“If Hemingway had the passion for pool that he had for bullfighting, his hero might have been Eddie Felson” (Time). The novel that inspired the classic film starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason, The Hustler tells the story of Fast Eddie Felson, a young pool player who hustles suckers in small towns, looking for stake money so he can reach his goal: a marathon match in Chicago against Minnesota Fats. An exploration of guts, stamina, and character, and of the difference between winners and losers, this tense, gritty tale is “a wonderful hymn to the last true era when men of substance played pool with a vengeance” (Time Out).

Hustler's Greed is book one of the Murdaland Trilogy. An urban novel inspired by truth. Consisting of an accumulation of life experiences whom to many are a daily reality. From Capital Hill to the Hood in urban sectors of society all are driven towards, "THE AMERICAN DREAM!" and all are tempted by "GREED!" and a longing to succeed. "BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!" In a world driven by power, sex, money, and material gain; the rich get richer and the poor get poorer receiving leftovers that pacify and distort their reality of truth. To many youth in urban America hustling seems to be the only means to rise up out of poverty. However the repercussions of this chosen path almost always lead to increased numbers of youth and adults alike being the victim of homicide, incarceration, insanity, and or extremely wealthy!!!! Like Kilo and Rockman, two intelligent urban youth full of ambition who rise to the epitome of the drug game. Only to find themselves facing an untimely demise. Self made street millionaires recruiting a generation of young hustlers living a life of money, murder, deception, and greed. Hustler's Greed. Book two of the Murdaland Trilogy "Street Certified" coming soon......

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Nikki Turner's Heartbreak of a Hustler's Wife. The high priestess of the hood, Nikki Turner, is back with the novel fans have been feenin’ for: the sequel to her #1 bestselling novel, A Hustler’s Wife. Des, Virginia’ s slickest gangsta, is about to become a dad when he is charged with the murder of his own attorney. But with Yarni, his gorgeous wife (and a brilliant lawyer), now calling the shots, Des isn’t going back to the slammer without a fierce fight. Even with the heat on, Des manages to take his game to the next level and finds a new hustle, one that will allow him to possess the three things all major players desire: money, power, and respect. He becomes a preacher. Reluctantly, Yarni stands by her man as he trades in his triple beam scale for a Bible and a Bentley and makes his Church of the Good Life Ministry a welcoming place for all sinners to step up to the altar. But when Des’s nephew is killed in the high-stakes heroin trade and Des learns that someone close to him okayed the hit, the dyed-in-the-wool gangsta sets aside the Bible for the gospel of the streets–even if it means risking the one person who’s always had his back.

A Hustlers Tale Welcome to the world of shadows where everthing is not what it seems. A world where conmen, pimps, drug dealers and thieves struggle daily to survive and prosper. The rules are different in the world of shadows and the games played are for keeps. In the drug-ridden streets of Cleveland, Darius Javon a charismatic conman at the top of his game pursues his dream of becoming a multi-millionaire. The cons and scams which he runs on the Banks take intricate planning and nerves of steel to pull off. But robbing banks is the least of his problems. FBI agents are in hot pursuit of a certain elusive conman who is making a mockery of the banking system in the country. He is consider a threat to the Economy of the United States, because he robs with an ink pen and a smile leaving the female tellers wishing he would come again. While barely staying one step ahead of the FEDs he inadvertantly kidnap a woman bringing the wrath of a very dangerous man down on him. With the FEDs and the criminal underworld closing in on him, Darius must make some real hard decisions that may cost him his life or his freedom. The deadly game he is playing is about to come to an abrupt end. There can be only one winner and Darius is determined to make sure its him. He will live by the game or die by the game but the game must be played.

Vol. 49, no. 9 (Sept. 1922) accompanied by a separately paged section entitled ERA: electronic reactions of Abrams.

In the newest edition of "Best Gay Stories," editor Berman has selected confessions and stories that range in scope from sensational to extra-liberating: a personal remembrance of the Stonewall Riots; a tale of awkward first love; the allure of Tadzio; and other explorations of the gay community's desires, heartaches, and wants.

Carrying on her murdered lover's kingpin legacy, Precious Cummings, L.A.'s most powerful female drug dealer, attempts to get her personal life in order until a casualty and kidnapping reveal shocking deceptions and betrayals, making revenge the only game in town.

Long live the Queen of Hip Hop Lit! Nikki Turner is back with another explosive, page-turning sequel to her #1 bestselling novels A Hustler’s Wife and Forever a Hustler’s Wife. Yarni Taylor is a successful corporate attorney who wants nothing more than for her husband, Des, to renounce his hustlin’ ways and commit to his life as a pastor—especially after someone tries to kill him. But Des isn’t ready to abandon his old habits just yet. He has to find out who is behind the murder attempt, and he wonders if the brazen robbery that took place during one of his church services is related in any way. But before he or Yarni can regain their footing, a young woman shows up on their doorstep—Desember Day, the eighteen-year-old daughter Des never knew he had. And, unfortunately, she takes after her father, so trouble isn’t far behind. With their lives on the line, Yarni must sacrifice everything and take it out of the office and back to the streets to save her husband and her family from their checkered but intricately connected pasts.

Money, power, and respect seemed to make I.E. and Truth pretty much untouchable to most for years. Growing up in the streets of Newark, NJ, they made a pact at an early age to become two of the biggest and richest drug dealers around. By the age of 24, they had successfully accomplished their goal. Young, black, and paid, life was good in their eyes and they had no complaints. The ladies loved them, and the streets respected them. With his height and the chiseled body to go along with brown eyes that fit perfectly against his golden caramel skin, I.E. was gorgeous, and he knew it. Let his aunt tell it, “that baby boy was born perfect.” Every female in the hood was pretty much willing to do anything to be his girl, or at least one of them, but he prided himself on being unattached. He’d never been in love or had a woman he called his own. And he loved it. Truth loved his lifestyle just as much as IE loved his. Dark-skinned with dreadlocks, he was built solid and strong. The women flocked to Truth everywhere he went but they also knew that he was only concerned with getting money and his long-time girlfriend, Shafequah. She was his world, and everyone knew it. And there was no way he was going to replace her, ever. One night at the club changes everything when Truth and I.E. meet the breathtakingly beautiful Tina, and her equally as beautiful God-sister, Ka’mirah. It’s in that meeting that everything in their world begins to change in the blink of an eye. When I.E. and Tina decide to give in to their feelings for each other, it sends both I.E. and Truth into a street war with their rival and Tina’s ex, Raheem. Determined not to back down from his empire or the woman he wants in his life, I.E. is ready to defend his territory by any means necessary. Stuck in a street battle with I.E., Truth is also waging war at home when he finds himself caught up with two women he can’t choose between. Whatever he eventually decides, he knows for sure that life as he knew it will never be the same.