between the reads podcast

C.M. Lockhart is back on to discuss We Are Dying Gods! New allies, dark secrets, rebellious gods, and tough choices. Who should the realm REALLY fear – time beings or the gods? And...Y'ALL. Shit ain't what it seems!  SPOILERS AHEAD!! You've been WARNED!  Tune in to dive DEEP! 
 
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Find out more about Chelsea and how you can support her at:
https://patreon.com/CMLockhart
https://patreon.com/WrittenInMelanin

Get her books here:
https://shop.writteninmelanin.com/b/watodg-bundle
https://shop.writteninmelanin.com/b/wadgpb
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Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

In the latest episode of the Between the Reads podcast, mystery author Cheryl Head discusses her book, Warn Me When It's Time, which tells the story of a hate group responsible for a series of arson fires and robberies at mosques, temples, and black churches in Detroit. When the group's latest attack results in the death of a respected imam, Charlie Mack and her team of investigators are hired by the imam's children to find his killers. As they dig deeper, they uncover a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of national leadership.
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Learn more about Cheryl at https://www.cherylhead.com/
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Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

In today's episode, I speak with author Jana Jones about her novel, Vivid. This unconventional coming-of-age story follows Sheri Calloway, a mother who seizes the chance to escape generational family trauma in pursuit of a new life in Baltimore. As she navigates the city's beauty and its hidden lead-poisoning crisis, Sheri finds herself battling against unethical medical researchers and indifferent politicians to protect her children.
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Learn more about Jana at https://janajjones.com/
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Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

In this episode, I speak with author Leslye Penelope about her latest novel, The Monsters We Defy, set in Washington DC during the 1920s shortly after the DC riot of 1919. People are disappearing from an all-Black community in Washington, DC and they all seem to go into a zombie-like trance right before disappearing. Clara Johnson, a woman who can communicate with spirits, decides to solve this mystery after several people from her community come to her asking for help. And what comes after is a whodunnit, Agatha Christie-type story with twists, turns and lots of magic as Clara and her team of unlikely allies-- including a hypnotic jazz musician and an aging actor with the ability to change his face--race against time to solve an insidious mystery that could change the fate of the entire city.

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

In this edition of Rants and Rambles, Chelsea and I dive into the things that bring us joy and drive us absolutely crazy. It gets pretty hilarious as we talk about needing bail money, who’s gonna get out of jail first, and the fact that one of us can’t fit in the tub. Whether it's a failed attempt at self-care or an unexpected hiccup in our daily routine, we learn to roll with the punches and find humor in every situation. So join us for a wild ride of laughter and maybe even a little bathtub envy.
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https://www.writteninmelanin.com/
https://www.melaninlibrary.com/
https://www.tiktok.com/@clockhartwrite
https://twitter.com/WrittenNMelanin
https://www.youtube.com/c/WrittenInMelanin
https://www.instagram.com/WrittenNMelanin/

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Every Black parent has to have "the talk" with their children about how to conduct themselves when dealing with the police. But there aren't any books out there that could be good conversation starters...until now. Brian Buckmire and I talk about his book geared for grades 7-9, Come Home Safe, about two young biracial children navigating their encounters with the police. 
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Preorder your copy now at https://resistbooksellers.com/product/come-home-safe/

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Happy Tuesday! Fantasy fiction with Black girls who aren't nice? Yes, please. Chelsea and I discuss her debut novel, We Are The Origin. We talk about the intricacies of the domains she created, why she created her own gods for the book, the power behind making dark-skinned people the standard of beauty, and being unapologetic about creating Black girls who are NOT nice. 
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Purchase Chelsea's book here: https://payhip.com/b/osSWm
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Visit Chelsea's episode page here for all her social media links:
https://www.betweenthereads.com/we-are-the-origin/
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If you enjoy this content, please consider becoming a patron at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads or making a one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Olivia Thompson has an anime series with Black female protagonists. We discuss what anime is (don't judge, I didn't really know!), writing Black female action characters, Japanese folklore, and more! Check it out!
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If you enjoy this content, please support me by becoming a Patreon monthly contributor at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads. Don't want to make a monthly contribution? You can show your support by making a one-time donation at https://www.ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast.

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Audra Russell speaks with horror authors Sylvester Barzey, Michelle Lane & Steven Van Patten.

There's a misconception that Black horror authors only recently came on the scene after Jordan Peele's debut horror film. But Black people have been on the horror scene along.

We have a great time discussing Black authors in the horror space, expectations for the future, diversity in horror, and making stories believable (because we all know Black folks ain't going to investigate not one sound out in anybody's darkness LOL!).

A truly thought-provoking, honest, and funny conversation about Black horror.

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Audra Russell speaks with author Liela Fuller. 

