If I Ruled the World [Paperback]

In every ghetto there is that one who stands out above the rest. In this unforgettable novel, her name is Harlem.

Harlem Jones is a twenty-six-year-old bad-ass female who owns her own home, her own car, and her own business. And no, some drug dealer didn't front her the money for any of it. Nor did she have to sell herself to get what she's got. Harlem came up the hard way. She had the perfect family until her mother fell prey to an addiction and Harlem's whole world fell apart. After several life-changing encounters, Harlem seems to have lost everything. But then, under circumstance she wishes never existed, she inherits a modest fortune and opens up her own business.
Then into her life comes an unexpected and unlikely love, a street-bred charmer named York. Not your typical hood, York is out for Harlem's heart. But when tragedy strikes, Harlem knows that, as a survivor,shemust be the one to decide her own destiny.

JOYis a native of Columbus, Ohio, and the author of theEssencebestsellerDollar Bill. She is currently at work on her next novel.