Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Devil is a Lie by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

4-7-14-17-21-25. Those numbers, printed on a slim paper ticket, are about to change the lives of two couples, lovers past and present, in Houston. When Nina Lawson wins $16 million in the Texas Lotto, the real estate executive and her fiancé, personal trainer Rick Henderson, ecstatically begin planning their future -- from paying off their credit card debt, to setting their wedding date, to a spontaneous, spare-no-expense island getaway.

But while counting her millions, Nina didn't count on one other astounding twist of fate: her ex-husband, Todd Lawson, isn't her ex anything -- since the paperwork for their divorce was never officially filed. Now he's shown up with his money-hungry girlfriend, Pam, to claim half of Nina's winnings. Add to this the relatives coming out of the woodwork to seek a payday for themselves, and Nina must ask herself if scoring a fortune in cash comes with too high a price tag. With a little bit of luck, Nina will discern the real wealth in her heart, not just her bank account -- or risk losing everything -- to find out what matters the most.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Friends and Fauxs by Tracie Howard

Gillian Tillman learned all about landing a wealthy man from her globe-trotting mother, Imelda, but this second-generation gold digger has a style all her own. With big dreams of becoming a huge star, she slept her way right into the million-dollar mansion of her now-husband, star-producer Brandon Russell. He not only launched Gillian’s film career, but landed her the starring and Oscar-nominated role in the hit film Gold Diggers.


But all that glitters may not be gold. Gillian wrestles with the real possibility that Brandon may be a mob-connected money launderer, and worse yet, may have had a hand in the murder of her friend Paulette. When pictures of her naked surface on the Internet, both Gillian’s Oscar dreams and her marriage are threatened, even though she swears they aren’t of her. Meanwhile her best friends are struggling with issues of their own. Reese’s beloved son falls ill and she’s forced to decide between spilling a long-kept secret and saving his life, and Lauren’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a shocking betrayal.