After the deaths and arrests of his entire crew and an informant-fueled investigation into his past, the man known on the streets as Animal relocates to Texas and finds fame and stardom as the newest act signed to the notorious Big Dawg Entertainment. His girlfriend, Gucci, is thrilled when she gets the news that he’s coming back to New York on a promotional tour, but when she discovers the hidden agenda behind his homecoming nothing can prepare her for the life-altering consequences that will come of it.

There goes the neighborhood . . . again.

From bestselling author K’wan comes the next tour de force in the “Hood Rat” series.

From the biggest names in urban fiction comes a collection of unforgettably hot tales of urban love…

A short story that takes place between HOOD RAT and STILL HOOD THE GREAT AND POWERFUL DON The winter had been a brutal one in New York City. The temperature had dropped to record lows on several occasions, turning the streets into a ghost town. It was as if Mother Nature was trying to use the ice and snow to wash away Harlem’s sins, but we all know blood doesn’t wash off. A few months before violence had run through Harlem like a rabid cancer. It seemed like every day somebody was getting killed or locked up. The media had labeled it the worst period in upper Manhattan since the gentrification was initiated. Men, women, and children, none were spared summer’s long kiss before stepping aside for the winter. Fall seemed to sit that year out. When winter finally stepped off, spring took the podium and urged everyone to come back out and play. With a new season came new adventures on the uptown streets. The corner of 115th and Seventh Avenue was packed with people. Some were out trying . . .

K’wan is the author of Hoodlum, Street Dreams, Gangsta and Road Dawgz. He has been featured in KING magazine, The New York Press, MTV and Big News. K’wan lives in Harlem, New York. Author’s Website: www.kwanfoye.com Author Q&A 1. What do you like to do in your free time? In my free time I write and I interact with my daughters. Whenever I can sneak and do it, I read. 2. What kind of music do you like to listen to? Why? I listen to a little bit of everything from old school to rap to R&B to Blues. I like the diversity. You can’t overload yourself with too much of one thing at a time, so I try to switch it up. 3. What’s your all time favorite movie? Why? The Godfather Part I. On the exterior of The Godfather what you see is the gangster lifestyle, but it was more about the family. That’s what really kept you involved with the movie. Beneath it all, Vito Corleone wanted his family to be pure, but outside forces prevented it. . . .

The only family Eve Panelli has ever known is the infamous Twenty Gang. Orphaned as a small child, Eve quickly learned the art of the hustle, and by age seventeen she had spent two years in prison. But now Eve is eighteen, back on the streets of Harlem with her gang and up to one of her old tricks: strong-arm robbery. Despite her edge, she’s got a soft spot for Felon, the up-and-coming street king. Eve’s life takes a serious turn when the powerful DeNardi family, the city’s biggest drug supplier, tries to tighten its hold on Harlem. And when Eve’s best friend, Cassidy, is murdered in the crossfire, Eve seeks revenge-starting all the way at the top. Pub Date: 03/2006 | ISBN: 0-312-33310-2

The only family Eve Panelli has ever known is the infamous Twenty Gang. Orphaned as a small child, Eve quickly learned the art of the hustle, and by age seventeen she had spent two years in prison. But now Eve is eighteen, back on the streets of Harlem with her gang and up to one of her old tricks: strong-arm robbery. Despite her edge, she’s got a soft spot for Felon, the up-and-coming street king. Eve’s life takes a serious turn when the powerful DeNardi family, the city’s biggest drug supplier, tries to tighten its hold on Harlem. And when Eve’s best friend, Cassidy, is murdered in the crossfire, Eve seeks revenge-starting all the way at the top. Listen to the Podcast! Pub Date: 10/2006 | ISBN: 0-312-36008-8