CONNIE BRISCOE
CONNIE BRISCOE has been a full-time published author for more than ten years. Born with a hearing impairment, Connie never allowed that to stop her from pursuing her dream…writing. Since she left the world of editing to become a writer, Connie has hit the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists.
YOU NEVER KNOW
Amistad – March 24, 2023
The revered New York Times bestselling writer makes her triumphant return with this electrifying novel of domestic suspense that marks an exciting turn in her career, a twisting, tension-filled thriller in which a hearing-impaired woman must battle her rising terror as she fights for her life.
Alexis Roberts is asleep one night when someone breaks into her home and tries to assault her. Though she manages to escape serious harm, the invasion has left her scared and shaken. The police are investigating, but Alexis has few details to share with the detective on the scene. She’s hearing impaired and could not find her cochlear implants in the darkness, which left her unable to both see and hear the intruder.
Was her attacker a stranger or someone whom she knows—a person who may have once been close to her?
Flashback to a year earlier when Alexis meets the man of her dreams. Marcus is handsome, successful, polished and everything she’s ever wanted. Attentive, charming, and fluent in American sign language, he’s unlike any man she’s ever known. Believing he is the Mr. Right who was meant to be her forever partner, Alexis says yes when he asks her to marry him. Why wouldn’t she?
But once they’re married, Marcus grows distant and resembles little of the charming man who swept her off her feet. Who is this stranger she’s married? Determined to uncover the truth, Alexis begins to carefully unearth the secrets in her husband’s life. When she makes a horrifying discovery—his first wife is missing and suspected dead—Marcus suddenly disappears without a trace.
Now, in this gigantic house in an isolated neighborhood with no family and friends nearby to help, a terrified Alexis waits for her intruder to return. She’s trapped in the dream home that has become a nightmare, unsure who Marcus really is . . . and what he’s capable of doing.
Praise for You Never Know
LibraryReads: Bonus Pick for the month of March 2023
CrimeReads: Five Psychological Thrillers to Read This Month
SheReads: Most Anticipated Mysteries and Thrillers for Spring 2023
BookRiot: Mystery, Thrillers, and Crime for Great Crime-y March Reading
The Root: March 2023 Books by Black Authors We Can’t Wait to Read
MONEY CAN'T BUY LOVE
Grand Central Publishing – June 27, 2011
Lenora Stone used to say if she didn’t have bad luck, she wouldn’t have any luck at all. At age thirty-eight, instead of socializing with Baltimore’s A-list, she photographs them for Baltimore Scene, a glossy magazine filled with beautiful people who, unlike Lenora, never have to worry about car trouble and overdue bills. As much as she’d love to slam the door on her overbearing boss, quitting isn’t an option. She’s barely making her mortgage payments and, though her condo might not be a palace, it’s hers. Lately even things with her boyfriend Gerald haven’t been right. They’ve been together for three years but he can’t seem to ask the one question she’s been waiting for. But what Lenora doesn’t know is that her luck is about to change…
Just when she thinks things can’t get worse, Lenora wins the jackpot in the Maryland lottery. In a heartbeat, all her dreams become possible. She quits her job and indulges her every desire-starting with a shiny, silver BMW and a million-dollar mansion. Gerald is finally ready to put a ring on her finger and the city’s most exclusive women’s group is dying for her to join, officially moving Lenora from behind the lens, into the limelight. But in Lenora’s lavish new world, all that glitters definitely isn’t gold. Her old friend’s are concerned about her sudden changes, and Ray, a sexy, young landscaper Lenora covered for the magazine is looking for more than a purely professional relationship.
As her life starts to come together, the things Lenora holds dear begin to fall apart. Has her world really changed for the better, or does fortune come with a heavy price?
Praise for MONEY CAN’T BUY LOVE
“Fans of Briscoe, frothy chick lit, and African American pop fiction will enjoy this as a quick summer read.“—Library Journal
“One of the spiciest novels of the summer… A talented storyteller on matters of the heart, Briscoe taunts us with the convincing and complex character, Lenora Stone.“—Examiner.com
SISTERS & HUSBANDS
Grand Central Publishing – June 2, 2009
Ten years have passed since Sisters and Lovers, and Beverly, now 39, is engaged to Julian, a man her family and friends agree is the epitome of a great catch: he’s gorgeous, loyal, trustworthy, successful, and very much in love with her. Since this is Beverly’s third engagement in the past five years, after breaking off the previous two at the last moment, everyone’s happy that she’s finally settling down.
