C.R.E.A.M.
Solomon Jones

Karima "Cream" Thomas is an ex-convict from an upper-crust family whose only crime was falling for a drug dealer and refusing to testify against him. Sexy, intelligent, street-smart, and determined to change after serving time in the municipal prison system, Karima returns to find that her ex, Duane Faison, wants her back. And for one passion-filled night, she considers it. But with dawn comes common sense and the realization that she must make a clean break from her past. To do that, she'll need something she's never had to ask for-help. And she knows only one person with the power to give it.

Marilyn Johnson has fought to make it in the rough-and-tumble world of Philadelphia politics. After ten years on the City Council, she's finally made it to the president's seat, but she's had to forge some questionable alliances to make it there, including her long-running affair with the married mayor. When Karima asks for help in finding a job, Marilyn is caught off guard. Her niece's criminal record is one of the many secrets she has hidden from the public, but seeing an opportunity, crafty Marilyn hatches a plan to get rid of Karima once and for all. The mayor is murdered in cold blood and Marilyn is sworn into office, bringing Karima's criminal past to light. She is quickly the prime suspect in the murder investigation, and in order to save her own name and get to the bottom of the story, Karima must return to the streets.

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About the Author

Solomon Jones is the Essence bestselling author of the critically acclaimed novels, The Bridge, Ride or Die and Pipe Dream and short story collection Keeping Up with the Jones. He is a spoken word artist whose debut CD is titled Wisdom, and a veteran journalist whose work has been published in Newsday, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Philadelphia Weekly. Jones teaches creative writing at Temple University and serves on the board of the Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness. He lives in Philadelphia with his family and currently at work on his next novel.

Author's Website: www.solomonjones.com

Solomon Jones

Author Q&A

1. What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to spend as much of my free time as possible with my family. I like to plan romantic getaways with my wife and pretend that we're single. I like to take my kids to the store, to amusement parks, or to the mall to ride on those little corny rides. When the spirit hits me, I like to run along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. And on Sundays during football season, I love to watch the Philadelphia Eagles. I am a lifelong fan.

2. What kind of music do you like to listen to? Why?
I find myself listening to a lot of neo-soul because I like the messages in the music. I also listen to a lot of old school hip-hop like Run DMC, Eric B. and Rakim. Back in the day I used to rap a little bit (actually, Will Smith and I started out on the same label) and I still love to hear a good emcee do his thing. I love Public Enemy, too, because I'm a revolutionary at heart.
 
3. What's your all time favorite movie? Why?
I liked The Color Purple, probably because I could see even then (I was a kid when it came out) that the production values on that movie were among the best I'd ever seen for a black film. That may change, though. I just bought Akeela and The Bee because it's rare to see a major film that presents black children in a positive light (especially from an academic standpoint). I plan to make all three of my kids watch it with me.

4. What's your all time favorite novel and/or writer? Why?
I'd have to say my favorite novel is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. She was unafraid to take risks in her writing, and though she was castigated for presenting black folks as they really were -- warts and all -- her writing in that novel was amongst the strongest I've ever read.

5. What do you like best about being a writer?
I love the readers. I love hearing their interpretation of my words. I love sitting with them and talking about the characters. I love their support.