Showing posts with label bookeccentric. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bookeccentric. Show all posts

Interview with Bri Griffen-Moss, author of 'God Without Limits'

 Feb. 10, 2025

BooKecCenTriC was privileged to welcome Author Bri Griffen-Moss to our virtual couch for an interview about her book, God Without Limits. Enjoy!

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What's your book about, and what inspired you to write it?

God Without Limits: Escape From The Matrix of Lies is a captivating spiritual memoir about a series of supernatural encounters with God that radically transformed my life. It follows my raw, wild search for truth—from shamanic rituals in the jungles of Peru to the gurus of India, and reaches an ultimate apex in an unexpected, life-changing encounter with the Holy Spirit. Packed with deep insight and revelation, this story speaks to every spiritual seeker longing for truth and a close relationship to our Creator.

Who is your target audience, and why do you think this book will appeal to them? 

Seekers of God: Christians and Spiritual seekers who have explored all types of spirituality like yoga mediation, Shamanism, etc as well as Hindus and those who have studied eastern religion.

What's the one thing you hope readers will remember or take away from your book long after they finish reading it?

That God is REAL, Supernatural, Powerful, a Great Healer, a Restorer, and that God is calling them into a deep relationship with Him, our Creator.

Can you share a surprising or little-known fact about your writing process or research for this book?

Before I began to write this memoir, I asked God for an undeniable sign if He truly wanted me to write this book, and the moment I finished my prayer, my phone blared an emergency alert—an earthquake was shaking the ground beneath me. Startled, I ran outside, laughing in disbelief—was this God’s response? Still unconvinced, I searched "God and earthquakes" and was led to Isaiah 29:6, which declared, “You will be visited by the Lord of hosts with thunder and with earthquake…”—was the God of the Bible really answering me?

That night, questioning everything, I pleaded for greater understanding, only to be jolted awake at 3 AM by the thunderous voice of God commanding, “BEHOLD, CHILD, you do not know what is coming! You must write your book.” At that exact moment, another earthquake struck, shaking my ceiling as an urgent warning of greater calamities to come. Realizing God was waiting for my answer, I surrendered, whispering, “Okay, I will do it. If it is Your will, my Lord,” and an overwhelming peace washed over me—I knew my choice had been made.

Can you walk us through your favorite scene or chapter from your book? What makes it stand out to you?

One of the most profound moments in my book is when the Spirit of God descended upon me for the first time. “A flicker of white light flashed in my inner vision, and I became subtly aware of a sacred presence flooding the room. A translucent white dove drew near, and as the weight of His presence fell upon me like a heavy downpour of rain, my body trembled under the sheer force of His holiness. I bowed my head to the floor in deep reverence as His all-knowing presence pierced into the depths of me, searching every hidden part of my soul. In that divine moment of union, God began to teach and reveal truths about myself, the world, and His kingdom, exposing the ways I had been living out of alignment with His laws—a revelation that shook me.”

What's the most memorable or impactful response you've received from a reader, and how has it affected you?

One of the most unforgettable responses came shortly after my book was released. A woman reached out to me through Facebook, requesting a prayer session, but as soon as we connected, she burst into uncontrollable tears. For fifteen minutes, she wept struggling to put into words how deeply the book had impacted and transformed her life. Through her broken voice, she expressed overwhelming gratitude, saying it had deeply touched her life. At that moment, every late night, every painstaking hour spent writing became worth it. Knowing that God had used my words to touch her so profoundly filled me with immense joy and confirmation.

What's the most challenging part of the writing process for you, and how do you overcome it?

Draft, after draft, after draft felt overwhelming at times. To get through it, I focused on the improvements, got excited about the books progression, and thought about the people it could help.

How do you stay motivated and focused during the writing process?

I became obsessed, pouring myself into it every moment I could. I sacrificed other things, pushing aside distractions to stay focused. I prayed—a lot—calling on God for strength and endurance.

Your favorite quote/saying to live by?

“Leave no stone unturned in your search for truth”

And what God said to me… “Hold onto nothing, and I will give you everything.”

