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On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, in Empress Creed by Tarris Marie, set during the 1930s Great Depression, Chicago’s cunning Queen Pin Empress and her ex-lover Snipes Creed, now a rival sharp-shooter, must navigate their rekindled passion and opposing allegiances to determine if love can triumph or if their criminal worlds will destroy them and the city they rule.
Empress Creed
From the gritty streets of Chicago’s South Side to the dazzling lights of New York’s Cotton Club, Tarris Marie’s latest novel, Empress Creed, transports readers into the vibrant yet treacherous world of 1930s America.
Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression—an era defined by economic despair and the flourishing of African American artistic expression—Marie weaves a tale of love, betrayal, and ambition through the eyes of an unforgettable anti-heroine. In this story, two outlaw lovers find themselves on opposite sides of a deadly war, their second chance at happiness hanging by a thread, with a cost only a crime king and queen pin might dare to pay.
At the heart of the narrative is Dulce Ella Monroe, a woman of duality—both the sultry dreamer and the ruthless Empress, Chicago’s reigning Queen Pin. Raised in the shadows of hardship by a blues singer, a prostitute, and a pimp, Dulce’s upbringing instilled in her a belief in her own worth, a conviction that she could claim the sovereignty of an empress. Yet, beneath her glamorous and influential exterior lies a longing for freedom from the very empire she commands. Her criminal dominion, built with cunning and resolve, offers power but not peace—a tension that defines her character.
The stakes escalate when rivals threaten to dismantle all that Empress has constructed. Enter Snipes Creed, a sharp-shooting ex-lover turned foe-for-hire, now aligned with her enemies. A decade earlier, under his true name, Perry Savage, he had captured Dulce’s heart, only for their romance to be torn apart by his deployment overseas. Returning to a Depression-ravaged America, Perry reinvented himself as Snipes Creed, rising from a destitute veteran to a formidable contract fixer. Despite his success, the memory of Dulce—the one who got away—remains an unshakable shadow over his life.
Marie masterfully positions these two scarred souls on a collision course, their past passion reigniting amidst present perils. Bound by unbreakable ties yet divided by allegiance, Snipes and Empress face a harrowing choice: can their love be resurrected, or will it crumble under the weight of their opposing worlds? As they gamble everything on a final bet—driven by love and the desire to secure their legacies—the tension builds to a crescendo. Will their reunion set Chicago ablaze, or will the city’s ruthless underbelly consume them first?
Empress Creed captures the essence of an era where hardship and creativity intertwined, particularly within the African American community. The novel juxtaposes the bleakness of the Great Depression with the golden age of artistic expression, placing its protagonists at the crossroads of survival and self-determination. Dulce Ella Monroe’s journey from a “caged but free” dreamer to a commanding Queen Pin reflects a resilience born of struggle, while Snipes Creed’s transformation underscores the cost of survival in a world that offers few second chances.
Tarris Marie’s storytelling shines in her ability to blend historical texture with raw emotion. From the smoky allure of Chicago’s underworld to the echoes of New York’s Cotton Club, Empress Creed immerses readers in a narrative that is as seductive as it is dangerous. For Snipes and Empress, the question isn’t just whether love can endure—it’s whether they can outlast the chaos they’ve helped create.
As Marie poses the ultimate query—will Chicago burn them both before they burn Chicago down?—readers are left to ponder the price of power, passion, and redemption in a world where luck is a fleeting ally.
Tarris Marie
Empress Creed is a women’s crime love story set in the urban Midwest during the Great Depression. But the message I want to convey is that you are a royal descendant of God, born free and worthy to reign in this world no matter who you are or where you came from. Never forget it.
–Tarris Marie
Tarris Marie, a multifaceted novelist, screenwriter, motivational speaker, and actress from Gary, Indiana, channels her passion for inspiring others through her dynamic artistic expression. A graduate of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business with a background in journalism from Florida A&M University, she also proudly represents Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Find more from Tarris Marie now:
https://www.blackodyssey.net/tarrismarie
All socials: @tarrismarie
Apple Books: https://apple.co/42dsOdx
Apple Audiobooks: https://apple.co/42qagYH
Kindle: https://amzn.to/42b2SPz
Paperback: https://amzn.to/429GUfV
Audible: https://amzn.to/4hU3vDa
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