Decades: A Journey of African American Romance Books

He’s great with a guitar, and even better with a knife…Golden Worth is a simple man. Good music, a peaceful life, and maybe the occasional night with a pretty woman will do him just fine. The violent past he left behind is nothing he ever wants to go back to. But he never counted on catching the eye of gorgeous society girl, Leonie Harper, who has never done anything simple in her life. Between roping him into knife fights in dark alleys and secret evenings making love on her silk sheets, Leonie challenges him to be better and worse than he’s ever been. The things they do together are pulse-pounding. Wicked. Hot. And he can’t get enough. Although this glittering society creature only wants Golden for a few nights, can he convince her that they can be for keeps?*** The First in the Decades Series of historical, African-American romance. Continue the journey with these compelling, unforgettable stories. * January 2018: A Delicate Affair by Lindsay Evans (1900s), LindsayEvansWrites.com* February 2018: A Secret Desire by Kaia Danielle (1910s), https://about.me/kaiawrites * March 2018: Love's Serenade by Sheryl Lister (1920s), SherylLister.com* April 2018: The Art of Love by Suzette Harrison (1930s), SDHBooks.com* May 2018: Love's Sweet Melody by Kianna Alexander (1940s), AuthorKiannaAlexander.com* June 2018: Pride and Passion by Carla Buchanan (1950s), CarlaBuchanan.com* July 2018: Promise Me a Dream by Wayne Jordan (1960s), WayneJordan.net* August 2018: Election Day by Keith Thomas Walker (1970s), KeithWalkerBooks.com* September 2018: Made to Hold You by Elle Wright (1980s), ElleWright.com* October 2018: Thug Love by Zuri Day (1990s), ZuriDay.com* November 2018: Inconsequential Circumstances by Denise Jeffries (2000s), DeniseJeffries.com* December 2018: Campaign for Her Heart by Patricia Sargeant (2010s), PatriciaSargeant.com

A headstrong widow finds herself in the arms of the one man she shouldn’t want in a 1912 all-Black beach resort. With funds running low, widow Halle Duncan’s only means for survival is to revive her late husband’s abandoned dream: a summer getaway where their people can relax and enjoy themselves, free from the weight of prejudice. An arranged union had forced her to marry young. Now once again, society dictates that she have a man by her side to succeed. But, Halle is in no rush to remarry, or even take a lover -- until an old family friend appears to tempt her with forbidden fruit. Nick Green has been in love with Halle Duncan since he first glimpsed her years ago. Back then, he had no intention of disrespecting his mentor, and she had been his wife. Even after the old man’s death, Nick vowed to keep his distance. But when an unscrupulous land investor threatens to snatch away Halle’s resort, Nick is forced to get closer than even he could have imagined.

Escaping an arranged marriage, Leigh Jones flees her southern hometown for Harlem's vibrant jazz scene to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. She finds more than she expected, namely Miles Cooper. The smooth-talking musician walked out on her three years ago, taking her music and her heart with him. Leigh has no intentions of falling for Miles or his charms again, until he tempts her with the one thing she can’t resist: a recording contract. But when her past comes calling, she realizes Miles is the one person who can save her from a man who won’t take no for an answer. Miles isn’t one for putting down roots or staying in one place for longer than a season. Yet, memories of Leigh's sultry voice, beauty and sass make him long for the life and love he forfeited. Having walked away once, but never again, Miles sets out to prove he's a changed man willing to go to any lengths to protect his woman. He's determined to show Leigh, one passionate note at a time that the music they make together will last a lifetime.

Ava Lydell is chasing her dream. A gifted artist, she’s fled the violence of the Deep South for the seduction of sunny California. As luck would have it, the economic crisis of The Great Depression interferes with her hopes and plans. Without patronage and reliable sales, her fledgling art studio fails. Now, she faces poverty, eviction…and the distraction of a mysterious, young stranger engaged in a questionable trade that delivers danger to Ava’s front door. In an age of Prohibition and poverty, Chase Jenkins has more than most Colored men. He’s savvy, successful, and hazardously employed. A bootlegger living on the wrong side of the law, he’s determined to discover who murdered his baby brother. He has no time for diversions. Especially one packaged in the form of a “midnight” beauty with sultry lips and curvaceous hips. Unable to deny her allure, he involves himself in her affairs despite better judgment. What begins as a crisis quickly becomes a risky romance. Join Chase and Ava on their journey to outlive danger and indulge in the art of love.