Any advice to new/aspiring authors?

Do it—you’ll be so glad you did. Don’t give up. Don’t slow down. Use an outline, break it into bullets, and build your paragraphs from there. Do it for yourself, not for anyone or anything else, so that no matter the outcome, you’ll feel fulfilled and accomplished.

Do you have any more books in the works?

Yes, God Without Limits 2 and 3.

How can readers get in touch with or follow you (website, personal blog, social media handle, Goodreads)?

Check out my book on AMAZON: https://a.co/d/40MiWY7 (Paperback, Kindle, Audible)


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Once deeply immersed in New Age Spirituality, Bri experienced a series of life-altering encounters with the Holy Spirit that radically transformed her life, leading her to abandon her decade-long career in the healing arts and embark on a journey as self-published author. She shares her journey and divine encounters through her writings and online ministry, aiming to guide others out of spiritual bondage and into a relationship with the Holy Spirit and Yeshua.

Beyond her writing, Bri is active in her local church’s deliverance ministry, as well as offers prayer support and guidance through her online ministry, God Without Limits, and invites opportunities for speaking engagements to spread the hope and healing she’s found in Christ.


Interview with Seeley James, Author of 'The Rembrandt Decision: A Pia Sabel Mystery'

 May 30, 2022




I was privileged to invite Author Seeley James for an interview to discuss his latest book The Rembrandt Decision: A Pia Sabel Mystery, and the inspiration behind it. Enjoy!

What's your book about, and what inspired you to write it?

'The Rembrandt Decision: A Pia Sabel Mystery' is a murder mystery with a touch of psychological thriller and references to ancient literature. The murder of a small-town drunk exposes long held secrets and family trauma. Visiting industrialist Pia Sabel quickly determines the town’s police chief will never believe who the murderer is and sets out to show him, clue by clue. The problems her investigation uncovers range from community and family inclusion and adoption to racism and dealing with unintended biases. Her revelations lead to a shocking conclusion not just about whodunit but why. And that brings the story full circle for the reader.

What inspired me to write this (my fourteenth novel) was my adoption history. When I was nineteen, I adopted a three-year-old girl and raised her. (For details, visit http://seelyjames.com/adopted .) We faced many struggles and challenges but overcame a good deal and managed to survive. I wanted to express the challenges of alternatives to nuclear families. The feedback, reviews, and critics tell me I managed to convey a new and interesting look at family, loyalties, race, and blood lines.

Who is your target audience, and why do you think this book will appeal to them?

Because it's primarily a mystery, starting off with a dead body in the classic murder-mystery vein, it has a very wide audience. I sneak in the literary issues of inclusion, family values, unintentional racism, privilege and so on, so as not to scare off the masses.

This book appeals to a wide, general audience because it provokes thought without preaching. It demonstrates small incidents in one person's life that have a large impact on someone else. Fan mail tells me people have discovered tidbits of personal growth buried in different parts. There's something for everyone.

What message do you wish to pass across to your readers with this book?

We are all in this together. The Golden Rule means we respect and help others without reservation.

Regardless of where we come from, who we think we are, who we called Mom, we are all related.

What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?

There was one discussion between two adults who were adopted as children. There are many facets to adoption, many scars, many inherent psychological issues, and writing a dialogue that represented the triumphs and tragedies properly took days.

As a writer, is there anything you've learned about yourself while writing this book?

Great question. I tend to tear myself open to write every book. It's become a form of therapy. In this one, I re-learned something from long ago. When my adopted daughter was in her teens and struggling with abandonment issues, I had a moment of clarity about what empathy really means. In that moment, I knew inside my skin, exactly what it felt like to be her and wonder why my parents weren't there. Writing this brought back that deep sorrow and the common parental desire to make all that pain and anguish go away -- while knowing fixing it is impossible.

For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books, and why?  

Hard cover books are the only books! I love them, the smell, the feel, the weight. BUT, I read ebooks because I can steal ... I mean, I can highlight great passages and export them for later study. For really great books, like "Their Eyes were Watching God", or "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" I buy both.