Liela Marie Fuller is an Author, Speaker, Blogger, and Entrepreneur. Liela is a transparent author – unashamed to put her life in print. In Life’s Reflection, her first poetry book, she invited us deep into her world, gripping us with passionate pieces like “Black Rose,” “Is Love What You Call It,” and “Addicted”. Liela’s transparency in the face of trials attracted the attention of many readers and has generated a strong following. In 2015, Liela released her second book, Love Letters of a Worshipper: Poetry, Prose and Prayers and once again Liela’s transparency was evident as she let readers in on one of the most intimate relationships in her life – her relationship with God. Liela wowed readers with beautiful ballads like “Resolute” and “God Can Have Everything I Have.” Through her transparency, Liela strives to share with and strengthen the resolve and hope of those who read her work. Liela’s latest book, The Journey of Faith, brings you deep into Liela’s faith journey and yes to God. It is a look into the middle of her faith walk. She shares deeply about the highs, lows, even her fears and doubts to provide a testimony of faith to others who might embark on their own faith journeys.

Liela is also a journal creator and has created multiple journals for prayer, intercession, and dreams including the bestselling prayer journal Don’t Stop knocking…Don’t Stop Believing. Liela is originally from Camden, NJ. She currently resides just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota with her son. She is the owner of Jadora’s Child Publishing and founder of The Superpower of Prayer ministry.

In this episode, we dig deep into her book, The Journey of Faith and talk about the "middle passage" of faith and how it's okay to feel all of the emotions we have -- good and bad -- in our faith walk. 

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Audra Russell speaks with author Cerece Rennie Murphy.

 National bestselling and award-winning author Cerece Rennie Murphy has published ten novels, children’s books, and short stories, including her latest release Between Two Seas. In addition, Mrs. Murphy and her son are also working on completing Ellis and The Cloud Kingdom, the 3rd book in the Ellis and the Magic Mirror early reader children’s book series. Mrs. Murphy lives and writes in her hometown of Washington, DC with her family.  To learn more about the author and her upcoming projects, please visit her website at www.cerecerenniemurphy.com.

Cerece and I talk about her love for sci-fi, dig into her novel, The Order of the Seers, and talk about keeping it real with the characters.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Audra Russell speaks with horror author and Writer's Atelier owner Racquel Henry.

Racquel Henry is a Trinidadian writer, editor, and writing coach with an MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She spent six years as an English Professor and currently owns the writing studio, Writer’s Atelier, in Maitland, FL. In 2010, Racquel co-founded Black Fox Literary Magazine where she still serves as an editor, and recently joined Voyage YA Journal as Editor-in-Chief. Since 2013, Racquel has presented and moderated panels at writing conferences, residencies, and private writing groups across the US. She is the author of Holiday on Park, Letter to Santa, and The Writer’s Atelier Little Book of Writing Affirmations (Writer’s Atelier Books, 2018). Her fiction, poetry, and nonfiction has appeared in Lotus-Eater Magazine, Reaching Beyond the Saguaros: A Collaborative Prosimetric Travelogue (Serving House Books, 2017), We Can’t Help it if We’re From Florida (Burrow Press, 2017), Moko Caribbean Arts & Letters, among others. When she’s not writing, editing, or coaching writers, you can find her watching Hallmark Christmas movies.

We talk about the Writer's Atelier project, all the valuable services she provides for writers, and how to stay on your unique path as a writer. 

So sit back, relax, and enjoy! 

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Audra Russell speaks with author Darbrielle Thomas.

Darbrielle is a Black Queer author hailing from Long Beach, California. "The goal has always been love" Darbrielle bares the heart on her sleeve in debut memoir, "Love 'Oirs." The 31-year-old relishes the opportunity to become the best version of herself, and the beginning of her journey starts here, in her detailed account of instances where she warred with and basked in different aspects of love. The writers' hope is for this work to inspire, uplift, encourage vulnerability, and most of all, encourage love.

We take a deep dive into her debut book, Love 'Oirs, and talk about the things has learned about how to love herself, what love does -- and does not -- look like.

In this heartfelt chat we laughed, and even cried a teeny bit as she tells us what it's like to let go.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Audra Russell speaks with author Samone Johnson.

California native Samone Johnson is a self-published storyteller, real estate investor, occasional blogger, mentor, and Thriftbooks junkie. Many of her writing projects have been inspired by her life experiences. She has served as a mentor for incarcerated youth for over ten years. In 2012, she self-published her first autobiographical short story, The Weekend: A Short Before the Story, as an eBook.

In 2014, she published her second novel, Ball Hog, which tells the story of a troubled basketball prodigy that has to make some tough decisions in her life. In 2017, she decided to write in an entirely different genre and began to pen The Falling Scion series, a dystopian/post-apocalyptic coming-of-age story. 

In this episode, Samone and I descend into the first book in her Falling Scion series and talk about world-building, all the left turns this book takes, and upcoming projects.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Audra Russell chats with author M Shelly Conner.

Chicago native M Shelly Conner spent her summers bouncing between her grandmother in Memphis and relatives in Los Angeles, reveling in the sprawl of the Great Migration. She received her PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago. A multigenre writer, she is the creator of the Quare Life web series and has published essays on dapper queer aesthetics, Black womanhood, self-sustainable living, and their intersections in various publications, including the A.V. Club, theGrio, Playboy magazine, and Crisis magazine. An excerpt of her debut novel, everyman, appears in Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora. Conner is assistant professor of creative writing at the University of Central Arkansas and lives in Arkansas with her wife and their dog, Whiskey. Learn more at http://mshellyconner.com.

