The silver lining for debut author and high school student Arjun Vij during the pandemic was writing and publishing his children’s book In Bad Water (May 17, 2021). When he was not doing remote learning, his free time prompted him to think about his time in Eswatini, a life-changing event that inspired his clean water activism.
“One thing I did was, I just imagined the trip that I took,” the … Read the rest
Whether people are in love, looking for it, or none of the above, they have many opinions about it. Entrepreneur and debut author Karla Davis-Luster recently chatted with SBC about romance and writing in support of her new book The Woman Tells, which released earlier this year. The Chicago native, who respects the likes of Terry McMillan, Zane, and Tyler Perry, shared her thoughts on why she is drawn to … Read the rest
What would legendary book editor Maxwell Perkins (F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe) tell his great-granddaughter, public relations guru and debut author Jane Owen today? “I think he would say ‘Keep working at it,'” she tells So Booking Cool. “I definitely don’t think that I’ve done my best work yet. I’m very, very proud of the book that I’ve written. I think that it’s great; I actually read … Read the rest
There is not a lot of modern-day fiction that centers Black Love and Black college life, something Howard University senior and Greater Love (Ingram Publisher, December 11, 2020) author Devyn Bakewell wants to help change. In the debut of her series, Greater Love, readers get to know aspiring screenwriter Ryan and football player Devyn, both of whom attend the historical Black college, Truth University. Like supporting characters in the … Read the rest
14-year-old Vanessa Chen, author of A Butterfly Universe (Star Moonstone Books/Story Monsters LLC, 2020), doesn’t know if she has written enough to have established her own writing style, however, she does know the techniques she appreciates in other writers. “I really admire whenever an author sort of goes on [the] entire scene,” Chen tells So Booking Cool. “They’re very descriptive about it, but not extremely ‘blah, blah, blah’ … Read the rest
Emerging novelist, Daven McQueen’s The Summer of Juniper Jones (Wattpad Books, June 16, 2020) is about a pair of best friends who aim to fulfill their summer bucket list under difficult circumstances. When Ethan Harper, a mixed-race youth, visits his aunt and uncle in small-town Alabama, he is confronted with some of the harsh realities of being a black male. The historical coming-of-age novel has already been a hit … Read the rest
The adage: ‘if you love something let it go and if it comes back to you, it’s yours’ fits Stand Up, Yumi Chung! (March 17, 2020, Kokila) novelist, Jessica Kim. Before becoming a debut critically acclaimed published author, Kim had quit writing at one point. When she was a youth, in addition to comedy, she enjoyed writing, but didn’t foresee it as a profession, at least not as a … Read the rest
The Siren of Good Intentions author J.E. Mooney reinvents himself every 5 to 8 years. Sometimes by design, sometimes circumstance. He’s had a wide range of careers to show for it including engineering and teaching; he also was a Peace Corps country director and senior director for a technology nonprofit. While his experience is impressive, Mooney says it uniquely qualifies him for absolutely nothing. He likens his point to Malcolm … Read the rest
Urban X.nyc Blog and Urban X Podcast founder and co-host Malcom X. Bowser believes it is time to start highlighting and championing shining examples from one’s community. It is why he wrote Urban Xcellence: Unveiling Extraordinary Stories by Everyday People (January 21, 2020). Initially, Bowser conducted interviews with his peers to provide a platform and gain inspiration. Learning about their journeys helped him navigate his own life such as figuring … Read the rest
We couldn’t close 2019 without publishing Part 2 of our conversation with action villain star, writer, producer, and author of Dying for Living: Sins & Confessions of a Hollywood Villain & Libertine Patriot: VOLUME ONE – UPBRINGING, Patrick Kilpatrick!
Kilpatrick discusses an array of topics including his thoughts on some of the most interesting aspects of show business that most people do not get to see. “Well, … Read the rest