However, I hike mountains for an hour+ every day, so I listen to audiobooks. Because it isn't a good platform for deep subjects (I space out from time to time), I listen to things like romance novels, or classics like Jane Austen, Arthur Conan Doyle.

What is your niche genre, and if you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

I have two niches: International Thrillers and Murder Mysteries. The former allows me to spin spy-novel yarns on an emotional rollercoaster about global conspiracies while the latter allows small town exposes about relationships and people in a cerebral engaging context.

I have a dystopian series in the back of my head that I'd like to find time to explore. It's not a total-reboot-of-civilization scenario, though. It fits in that period of time where Climate Change has wrought havoc on civilization but not total destruction. In this scenario, drought and floods have destroyed our ability to support 8 billion people. In the new changed world, only about 2 billion can survive ...

What books and authors have most influenced you?

So many ... hmmm. Ken Follett, Attica Locke, James Patterson, Lee Child, Agatha Christie, SA Cosby, John le Carre for the last century. But more important were the ancients: Shakespeare, Sophocles, Plato, Tacitus.

Do you have any more books in the works?

Absolutely. I'm halfway through Act I of my next book with plans for another after that. I don't have ADD except when I'm thinking about the books I want to write. I'm constantly jotting notes for 2-3 books down the line. (When I get there, the notes are useless as the story has evolved but they are part of the process.)

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Yes and no. I read some of them and skim most. I glean what I can no matter what the reviewer thought.

Some bad reviews have interesting points. I've stopped writing "gun porn" describing every detail of a weapon that is common in some bestsellers because of a bad review. It wasn't that the person made a good point, but rather that I realized: I don't care for it either, so why bother? That was many books ago and I don't miss it.

Other bad reviews are subjective and so I move on as if walking over a blade of grass. Other bad reviews are funny, "I didn't read it, so I gave it one star." Great, thanks.

One odd experience was a reviewer who thought I was making fun of a certain president and gave me one star, advising others why and that they should avoid my book. About five people commented they were buying it because of his review. There is no end to unintended consequences.

Mention 3-5 fast/fun facts about you that you'd like to share:

1) Because of my teenaged adoption, I now have three children aged 49, 25, and 22. Three grandchildren aged 29, 25, and 18. And two great-grandchildren 9 and 4. Mixed-age, mixed-race, mixed-up, and happy. I think.

2) I'm 66 and hike the Grand Canyon (17 miles, 9,000 vertical feet) several times a year. I hike a nearby mountain every day and challenge anyone under 50 to keep up. (Many do, my speedy days are waaayy behind me.)

3) I wanted to be a Christian writer, but my snarky, cynical sense of humor would get me burned at the stake. (It's true they don't do that anymore, but the crowd at my church are looking for an excuse to make an exception.) So, I afflicted my main character with PTSD-induced schizophrenia: he sees and interacts with Mercury, the down-on-his-luck Roman god. Mercury's morals and ideas don't fit in modern times but allow for hilarious theological discussions and comparisons.

How can readers get in touch with or follow you?

Join my mailing list via https://shop.seeleyjames.com

Or connect on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/SeeleyJamesAuth/
https://www.instagram.com/seeleyjamesauth/




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Seeley James' near-death experiences range from talking a jealous husband into putting the gun down to spinning out on an icy freeway in heavy traffic without touching anything. His resume ranges from washing dishes to global technology management. His personal life ranges from homeless at 17, adopting a 3-year-old at 19, getting married at 37, fathering his last child at 43, hiking the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim at 59, and taking the occasional nap.

His writing career ranges from humble beginnings with short stories in The Battered Suitcase, to being awarded a Medallion from the Book Readers Appreciation Group. Seeley is best known for his Sabel Security series of thrillers featuring athlete and heiress Pia Sabel and her bodyguard, veteran Jacob Stearne. One of them kicks ass and the other talks to the wrong god.