For Beverly and Julian, nothing could be better than being in love and planning their wedding. That is until Beverly’s oldest sister’s marriage falls apart and dampens the mood of what should have been the happiest time in Beverly’s life. Now, second-guessing her impending nuptials, Beverly is forced to wonder if marriage really works. Will she stick it out? Or will her fears cloud her judgment once again?
AUDIO: Connie Briscoe’s interview with Conversations LIVE! Radio’s Cyrus A. Webb
Praise for SISTERS & HUSBANDS
“Connie Briscoe’s sequel to her 1994 blockbuster, Sisters & Lovers, is well worth the wait.“—Essence
“Connie Briscoe writes with good humor, a lightness of touch and, best of all, a deep understanding of her characters.“—BookPage
“Connie Briscoe provides a wonderful sequel that her fans will enjoy catching up with Beverly.“—Harriet Klausner
“Ms. Briscoe has written a wonderful novel about, love, family, fidelity and marriage.“—APOOO Bookclub
“Sisters and Husbands is a refreshing summer read. Briscoe’s writing is light and airy with a sprinkle of spice and a whole lot of drama.“—RAWSISTAZ Literary Group
“After fifteen years, five bestselling novels, and success in varied genres, Briscoe continues to lead the way.“—Examiner
YOU ONLY GET BETTER
The Perfect Life\Three For The Road\This Time Around
By Connie Briscoe, Lolita Files, and Anita Bunkley
Kimani Press – February 1, 2008
Three fascinating women discover that life, love and everything else gets better with age!
Maxine Davis’s life is careening out of control—her marriage is dull, her teenage daughters are driving her insane and she is days away from a big birthday. New York Times bestselling author Connie Briscoe spins a compelling story of betrayal, forgiveness and redemption in The Perfect Life.
A nasty divorce and the tragic events of 9/11 help an empty nester see beyond the narrow confines of her material world.
In Three for the Road, Essence and Blackboard bestselling author Lolita Files takes readers on a breathtaking road trip to self-discovery with Lillibelle Goldman, as she meets an unlikely kindred spirit…
In This Time Around, by bestselling author Anita Bunkley, a successful career woman proves that life doesn’t end at forty. At forty-nine, Anika Redmond has just received an extreme makeover. But even with her new, hot body and a power job, Anita is still searching for the one thing in life that eludes her—a happy ending….
Praise for YOU ONLY GET BETTER
“Briscoe uses her skill as a talented storyteller to deliver just the right touch of intrigue.”—Publishers Weekly
“Praiseworthy…[Briscoe] gives her readers exactly the sort of escapist entertainment they want.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
JEWELS
50 Phenomenal Black Women Over 50
By Michael Cunningham and Connie Briscoe
Little, Brown and Company – April 11, 2007
Photographer Michael Cunningham (coauthor of Crowns) and author Connie Briscoe, a New York Times bestselling novelist, profile 50 women over the age of 50 who have been remarkably successful—whether in reaching the top of the corporate ladder, finding fame in politics or the arts, or raising a son to be proud of a single mother—and reveal the ways that they have prevailed despite daunting obstacles. Their stories are paired with Cunningham’s intimate portraits of the women.
Jewels includes well-known and little-known women alike, from teachers and executives to artists, authors, and entertainers. Among the celebrities profiled in the book are Ruby Dee, Eleanor Holmes Norton, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Marion Wright Edelman. Coauthor Connie Briscoe also appears here as one of the featured Jewels, telling her inspiring personal story. World-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator Nikki Giovanni contributes an original poem to the book.
Praise for JEWELS
“Jewels, a captivating and gorgeous exploration of fifty phenomenal black women over fifty, is an inspiring treasure to behold.”—E. Lynn Harris, author of I Say a Little Prayer
“In this youth-obsessed culture, thank God Michael Cunningham and Connie Briscoe decided to celebrate women over fifty. They have wisdom and, to me, there’s nothing more attractive than that. Seeing the extraordinary women on these pages, black women who know who they are, is simply splendid.”—Benilde Little, author of Who Does She Think She Is?
“This book will have special resonance for black women, but offers its inspirational message to all.”—Publishers Weekly
“A beautiful and inspirational book.”—Booklist
CAN’T GET ENOUGH
A Novel
Doubleday – April 26, 2005
The memorable men and women of P.G. County are back in Connie Briscoe’s wickedly funny and deliciously daring novel of romance and betrayal, dangerous choices, and seductive second chances.
