Podcast appearances and mentions of piper huguley

Welcome to episode 89! I am back from my podcast hiatus! I didn't mean to be away so long! And though I was absent from the podcast, if you follow me on socials and my newsletter, so many things have happened. It's been over a year, friends, where there was quite a bit of change in our household. It was a year of deadlines, a move this summer, and getting set up—it was a whole big thing, having to get used to new schedules, while trying to have balance. We all know how that's so hard.But I'm happy to be back, and hopefully will now be in a groove in which I can get some fantastic authors and creators into this virtual studio. I've have missed this space, missed connecting with other folks in this avenue.But to get down to business! I'm so excited to introduce Piper Huguley, where we discussed American Daughters. Piper G. Huguley's biographical historical fiction, By Her Own Design: a novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register tells the inspiring story of the Black fashion designer of Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress. By Her Own Design was a Booklist top 100 Editor's Choice selection for 2022, was named one of the top 100 books of 2022 in Canada by the Globe and Mail newspaper and was selected as the historical fiction winner for 2022 by the American Library Association's Reading Council.She is also the author of Sweet Tea, a contemporary romance about food and history (of course) and the author of two historical romance series: “Migrations of the Heart”, about the Great Migration and “Home to Milford College”. Her next historical fiction book, American Daughters (2024), is the story of the decades-long interracial friendship between Alice Roosevelt and Portia Washington, the rebel teenage daughters of President Theodore Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington, respectively. She is a literature professor at Clark-Atlanta University and blogs about the history behind her novels at http://piperhuguley.com . She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and son. In this conversation, we discussed the idea of a  “way” into a story and Piper's research process. We talked about historical women and their passions and Piper's thoughts about historical accuracy. Finally, she talked about who of the two characters she endeared to the most.***Preorder LETTERS FROM THE TRAIL, out on February 25, 2025Note: some links are affiliate linksContact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.comPlease check out her website for podcast submissions

Named in 2015 as a top ten historical romance novelist in Publisher's Weekly, Piper Huguley is the author of the Reconstruction era "Home to Milford College" series. She is a 2013 & 2014 Golden Heart finalist for two novels in the "Migrations of the Heart" series about the Bledsoe sisters and set in the early twentieth century.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hardcore-grind-podcast-w-lissha--4931234/support.

This week, Kayla is joined by Piper Huguley, author of American Daughters and By Her Own Design. They discuss Piper's latest novel, American Daughters, Alice Roosevelt, and Portia Washington, as well as historical fiction as a genre. Buy the books Kayla covered here: https://bookshop.org/shop/professionalbookgirl Follow Professional Book Girl on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/professionalbookgirl/ Follow Kayla on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kayreadwhat/Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@professionalbookgirlpod

In this interview, I chat with Piper Huguley about American Daughters, writing about the secret friendship between Portia Washington and Alice Roosevelt, how she learned about their relationship, her research, how her book cover came to be, why she chose the time period she did to write about, and much more. Piper's recommended reads are: The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe In a League of Her Own by Kaia Alderson Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2024? Check out the new Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead. My April Buzz Reads picks. Join my Patreon group to support the podcast.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.     American Daughters can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By her own design DB110548 Huguley, Piper Reading time: 12 hours, 48 minutes. Tracey Conyer Lee Historical Fiction Historical Romance Fiction Romance “1953, New York City. Less than a week before the society wedding of the year where Jacqueline Bouvier will marry John F. Kennedy, a pipe bursts at Ann Lowe’s dress shop and ruins eleven dresses, including the expensive wedding dress, a dress that will be judged by thousands. A Black designer who has fought every step of the way, Ann knows this is only one struggle after a lifetime of them. She and her seamstresses will find the way to re-create the dresses. It may take all day and all night for the next week to accomplish the task, but they will do it. 1918, Tampa. Raised in Jim Crow Alabama, Ann learned the art of sewing from her mother and her grandmother, a former slave, who are the most talented seamstresses in the state. After Ann elopes at twelve with an older man who soon proves himself to be an abusive alcoholic, her dreams of becoming a celebrated designer seem to be put on hold. But then a wealthy Tampa socialite sees Ann’s talent and offers her an amazing opportunity–the chance to sew and design clothing for Florida’s society elite. Taking her young son in the middle of the night, Ann escapes her husband and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. Based on the true story of one of the most famous designers of the twenties through the sixties who has since been unjustly forgotten, By Her Own Design is an unforgettable novel of determination despite countless obstacles and a triumph celebrated by the world.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Download By her own design DB110548 Here is the Bookshare link to this title: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/4583204?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPWJ5JTJCaGVyJTJCb3duJTJCZGVzaWdu

Join me this week as I speak with Professor of Literature and historical novelist Piper Hugely as we discuss her book By Her Own Design. The novel tells a fictionalized account of the black fashion designer Ann Lowe and is an engaging, thought provoking look at the life of black women in Jim Crow United States. To learn more about Piper, please visit her website at www.piperhuguley.com 

On this episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire talks to Stephanie Sendaula, librarian and memoir enthusiast, about what's so great about memoirs and what makes a great author visit. Then Audio Editor Heather Booth shares some upcoming awards and lists that those who do collection development and listeners' advisory will want to know about. Finally, Susan and Annie Bostrom, Senior Editor, Adult Books, chat about what they're reading and loving. Leg: The Story of a Limb and the Boy Who Grew from It, by Greg Marshall Nervous: Essays on Heritage and Healing, by Jen Soriano Women We Buried, Women We Burned, by Rachel Louise Snyder Electric Lit A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, a Memorial, by Viet Thanh Nguyen Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City, by Jane Wong Illness as Metaphor, by Susan Sontag Rainbow Black, by Maggie Thrash The Women of NOW: How Feminists Built an Organization that Transformed America, by Katherine Turk Silver Nitrate, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Odyssey Award Winners RUSA Adult Listen List Spring Audio Preview (in Corner Shelf) Headshot, by Rita Bullwinkel Listen for the Lie, by Amy Tintera American Daughters, by Piper Huguley

Piper G. Huguley made her historical fiction debut in June 2022 with By Her Own Design: a novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register (William Morrow Publishing) who was the Black fashion designer of Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress. We discuss the book, her vision for Black Historical Fiction and the importance of such work alongside a whole lot more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Piper G. Huguley made her historical fiction debut in June 2022 with By Her Own Design: a novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register (William Morrow Publishing) who was the Black fashion designer of Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress. We discuss the book, her vision for Black Historical Fiction and the importance of such work alongside a whole lot more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, hosts Theo and Julia are joined by author Piper Huguley to explore the power of historical fiction in uncovering hidden narratives, and the art of crafting compelling biographical stories.    Piper's dedication to writing about African American characters shines through as we delve into the lesser-known story of Ann Lowe for her historical fiction work, By Her Own Design. Listeners can expect to gain insights into the challenges and rewards of exploring and resurrecting these narratives, and the role that historical fiction plays in amplifying underrepresented voices. If you want to find out more about the topics discussed, visit thehistoryquill.com/4 for the episode page on our website, where you can access a range of relevant resources. You can also join our email list at https://thehistoryquill.com/join-our-email-list/ to receive new podcast episodes and more content for historical fiction writers.

Piper Huguley joins us to discuss her latest historical fiction novel "By Her Own Design: A Novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register." We dive into the true story behind the novel, the women in Ann's life, Diana's food question and much more! Be sure to check out our shop on Bookshop.org to be able to help support independent bookstores and this podcast. You can find  "By Her Own Design" under 'Featured Books' and our July title, "Let Me Be Frank" by Tracy Dawson in our 'Book of the Month' shop.  

(TW: In this episode, we discuss rape and racist violence, specifically in reference to a scene from season 1 of Bridgerton.) Molly, Emma, and special guest Becky talk Bridgerton. In this episode, we're considering the adaptation process, and what was lost and gained when the story went from the bookshelf to the Netflix watchlist. Also of interest: more on the advantages and pitfalls of colorblind casting, the romcomification of Taming of the Shrew, the meaning of race in pre-20th century Britain, why Mr. Darcy isn't a Duke, and thinking about who is and isn't allowed certain forms of pleasure. Follow us on Twitter @truthsunipod @mjkeran @chingonacademic @hixonbecky. The novelists Molly mentions are Beverly Jenkins, Piper Huguley, and Courtney Milan. If you want to hear more romance novel talk, check out Molly's new podcast Let the Bodice Hit the Floor—the first episode is out now!

Piper Huguley - 'By Her Own Design' The Not Old Better Show, Author Interview Series Welcome to The Not Old Better Show on radio and podcast.  Today's show is brought to you by Talkspace and Athletic Greens.  Please support our sponsors and check out our show notes for more information. As part of our Art of Living Author interview series our guest today is best-selling author Piper Huguley.   We are especially pleased today that Piper Huguley has graciously agreed to read a passage from her book, so you have that to look forward to, too. Let me tell you briefly about historical fiction author Piper Huguley.  Piper Huguley seeks to make new inroads in the publication of historical romance by featuring African American Christian characters. Piper Huguley is a two-time Golden Heart® finalist and is the author of Migrations of the Heart, a three-book series of historical romances set in the early 20th century featuring African American characters. Huguley is also the author of the Home to Milford College series. We are talking today with Piper Huguley about her new book, “By Her Own Design.” “By Her Own Design,” is the incredible untold story of how Ann Lowe, a Black woman, and granddaughter of slaves, rose above personal struggles and racial prejudice to design and create one of America's most famous wedding dresses of all time for Jackie Kennedy. Let's listen as Piper Huguley reads about the main character Ann Lowe from a passage in her book,  “By Her Own Design.” That of course is our guest today, author Piper Huguley reading from her new book, “By Her Own Design.” And now, let's talk with Piper Huguley on the Not Old Better Show on radio and podcast. My thanks to best-selling historical fiction author Piper Huguley for her generous time and reading today on the show.  My thanks to sponsors Talkspace and Athletic Greens.  Please support the show and check out the special offers in our show notes today.  My thanks to you, my wonderful audience here on The Not Old Better Show on radio and podcast.  Please be well, be safe and let's eliminate assault rifles.  We need to protect our children and grandchildren while in school. Thanks, everybody.