His love of creativity began at an early age, growing up at Frank Lloyd Wright’s School of Architecture in Arizona and Wisconsin. He carried his imagination first into a successful career in sales and marketing, and then to his real love: fiction.


A Season of Disruption - Book Review


BOOK SYNOPSIS

A twist of fate leaves Murna Moreland, a young Jamaican homemaker widowed with five children. Without the means to provide for her family, she makes a seemingly unimaginable choice. She leaves her children in hopes of finding a better life in the United States.

With no mother or father present, fifteen-year-old Hope must courageously guide her four younger siblings as they care for themselves and each other. Each day, the children strive with one goal in mind - quickly joining their mother.

Time passes, and Murna's dream to reunite her family grows bleaks. Unwilling to give up, she conceives and undertakes an unlikely plan. The stakes were high. If her plan failed, she would remain separated from her family or lose the opportunity to give her children a better life.

Read this heartfelt and captivating story of love and determination paying homage to the immigrant experience of generations of Caribbean women and their perseverance to overcome obstacles that often leave families broken and estranged.


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'A Season of Disruption' by Jacqueline P. Walker is an amazing true story of perseverance and a woman's determination to secure a better and more promising future for her family. It was inspiring to read about Murna's resilience as she hustled to make ends meet and provide for her family, especially having unexpectedly lost the patriarch of the family, her husband and her children's father. She did everything within her power, including courageously coming up with a fake return plan to Jamaica so her employer at the time could release her passport. I also really liked how the epilogue gave current updates (as at the time of publication) about each family member.

One thing I would have liked more is a better arrangement of the narration. I would have liked for each chapter to have had at least one pivotal, epiphanic moment or lesson to pull from. It read more like a diary than a memoir or biography, so I think I'd have enjoyed it more if there had been more creativity to the writing style.

Overall it was a really good and inspiring read! Thank you to the author Jacqueline Walker for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. I truly enjoyed it!


ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
ɢᴇɴʀᴇ &ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇꜱ: Biography, immigration, family, love
ᴍᴀᴛᴜʀɪᴛʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ALL



Successful Women Speak Differently - Book Review

Feb. 17, 2022 | 
★𝔹𝕆𝕆𝕂 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎★ 'Successful Women Speak Differently' by Valorie Burton


'Successful Women Speak Differently' is a practical book that offers constructive advice on how to change our communication methods so we can be more successful in all areas of life.

Valorie Burton raises many valid points that made a lot of sense, but there's a particular point I will focus on that really resonated with me:

Sometimes when we are at a loss on what to do or how to move forward after experiencing a setback, we tend to blame ourselves and use words of self-pity and self-condemnation. This, ofcourse, leads us to believe there's no way out of the situation or setback. Valorie suggests finding the pivot point where we take back control of those words and thoughts and flip the script instead. Stop stewing over what you can't control and instead focus on what you can control.

So rather than say 'If no one else has overcome it, I don't know why I should think I will', change your self-talk to 'How have successful people I look up to worked around this problem? Whom do I know who could help me?' Instead of saying 'This world is unfair; My life is unfair', say instead 'I will make the most of what I can control, even if that means making a big, scary change.'

That really hit home, because, let's face it, life can be hard sometimes. We face so many trials of all shapes, sizes, and levels and we feel at a loss on how to move forward. But when we begin to think this way -- focusing on what we can control and how we can change what we can control (instead of dwelling on everything that went wrong) -- we'll begin to manifest what we speak. Focus on what you can do to push through the challenge, and don't over-dwell on the challenge itself.

Here are a couple more points that stuck with me: 
  • Be willing to be different. Thinking and speaking differently sometimes means doing the opposite of conventional thinking. Don't be afraid to do the opposite of standard/normal thinking. 
  • When speaking, don't speak in reaction; your words and tone should not be a reaction, but a response. Be intentional in your speaking.

A great book to have for any woman (or any gender really) of any vocation or career path!


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You might also like:

10 Featured Books by Black Authors

 Feb. 5, 2022 |

Being a Black woman, I love and enjoy reading and featuring black authors all year round, regardless of season, but for this month of February I'm intentional about celebrating their brilliant and awesome crafts even more!