“This romp of a read combines lush settings, humorous dialogue, and outrageous behavior,” Ebony magazine wrote of P.G. County, Connie Briscoe’s first excursion into the world of the overprivileged and undersatisfied inhabitants of an elite suburb of Washington, D.C. Readers will be delighted to learn that their mischievous machinations and meddlesome ways reach new heights—and sink to new depths—in Can’t Get Enough, the much-anticipated follow-up to P.G. County.
Barbara Bentley, the grand dame of P.G. County, is tentatively embarking on a fresh approach to life, abandoning the alcohol that served to soften the edges of her marriage to her bimbo-loving millionaire husband, Bradford. She’s been sober for nearly a year, her part-time work as a real estate agent has boosted her self-confidence, and the unexpected attentions of a handsome young colleague have done wonders for her ego. For Jolene, Bradford’s ambitious, conniving ex-mistress, the status she covets remains tantalizingly out of reach. Her decent, hard-working husband, Patrick, has left her for Pearl, a woman proud of her success as a beauty shop owner and eager to create a loving home for Patrick and his two mixed-up teenage daughters. Royalty comes to Silver Lake in the form of Veronique. She’s rich, fabulous and everyone’s new friend, or is she?
As the characters slip in and out of their Pratesi sheets and stride into mayhem and misdeeds in their Jimmy Choo shoes, Can’t Get Enough will hold readers spellbound. A delectable and scrumptious page-turner, it ushers in spring with the fabulous force of a Gucci-clad lion.
Praise for CAN’T GET ENOUGH
“Briscoe brings a satirical Desperate Housewives-style edge to a subject readers truly can’t get enough of—rich people behaving badly.”—Boston Globe
“Briscoe entertains with her creation of well-developed characters. Readers will love to love and love to hate…Even if you haven’t read her last book, you will enjoy what happens in Can’t Get Enough. The story is well written and Briscoe continues to develop the human nature of her characters.”—Black Issues Book Review
“Battling temptations, and often succumbing, Briscoe’s characters plumb their unlimited bank accounts, slip out of their Jimmy Choo shoes, and recline on Pratesi sheets, all the while providing a juicy…read in the process.”—Ebony
“All day, all drama, all the time…[Can’t Get Enough] is a page-turner that could become the talk of beauty shop circles for months to come.”—Today’s Black Woman
P.G. COUNTY
A Novel
Doubleday – September 17, 2002
A Peyton Place for the twenty-first century, this big, bold, dishy novel takes readers inside the lives, loves, secrets, and scandals of the powerful and beautiful African Americans who reside in an exclusive enclave of Prince George’s County.
Connie Briscoe’s previous novels have won the accolades of critics, positions on national bestseller lists, and the loyalty of millions of fans. Essence magazine called Sisters and Lovers “a frank and funny tale,” and Mademoiselle dubbed it “riveting…lively…hilarious.” The San Francisco Chronicle had high praise for Big Girls Don’t Cry, declaring “[It] brims with warmth, energy, and a positive message.” With P.G. County, Briscoe serves up a sexy, lush, and irresistible portrait of an elite African American community in Maryland.
Meet the women of P.G. County:
BARBARA BENTLEY is fifty, rich, fabulous, and the wife of the powerful Bradford Bentley. She has more than enough trouble keeping track of her handsome but all-hands husband while keeping her drinking problem in check
PEARL is a hairdresser who lives on the outskirts of the tony Silver Lake with her grown son, Kenyatta. As Pearl strives to grow her business and recover from a bad divorce, she also has to deal with Kenyatta’s new girlfriend, Ashley, who is not at all the match Pearl imagined for her son.
JOLENE, the black-sheep daughter of a prominent judge, beds down more than one promising candidate as she pursues a wealthy and powerful replacement for her earnest and hardworking husband.
CANDICE is remarried, white, and liberal, at least she always fancied herself as such until her daughter enters into a serious relationship with a young black man, and Candice’s life as she knows it is suddenly called into question.
LEE is a teenager on the run from her mother’s abusive boyfriend and in search of her own father whom she believes to be handsome, rich, and all-powerful.
In Connie Briscoe’s big new splashy novel, five lives intersect in the swish and swanky, rich and raucous Prince George’s County. With more than a nod to Peyton Place, Connie Briscoe has created a fabulously fun novel that will delight, excite, and entertain.