In this interview, Piper and I discuss By Her Own Design, telling Ann Lowe's little-known story, how she went about filling in the gaps of Ann's life, writing biographical historical fiction, why Jackie Kennedy Onassis remains so popular, how historical fiction teaches while also telling a story, and much more. Piper's recommended reads are: Jackie and Me by Louis Bayard Sister Mother Warrior by Vanessa Riley Support the podcast by becoming a Page Turner on Patreon.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.     If you enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more episodes, try Natalie Jenner, Judithe Little, Renee Rosen, Adriana Trigiani, and Geraldine Brooks. By Her Own Design can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Gatecrashers sit down with award-winning novelist Piper Huguley and discuss the importance of fighting to tell the story that you want to tell. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

By Her Own Design by Piper Huguley is one of the best books I've read this year because of the unstoppable and fascinating voice Piper created for fashion designer Ann Lowe. We get into the nitty gritty of bringing Ann's fascinating and overlooked story to the world. This is one you don't want to miss. The incredible untold story of how Ann Lowe, a Black woman and granddaughter of slaves, rose above personal struggles and racial prejudice to design and create one of America's most famous wedding dresses of all time for Jackie Kennedy.1953, New York CityLess than a week before the society wedding of the year where Jacqueline Bouvier will marry John F. Kennedy, a pipe bursts at Ann Lowe's dress shop and ruins eleven dresses, including the expensive wedding dress, a dress that will be judged by thousands. A Black designer who has fought every step of the way, Ann knows this is only one struggle after a lifetime of them. She and her seamstresses will find the way to re-create the dresses. It may take all day and all night for the next week to accomplish the task, but they will do it.1918, TampaRaised in Jim Crow Alabama, Ann learned the art of sewing from her mother and her grandmother, a former slave, who are the most talented seamstresses in the state. After Ann elopes at twelve with an older man who soon proves himself to be an abusive alcoholic, her dreams of becoming a celebrated designer seem to be put on hold. But then a wealthy Tampa socialite sees Ann's talent and offers her an amazing opportunity—the chance to sew and design clothing for Florida's society elite. Taking her young son in the middle of the night, Ann escapes her husband and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.Based on the true story of one of the most famous designers of the twenties through the sixties who has since been unjustly forgotten, By Her Own Design is an unforgettable novel of determination despite countless obstacles and a triumph celebrated by the world.

Three Fabulous Authors: Piper Huguley, Libbie Grant and Aimie K. Runyan. We get together to celebrate the launch of Piper Huguley's novel, By Her Own Design. It's the incredible untold story of how Ann Lowe, a Black woman and granddaughter of slaves, rose above personal struggles and racial prejudice to design and create one of America's most famous wedding dresses of all time for Jackie Kennedy. NYT Bestselling author Kate Quinn says Huguley has crafted a “heroine for the ages."

It's Tuesday! In this special episode of Between the Reads I get to share in the release-day celebration of By Her Own Design by author and professor Piper Huguley! Piper spills ALL the historical tea about Black fashion designer Ann Lowe, who designed Jackie Kennedy's wedding gown! Yup. You read that right. ***To watch Ann Lowe's interview on the Mike Douglas show mentioned in our chat, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgZHWvmEqX8&list=WL&index=3&t=2s&ab_channel=NMAAHC***To read Piper's interview on my blog and get even more behind-the-scenes info on this wonderful historical fiction novel, head over to https://www.readitblacktome.com/spilling-the-historical-tea/***If you enjoy this content, please help continue to amplify Black stories by becoming a monthly contributor at https://www.patreon.com/betweenthereads or by making a one-time donation at https://ko-fi.com/betweenthereadspodcast

This week, the Bistresses are looking ahead to books coming out in June. Join Meka, Shannon, Sara, Natalia, Kristeen, Georgina, and Stacy as they share the releases they're most excited to read. Titles mentioned include: Piper Huguley, By Her Own Design: a Novel of Ann Low Tomi Obaro, Dele Weds Destiny Annabel Monaghan, Nora Goes Off Script Julie Clark, The Lies I Tell Sulari Gentill, The Woman In the Library Jenny Colgan, An Island Wedding (Mure #5) Rebecca Zanetti, Unforgiven (Deep Ops #5) Andie J. Christopher, Thank You, Next Jamie Brenner, Gilt Lucy Score, Maggie Moves On Kate White, The Second Husband Lisa Jackson, The Girl Who Survived Marcy Dermansky, Hurricane Girl Stacy Reid, A Matter of Temptation (A Matter of Temptation #1) Toni Anderson, Cold Silence (Cold Justice #16) Meg Mitchell Moore, Vacationland Kristan Higgins, Out of the Clear Blue Sky Kelly Rimmer, The German Wife Katie Gutierrez, More Than You'll Ever Know Kim Harrison, Trouble with the Cursed (The Hollows #16) Ashley Poston, The Dead Romantics You can always contact the Book Bistro team by searching @BookBistroPodcast on facebook, or visiting: https://www.facebook.com/BookBistroPodcast/ You can also send an email to: TheBookBistroPodcast@gmail.com For more information on the podcast and the team behind it, please visit: http://anchor.fm/book-bistro

Host Vanessa S. speaks with Naleighna Kai USA TODAY and Essence Magazine International Bestselling Author about her book Open Door Marriage.  Naleighna shares her journey of healing through writing and how she uses her gifts and talents to help others work through their pain by putting it all on the page.  In the publishing industry, they consider her the Book Whisperer the person you go to when you're thinking about writing and publishing a book.The  Cavalcade of Authors Spring Fling  FREE EVENT! JOIN US FOR A WEEKEND OF PANELS, INTERVIEWS, WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS, GIVEAWAYS, FUN & GAMES DURING THE 18th ANNUAL CAVALCADE OF AUTHORS™ May 13-15, 2022 featuring New York Times Bestselling Authors: Brenda Jackson, Mary B. Morrison, Victoria Christopher Murray, and National Bestselling Authors: Naleighna Kai, Beverly Jenkins, Shakir Rashaan, Pat G'Orge-Walker, Reese Ryan, Vanessa Riley, Piper Huguley, Rhonda McKnight, and award-winning authors J. L. Woodson, Stephanie M. Freeman, and many authors. On Sunday, the Author Resource Workshops feature Editors, Alpha & Beta Readers, Cover & Interior Designers, Reviews, and a Literary Agent Round Table.Thank you so much for listening. I hope you have enjoyed this episode. New episodes are released weekly on Sundays. Also, stay in the KNOW by subscribing to our email and newsletter blasts; you will receive a FREE Download copy of The Earning Potential Assessment Template. Credits:Music: Islabonita by An JoneVanessa S. - Ph.D Host

Piper Huguley seeks to make new inroads in the publication of historical romance by featuring African American Christian characters.  The Lawyer's Luck and The Preacher's Promise, the first books in her “Home to Milford College” series, are Amazon best sellers.  The Mayor's Mission, published in Winter 2014.  The next entry in the series, The Representative's Revolt will publish in Spring 2015. She is a 2013 Golden Heart finalist for her novel, A Champion's Heart—the fourth book in “Migrations of the Heart”. The first book in the series, A Virtuous Ruby, was the first-place winner in The Golden Rose Contest in 2013 and was a Golden Heart finalist in 2014. The first three books in the “Migrations of the Heart” series, which follows the loves and lives of African American sisters during America's greatest internal migration in the first part of the twentieth century, will be published by Samhain Publishing in 2015.  She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and son.Intro roll for WTPC

Brown Book Series sits down with Award Winning Author Piper Huguley. We'll talk about her new novel Sweet Tea and more! All in the name of ROMANCE!Connect with Piper: https://piperhuguley.com

