Author Vanessa Rodriguez wanted to write about something she knew, which was being a latchkey kid. That idea catapulted into the new fantasy series A Key to Home (Priceless Publishing, October 31, 2023), which follows a diverse group of four friends, who are all latchkey kids. When asked if she looks at her characters solely as that or as people, here is what she had to say:
“They’re like my … Read the rest
In the return of SBC’s Author Spotlight, we welcome debut children’s book author Vanessa Rodriguez, who shares what led her to writing a book and her journey as an author thus far. Get comfy and read her piece below!
My name is Vanessa Rodriguez and I’m the author of the up-and-coming children’s book A Key to Home: Unlatch the Adventure, publishing on October 31, 2023.
The journey I’ve … Read the rest
Aside from trying to get published, writer’s block is a common challenge among writers. An issue that often prevents people from even writing at all is self-doubt, something romance novelist Devyn Bakewell has noticed through her visits and work with younger writers. “The advice that I’ve really been asked a lot for is this belief in your own voice,” the Greater Love and Greater Life (New Degree Press) author tells … Read the rest
Just because one has a Ph.d and multiple master degrees in writing and/or literature, a long history of writing leisurely, and teaches writing, does not mean the craft comes easy. Author of the Absolution series, Rachelle Storm, checks all these boxes. “A lot of people assume that that must mean I’m really comfortable writing and that I’m comfortable sharing my writing,” she tells So Booking Cool. “That’s just not … 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
A lifechanging moment for New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Sajidah “S. K.” Ali was when her middle school teacher told her she had a talent for writing. “I just remember a lot feeling like I wasn’t anything special or spectacular when I went out into the world,” she tells So Booking Cool. Although she grew up in a loving home (and one that encouraged her as a book … Read the rest
Among the first things award-winning author and founding member of the The Brown Bookshelf Kelly Starling Lyons did when she knew she wanted to write children’s books was study the craft, especially after realizing her seasoned background in print journalism was a different style of writing compared to children’s literature. “Though I was trained as a feature writer, and, though I had written poetry for fun and other kinds of … Read the rest
A lesson that 15-year-old entrepreneur, storyteller, performer, and podcaster, Ssanyu Lukoma, has embraced amid the journey of her nonprofit organization, Brown Kids Read Inc., is that the worst thing someone can say is ‘no.’ “Whenever I want to ask people to help support Brown Kids Read or I want to ask people to get people involved in this contest or do something, I always think that it’s best to … Read the rest
Many of us at some point have looked back on some of our early work and cringed (or simply uttered something along the lines of, “I’ve come a long way!”) Author of several novels including the starred-reviewed Tyler Johnson Was Here and critically acclaimed anthologies (Black Enough and Hungry Hearts), Jay Coles, explained why he thinks his first few books are bad. Instead of being authentic in … Read the rest
Voice is a common thread in So Booking Cool’s conversation with bestselling, critically acclaimed children’s book author, Lisa Moore Ramée. There’s the beloved ‘Shay’, Ramée’s debut protagonist from A Good Kind of Trouble (which has garnered renewed interest and now an Indie bestseller in paperback), whose voice has been praised and prompted whether it is important for Ramée to create resonant voices within her characters; there’s Ramée sharing the time … Read the rest
