• #BlackGirlMagic,  Of interest

    Making History: Black Beauty Queens 2019

     

    Zozibini Tunzi – Miss Universe 2019

    “I grew up in a world where a woman who looks like me, with my kind of skin and my kind of hair is never considered to be beautiful and I think that it is time that stops today. I want children to look at me and see my face and I want them to see their faces reflected in mine.”  -Zozibini Tunzi

     

    Zozibini Tunzi is crowned Miss Universe 2019

     

    Zozibini Tunzi, Miss South Africa-Miss Universe 2019

     

    **UPDATE**

    On December 14th, Toni Ann Singh was crowned MISS WORLD 2019. Miss Singh is a 23 year old black woman who also holds the title of Miss Jamaica 2019:

    Miss Jamaica Toni Ann Singh is now Miss World 2019 Photo from the Daily Tribute Philipphines https://tribune.net.ph/

     

     

    Miss Jamaica Toni Ann Singh crowned Miss World 2019

     

     

    Miss America, Miss Teen USA and Miss USA Are All Black Women for the First Time

    By 

    May 5, 2019

    Despite a long history of segregation and racism, America’s top pageants have broken racial barriers in recent decades. Vanessa Williams became the first black woman to win the Miss America title in 1984. Carole Gist won Miss USA in 1990. Janel Bishop won Miss Teen USA in 1991.

    Each competition has had multiple black winners since.

    Last week, for the first time, black women wore the crowns of all three major pageants simultaneously.

    Cheslie Kryst, 28, won the Miss USA contest, and Kaliegh Garris, 18, won Miss Teen USA. They joined Nia Franklin, 25, who was crowned as the 2019 Miss America in September.

    Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/05/style/miss-teen-usa-america-black.html

     

     

    ESSENCE Video shoot and interview:

     

    CBS interview:

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/miss-usa-cheslie-kryst-miss-teen-usa-kaliegh-garris-miss-america-nia-franklin-making-history-2019-05-07/

  • #BlackGirlMagic,  Adult Novella,  E books,  Paranormal romance

    Bewitching and Bad Ass

    Lilith and Yuri, love at first “bite” (please excuse the pun, but I couldn’t resist 🙂

     

     

    I’ll have a page up soon (titled CREATURE FEATURE) highlighting many of my erotic adult paranormal pairings:

     

    Pagan Ménage à trois
    Ménage à trois – Karnage Xian, Gargoyle. Pagan the Witch. Maxxim the Vampire.

     

     

    Pagan – “witchin’ ain’t easy”

     

    Ageless and ancient, these ladies practice their own unique brand of black magic:

     

    Bewitching and Bad ass, erotic and enticing, Ondine, Lilith and Pagan

     

  • #BlackGirlMagic,  E books,  Paranormal romance

    Paranormal for the People!

    I’ve got another new release, this time in the paranormal genre.

    First though, Wikkid.Sexy.Cool books is now on Instagram. So I worked on a new promo for HUI that features the female lead, Imani:

     

    Promo for Imani_Love and ballet series1
    Ballerina Imani Fairchild falls for North Korean prodigy Le Jong Hui, in the interracial romance set in the world of ballet, titled HUI

     

    Paranormal for the people means stories that not only feature a variety of creatures who go bump in the night, but also inclusiveness and diversity in the world building when those beings are in human form.

     

    Confessions of a Shapeshifter cast. Julian Armitage Larouche, the Victorian era vampire, Kris, the dark child, and Andre Santana, the werewolf
    Confessions of a Shapeshifter cast. Julian Armitage Larouche, the Victorian era vampire, Kris, the dark child, and Andre Santana, the werewolf

     

    Confessions of a Shapeshifter
    Confessions of a Shapeshifter

     

     

    Sister Witches_Lilith_Pagan_Ondine copy
    Witches 3
  • Contemporary Romance,  E books

    The Carina Press watch continues

    Back in mid-September (of 2015), I mentioned on Dear Author how Carina Press lacked a multicultural or IR category. I got a response and a request to send an email to Angela James. I followed up with an email as requested, on September 16th.

     

    I kept it short and to the point:

    Hello Ms. James,

    Thank you for responding to my comment on Dear Author. 
    I just thought a category on Carina’s main listing of genres could benefit from an additional category representing diverse protagonists. 
    It would also make the books you offer that feature a diverse range of lead characters easier to find on the site. 
    Again, thank you for responding and being receptive to this suggestion.

     

    I wish I had better news to report, but as of the date of this post, Carina still lacks a category for either IR, multicultural or diverse characters.

     

    Here’s a screen shot as of November 26th:

     

    Carina Press screen shot

     

    Why is this important? Well, for readers who enjoy romances featuring Angels and Demons (a niche category that’s listed on the site) they can readily find them, or male/male or female/female, djinn, BDSM, Minage, Shifters, Dragon, Vampires and Ghosts . . .

    Quite simply, making it easier for a reader to find books with diverse leads benefits not just the reader, but also the publisher. Buyers can’t purchase these books if they don’t know the publisher carries them. 

    There’s an irony about all this that I hope won’t be lost. Imaginary creatures are front and center, but including a category or categories that reflect the world as we know it, somehow aren’t?

    And in fairness, Carina Press isn’t the only publisher without a category or designation for diverse reads readily visible. 

    Here’s my hope, that publishers will start routinely including categories for readers who enjoy romance between people of different races and people with disabilities.

    I’m a reader first and foremost. I also support authors who write for major publishers as well as indies. Yes, change takes time. As someone who has contributed labor for a web site redesign (for a large company), I recognize this. So, I’ll just stay patient.

