Wesley, Valerie Wilson

Nia and Marcus, two of the very few African-American students at a snooty prep school, struggle to find out what they want to do with their lives.

Newark private detective Tamara Hayle finds herself trapped in a maze of secrets and half-truths when she agrees to try and discover who has been stalking respected radio talk-show host Mandy Magic, a woman who has literally talked herself out of poverty.

When eight-year-old Willimena spends all the money she earned selling Girl Scout cookies, her big sister Tina helps her come up with a plan to earn the money back.

Dani Carter finds herself drawn to another man and dreaming of escape from her troubled marriage and past, and wanting to find out more about the mother who abandoned Dani when she was only seven years old.

When Valentine's Day rolls around, Willie wonders if the valentine she received from Travis is the only valentine the third-grade Romeo sent out.

When Tina, Willie's big sister, gets to cast and direct the next school play, Willie assumes that she is a slam-dunk for the lead.

New Jersey private detective Tamara Hayle, always wary when her life starts running smoothly, finds she was right to be cautious when troublemaker Lilah Love shows up asking for help in finding her missing child, ex-lover Basil Dupre comes back to town, and Tamara's own son, Jamal, witnesses a brutal murder and then is accused of the crime.

Here's how the trouble began. It was the day before spring break, and Teddy, my favorite cousin, was coming to stay for the week.

Willimena determines to do something to put mean Irene, the class bully, in her place after she pushed Willimena to the ground.