Featured are 10 books (7 of which I already own) by Black authors published within the last year that I absolutely look forward to reading this year. Aren't these covers just gorgeous!👏

  1. In Every Mirror She’s Black by Lola Akinmade Akerstrom (Women's fiction, race, friendship, romance)
  2. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman (Poetry, social justice, racism, healing)
  3. Wahala by Nikki May (Women's fiction, friendship, romance)
  4. Love is a Revolution by Renee Watson (romance, body positivity, friendship)
  5. Instructions For Dancing by Nicola Yoon (romance, fantasy)
  6. We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride; Jo Piazza (racism, social justice, friendship)
  7. Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn (romantic comedy, friendship)
  8. Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen (friendship, resilience, race)
  9. Black Boy Joy by Kwame Mbalia (short stories, poetry, BLM, Black pride)
  10. Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass (romance, island setting, friendship, music)
#blackhistoryeveryday


Graphic Book Review: 'Makeda: The Queen of Sheba'

 Nov. 10, 2021

'Makeda: The Queen of Sheba' is a gorgeous visual representation of the story behind Makeda, the Queen of Sheba. Just look at that beautiful cover!
Makeda must have been quite a character, having been mentioned in the Bible, Quran, and a handful of history books. The fact that she had been queen of an entire kingdom at a time when there had only been kings, speaks of her resilience and resolve. ⁣
The book mentions--and explores--the 9 Laws of Leadership Makeda practiced that pushed her to the next level of her life, where she was able to make a difference in the world. I'll make mention of 3 of them:⁣
1. Education (Practice your skills)⁣
2. Responsibility (Take ownership of the good and bad)⁣
3. Creativity (Think differently)⁣
I also found it impressive that the author wrote his Author's Note for this book on the same day Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first female POC vice president of the USA. That, for him, was a significant moment.⁣
This book of beautiful illustrations serves as a nice reminder to young black girls that they can be anything they want to be; with determination and grit, they can get to where they want to be.⁣
Thank you to Conscious Culture Publishing and Author Marlon McKenney @marlonmckenney for providing the advance copy via #Netgalley. I truly enjoyed reading it! ⁣
'Makeda: The Queen of Sheba' was published in Sept 2021 and is available for purchase.⁣

Why She Wrote - Book Review


 
Talk about Literary classics! 

"Why She Wrote: A Graphic History of the Lives, Inspiration, and Influence Behind the Pens of Classic Women Writers", written by Hannah K. Chapman and Lauren Burke and illustrated by Kaley Bales, features eighteen (18) women writers in the 18th-19th centuries whose unique writings became their legacies. ⁣
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 The book is a combination of prose and illustrations, and it explores 𝘸𝘩𝘺 these women wrote, crucial moments in each writer's life when their writing took a turning point, and how they became such sensations -- some while they still lived, and others posthumously.⁣
 ⁣
 
I loved how reading about these women took me down memory lane to my university days when we studied their works vigorously in my English Lit classes. Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Jane Austen, Mary Anne Evans (alias George Eliot), Mary Wolstonecraft Shelley, Frances E. W. Harper, Louisa May Alcott -- these ladies' works are, to me, the embodiment of what classic literature is all about.⁣

It's evident a lot of research was done to put this book together to what it is now -- a beautiful compilation about the women who took literature to different levels, and whose legacies still live on today. ⁣
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To anyone looking to read more classics -- this book provides a great introduction. An exceptional read indeed.⁣
 ⁣
 Many thanks to Chronicle books and Netgalley for my advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review. "Why She Wrote" was published on April 20, 2021 and is available for purchase.⁣ 
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 ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⁣
 
ᴍᴀᴛᴜʀɪᴛʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 13+
ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱɪᴄ ᴍᴇᴍᴏɪʀꜱ, ʟɪᴛᴇʀᴀʀʏ ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱɪᴄꜱ, ɢʀᴀᴘʜɪᴄ ʟɪᴛᴇʀᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ⁣
 

Interview with A. P. Knight, Author of 'Donatus Institute: New Beginnings'

 Apr. 19, 2021

I was privileged to invite Author A. P. Knight for an interview to discuss his latest book Donatus Institute: New Beginnings. Enjoy!