Today author Piper Huguley is with us to talk about her writing career and new book from Hallmark Publishing called SWEET TEA #hallmarkpublishing #sweettea To order SWEET TEA https://amzn.to/3jdnZKP #affiliate Check out the merch store https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hallmarkies?utm_campaign=Hallmarkies&utm_medium=8581&utm_source=affiliate Follow Piper on twitter https://twitter.com/piperhuguley Check out Piper's website https://piperhuguley.com/ All our interviews with Hallmark writers https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXv4sBF3mPUBxJT6OHAOjOM3F8w48hYu5 Please support the podcast on patreon at https://www.patreon.com/hallmarkies Movie Watch-along with patrons coming up July 17th with The Christmas Club! Sign up now! Follow us on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hallmarkies-podcast/id1296728288?mt=2 https://twitter.com/HallmarkiesPod on twitter @HallmarkiesPodcast on Instagram Check out our website HallmarkiesPodcast.com Send us your feedback at feedback@hallmarkiespodcast.com or the twitter call +1 (801) 855-6407 Follow Rachel on letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/smilingldsgirl/ Follow Rachel's blog at http://rachelsreviews.net Follow Rachel on twitter twitter.com/rachel_reviews Follow Rachel's Reviews on youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/smilingldsgirl Follow Rachel on facebook www.facebook.com/smilingldsgirlreviews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Best-selling writer Piper Huguley joins Julie to talks about her experiences writing, publishing, and marketing historical novels with African American Christian characters. She talks about developing her online platform to self-publish her novels, including her first The Lawyer's Luck and the books in her “Home to Millford College Series.” In addition, she talks about A Virtuous Ruby from her “Migrations of the Heart Series” as well as her forthcoming books: her Hallmark novel Sweet Tea, and By design: The Story of Ann Lowe, Society's Best Kept Secret, a historical fiction which will be published by William Morrow. Piper Huguley is an Amazon Bestselling writer for her books The Lawyer's Luck and The Preacher's Promise. The Preacher's Promise was also named a top ten Historical Romance in Publisher's Weekly by Beverly Jenkins. She is a 2013 Golden Heart finalist for A Champion's Heart, a first place winner for the 2013 Golden Rose Contest for her novel A Virtuous Ruby, and a 2014 Golden Rose Contest finalist. Huguley was named 2015 Debut Author of the year by Romance Slam Jam and Breakout Author of the Year by AAMBC, the African Americans on the Move Book Club, Inc. Thanks to @cbddepaul and @romancewriters for sponsoring this podcast. Creator and Producer of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Sound Design: Juelle Daley; a_caju_creative Artwork: Kyle Gabb; Marciano_arts Website: https://piperhuguley.com/about/ The Preacher's Promise: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M77K09U/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i3 The Lawyer's Luck: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LBIKE38/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i6 A Virtuous Ruby: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087XX47Z3/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i7 Sweet Tea: A perfect heartwarming romance from Hallmark Publishing:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LDYJKT1/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1 By design: The Story of Ann Lowe, Society's Best Kept Secret: https://www.amazon.com/Design-Story-Lowe-Societys-Secret-ebook/dp/B093ZXPRXH/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=By+design%3A+The+Story+of+Ann+Lowe%2C+Society%E2%80%99s+Best+Kept+Secret&qid=1623716471&s=digital-text&sr=1-1      

So you watched the Bridgerton Netflix series and you've torn through the books, and now you're desperate for more historical romance while you wait for Season 2 of Bridgerton? Don't worry, dear readers, these podcasters have you covered. Tuck into our What to Read if You Loved Bridgeron episode for a massive list of historical romance recommendation based on what you might have loved in Bridgerton! Is it boxing? Is it I don't know how sex works? Is it the wigs? Is it the scene with the spoon?! Whatever it is...we've got you covered. And when you're done with this one, go check out our episode on romance series featuring big families!Whether you're new to Fated Mates this month or have been with us for all three seasons, we adore you, and we're so grateful to have you. Please join us next week to chat with the fabulous Kate Clayborn about retellings in romance and to celebrate the launch of her new book, Love At First, which you can preorder now or get wherever books are sold (even your local indie!) next Tuesday, February 23, 2021. In two weeks, we're back with a read along of Mary Balogh's A Matter of Class, which is one of Sarah's favorite historicals. We'll talk about why then. Get it for only $2.99 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo or Google Books.Show NotesWe have some ideas about winter sports, which is that maybe they are best left to other people. But here are some photos of Chicago's ice skating ribbon and the sledding hill at Soldier Field, which even has its own snowmaking machines! When the Obama Library is built, Michelle Obama requested they include a sledding hill because she remembered wanting to sled closer to home when she was a kid. In the 90s, they really let Hugh Grant do anything. The Luxe is a gilded age YA series, and the original covers were so gorgeous, as compared to the rejacketing. We are not taking questions at this time. We can't find the video Sarah talks about, probably because it was THIRTEEN YEARS AGO (lolsob), but you can watch this fun one about the cover shoot for Splendor, the final book in the series, here! The comedian who did the Bad TV Impression of Bridgerton is Kieran Hodgson. His YouTube channel was recently emptied of content, which makes us think he's got his own TV show coming, but in the meantime, you can watch the Bridgerton hilarity on his Twitter feed. We recommend you do this immediately. Speaking of rakes, Sarah explained them to Oprah Magazine. We aren't the only ones who thought the Bridgerton brothers were indistinguishable.A collective noun is the name for a group of things. A Cache of Jewels is a very charming picture book about collective nouns if you're into that sort of thing. If you love Queen Charlotte's wigs, you can read this piece in Glamour about the hidden meanings in Bridgerton hairstyles, or follow the wig-maker on Instagram. Here's a great timeline of the books in the Beverly Jenkins universe made by Scentsational Rynnie. Jen interviewed Ms. Bev on Wild Rain's release day for Love's Sweet Arrow.In Heart and Hand, Julie is a member of The Four Hundred, the most exclusive society families. She attended Vassar College, which opened in 1865. To watch Jen's interview with Rebel Carter, KJ Charles, Caroline Linden, and Amalie Howard, join the Facebook group, The League of Extraordinary Historical Romance Authors.Gunter's Tea Shop is a real place if you liked that scene with the spoon.Tell us about your historicals where there are duels: We've already got Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake, The Lady Hellion, and The Serpent Prince on our list.Sarah didn't know Jen was going to bring up Boxing, or she would have been ready to recommend Piper Huguley's A Champion's Heart, which is a beautiful inspirational romance. If you want to know more about the connection between writing and boxing, Sarah recommends the Library of America's At the Fights: American Writers on Boxing. Here's more about the fascinating history of boxing gloves.Jen enjoyed two movies about women who box: Girlfight with Michelle Rodriguez and Million Dollar Baby with Hillary Swank. Next week, we'll have Kate Clayborn on to talk about retellings and her new book, Love at First. Our next read along book is A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh.

World Literature Professor and Romance Novelist Piper Huguley joins us again to talk books. We talk Shakespeare, Ibsen, dePIzon, and Federici. We talk about the ways in which books can open us up to new ideas and ways of thinking about things, and how far back the roots of feminism really go. And I suggest a book project for somebody if they want to take it on. Just mention me in the acknowledgements, ok?

Jess Michaels speaks to the amazing Piper Huguley about the weirdness of names, learning from first books, being a planster and her process, the issues in the CBA and making strides with characters of color in Christian fiction.