Praise for P.G. COUNTY
“Connie Briscoe is back with what she does best: a big, dishy page-turner that will intrigue, amuse, and captivate.“—E. Lynn Harris, author of A Love of My Own
“With P.G. County, Connie Briscoe has outdone herself. She has brought us lives that are too often ignored.“—Flo Anthony, Black Elegance Magazine and Jones Media Network
“Briscoe’s latest book bubbles over with enough dirty dealings to fuel a season’s worth of soap operas. The action in this black Melrose Place stars five women whose lives intersect wildly…Drama ensues for one and all.“—Honey Magazine
“Bestselling author Briscoe (Big Girls Don’t Cry) presents a comic satire on the African American upper crust of Prince George County. The author demonstrates consummate skill as she reels the characters into a hilarious denouement.“—Library Journal
“This romp of a read combines lush settings, humorous dialogue, and outrageous behavior with a raucous finale.”—Ebony
“Briscoe’s quick wit and obvious love of language shine brightly in this twisted tale.”—Black Issues Book Review
“Briscoe’s latest book bubbles over with enough dirty dealings to fuel a season’s worth of soap operas.”—Honey
“P.G. County is a good-ole romp in the hay… entertaining.”—Africana.com
“Praiseworthy… [Briscoe] gives her readers exactly the sort of escapist entertainment they want.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“With three-dimensional characters and funny, innovative stories, P.G. County is a quality novel.”—Washington Afro-American
“Briscoe uses her skill as a talented storyteller to deliver just the right touch of intrigue.”—Publishers Weekly
A LONG WAY FROM HOME
HarperCollins – July 7, 1999
From Connie Briscoe, the New York Times bestselling author of Sisters & Lovers and Big Girls Don’t Cry>, comes a lyrical and moving tour de force that is her most daringly ambitious novel to date—a multigenerational story of slavery freedom, and the indestructible bonds of love and family witnessed through the lives of three unforgettable African-American women.
Shimmering with heartache and hope, A Long Way from Home recounts the joys, pain, and ultimate triumph of three generations: Susie; her daughter, Clara; and her granddaughter, Susan. Born and reared as house slaves on Montpelier, the Virginia plantation of President James Madison and his wife, Dolley Madison, they are united by love, by a fierce devotion to each other and their fellow slaves, and by a growing desire for freedom—a dream that will finally come to fruition for Susan at the end of the Civil War.
This hauntingly beautiful novel opens in the peaceful Piedmont area of Virginia. Trained as a house slave since childhood, Susie enjoys the privileges that her position as maid to Miss Dolley provides her and Clara. For Susie life holds no mystery, no promise beyond the boundaries of the plantation itself—a lesson she tries to impart to the dreamy Clara, who longs to control her own destiny despite her mother’s frightening admonition: “You don’t know a thing about freedom, ‘cause I don’t know anything about it. It takes money and know-how to live free. You don’t just up and do it.”
Life will change for both mother and daughter, though, with the death of James Madison and the departure of his wife for her town house, events that leave the estate in the hands of Dolley’s profligate son, Todd. As a result of his neglectful stewardship, the plantation soon falls to a series of owners, each posing a new threat to Susie and Clara, and the other longtime Madison slaves with whom the two women have shared their entire lives.
Amidst these devastating changes, Clara grows into womanhood and becomes a mother herself, giving birth to two light-skinned daughters, Ellen and Susan. Yet the threat of separation that has shaped her life is soon a reality when her younger daughter, Susan, is sold to a wealthy businessman in Richmond. Susan must create a new life for herself in this bustling city, a life that will be filled with both terror and hope . And it is in Civil War-torn Richmond that she will find love and realize the long-held dream of her ancestors: freedom.
In A Long Way from Home, Connie Briscoe vividly recreates Southern life and the ambivalent, shifting relationships on both sides of the color divide, from the cruelty and insidious benevolence of white owners to the deep yearnings and complex emotions of the slaves themselves. This poignant, powerful story pays homage to the African-American experience and to the ancestors, both black and white, whose lives and histories are indelibly entwined with our own.