     

     

    UPDATE:  No change as of 6/27/16.  

     

    Carina Press main website page 6_27_16

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Moving on:  

    Torii and Ethan are getting a sequel. I’m doing more research, and I’ve got a solid story line for their next ebook.

     

    Torii and Ethan’s romance continues in a sequel to AT LAST
    Torii and Ethan’s romance continues in a sequel to AT LAST

     

     

    The next ebook release is HUI

     

    Ballet sex symbol Le Jong Hui, from the interracial romance HUI

     

    African American ballerina Imani Fairchild, practicing with soloist Lenny McGill

     

     

     

  • E books

    Digital Visuals

    It’s Saturday, so in addition to working on my writing I work on book promos. I found a great werewolf pic by Rhabwar Troll Stock. Since the artist gave permission on his site regarding usage (attribution in addition to other stipulations) I’ve paired it with a digital manipulation I’d done on the werewolf character of Andre Santana, who’s featured in several of my paranormal ebooks (Razher, American Werewolf and NIGHTSTALKERS)

     

    Andre-turning-into-Werewolf
    Andre Santana turning – Photomanipulated Werewolf by Rhabwar Troll Stock/DeviantArt

     

     

    Promo for the NIGHTSTALKERS:

     

     

    Nightstalkers-GIF-promo5
    NightstalkersPictured from left to right – Ronin Bey, Fire Drake, Ash the Hellion, Andre Santana, Werewolf, Karnage Xian, Gargoyle

     

     

    Jukebox promo with music notes watermarked
    JUKEBOX Vol One – IR historical romance

     

     

     

    JUKEBOX-GIF-1A

     

     

    To be continued . . .

  • E books

    One author’s journey

    This is a two post day.

    I love to write about love. I also write in different genres, like middle grade, YA, NA and IR (interracial romance), in addition, scifi/fantasy, paranormal romance, crime fiction, contemporary fiction and non-fiction.

    But self publishing also affords me the opportunity to use the proceeds of my books in the manner I see fit, which, in my case is to fund my other endeavor, film making.

    I say all this in an effort to introduce readers who may not be aware of the unique struggle authors of color have, to a fascinating article by Zetta Elliot regarding her indie publishing journey. Ms Elliott brings up a number of issues that don’t just apply to African American authors, but many authors of color.  Lack of representation and exclusion within the publishing industry, with a focus on children’s publishing:

     

    Black Authors and Self-Publishing

    “Despite the fact that the majority of primary school children in the U.S. are now kids of color, the publishing industry continues to produce books that overwhelmingly feature white children only. The message is clear: the lives of kids of color don’t matter.”

    Read the full article here:

    http://www.slj.com/2015/03/diversity/black-authors-and-self-publishing/

     

    I have to thank the site Dear Author for making me aware of this riveting post by Ms. Elliott.

     

    Author Zetta Elliott
    One of many childrens books by author Zetta Elliott. Ms Elliott also writes YA novels. Her website is http://www.zettaelliott.com/
  • Uncategorized

    Sending the wrong message

    WARNING this is just a rant, so excuse me while I scream ARRAGHHH!!

    Why do some publishers do this? Why do they completely ignore the diversity of their reading audience and also diverse writers?

    Before I self-published in 2012, I was and still am a voracious reader. Yet some publishers still choose to ignore people of color and other groups whenever they advertise their authors.

    Note to Montlake. Crowing about your new releases that only show white couples is an EPIC FAIL. Think of the message you’re sending, that this is the only target group you either care about or that you don’t have any books ready for release that celebrate diversity.

    If either one is the case. GET ON IT, quickly. If playing with the big boys of publishing means exclusivity and not being inclusive, then I repeat, think of the message that you’re sending.

    Montlake isn’t alone in doing this sort of thing, so this rant also goes for other big publishers out there who fill their front web pages  and newsletters with book covers that inadvertently (or purposely)  tell the reader that the only romance worth having is when the couples are of the same race, or that you can never have enough covers showing model worthy white lovers. What about Asian cover models? Or African? Or African American? Or First Nation, just to give a few examples of the under-represented.

    Or bi-racial, like the President of our country?

    This is 2014, not 1940. Why Montlake, did I click on your site to see a WTF wall full of this:

    ****I decided against posting any screen shots. This is no fault of the authors themselves, and I don’t want this rant to be viewed as such.****

     

    Okay, I’m done. And yes, I feel a bit better now 🙂

     

  • Contemporary Romance,  E books,  Filmmaking

    Taking that next step: Filmmaking

    First, I have to say this never would’ve been possible without the proceeds from my books. So I have to give a great big grateful THANK YOU to all those who’ve bought (and continue to buy) my novels.

    In addition to writing, I’ve also been moving into the ranks of independent filmmaking. It’s something I truly love to do and I think more minority writers may need to take that step.

    For anyone who may be interested in more diversity on screen via independent filmmaking, I’ll list the equipment I’ve acquired after careful research, especially for a filmmaker on a budget. This has always been a major part of my platform as there are more avenues for independent works to be seen, so now is the perfect time.

     

    Hui promo for The Dance small size

     

    For me, everything starts with the written word. From there I’m able to give the characters their own unique personalities and world build. The promos and GIFS come next, then the book trailers, so film is simply an extension of all the other things I love to do.

    Not every ebook I write will turn into a film. But each book I write helps me become a better author.

     

    Kenya and Brandon at the Capitol small pic

     

     

     

     

    To be continued . . .