The guys open the show with a discussion of the Netflix original Unicorn Store. Jeff reviews Bad to the Bone by Nicki Bennett. Will reviews LaQuette’s Under His Protection. Jeff & Will interview LaQuette about Under His Protection. They find out about the story’s inspiration and how it ties into LaQuette’s other series. LaQuette also shares details on her upcoming Harlem Heat series, what got her started writing romance and details about what she does as the president for New York City’s Romance Writers of America chapter. Complete shownotes for episode 184 are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Book Reviews from this week: Bad to the Bone by Nicki Bennett. Reviewed by Jeff Bad to the Bone turned out to be one of those perfect Dreamspun Desires for me. I’m a sucker for second chance romance combined with friends to lovers and this one adds in a bit from the redeemed bad boy trope as well. It all combined to give me exactly the read that I needed. The story kicks off on the eve of a high school reunion taking place in a small Oklahoma town. Alex Morrison has been back in town for several years, taking over his family’s hardware store when his parents needed him to. One afternoon, while working with his sister at the store, they witness a motorcyclist pulled over and it’s soon revealed that the man is Alex’s high school bestie, Ricky Lee Jennings. Alex hasn’t heard from Ricky Lee since he was expelled and sent away to reform school. Alex regretted he didn’t defend Ricky Lee and prevent the expulsion, but he was scared he’d lose his football scholarship if he did. Sparks fly at the reunion when Ricky Lee shows up without a ticket and Alex gets him in as his guest. What unfolds over the coming weeks is the rekindling of far more than a friendship. Nicki does so much with this rather simple set up. Both characters complexity made me love this book so much. Alex is someone I wanted to wrap up in a comforting hug. He does so much for the community that he lives in between serving on the library board, working for Habitat for Humanity, helping out with the high school reunion committee, and anything else he can do to help his fellow citizens. Yet, all he can see in himself is failure from a lost college football career because of an injury, a failed marriage, and even coming back to manage his family business is something he considers a fail because he gave up his dreams of being an environmental lobbyist. Of course, what he’s done is made the decisions that are right in the moment but he can’t see that. Ricky Lee, on the other hand, subverts every stereotype the town has for him. It’s awesome to watch as people who believe they know exactly who he is after ten years begin to see who he has become. He’s far from the young man who was abused by his alcoholic father and just wanted to survive high school. As both relive their high school times and share what they are doing now, Ricky Lee and Alex are drawn back together. Alex, however, is sure this can’t be more than a fling. He’s scared of revealing himself as bisexual to the town and there’s no way Ricky Lee will move back to Oklahoma since he’s got a life in Portland. The wooing that Ricky Lee does with Alex is outstanding. I love a good date and their weekend trip to Oklahoma City is all that. They stay at a boutique hotel, go to art museums and the botanical gardens and eat delicious food. The sizzling sex made the date all the hotter. It showed Alex in vivid detail what life could be like in if he decides to make a go of it with Ricky Lee. The other depth that Nikki weaves into this book is the town Alex lives in. In particular, I liked the local pastor, who is nothing like what you might expect a southern pastor to be. He turns out to be one of Alex’s biggest supporters in being true to himself. We also see Alex’s work with the library, which is a central subplot for the story since Alex and Ricky Lee’s high school nemesis, Odell, who wants to expand his car dealership by buying the land the library sits on. The goings-on with Odell took some wonderful turns that I couldn’t have predicted and I might’ve cheered just a little when everything was revealed and [spoiler alert] Odell gets his. It’s a great ending for a high school bully. There’s a tremendous cast of supporting characters too. Alex’s sister Alana and his best friend, local police officer Samantha, a.k.a. Sam, both nudge Alex in the right direction. Ricky Lee comes to town with Crae, who he introduces as his friend and assistant although many initially think they are in a relationship. I actually wish Crae had had more screen time in the book as they were a fascinating character. Crae and Sam develop a friendship that might be more and I’d love to see a book that explores that. There are also some townsfolk who have interesting reveals to Alex along the way that were incredibly sweet. And if audio is your thing, certainly pick this one up. Colin Darcy is a new-to-me-narrator and boy did he make me swoon with his voice for Ricky Lee–deep, rumbly sexiness. If you’re looking for a great category romance with some very tropey goodness, I highly recommend Nicki Bennett’s Bad to the Bone. Under His Protection by LaQuette. Reviewed by Will. This book literally starts with a bang when one of our main characters, assistant DA Camden, is nearly blown up by a car bomb. In order to keep him safe, he’s put in protective police custody. Unfortunately, the man watching over him is the memorable one night stand he walked away from five years ago, a guy named Elisha. Sequestered away in Elisha’s Westchester house, our two heroes must come to grips with the attraction that still, after all this time, is still there. As things start to become more romantic, the situation becomes even more complicated when Elisha’s family shows up for a weekend visit. They assume that the two of them are a couple and Cam and Elijah play along since it’s too dangerous to explain why Cam is hiding out at Elijah’s house. Over the course of the weekend Cam can’t help but fall for Elisha and his wonderfully crazy family. You might think things get a little too close for comfort with are two heroes and the family all in one house. Elisha actually has a very small apartment in his attached garage. They escape there every once in a while, for some truly superduper scorching sex. The chemistry between these characters is very real and very palatable. As the weekend winds down, there’s an unfortunate kidnapping attempt by this crazy religious group and Cam sacrifices himself in order to save Elisha’s mom. Camden ends up in hospital and, unfortunately, his father arrives on the scene. Camden’s life has essentially been controlled by his father, who’s had his son’s life planned out from my birth to death. It’s essentially how Cam has lived his entire life. The expectations of his father are actually part of the reason why he walked away from Elisha five years ago. Having a sexy one night fling and living a life with an average guy like Elisha just wasn’t in the plan. After experiencing the possibility of loving a man like Elisha and realizing the wonderful possibilities of a fun and fulfilling family life, he tries to stand up to his father. Cam’s father puts a stop to everything, setting up some genuinely insurmountable roadblocks to our hero’s happiness. But Cam and Elisha are not only charismatic and sexy, but also really super smart. With the help of Elisha’s police chief friend, Cam concocts a way to outwit his father and get out from under his thumb, so he Elisha can live happily ever after. I don’t know if I can adequately find the correct words, or enough adjectives to tell you how much I loved Cam and Elisha’s story. It’s just really damn good. One of my favorites of 2019 so far!   I hope it’s obvious that I really enjoyed Under His Protection by LaQuette and I highly recommend that everyone give it a read. Interview Transcript - LaQuetteWill: We are so pleased to welcome LaQuette to the show. Welcome. LaQuette: Thank you. Will: So I just spent several minutes praising and telling the entire world how much I loved "Under His Protection." Now, you've been writing for a while now, and I freely admit this is the very first book of yours that I have read, and I went absolutely bonkers for it. I love it to pieces. LaQuette: Oh, thank you. Will: Can you give us sort of an idea of where the concept for "Under His Protection" came from? LaQuette: Well, I was encouraged by Kate McMurray to submit a "Dreamspun Desires" concept. And I kind of read the submission guideline, and I really didn't think that the category section was for me, because I'm long-winded in my writing and there's this, you know, 50,000-word count, and I didn't know that I could meet that and make the story make sense. But I just felt like, you know, there's a lot of angst in my writing and a lot of heavy topics sometimes. And I didn't... You know, category can be light and, you know, it doesn't have so much angst to it, so I wasn't sure if it was actually the right fit for me. But she encouraged me to do it anyway. So I thought, "Well, if I'm gonna do it, it has to be, like, LaQuette style. It can't be, you know, the traditional map of a category. I've gotta throw, you know, everything but the kitchen sink in it." And I had this sort of, like, this Prince and Pauper sort of situation in my head, but in Brooklyn. And it worked out really well in my head anyway. I really enjoy the idea of Camden coming from this really, really posh existence, and then clashing with Elijah and his very loud and boisterous family. And, I think, putting those two people together and those two, you know, with their backgrounds and differences in their backgrounds and the differences in their, you know, perspectives in life, it really...it just made for a richer experience for me, as a writer. Will: I utterly fell in love with Camden and Elijah. I think they're two incredibly...they are exceptional heroes, and they're part of what makes this book really sing. But as I mentioned in my review just a few minutes ago, part of what, I think, what makes the story compelling and even more enjoyable is the sort of supporting cast that helps them along in their journey towards saying, "I love you." Elijah's family is amazing, every single one of them. But I was particularly struck by one of Elijah's co-workers, the police chief, who is his best friend, along with, you know, being a colleague. And what I was struck by is that at the beginning of the book, the character seemed, you know, pretty, you know, straightforward, it was a secondary character, and she was there to kind of like, you know, get the story moving along. But as we read further and get to know Camden and Elijah more and more, she becomes a much more integral part of the story. And in fact, she's pretty vital to the solution that Cam comes up towards the end. And I was really surprised to read in an interviewer just, I think, this last week it appeared online. I learned that one of the reasons that this secondary character is so well-drawn is because she's actually already had her own book. LaQuette: She's had three books, actually. Will: Can you tell us real quickly, for our listeners, can you tell us about the origin of this particular character and why you thought she would be such a good fit for Camden and Elijah's story? LaQuette: Captain Heart Searlington is a character from my "Queens of Kings" series, which is all heroine-centered. And she is this...you know, her name is Heart for a reason, because she has a huge heart, even though she really carries it under this gruff exterior. She's a badass, she's all about getting work done. And if you ever get the chance to read her books, you know, she's really out there hands-on in the street. And I felt like Elijah would need someone like that, professionally and personally, to kind of...to get him to the place where he could admit his flaws. Someone that's not... You know, he's a very...he's a large man, he's aggressive, you know, he carries a gun, so he could be a little bit intimidating for the average person. But for her, she's not afraid to tell him like it is to his face. And, you know, when you have that kind of a personality where people might not tell your truth because they find you imposing, having someone who will speak the truth to you, regardless of whatever the situation is, can be vital to you, you know, making the right choices in life. And I felt like having her there would give him that balance, because he needed some really cold truths told to him, for him to get his head together and do what he needed to do. Jeff: Was it always your intention to have the character crossover or did that just kind of manifest itself? LaQuette: Well, the precinct that they work at is sort of anytime I have a police situation, those cops show up in a book somewhere. So one, because, you know, the world is already created, so it's kind of easy for me to draw from that precinct, but it's also because my readers absolutely adore this woman. And so they're always asking for her, and this was an opportunity for her to show up and say, "Hi." And not in a way that overshadows, you know, the main story, which is Camden and Elijah, but just enough to make readers go, "Oh, my God. She's here." Jeff: It's always good to get those universe crossovers and little Easter eggs like that, for sure. LaQuette: It's true. It's very true. Will: Yeah. Now, "Under His Protection" is not your first M/M romance. LaQuette: No, it is not. Will: There's also "Love's Changes," which I believe came out in 2016? LaQuette: Yes. Will: And I wanted to ask you, what drew you to writing in this specific subgenre? I mean, along with all of your other books that are more traditional male/female romances? LaQuette: Well, one, I wholeheartedly believe that everyone deserves a happy ending. And when I wrote the "Queens of King" series, I always knew that Heart's cousin, because the characters, the protagonists in "Love's Changes" are Bryan, who is one of Heart's lieutenants, you met him, actually, in "Under His Protection," and her cousin, Justice. And so they get to have their own story. You get to see them a little bit in the "Queens of King" series, but they're more background. We know that they were having a hard time and they were broken up for some reason, but we don't know why. So they get, you know, readers... Which really surprised me because I didn't really believe that there was a lot of crossover between male-female readers and male-male readers. But people really asked me for a story for those two. Like, "When are we gonna get Justice and Bryan's story? We wanna know what happens to them and how they get back together." And so I that story was actually born out of the fact that readers requested it, and so I gave it to them. Jeff: That's very cool. You know, it's always nice to see as the M/F readers catch the male-male pairing to then want to know more. LaQuette: Yes, it was really a trip for me. I did not believe that they would want it at all. But it was very touching to write their story. I was very happy with how the story turned out. I was very happy with the fact that they get their happily ever after. And it's not...it's connected to the "Queens of Kings" series, but it's not really part of it. So the story kind of takes place outside of everything that's going on in that particular story. Jeff: Do you envision more, I guess, "Dreamspun Desires" books that happened in the universe you've created with everything that's going on so far? LaQuette: I really didn't, but I've been getting a lot of mail recently about this book. And, you know, people wanting to know what happens after this. They wanna see how Camden's family kind of blends with Elijah's family and how that's going to work. I'm like, "Dude, I'm not there. Like, I have so many other projects. I can't right now. But we'll come back to that maybe." Jeff: Just based on your review, I don't see how those families mesh. Will: Two different worlds. Most definitely, yeah. LaQuette: They really are. Jeff: Now, one of the things that I'm super excited about, having recently read about, is your new contract with Dreamspinner for "Harlem Heat." LaQuette: Yes, "Harlem Heat," so when stuff makes me mad, it also makes me really productive. So I was really kind of getting tired of hearing the "not historically accurate moniker" criticism given to African-American romance, especially historical African-American romance. And it just bothered me because it's not that those happily-ever-afters weren't possible. It's just people aren't really aware of the completed history. So a lot of thing...you know, a lot of people who think they know about African-American history, the only thing they know is slavery and Jim Crow, and that's it. And, you know, black people have been downtrodden since we were brought to this country. But that's not exactly the truth because even in all of the horror, there were still moments of triumph. And we didn't just, you know, survive, we thrived. We're still here, the proof that we're still here, you know, the proof that we had happiness at some point is that we're still here. So I decided I wanted to write about a time that was where to be black and to be gay wasn't something that you had to hide from the world. It wasn't something you had to...you had your own pocket of community. There was a celebration of it. And I wanted to speak to that. I wanted people to know that these two intersections of life existed with happy endings. Jeff: And this series, in particular, is gonna go to such an interesting time period in the U.S. when all of the Harlem Renaissance was happening. LaQuette: Yeah, so it's based on three actual people who lived during the Harlem Renaissance. So it's based on Bumpy Johnson, who was the godfather of Harlem for 30 years. It's based on Langston Hughes, who was a great contributor to the Harlem Renaissance as a poet and writer. And it's also based on Cab Calloway, who was sort of one of the most notable faces in jazz and jazz music and jazz performance at the Cotton Club. So we're gonna see... we won't be using their names, but those characters will be based off of those actual people. Will: Yeah, because it was...I think it was like mere moments after I finished reading "Under His Protection." I read about this Harlem Renaissance series that you were doing, and I like lost my mind. I was like, totally doing a happy dance. This is going to be so amazing. I know this is still far in the future. But when do you think we can expect this series? LaQuette: I don't know. And that's the God's honest truth. I'm actually currently writing, finishing up the series for Sourcebooks. And so "Harlem Heat" doesn't...I don't think I'm projected to start it until like the end of the year. So I don't know exactly when it's going to be ready. But I mean, you know, ready for the world anyway. But I think I can talk to someone about getting you a beta read...a copy for beta reading if you'd like. Jeff: Please do. Yes. Will: That would be amazing. Jeff: I imagine the research for that got to be a lot of fun to look at