Praise for A LONG WAY FROM HOME
“Briscoe’s novel is a historical romance that falls somewhere between Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God and Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind.”—The Washington Post
“A wonderful read! . . . Connie Briscoe provides a fascinating peek inside the world of a proud family that refuses to let the turbulent times in which they live destroy their dreams for happiness and freedom. The strong women who leap from the pages of her book are unforgettable. . . readers will cheer for them.“—Anita Richmond Bunkley, author of Girlfriends
“Connie Briscoe vividly evokes the joys of love and family, and the pain of separation and bondage. A Long Way from Home is a wonderful celebration of strength and perseverance, and a brilliant song of hope.“—E. Lynn Harris, New York Times bestselling author of Abide with Me
“If Margaret Mitchell had imagined Scarlett O’Hara as a slave instead of a plantation belle, this semi-epic novel of the South might have been the result.“—Entertainment Weekly
“Tragedy, triumph and female bonding among three generations of amazing women, all in page-turning detail.“—Mademoiselle
“An engaging and warm story about African Americans in our struggle for dignity and a rightful place in the fabric of the nation. It is also about survival, and the healing power of love and forgiveness. A rich and wonderful read.“—Sandra Kitt, author of Girlfriends
“Connie Briscoe joyfully honors her family, herself and all of us in this wonderful homage to the resilience and courage of the people who made her the woman and writer she is. A Long Way from Home is a book for everyone and especially anyone who knows that at the beginning and in the end, we are all joined by the same story.“—Marita Golden, author of The Edge of Heaven
“A sweeping, powerful saga…A moving, important story.”—Boston Herald
BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY
HarperCollins – March 15, 1996
In her eagerly-awaited second novel Big Girls Don’t Cry, bestselling author Connie Briscoe examines the issues faced by a young black woman determined to be successful both professionally and romantically. Growing up in a loving and supportive middle-class family in Washington, DC, in the ’60s, Naomi Jefferson worries about what to wear, her bra size and meeting boys, and she has dreams of one day opening her own clothing store. While she knows racism is a problem (occasional brushes with the uglier side of people don’t let her forget it), Naomi is, at heart, just like any other teenage girl.
All of that changes when Joshua, Naomi’s older brother, is killed in an accident on his way to a civil rights demonstration in Chicago. Racism becomes a personal issue, and Naomi decides that she needs to help bring about changes in the system. At college in Atlanta, she becomes immersed in politics, organizing protests and butting heads with school administrations as well as with her boyfriend, who isn’t too friendly to the cause. Disillusioned by authority figures and betrayed by the man she loves, Naomi returns home, confused about the world and her place in it.
Witty, sensitive, bittersweet and triumphant, Big Girls Don’t Cry is a compelling portrait of a woman who refuses to compromise her standards cloudy as they may be at times in her quest for satisfaction. In Big Girls Don’t Cry, Briscoe has created a heroine and a story to which any woman who has faced the frustrations of glass ceilings, the pain of loss and sacrifice and the perils and pleasures of love will immediately relate.
Praise for BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY
“[An] empathetic portrait of a modern woman wrestling with issues of love, work, and family obligations.“—Publishers Weekly
“Contains an infectious hope and optimism.“—Los Angeles Times
“Readers, especially women, will nod in recognition as brilliant and successful analyst Naomi tires of kicking against the glass ceiling, leaves her job, and starts her own business. This believable and wonderfully written novel is highly recommended.”—Library Journal
SISTERS & LOVERS
HarperCollins – May 1994
Beverly, Charmaine, and Evelyn — three sisters living in the same Maryland town outside Washington, D.C., each wishing her life were just a little different.
Beverly is twenty-nine and single. She’s a successful magazine editor who would love to be in love. The problem is, no man can meet her high standards. Charmaine longs to finish her degree, but meanwhile, she has to juggle a thankless job, a beautiful child, and an irresponsible husband she doesn’t quite have the nerve to leave. Evelyn seems to have it made. She has a successful psychology practice and her husband is a partner in a prestigious law firm. But there’s trouble in paradise, and Evelyn refuses to face the facts.
Warm and bittersweet, believable and real, Sisters & Lovers is a novel of family and love, heartache and hope, and above all, the triumph of sisterhood.
Praise for SISTERS & LOVERS
“A frank and funny tale about the everyday lives of three black women.”—Essence
“In Sisters & Lovers, Connie Briscoe has drawn a vivid and dramatic portrait that will make readers laugh out loud and nod their heads in recognition.”—Los Angeles Bay News Observer
“Entirely readable…Briscoe’s message is a warm one.”—The Washington Post Book World
“Humorous, poignant, realistic, and romantic…Finely crafted…[Sisters & Lovers] skillfully uses witty but realistic dialogue to keep the story moving along…Recommended.”—Library Journal
“Riveting…Lively…Hilarious…Three sisters who are remarkably different except in one respect: Their men are driving them crazy.”—Mademoiselle