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What's your book about, and what inspired you to write it?

Donatus Institute: New Beginnings is the first book of a trilogy, and it tells the story of an 18-year old who learns through deep pain and an expert teacher what in life is worth holding to with all the strength he has.  As for the inspiration of the book, hard times have taught me many important lessons in life.  Creating a story has allowed me to share some of those lessons.

Who is your target audience, and why do you think this book will appeal to them?

Given the age of the protagonist, a young adult audience is the most logical.  That said, a wide range of ages have enjoyed the book, from grade-schoolers to grandparents.  So, basically anyone who likes a book that is as thoughtful as it is lighthearted and entertaining will enjoy Donatus Institute: New Beginnings.

What message do you wish to pass across to your readers with this book?

Life can betray you and rip from you all that was once valuable.  But in such times of utter humility, there is still hope.  Though you may have to fight as you’ve never fought before, there is hope for those who seek it.

What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?

The last book I wrote was the final book in the Donatus Institute series, and since it was the final book, all the details had to fit together perfectly.  It wasn’t terrible, but it certainly took careful thought.

As a writer, is there anything you've learned about yourself while writing this book?

I learned that I can actually write a book.  I never had dreams of becoming an author, so the mere fact that I was able to complete the book was a pleasant surprise.  And to think that people actually like the book?  Wow.

For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books, and why?  

I suppose I prefer traditional books, but I’m not picky.

What is your niche genre, and if you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

So far young adult with a crossover appeal to adults is my sweet spot, but I’ve entertained the idea of writing grade school chapter books.  You know, lighthearted books that will entertain a younger audience.

What books and authors have most influenced you?

Maybe this is the wrong thing to say given the times, but I enjoyed Dr. Seuss growing up, and I would say that he has influenced me the most.  He was able to teach good morals in an entertaining way, and I like that.

Is there anything you'd like readers to know about you?

It’s not important that people know this about me, but maybe they’ll find it interesting: I have post-concussion syndrome.

Do you have any more books in the works?

Maybe an idea or two, but nothing imminent.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Yup, I read them, but they don’t affect me too much one way or the other.  I listen to people I trust, not so much to people I don’t know.

How can readers get in touch with or follow you (website, personal blog, social media handle, Goodreads)?

Website: authorapknight.com
Twitter: @Author_APKnight


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Andy isn’t the stereotypical author.  Not only would he prefer a Dr. Seuss book to a classic, but he’d also rather have a ball in his hands than a keyboard under his fingers.  But one day a story popped into his mind that he deemed too important not to write, and a year later the Donatus Institute series was completed.  If you're searching for a clean read that is as stirring as it is inspiring, then the Donatus Institute series is for you.

A Midwesterner to his core, Andy prefers the simple life: shooting hoops, shagging pop flies in the outfield, hanging out with family, and scarfing down heaping bowls of chocolate ice cream.



Books that Seduce You to Buy Them

Apr 13, 2021


Let's face it -- we book lovers sometimes buy books mainly for their pretty covers... I know I do😍

Featured are 10 books with beautiful covers that heavily seduced me influenced my buying decision more than any other factor:

🌠 How to Walk Away, by Katherine Center
🌠 The Gilded Ones, by Namina Forna 🌠 Ties That Tether, by Jane Igharo 🌠 Bina, by Anakana Schofield 🌠 The Belles, by Dhonielle Clayton 🌠 Genesis Begins Again, by Alicia D. Williams 🌠 Althea & Oliver, by Cristina Moracho 🌠 Oona Out of Order, by Margarita Montimore 🌠 Girls With Sharp Sticks, by Suzanne Young 🌠 War Girls, by Tochi Onyebuchi Aren't they just gorgeous!!🔥