that period in history and figure out what parts you wanna take and use. LaQuette: It is. I mean, I was very fortunate when I was in college. When I did my undergrad in creative writing. I was very fortunate to have a professor who thought outside of the box, and he taught a class on Harlem Renaissance. That was amazing. I mean, it was so rich and filled with culture. And you know, not just the usual things that we see in mainstream history but, you know, getting really down to the nitty-gritty of it. And you know, showing you to...I'm sure that when you when you guys, as gay men, look at the history of the LGBT community, and you get to see it unfold, there's such a moment of connection there. And it's the same thing for black people when we're getting to experience our history because we don't often get to see it through mainstream lens. And so to see it and to see the information dispensed in a way that's positive and celebratory and uplifting, it changes your whole perception of yourself, of who you are and where you came from. And so I'm delighted to be able to dig back into that. I have Piper Huguley, who is a history professor at Spelman College. I believe it's Spelman. And she's also a romance writer, and she's brilliant. So she helps me with a great deal with telling me what books I need to read for this period, and where I need to look for information. But it's so much fun. It really is so much fun. Jeff: That's amazing. Let's talk origin story for a minute. How did you get started writing romance? What led you down this path? LaQuette: I didn't see me on the page. I started reading romance when I was about 16 years old. Way too young to be reading some of the stuff I was reading, but you know, hey. And by the time I was about 18, I probably went through every "Harlequin Presents" that my local library had. And every romance novel I read, it was never about a girl that looked like me, never about places where I lived. So it kind of pulled me out of the romance reading for a while because it was nice to read about those stories, but there was just something missing for me after a while. And I probably, at the time, didn't recognize that I was internalizing that these stories were basically saying, "Romance isn't for you. You don't look like this. You don't fit this mold, so romance isn't for you." And I kind of just pulled away from it. And I think after I finished my undergrad, I just wanted to relax and have some fun and I kind of got back into it. And at the time, I discovered black romance was a thing. And I discovered people like Rochelle Alers, and Brenda Jackson, and Zane. And I'm like, "Wow." Like, it became exciting again. It was refreshing. It was new and yet still very familiar because I could see myself in all of the antics that were going in these stories. I could see myself in those characters. And so I decided I wanted to do that. I wanted to create those spaces, create more stories like that so people could have those connections in reality, you know, reactions when they opened up a book and saw themselves. Jeff: Now that you are writing, what do you think the trademarks of your books are? LaQuette: I do sex and snark really well. Like, I do sarcasm really well because that's my language. It really is my language, and sex, yeah, that's so if you're gonna pick up a LaQuette book, you're going to get lots of sex and lots of sarcasm. Jeff: Did she meet those two in your book? Will: Oh, yeah. Just before we started this interview, we were talking about the possibilities of an audiobook for "Under His Protection." And whatever narrator lands this job is going to, number one, have the time of their life, because Camden and Elijah are very...the banter is very smart and very witty. But also, as you say, the sex scenes are...I'm not even sure what the correct adjective is. It's smoking hot. Yeah, you're gonna need a nice cool beverage after you listen to those scenes, for sure. LaQuette: I don't know that I could listen to that. I don't know that I could. It would be so weird for me. I don't know. I mean, I know I wrote the words, but to hear them aloud, I don't know that I could do that. Will: Exactly. Yeah. Jeff: Yeah, I know, you know, many authors can't listen to their own audio books. LaQuette: Especially those parts. Like I said, I do sex. Amy Lane told me, she was like, "You write sex in such a beautiful concrete way. Like, I just wanna have all the facts when I read your books." I'm like, "Amy, that is the sweetest and weirdest thing that anyone has ever said to me, and I love you for it." Jeff: That almost should be a blurb on the book cover or something. Will: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Jeff: Is there anything you're reading right now that you wanna shout out to people as like a book to grab? LaQuette: Oh, I'm reading a few books. So I just finished Adriana Herrera's...the third book in this "Dreamer" series, and I can't remember the title because it's not actually out yet. I beta read for her, and it is fantastic. I mean, book one is great and I love it. It was so real to me that literally, I had to drive like two to three miles from my house just to go get Dominican food, because I was so hungry after reading book one. Will: Exactly. Yes. Yeah. LaQuette: And book three does the same thing. There's lots of cultural food. And it's part of the tapestry of how these two people connect and share their backgrounds, their experiences, their worldviews. And not to mention, she's so good at writing books that are socially conscious without making you feel like you're being talked down to or preached at, and I love her for that, for being... I don't know that I could do that the way she does it. She's so talented. And I'm also reading...I'm halfway through...I stumble with her name because I know her as Blue Sapphire, but she's now writing as Royal Blue for Dreamspinner, "Kyle's Reveal." Will: Yeah, I've heard of this book, yeah. LaQuette: And I'm halfway through it. And, you know, she's fire, like, she writes hot books. So I'm really excited. I can't wait to get to the end of this book. Will: What was the name of that book again? LaQuette: "Kyle's Reveal." Will: Okay. And that's the...please remind me, is the basketball book, is that correct? LaQuette: Yes. Will: Okay, yes. LaQuette: I mean, it's kind of dark because the protagonists have like a really dark traumatic history. But it's definitely deep and I'm loving it. So I'm really, really, really interested in getting to the end to see if I could just get a minute to stop writing and finish it, I'd be great. Will: Awesome. Jeff: It's such a hard thing balancing. LaQuette: It is. Jeff: "I wanna to finish this book." Then it's like, "I don't wanna read it too fast." LaQuette: Exactly. Jeff: Finding that balance. LaQuette: It's true. Jeff: Are there tropes or genres that you wanna tackle that you just haven't yet in your own writing? LaQuette: I don't know that there are any tropes, because I kind of...I throw a lot of different tropes in my books. Like, "Under His Protection" has second chance romance, it also has proximity, it also has sort of kind of enemies to lovers the way Elijah and Camden started out in the book. And it could sort of kind of be considered like a workplace romance being that they're both involved in different sides of law enforcement. But I don't know. I mean, I've done secret baby before and I love that. That was really fun. And I've done...the only thing I haven't done is like May-December romances. So I think maybe that might be something I'd might want to try. Jeff: Cool. I would read that. I love a good May-December. Absolutely. So beyond the writing, which obviously takes up a lot of time, you also are the president of RWANYC. So the New York City chapter of Romance Writers of America. Tell folks what that entails and what actually led you to running for office. LaQuette: I didn't wanna run. I had no intention of running because I have a lot of stuff to do. And it takes time away from the things that I'm contracted to do. But one of the things that's very important in romance that's happening right now is the fact that romance can be a very whitewashed world, meaning the protagonists that we see, the authors that get the most opportunities are white authors and white characters. And so if you're not white... and straight characters. If you're not writing that, it's difficult to get into the door, it's difficult to find the same resources, the same backing. It's almost impossible to get contracts. And so I ran for president of RWANYC because I wanted, in some way, to help change that landscape, to do some of the work necessary with publishers to try to change that. And it's a heavy task, it's a heavy burden, especially when we get, you know, over the last couple of weeks, we are still reeling from the RITA Awards, which is basically like the Grammys for romance. And every year, it's the same thing. It's a very, very white landscape, and very few authors of color are made finalist. No black woman has ever won a RITA in the 30 years that this award has been established. And people do a lot of mental acrobatics to justify why that is. So "Oh, maybe the writing is just not that good. Maybe that's why we've never had a black RITA award winner. Maybe black authors are not entering." You know, these are also questions that are ridiculous, because statistically, it's just impossible that no black woman would ever have won in 30 years. It's just impossible. And the reason it is, is because the judging pool, there's a bias there in terms of black women and black characters, not just black authors, but black characters. Because you cannot know who the author is, but you cannot...well, I don't write characters who are racially ambiguous. I'm proud of my blackness and my characters are as well. And so I don't try to hide that or trick people into reading my books, or make it so difficult for people to recognize who a person is or what their background is because I feel like that is an important thing. In real life, we don't really get to not know who people are by looking at them. So I don't do it in my books. And because of that, it's very difficult when you know, going into this, "I'm gonna submit this book, and it's not going to final," not because it's a poorly written book, not because I didn't do everything I could to make this book as good as it could be, but simply because my characters, especially my heroines are black. And that is just something that the judging pool cannot handle as of yet. So my work as president is a lot of, you know, being the champion for this cause and taking on this battle because it's not just about me succeeding, it's about any black author who was writing black characters having the ability to write and be supported by the industry. And if I can make any sort of headway in that and if I can help anyone along the way, I'll feel like I've done something positive with my life. Will: With books like yours, and with Adriana Herrera, who you mentioned not too long ago, do you think it's really just a matter of representation that can help build awareness for diversity in romance or is there something else that readers, specifically, should be doing or asking for? LaQuette: Well, specifically, yeah. I mean, readers have a lot of power. So if you're asking publishers, you know, "Why don't we have more diverse romance? Why don't we have romance where...you know, that shows basically the colors of the rainbow and all those brilliant facets of intersectionality in life, like, why don't we have that?" Because your buying dollars is what demands, what makes the demand. Because publishers will say, "We don't sell that. We don't contract black books because they don't sell." One of the things we discussed at Dreamspinner was the cover. That was an intentional choice. I was very clear with them when we sat down and talked about this project that Elijah needed to be on the cover. I would not subscribe to the ideology that a black man on the cover can't sell. And there are...I mean, we've seen in our writing community that some publishing houses have actually made this statement. I don't subscribe to that. So we talked about it. And then we talked about the fact that readership sometimes can have a bias. And sometimes they won't engage with the book if they feel like the person is the wrong color or wrong background. And I said, "I understand that, but we're still gonna work...you know, to work with me, this is how we're gonna work." And they were in agreement. I didn't have to convince them. I went in prepared to battle. And it was like, "Listen, I really need this guy to be black and I really need him to look like this." And they were like, "We agree. We agree." So we need more of that in the industry. And it starts with readers. It also starts with the gatekeepers. People reaching out and specifically looking for these things. It also, people who are gatekeepers also need to check themselves. So when you're reading a book and you're saying, "I can't connect to it. I didn't relate to it." Why aren't you relating to it? Is it that it's a poorly written book? I've gotten rejection letters that literally said, "This is a really well-written book, but I didn't relate to the character, so I'm not gonna buy it." That doesn't really make a lot of sense, right? So what was it that you didn't relate to? If you could see that it was a really well-written book, I mean, if it's that good, why not work with me in terms of editing to kind of get things right, you know, to where it would be something that you feel is that you could sell. But a lot of publishing houses out there don't have that mentality. And it's this sort of...it's insidious. It's not something, you know, you can actually like, look and see. Some people don't even notice it. They just think, "Oh, I don't read those kinds of books because I don't like them." And it's not that they don't like them, it's that they've not actually giving them the opportunity to be great. Jeff: So that is, obviously, great words for the readers. Kind of spinning it back to your RWA role, you're in such a diverse chapter there because you're in NYC. LaQuette: Yeah. Jeff: How are the authors in that particular region banding together to like help RWA move past the issues? LaQuette: Oh, well, a lot of my recent successes, because, you know, allies, colleagues like Kate McMurray and Tere Michaels, are like, "Listen, you're fabulous, and we want you to meet people who will also think you're fabulous. So come here." And that's part of the beauty of RWA, and that's why I fight so hard for diversity and inclusion within RWA, because my success, as I said, my recent success has all been attached to people pushing me in different directions to say, "This is where you need to be. This is the person you need to meet." And if you're not a part of the organization, you can't make those connections. And networking connections will get you further than anything you know, right? So when we cut off authors of color from that source, from the resources, from the networking connections, and the opportunities that are presented to people who are part of the organization, what we're doing is we're disconnecting them from publishing. And we're forcing them to be indie. And this is not an indie versus trad conversation. This is... some people cannot be anything other than indie, because trad will not give them the opportunity. They've been completely marginalized. And so that should not be. People should be able to publish however they choose to, whether they up to be an indie author or whether they decide that the trad route is for them, because, you know, different strokes for different folks. It is different, you know, depending on what your lifestyle is like. I have crazy children and I have to juggle being a mom, a writer, and everything else and try to keep sane. Being an indie author is a lot of work. It's a lot of effort on your end to make a book successful. I don't have that kind of time in my life, or that kind of energy, honestly. So being a trad author is a much better avenue for me and my situation. And if that is the only way that I can publish, but publishing will not give me the opportunities, then it's, you know, I'm losing out. And that's the purpose of RWA to sort of bridge those gaps. But I don't think we're exactly where we need to be yet. So we're still working on it. Will: Yeah, definitely. Jeff: We very much appreciate your efforts towards that, for sure. Will: Now, the Romance Writers of America National Conference is going to be in NYC this summer. LaQuette: Absolutely. Will: And I expect you're going to be there. LaQuette: Oh, yeah. I wouldn't miss it for the world. Will: Yeah, we're actually making a trip for the first time this year as well. LaQuette: Yay. Will: So hopefully we will... I know it's gonna be crazy busy. But hopefully, we're gonna get a chance to say hi in person. LaQuette: It is. Absolutely. Jeff: For sure. Now, we talked about "Harlem Heat." You mentioned a couple other things. What is on your docket for the rest of this year for releases? LaQuette: I don't think I have any other releases this year because I'm writing. So I've been very blessed in that I have landed these two major contracts with Sourcebooks and with Dreamspinner, both for series. So I'm halfway through Source's books. And I need to start on Dreamspinner's toward the end of the year. So there won't be any more releases from me. I mean, if I get a moment where I'm, you know, feeling really creative, I might try to get a novella together. But I'm not making any promises. Jeff: All right, so we'll look for a lot more in 2020, for sure. LaQuette: Yeah, 2020 is definitely...the first book for Source comes out in 2020. I don't have a release date yet. I have delivery dates for Dreamspinner, but I don't have release dates yet. So I'm thinking probably sometime toward the end of 2020, possibly, or maybe the beginning of 2021. Jeff: All right. Well, when "Harlem Heat" comes out, you definitely have an invitation to come back and talk, for sure. LaQuette: Oh, yay. Thank you. Jeff: Now what's the best way for everybody to keep up with you online? LaQuette: Oh, so you can find me on Facebook at, you know, my Facebook page, LaQuettetheAuthor. You can find me on Twitter @LaQuetteWrites, or you can find me on Instagram at la_quette, or you can email me at laquette@laquette.com, or you can go to my website laquette.com. Will: Fantastic. Jeff: She's well branded, and everything is the same. Will: Most definitely. Well, LaQuette, it was a genuine honor to have you on the show today. LaQuette: Oh, thank you. Will: We're so glad that you could take some time out of your extremely busy schedule that you can come talk to us. LaQuette: Thank you for having me. I mean, I was so excited and a little bit nervous also, to come on and talk to you guys because I've seen the show before. And I'm like, "Yay, I get to go hang out with them. I feel special." Will: Well, it is a genuine pleasure. We're so glad that you came. LaQuette: Thank you so very much for having me.

