issues and drama, living in the hood, the streets of reality draw them together in one way or another. Ten years earlier, Justice witnessed the murder of his best friend and partner Rakim by a member of a rival gang. He took that as a wake-up call and reality check. Justice decided to get himself on the right track and try to avoid the calls of the streets. But when his late partners brother dies, the call can no longer be ignored.

It Was All a Dream by B. MAC It Was All a Dream captures the mind of people who love music, comedy and family gatherings. In the hood, there is always that one dude who is trying to be successful in the music industry, but has it hard finding his way. Most of the time, he is better than a lot of the artists in the business. However, he lacks resources and the right promotion. No matter what, his hunger won’t let him quit. He will stop at nothing to be successful; even if it means rap wars, constant battles, club fights and gun play. It Was All a Dream is a work of fiction that everyone from the ghetto can relate to. Most people in the rap industry will agree with the hardship of being successful, while others will act as if it simple. But the challenge the artist and producer go through in this book would make any real up-and-coming artist laugh and wonder, at the same time, if he or she really wants to be an artist.

A mysterious woman draws Mike Shayne into a twisted murder plot The call comes just as Mike Shayne is pouring a much-needed cognac. A gangster’s voice warns, “Stay away from Wanda Weatherby.” Simple enough—except that Shayne has never heard of any woman by that name. A few minutes later, he receives another call, from a woman desperately worried about Wanda Weatherby. A third call then comes in from the woman herself: Wanda Weatherby begs Mike Shayne to save her life. He drives to her apartment, hoping that she’ll be able to explain just what is going on, but he’s too late. Wanda Weatherby is dead. Just who she was, and why every criminal in Miami seemed to know her name, will take some figuring out. By the time he’s done with this mystery, Mike Shayne will wish he had never picked up the phone. What Really Happened is the 22nd book in the Mike Shayne Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

Urban Books’ popular Girls From da Hood series is back, bringing readers more dramatic tales about the lives of some tough, resourceful women who can hold their own when things get rough on the streets. This time, family bonds are put to the test. Jakki and School Boy are more than first cousins; they’re best friends and partners in crime with a reputation for getting theirs by any means necessary. The pair are ultimately forced to defend not only their family name but their loyalty to each other. With both wanting to stand at the head of the table, Jakki and School Boy feud, proving that there’s definitely no honor amongst thieves—family or not. Sanaa, a well-known gambling house owner, is at the top of her game, but after she decides to inject phony currency into her business, all hell breaks loose. Guns are drawn and opposing forces take sides. Luckily for Sanaa, her father and her brothers are well versed in the operations of the underworld. With millions of dollars still to be claimed, all the wolves come out, and the hunting season begins. Will the love of that mean green shatter families and friends, or will the players prove that money can't buy everything? With a gritty and promiscuous reputation, Star is indeed her mother’s child. When she meets Rello, a low-level hustler selling dreams of a better life, Star jumps at the opportunity to lock him down. However, when the connect’s package comes up short, Star’s lies start to unravel, and the true intentions of this wannabe wifey-to-a-kingpin are revealed.