*LOVE'S SWEET MELODY is part of the Decades: A Journey of African American Romance series. Each book explores a decade between the 1900s and the 2010s. This book covers the 1940s.* Autumn, 1946 Warner Hughes returns home from war with the lingering effects of battle. Abandoned by his sweetheart and ostracized by his community, he feels he has no real home. Elizabeth “Betty” Daniels has one love: music. Betty’s family wants to see her married, busy with affairs of the home, leaving no time to pursue her art. Warner’s only solace is in the sweet melody of Betty’s music. To Betty’s mind, marriage means giving up the freedom to pursue her art. Can Warner let love in, and can Betty make room for love?

Despite legal efforts to integrate schools, black students continue to struggle with separate and unequal environments in 1970. Leo Sullivan, an ambitious mayoral candidate, seeks to close a dark chapter in Overbrook Meadows' history, but the opposition is fierce. Falling for his campaign manager was never part of the plan. Leo and Carla must fight for their love, their safety, and the future of their beloved city.

Layla Johnson had a picture perfect life: a career as an educator, a beautiful daughter, a son on the way, and a loving husband. Only Layla didn’t count on the effect the burgeoning war on drugs would have on her family and her world. And on one rainy night, everything that she worked to attain is destroyed. Now, she’s on her own, with two young children, a mounting pile of debt…and the past knocking at her door. Lincoln Wilson broke the one thing he treasured most. Instead of spending the rest of his life doting on his beautiful wife and children, he’s alone, haunted by his many mistakes. Determined to make amends, Lincoln works to put the pieces of his life back together again. And although it’s an uphill battle, he is up for the challenge. The last step in Lincoln’s program is to prove to his wife that he can be the man she needs. When he shows up on her doorstep ready to reclaim his life, will Layla let him in?

As the new editor-in-chief for LA Chronicle, Traci Johnson is determined to change the California paper’s narrative. She’s tired of stories about police brutality, gang violence and drugs, and wants to focus on positive African-American stories. But when rapper Tupac Shakur gets shot it’s breaking news that must be covered, even though the incident epitomizes the type of topic she’s trying to avoid, and the type of man she despises. Marcus Moore is a product of South Central Los Angeles. He could have easily been one of its statistics but he stays out of trouble and becomes an undercover agent for the LAPD. When Tupac gets shot he knows it’s not random. In fact he believes the trail of blood will lead back to a group of men he’s investigating, the reason he’s in Vegas. Meeting sexy journalist Traci Johnson is a tempting distraction, but her assumptions based on his appearance and the culture he embraces are a huge turn-off. Tupac dies, and Marcus surprisingly finds comfort in Traci’s arms. Will what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas, or can the two get past stark societal differences and turn one night’s passion into a lifetime of love? ***NOTE: If you receive an uncorrected proof of this novella, please contact the author directly to receive a clean, edited proof.***

True love calls for bipartisan commitment ... Gwendolyn Taylor has campaigned for President Barack Obama and is committed to working for his reelection. After that, the librarian and activist plans on taking an early retirement – or so she thinks. One of Gwen’s volunteer organizations wants her to help unseat the incumbent state senator – by running for his office. Gwen has her doubts until she meets the senator’s distractingly sexy – and socially unconscious – campaign manager. Noah Barrow sees his candidate as the best choice for their community. He believes in the senator’s integrity, commitment and platform. Gwen is a very attractive woman – distractingly so – but she is also a policy novice with dreams of political grandeur – or so he thinks. Gwen’s ideas are fresh and different enough that they just might work, but it takes more than promising proposals to run a successful campaign. With such conflicting ideologies, could Noah and Gwen find a way to merge their platforms for the sake of their community – and their hearts?

Chandra Williams's dream of becoming an actress carries her from her home on Barbados to the bright lights of Broadway. But it's the 1960s, and her goal of gracing the stage is obstructed by the limited opportunities for black actresses. Driven to help end discrimination and inequality, Chandra joins the Civil Rights movement.Joel Donovan doesn't understand the need for the Civil Rights movement. His life of privilege has sheltered him from the struggles of the black community. However, he's intrigued by the courage and commitment of the beautiful immigrant from Barbados. Their attraction is immediate and powerful, and Joel is persuaded to join the movement.When their efforts result in Joel's freedom being challenged, Chandra gives him her unwavering support, but can their growing love survive the racial tensions and conflicts of the times?