Show Notes- Kate Clayborn writes awesome books, but her romance think pieces at Frolic aren't too be missed.- There's nothing more hilarious than reviving old twitter threads, and in this one Kate and Talia Hibbert talk IAD.- The Game Maker series will get its own episodes, don't worry. Jen was thinking about saving this chastity belt article for then, but really, why wait?- Best of Luck was just named one of Amazon's Best Romance of December, which is as it should be. The second book in the series, Luck of the Draw, was on Sarah's Best of 2018 list for the Washington Post.- Sarah's twitter thread where people described what they'd do if they won a billion dollars is pretty fun to read. But really, there's a reason we all love that daydream. - This month, the Ripped Bodice is spearheading The Great Big Romance Read and maybe you can find a bookstore, library, or blog where you can talk about Pride by Ibi Zoboi.- The American Dream is complicated, college is expensive, and all of it freaks Jen out if she thinks about it too much.- Sarah wrote a YA historical! It's called The Season.- This is a good take on why the best friend's sibling trope is so powerful.- Sinner by Sierra Simone. She talks about her writing here. Jen doesn't really think it counts as blasphemy, but she looked it up just to be sure.- Some more about insprirational romance, and although we didn't mention her name on the podcast, Jen thinks Piper Huguley writes the best inspirational romance out there. She wrote about Piper's book The Mayor's Mission and Sarah's book Day of the Duchess in this piece on miscarriage in romance.- Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare. -Clean Breaks by Ruby Lang. But when this podcast went live, it was an even better deal to buy all three books in the Practice Perfect series bundled together.