We take a deep dive into her beautifully layered debut novel, everyman, and have an enlightening conversation about family lineage, love, and personal growth.  

So sit back, relax, and enjoy! 

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Audra Russell speaks with horror authors Queen Aishah and Eboni Caldwell.

Hailing from Newar, New Jersey, Queen Aishah is a comedienne, actress, producer, media personality, and humanitarian. Her authenticity and unique comedic timing make it easy for her to connect with diverse audiences of all ages. For more than 20 years she has been spreading her talent and joy to audiences, including hosting and headlining numerous comedy shows to entertain US troops stationed in Japan, South Korea, and Europe. She is the founder and owner of QA Enterprises and the MARRK Foundation. The latter was established to support and promote leadership with inner-city youth. She is the executive producer of the popular all-female diverse comedy tour, Funny-n-Stilettos.

Eboni Caldwell was born in a small town in Southern Illinois. She was creator and host of Thee Ouch Girl show, where she showcased small businesses, aspiring entrepreneurs, and non-profit organizations. Eboni is the owner of Productive and ProsperUs Empowerment, LLC, where she utilizes her unique experiences and training to help women from the ages of 18-40 to maximize their potential. Eboni is a mother of twin young men whom she loves dearly.

We have a heartfelt and hilarious conversation about what it's like to date after divorce in the age of social media. 

So sit back, relax, and enjoy! 

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Audra Russell chats with author Rita Williams-Garcia.

Rita Williams-Garcia's Newbery Honor Book, One Crazy Summer, was a winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award, a National Book Award finalist, the recipient of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and a New York Times bestseller. The two sequels, P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama, were both Coretta Scott King Author Award winners and ALA Notable Children's Books. 

Her novel, Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, was a National Book Award finalist and winner of the NAACP Image Award finalist and winner of the NAACP Image Award for Youth/Teen Literature. Rita is also the author of five other distinguished novels for young adults: Jumped, a National Book Award finalist; No Laughter Here, Every Time a Rainbow Dies (a Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book), Fast Talk on a Slow Track (all ALA Best Books for Young Adults); and Blue Tights. Her latest book is A Sitting in St. James.

Rita Williams-Garcia lives in Jamaica, New York, with her husband and two adult daughters. You can visit her online at www.ritawg.com.

In this episode, Rita and I take a thoughtful and hilarious dive into her latest book, A Sitting in St. James.

So grab your favorite beverage, sit back, and enjoy!

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Audra Russell speaks with author and poet Ludy Wooten.

Ludy Wooten is a creative thinker and writer. Her passion for writing began at an early age. She was born in Haiti and moved to the United States at the age of 6. Her love for writing stemmed from having to learn English as a second language. She would spend hours enamored with the English language through watching shows like Sesame Street, listening to music, and watching videos. She became captivated by how they would use language to not only help her learn to speak the language but to create stories. So, as a child, she began to use language to write her own narratives through song, poetry writing, and writing short stories.

Her passion for writing led her to Rutgers University where she majored in English literature. Her dream has always been to write a book of poetry. She hopes her poetry will cause her readers to get lost in the words in order to find themselves. She hopes her readers will be able to walk away drawing their own meaning out of her writing and lean into a greater version of themselves. 

In this episode, we take a deep dive into her poetry, the inspiration behind it, and have way too much fun laughing at this thing called life! She even accused me of having multiple husbands, y'all! 

So sit back, relax, and get ready to laugh!

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/

Audra Russell speaks with horror author Yanatha Desouvre.

Desouvre is a modern-day renaissance man, full-time faculty member of Entrepreneurship at Miami Dade College, # 1 best-selling Amazon.com author, filmmaker, and public speaker. In addition to various publications and audiobooks, Desouvre wrote a well-received textbook titled, Essential Guide to Windows 10. His latest novella, “Revelations: Roads to Redemption, has been partially adapted as a short film titled, The Sweetest Girl. Desouvre served as the co-screenwriter and producer on that short film, which was shot in Summer 2020 in the height of Covid 19 Pandemic. 

Desouvre received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with dual concentrations in Management Information Systems and Marketing at Drexel University and earned his MBA with dual concentrations in Marketing and Mass Communication Media Management. 

Desouvre has been featured in various print publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Daily News, Miami Herald, Miami New Times, HuffPost and Black Enterprise, and on television outlets that include South Florida PBS, NBC and ABC. 

We talk about his Goodman Chronicle series, the beauty and complexity of Haitian culture, and the state of race relations in the US.  

We laugh, ponder, and analyze. So sit back, relax, and enjoy..and depending on how much you know about Haiti, you might even learn something new!

Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to amplify and celebrate Black voices. Here are three easy ways to support the show:

1. A one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast
2. A recurring monthly donation at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads.
3. Purchase Between the Reads swag at https://www.betweenthereads.com/store/