Wifey in the Making

It’s the thrilling, gritty tale fans of superstar Kiki Swinson’s nationally bestselling urban lit novels have been waiting for—the story of how Kira, an impressionable teen, emerges from poverty to become the fierce, indomitable criminal known as Wifey. But learning the streets has a cost that could break her faster than make her . . .

Growing up in a housing project in Portsmouth, Virginia’s poorest neighborhood, 18-year-old Kira is tired of living with constant violence, no money—and even less hope. Still, she has a dream: to open her own hair salon. But that will require cash she won't get working 9-5 . . .

Kira knows better than to fall victim to the local drug dealers, pimps, or stick-up boys. Her solution—go into business for herself with several illegal side hustles. And with help from best friends Buffy and Katrina, she quickly aces everything from fencing expensive department store merchandise to ripping off drug dealers so skillfully they never know they've been robbed. Plus, selling drugs soon gives her all the cash she needs to quit.

But for Kira, breaking the law is now a special rush she can’t—and doesn’t want—to shake. As she gets in deeper and deeper, dating bad boys and learning all their tricks, she's fast finding ruthless rivals, vicious enemies . . . and shattering tragedy. Soon, the losses and arrests pile up, and it might take more than even Kira has to escape the consequences . . . and survive to come out on top. | Praise for Kiki Swinson

"Pitch-perfect dialogue, juicy sexual trysts, cold-blooded betrayal, and ruthless violence mark this suspenseful fast-moving tale that is topped off by a shocking epilogue." —Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW on The Score

"Swinson delivers another strong, fully dimensional lead character in Misty, who begins as an ordinary career woman and ends up in even deeper trouble with each wrong choice." —Booklist on The Black Market

"National bestselling author Swinson is back, with a new novel packed with suspense, intrigue, and brutally memorable characters, all portrayed through the lens of gritty Southern life. You'll keep flipping pages to see how the story's heroine faces a succession of harrowing adventures as she fights desperately to keep herself, and those she loves, alive." —The Grio on The Safe House | Kiki Swinson is a nationally bestselling author whose novels, inspired by her experiences and a five-year stint in federal prison, have sold over 3.4 million copies. Swinson’s works feature resilient women making tough—and sometimes not quite legal—decisions to survive. She completed her first novel while incarcerated and her second novel, Wifey, went on to become a #1 Essence® bestseller and the first installment in one of today’s most popular urban series. A native of Portsmouth, Virginia—and a former hustler’s wife—Swinson resides in Bel Air, Maryland. Visit her on instagram at @AllThingsKikiSwinson.