There are genres and then there are subgenres. One of the things I love about speaking with writers across all types of books is learning about the complicated world their books inhabit. In this case, Piper Huguley writes historical black romance, and this sits inside the romance novel world, but in a completely new way. I was so moved talking to Piper about how she focuses on an era that has been so glossed over, and tells stories that bring the people of the time to life, people who have been forgotten or ignored in our textbooks, and I know you will be, too. Enjoy! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Host Cyrus Webb welcomes the authors of Siri Austin Entertainment's new book SONGBIRD to #ConversationsLIVE: Iris Bolling, Piper Huguley and Deborah Feltcher Mello. They discuss their literary journeys that led them to each other, what makes this book special for them and what they hope readers take away from the book. 

If you love Historical characters that have depth, grit and perseverance, then you won't want to miss Award-Winning and Bestselling author, Piper Huguley! Piper joins me on Thursday, April 20th at 6pm EST to chat about her latest novel, A Champion's Heart: Born to Win Men. Book Blurb: 1935. Champion Bates left poky old Winslow, Georgia when he was seventeen years old. He had promised to elope with his childhood sweetheart, but pressured by other influences, he took an earlier train leaving his Delie behind. The pain at leaving her behind has tormented him for the seven years he fought as a ham and egg boxer, trying to make himself worthy of her. He had no chance for the big time until now. He has a fight with a contender boxer--a white man. However, he has been told more fighting will possibly blind him.  Back in Winslow, Cordelia “Delie” Bledsoe is out of luck. A teacher in the local school, she has the care of several children who have been abandoned by their parents. She’s offered $200 to take the children out of Georgia. She wants to take them to her family in Pittsburgh to live on a family farm, but Champion Bates shows up, insistent on helping her. She does not want to trust her old love, but has little choice.  Champion wants to redeem himself with his former sweetheart and doesn’t expect much, but the hair and eyes of one of Delie’s young children tugs at his heart. In this story of sacrifice, Champ and Delie struggle to learn about love and both must grow A Champion’s Heart.     

We read the recently released Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, by Octavia Butler, Damian Duffy and James Jennings. Mollie (finally!) gets the opportunity to school us all on what defines a graphic novel while Dani drinks in the background. Listen in and share your thoughts by tweeting us at @blackchicklit.  Links: ‘Kindred’ Artist John Jennings Talks About Adapting Octavia Butler in Comic Form, by Noah Berlatsky How John Jennings and Damian Duffy Transformed Octavia Butler’s Kindred into the Most Powerful Graphic Novel of the Year, by Brigid Alverson The Joy (And Fear) Of Making ‘Kindred’ Into A Graphic Novel, by Tanya Ballard Brown Books mentioned in this episode: Exit West, by Mohshin Hamid Daughters of a Nation: A Black Suffragette Historical Romance Anthology, by Alyssa Cole, Lena Hart, Piper Huguley and Kianna Alexander The Shining, by Stephen King

Epigraph On this episode we discuss ALL THE ROMANCE BOOKS with Bea & Leah Koch, owners of The Ripped Bodice—America’s only Romance bookstore. The Ripped Bodice is celebrating their one year anniversary this month!     This episode is sponsored by Books & Whatnot, the newsletter dedicated to books, bookselling, and bookish folk; check out the newsletter archive here. Follow Books & Whatnot on Twitter at @booksandwhatnot. We now have an email newsletter! If you want to get our show notes delivered directly to your inbox—with all the books mentioned on the podcast and links back to the bookstore we’re interviewing PLUS GIFs—sign up HERE. Introduction In which we feel real fancy, learn more about geography, and can’t stop asking for recommendations. We’re drinking French 75s and feeling classy as fuck. We’re Reading Bea is reading Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose (out June 27). And she recently finished An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole, which she thinks will be a great gateway romance (out March 28) about a female spy posing as a slave. Fun fact, Alyssa Cole lives in Martinique, and Kim and Emma’s geography lessons continue. Leah is reading Kiss Me That Way by Laura Trentham and Flirting with Disaster by Victoria Dahl. Emma is reading Hot Dog Taste Test by Lisa Hanawalt—a graphic foodie memoir that is weird and delicious. She also just started Kim & Kim by Magdalene Visaggio, which is a comic about punk rock bounty hunters in space. Kim is reading Love Is Love a graphic anthology written in response to the Orlando shooting curated by Marc Andreyko; an important, but difficult read. All proceeds for the book go to the victims, survivors, and families affected by the Orlando Pulse shooting. Which is to say, everyone should buy this book. She’s also reading The Book of Joan by Lidia Yuknavitch (out April 18) a futuristic space Joan of Arc story, which hits weirdly close to home in its political content. We’re Excited About: Bea and Leah have so many frontlist romance novels to tell you about: An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole (more than worth a second mention and out March 28) Full Mountie (#3 in the Frisky Beavers series) by Ainsley Booth & Sadie Haller (out April 4) First in the Frisky Beavers series is Prime Minister “and is basically about if Justin Trudeau weren’t married and liked kinky sex.” Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy (author of Dumplin’; out May 9) The Thing About Love by Julie James (out April18)  Julie James will be making an appearance at Ripped Bodice on her author tour! The Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (#3 in The Ravenels series, with the kids of characters from her Wallflowers series) Emma is excited for Tender by Sofia Samatar (writer of A Stranger in Olondria and out April 11 from Small Beer Press) and Next Year, for Sure by Zoey Leigh Peterson, which is the only book about polyamory she has read so she asked for more recs... SIDETRACK: Polyamory Recommendations Laid Bare by Lauren Dane (#1 in the Brown Family series) Maya Banks Glutton for Pleasure by Alisha Rai Back to frontlist... Kim is looking forward to The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Whereas: Poems by Layli Long Soldier The Mother of All Questions by Rebecca Solnit Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Chapter I [19:00] In which we discuss Bea & Leah’s Romance Origin Story, Talk Vaginal-Looking Covers, and Get ALL THE ROMANCE RECOMMENDATIONS Bea loved historical fiction (and historical fashion) and introduced Leah to The Bridgertons series by Julia Quinn (which is great for people who want to test the waters of regency romance) First in the series is The Duke and I Leah ultimately came to love contemporary romances and became a hardcore romance fan with the help of Nora Roberts—The Bride Quartet series is one of her favorites First in the series is Vision in White Also mentioned: Julie James, whose newest book is The Thing About Love (mentioned earlier and out April 18) and Susan Elizabeth Phillips whose newest book is First Star I See Tonight Where to Start with Contemporary: First, what level of heat are you looking for? Super graphic and dirty? Or cloaked in metaphor? Not Quite As Dirty Nora Roberts It Had to Be You (Chicago Stars #1) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. You know, the one with the boobs on the cover: Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn (for geek fandom readers) Really Dirty Recs Beautiful Bastard (Beautiful Series #1) by Christina Lauren Vampire Romance Recommendations (because we love Buffy) Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood #1) by J.R. Ward (super dirty) Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs (Jane Jameson #1) by Molly Harper (funnier romance) The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires (Half Moon Hollow #1) by Molly Harper Famous people make appearances as vampires—people like Dick Cheney Witchbian Romances (because we love Willow) Better Off Red by Rebekah Weatherspoon (Vampire Sorority Sisters #1) (lesbian vampire sorority) Dance Upon the Air (Three Sisters Island Trilogy #1) by Nora Roberts Dark Witch (Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy #1) by Nora Roberts Lunatic Fringe by Allison Moon (Kim rec: werewolf lesbian feminist) Two Sexy Nonfic Picks Girl Sex 101 by Allison Moon Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski Side note: Send us a pic of your favorite vaginal cover (via email or Twitter)! Like this: Non-Paranormal Queer/Diverse Recs Rebekah Weatherspoon (also has non-vampire lesbian romances) For Real by Alexis Hall (author of some gorgeous MM romances) Damon Suede writes super hot romances, which are frequently about firemen; his newest title is Lickety Split (out March 17) The Prince’s Psalm by Eric Shaw Quinn (a Biblical gay romance) First Position by Melissa Brayden (lesbian ballerinas) I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (MM YA) Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown (FF YA) The Soldier’s Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian (gay regency) K.J. Charles (also writes gay regency, but they’re not all dukes) Wanted, A Gentleman is one of her newer titles The Spare and the Heir (Lords of Time #5) by Jenn LeBlanc (gay victorian) LeBlanc is also a photographer and illustrates many of her romances with super hot photos. Glutton for Pleasure by Alisha Rai (mentioned earlier as poly rec) Trade Me by Courtney Milan (Cyclone #1) (contemporary romance with POC characters) The Countess Conspiracy (Brothers Sinister #3) by Courtney Milan Beverly Jenkins writes African American historicals Breathless (Old West #2) is her newest release Daughters of a Nation by Alyssa Cole, Piper Huguley, Lena Hart & more (an anthology of stories about black suffragettes) Silk, Swords, and Surrender by Jeannie Lin The Tang Dynasty series by Jeannie Lin (about the ancient Chinese Tang dynasty & recommended if you liked the Netflix show Marco Polo. This series is even better with intrigue and sword fighting) Butterfly Swords is the first in the series Originally posted by l231 Chapter II [36:50] In which we chat about The Ripped Bodice, the romance community, and what it means to be feminist. -Fifty Shades of Gray, why they don’t sell it (it’s not a good representation of BDSM), and how they help customers find their next read after Fifty Shades -Ripped Bodice looks like a very fancy lingerie dressing room (yes, they have a fainting couch). The store is separated into 5 Zones, which are decorated to reflect their genre: Historical, Contemporary, Paranormal, Erotica, and Everything Else -Sidelines: bookish things, but also things that will appeal to romance readers like stuff about feminism. Solid rec for Juniper & Ivy’s nerdy wood laser cut pieces.  “Part of being a romance bookstore is being unapologetically feminist and sex positive” Chapter III [48:35] In which Bea goes hardcore practical for her Station Eleven pick, people are kinda boring (in a good way), and we talk sexy nonfiction. Bea’s Station Eleven pick is Robert’s Rules of Order by Henry Robert. Leah is bringing “the most comprehensive survival guide [she] can find.” Originally posted by batesmotel On a desert island, Leah is bringing Happy Ever After Nora Roberts (#4 in the Bride Quartet) and Bea is bringing A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare. On their Wild adventure, Bea would bring one of Alison Weir’s “crazy tudor histories” and Leah would bring The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg Anne Boleyn, a King’s Obsession (one of Weir’s newest books out May 16) Bookseller Confession: “Your tawdry thing that you think is super scandalous is really boring...” The Dirtiest Romance You’ve Read Olivia Cunning’s Sinners on Tour series First in the series: Backstage Pass J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series First in the series: Dark Lover Impossible Handsell Self-published titles with god-awful covers and non-fiction i.e. Come As Your Are by Emily Nagoski and Playing Well with Others: Your Field Guide to Discovering, Exploring, and Navigating the Kink, Leather, and BDSM Communities by Lee Harrington and Mollena Williams The Romance Books Every Bookseller Should Recommend Daughters of a Nation by Alyssa Cole Beyond Heaving Bosoms by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan Also, have more than two romances and don’t laugh (or sneer) at your customers who are buying romance novels. Come on. Originally posted by yourreactiongifs Favorite Bookstores LA Bookstore: Diesel Childhood Bookstore: Women & Children First Not-Yet-Open Bookstores: The Queens Bookshop and Books Are Magic European Bookstores: Persephone Books (London) and Shakespeare & Co. (Paris) Favorite Literary Media The romance/life blog Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and their podcast Smart Podcast, Trashy Books Book Riot Girls at Library Heroes and Heartbreakers Romance Twitter—follow all your favorite authors on Twitter Epilogue [1:02:20] The Ripped Bodice can be found so many places on the internet the store’s website Instagram Twitter Facebook You can also sign up for the Ripped Bodice newsletter on their website—they’ve got events, recommendations, and a thing called Fitzwilliam’s Corner (that’s Fitzwilliam Waffles; he’s their dog, he is awesome, and he has his own Instagram).   You can find us on Twitter at @drunkbookseller and everywhere else as DrunkBooksellers (plural). Emma tweets @thebibliot and writes bookish things for Book Riot. Kim tweets occasionally from @finaleofseem, but don’t expect too much. BONUS CONTENT We always have more content than we can fit into one hour and this time said content was extra interesting. So for all the people who read our show notes and/or subscribe to our newsletter, here are a few more recommendations from Bea & Leah Romances That Are Library/Bookstore-Adjacent Broken Resolutions (Lovestruck Librarians #1) by Olivia Dade Taking the Heat by Victoria Dahl (Girls Night Out #4) Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh (Rock Kiss #1) (librarian falls in love with a rockstar) Romances About Publishing/Writing  The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (publishing romance) Temptations of a Wallflower by Eva Leigh (#4 Wicked Quills of London) (historical where the woman writes erotica) How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries (#3 Hellions of Halstead Hall) (main character writes gothics)  

