Down by Law

Lesson #1: You come for me, I come back even harder for you. Fair exchange. No robberies.

Isis Carter got schooled early on in surviving the streets. When some girls put a beatdown on her, she took back what was hers. When her mom, Queenie, bailed on Isis’ abusive father, Isis fought to stay strong. And when her dad gets killed, sixteen-year-old Isis buries the hurt by looking out for herself—and creepin’ with bad boy Supreme…until a run-in with the law shatters Isis’ world, threatens to destroy her future, and brings Queenie back home.

Now the only person Isis can rely on is the mother she is too angry to trust, much less forgive. Even her new boo, Ke’Ron, is working hard to make Isis feel safe and show her he’s worthy of more than friendship. But when Isis lets her guard down, will she be given a second chance to get her life straight—or will it cost her everything?

Ni-Ni Simone is a Jersey girl with an obsession for reality TV and celebrity gossip. She never intended to write teen fiction, but her editor and the literary gods had other plans. She whipped up her first novel,Shortie Like Mine, in two weeks, and has been in love with writing ever since.Shortie was the first of Ni-Ni’s books to be selected by YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) as a Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, and it’s also a Virginia Readers’ Choice Selection. When she’s not writing, Ni-Ni is soaking up inspiration from music, TV, and most of all, the teens out there hanging tough no matter what comes their way. Ni-Ni lives in North Jersey with her husband and their children. Visit her online at ninisimone.com, on Facebook @ NiNiSimoneOfficialFanPage, and follow her on Twitter @ IamNiNiSimone.