Children’s books will always be relevant. They provide various benefits for kids including literacy, opportunities to bond with family, friends, teachers, etc., knowledge, entertainment, imagination, and creativity, to name a few. A few years ago, Emmy award-winning television host, bestselling children’s book author, marketing executive, and entrepreneur, Markette Sheppard, wrote My Rainy Day Rocket Ship (May 5, 2020; Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers), which … Read the rest
Author Piece: The Future of Black Speculative Fiction by Nandi Taylor
There has never been a more exciting time to be a science fiction and fantasy writer, and a Black writer in particular. In recent years speculative fiction centering Black characters has been getting more and more of the spotlight, and I absolutely love to see it. I’ve always been a huge SF geek, and growing up I was known to read a book in a day, the majority of them … Read the rest
Interview With “Given” Author Nandi Taylor!
After enjoying abundant success online via Wattpad including over a million reads and being a two-time Watty award winner including the 2018 Worldbuilders award, Given by Nandi Taylor is now gearing up for international release under Wattpad Books on January 21, 2020. Taylor discussed why her story ascending into trade publication is meaningful to her. “Posting the book online was kind of my way to keep myself accountable and … Read the rest
Interview (PART 2) With “Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion” Author Marcellas Reynolds!
“I’m not going to make any money off this book,” Marcellas Reynolds tells So Booking Cool. “I spent my savings. I spent my advance. I took out credit cards to finish it, the licensing fees were double what we estimated them for. But if this book…makes one person happy, and they see it and they go, ‘I’m beautiful, too,’ then this book is worth it.” Prior to this … Read the rest
Interview With “The Last Adventure of Constance Verity” Author A. Lee Martinez!
Last week, entertainment news buzzed with reports of actress and rapper Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians) starring in the film adaption of the fantasy novel, The Last Adventure of Constance Verity (Simon and Schuster). The man behind the trilogy, A. Lee Martinez, chatted with So Booking Cool on a Monday afternoon about the announcement. “A big part of this business is just waiting and seeing,” he … Read the rest
Review: More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth
MORE THAN ENOUGH: CLAIMING SPACE FOR WHO YOU ARE (NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY), Elaine Welteroth. Viking, $26.00 (336p) ISBN-13: 978-0525561583
Publication date: June 11, 2019
More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) is one of those books that reminds you of why you love reading them in the first place. It is the kind of book that prompts you to crack … Read the rest
Author Piece: Bosom Friends & Pen Pals in FOR BLACK GIRLS LIKE ME by Mariama J. Lockington
FOR BLACK GIRLS LIKE ME, MARIAMA J. LOCKINGTON. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), $9.99 (336p) ISBN-13: 978-0374308049
Publication date: July 30, 2019
Before I’d ever read the books by L.M. Montgomery, I fell in love with the 1985 Anne of Green Gables film adaptation starring Megan Follows. From the opening scene, where Anne is wandering through the woods reciting poetry dramatically from a worn book, to her first love-sick … Read the rest
Interview With Charles Ford, Author of “The Anatomy of a Corporate Lynching”!
If you enjoy coming up with ideas and sharing them with your job, you may want to think twice after reading The Anatomy of a Corporate Lynching by Charles Ford. The memoir reveals how Ford’s former job, Con Edison, exploited him by pirating his slogan. It took a while for Ford to overcome his anguish after this experience, but he was able to persevere, and it turns out, … Read the rest
Interview With Ben Philippe, Author of “The Field Guide to the North American Teenager”!
If you are passionate about writing and want to pursue it professionally, you might want to keep certain skills off your resume. Ben Phillippe, author of the forthcoming debut novel, The Field Guide to The North American Teenager (Balzer + Bray, January 9, 2019) is one of many who had jobs that he disliked, but when he removed Microsoft Excel from his resume, he yielded opportunities that … Read the rest
Interview With Nono The Poet About Her Poetry Book “Soul Vagina”!
When asked how she thinks her book, Soul Vagina: In Between Sex and God, Who Am I? will be received for years and generations to come, Nomxolisi Ndlangana carefully considers the question before answering, “Depending on which part of the world we’re talking about…this is a book that might be banned. And if that is the case, then I have done something very right.” Ndlangana, known as Nono The Poet, … Read the rest