1935. Champion Bates left poky old Winslow, Georgia when he was seventeen years old. He had promised to elope with his childhood sweetheart, but pressured by other influences, he took an earlier train leaving his Delie behind. The pain at leaving her behind has tormented him for the seven years he fought as a ham and egg boxer, trying to make himself worthy of her. He had no chance for the big time until now. He has a fight with a contender boxer--a white man. However, he has been told more fighting will possibly blind him.  Back in Winslow, Cordelia “Delie” Bledsoe is out of luck. A teacher in the local school, she has the care of several children who have been abandoned by their parents. She's offered $200 to take the children out of Georgia. She wants to take them to her family in Pittsburgh to live on a family farm, but Champion Bates shows up, insistent on helping her. She does not want to trust her old love, but has little choice.  Champion wants to redeem himself with his former sweetheart and doesn't expect much, but the hair and eyes of one of Delie's young children tugs at his heart. In this story of sacrifice, Champ and Delie struggle to learn about love and both must grow A Champion's Heart. Join me as I talk with award-winning author Piper Huguley as she discusses her latest book and more. You can call in at 646-668-8485, press 1 to be live on air. Or, you can download Stitcher on your mobile device. Or, click on the link here.  

In the U. S., February is heralded as Black History Month and so in the past, whenever February rolled around, many organizations, TV ads, and other outlets would tribute a portion of time to recognizing the impact African Americans have had in U. S. development as a country. Historians would argue that there really isn't such a thing as Black History. Rather, it's just history.  However, over time, there's a subtle, almost too subtle trend, to get rid of the impact of African Americans and other minorities in the book of history that make up our country. Or, and perhaps more insidiously, there's an undercurrent to revise history to maintain a narrative that excludes the contributions of everyone.  What it comes down to is this: are we all God's Children, saved by the blood of the Lamb or not? Do we all contribute in some way, form, or fashion or not? Join me for a thought provoking topic as I talk with returning guest, Professor and author Piper Huguley, author of the Migrations of the Heart series. You can call in at 646-668-8485, press 1 to be live on air. Download the Stitcher app and here us on the go. Or, click on the link here: http://tobtr.com/8307579

Ta'Mara Nicole and Jae Henderson are happy to welcome Dr. Piper Huguley to help them discuss the topic of "Lest We Forget: The Importance of Knowing Your History". She is an award winning historical romance author and professor at Spelman College. Her books intertwine history, romance and Christian principles into an edutaining tale. Tune in!

Be sure to tune in Thursday, December 4th at 6pm EST.  My guest for the evening will be Piper Huguley, author of the Reconstruction era "Home to Milford College" series.  Her multi-award nominated inspirational historical romances feature intriguing African American characters. The Lawyer's Luck and The Preacher's Promise from her “Home to Milford College” series, are Amazon best sellers.  The Mayor's Mission, is next novel in the series. Book Blurb: 1866 – Oberlin, Ohio/ Milford, Georgia Devastated by her father's death days after her triumphant graduation from Oberlin College, Amanda Stewart is all alone in the world. Her father's unscrupulous business partner offers her an indecent proposal to earn a living. Instead, to fulfill a promise she made to her father, she resolves to start a school to educate and uplift their race. Sorting through her father's papers, she discovers he had carried on a mysterious correspondence with a plantation in Milford, Georgia. She determines to start her teaching work with the formerly enslaved. However, when she arrives, the mayor tells her to leave. There's no where for her to go. Virgil Smithson, Milford's mayor, blacksmith and sometimes preacher man with a gift for fiery oratory, doesn't want anything to do with a snobby schoolteacher from up North. On top of everything else, the schoolteacher lady has a will hard enough to match the iron he forges.  To reflect God's promise, these combatants must put aside their differences and come together--somehow.    

Writing Historical Romance With - Beverly Jenkins, Piper Huguley, and Kianna Alexander Podcast Notes: Kianna Alexander http://authorkiannaalexander.com/ Beverly Jenkins http://www.beverlyjenkins.net/ Piper Huguley https://piperhuguley.com/books/ We Are Your Sisters: Black Women in the Nineteenth Century Paperback by Dorothy Sterling The Negro In The Civil War (Da Capo Paperback) Paperback by Benjamin Quarles Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 (New American Nation Series) Hardcover – April 1, 1988 by Eric Foner Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States) [Kindle Edition] James M. McPherson Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates David Cordingly Black, Red and Deadly: Black and Indian Gunfighters of the Indian Territory, 1870-1907 Paperback by Arthur T. Burton The Black Press: New Literary and Historical Essays Douglass' Women: A Novel - Jewell Parker Rhodes Wlliam Morris Katt Bruce Wexler Labor of Love Labor of Sorrow by Jaqueline Jones Arcadia Books Oxford Dictionary Check out SORMAG's Blog - http://sormag.blogspot.com Would you like to be a guest or sponsor? Contact 1sormag@gmail.com

Writing Historical Romance With - Beverly Jenkins, Piper Huguley, and Kianna Alexander Podcast Notes: Kianna Alexander http://authorkiannaalexander.com/ Beverly Jenkins http://www.beverlyjenkins.net/ Piper Huguley https://piperhuguley.com/books/ We Are Your Sisters: Black Women in the Nineteenth Century Paperback by Dorothy Sterling The Negro In The Civil War (Da Capo Paperback) Paperback by Benjamin Quarles Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 (New American Nation Series) Hardcover – April 1, 1988 by Eric Foner Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States) [Kindle Edition] James M. McPherson Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates David Cordingly Black, Red and Deadly: Black and Indian Gunfighters of the Indian Territory, 1870-1907 Paperback by Arthur T. Burton The Black Press: New Literary and Historical Essays Douglass' Women: A Novel - Jewell Parker Rhodes Wlliam Morris Katt Bruce Wexler Labor of Love Labor of Sorrow by Jaqueline Jones Arcadia Books Oxford Dictionary Check out SORMAG's Blog - http://sormag.blogspot.com Would you like to be a guest or sponsor? Contact 1sormag@gmail.com