between the reads

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 Christian mystery author Gomer Joseph. 

Gomer Joseph, a native of Spring Valley, New York, earned his Business degree at Bob Jones University. Gomer says he writes stories “to glorify God, to minister, and to relate to my readers.” Reviewers commend his God-centered stories.

He is the author of Never Gonna Be the Same, What's the Real Meaning of Love, You Gotta Do Right, Be Ready Always, and the Never As It Seems series. Joseph offers some of his work at no cost on Wattpad, including his play, What Never Changes, and his nonfiction story, It Is Well With My Soul: The Horatio G. Spafford Story.

The writer and publisher also covers true crime cases on YouTube.

We have a good time discussing all the crazy left turns of Never As It Seems and all those messy 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 talks with sci-fi author Chase Bolling.

This segment of 'Anything Goes' talks about Black authors in sci-fi. We've been in these spaces since BEFORE the genre began, with the first book dating back to 1859...even before Jules Verne and his Journey to the Center of the Earth. 

I speak with author Chase Bolling about Blacks in speculative fiction and his popular Vanguard series, which includes the increasingly popular books,  The Road of Resistance and The War We Make.

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 LaKase Cousino.

LaKase Cousino is an author of fantasy, a musician, and Medieval History obsessive from the Midwest. Her debut novel, Across the Broken Tide, is forthcoming from Written in Melanin Publishing. When not writing, LaKase can be found reading about the 10th century or playing fetch with the family dog Ife. 

LaKase is a deep well of knowledge and so full of joy! You're going to laugh and learn in this episode. 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 Demetrius Frazier, co-founder of Black Men Read.

Mr. Frazier currently serves as the President of Black Men Read, a non-profit organization he founded with the current Vice President, Lance Adams. As part of Black Men Read, a community-based organization focused on improving literacy outcomes of Black males, he has been actively working in the Henrico County school system as well as in the Black community to inspire Black males to become lifelong readers. 

Demetrius Frazier is the Senior Director of Learning and Development for Kaiser Aluminum, Inc., a $1.8 billion N.A.-based aluminum manufacturer. In this role, he leads the corporate efforts to train and develop Kaiser’s organization of almost 2,500 employees in all areas including, but not limited to, metallurgy, manufacturing reliability, and leadership. 

Mr. Frazier is a 1999 graduate of Virginia Union University with a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. In 2006, he received his MBA from The E. Claiborne Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond.

Mr. Frazier is married to the former Celena Smith of Richmond, Virginia, and has three children, Brandon (19), Ethan (17), and Deinna (9 months). His recreational interests in addition to reading are running and travel. Mr. Frazier was born and raised in Jamaica, Queens (NY) but currently resides in Chesterfield , VA.

We chat about rappin' librarians, Stars Wars, husbands who don't listen, oh...and of course...the importance of building literacy with our Black boys and men. 

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 Justin Q. Young. 

When it comes to Justin "Q" Young, you might see the author of several best-selling titles on the surface, but there is so much more than meets the eye.  

Young arrived on the literary scene in 2014 with the debut novel, Move Dat Doe. He took his career to new heights when he tapped into his erotic side with the best-selling series, Dickmitized. Making the transition from Urban Fiction to a female-dominated genre, Justin applied the simple formula of sex, dating, and relationships but emphasized the enhanced sex scenes with emotionally accurate characters that readers savored. 

Justin's creativity goes beyond the written word and includes painting, drawing, and graphic design.  

In this episode, we talk about what it's like to be a Black man writing in a female-dominated genre, his journey through self-publishing, and what it means to be dickmitized.

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 Christian fiction author D.A. Bourne.

D.A. Bourne is the author of The Phat Five series and DON'T PUSH ME. His goal as a writer is to bring integrity and faith through urban fiction. 

D.A's latest release, DON'T PUSH ME, was inspired by the social justice movement of 2020. It was a Sunday following the George Floyd tragedy that he was listening to a sermon series at his home church called "Silent No More". It had such a spiritual impact on D.A. that he stopped writing Book 4 of The Phat Five series and immediately began to write a story about a group of autoworkers that deal with racial conflict. 

D.A currently lives in the Greater Toronto Area with his wife, four children, and a cast of characters that stay awake in his mind 24/7!

D.A. and I talk about his thought-provoking new novel, Don't Push Me, and have a heartfelt discussion about race relations. 

This episode is sure to make you think, so sit back, grab your favorite beverage, and lend me your ear. 

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, poet, publisher, and fellow podcaster Cordell Grooms.

Cordell Grooms has been writing poetry and short stories for more than 25 years. Blessed with a natural born ability of transforming words into visual expression, many of his tales depict life in the inner-city and the quest for survival. In addition to his writing he is an Educator, Podcaster, Basketball Historian, and former Sports Administrator at the college level for over 14 years.

We keep it real in this episode as we talk about his books, the miseducation of Black America, and growing up Black in New York City.

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/