Hey Ya’ll and Happy Juneteenth!!!
Welcome to my very first newsletter! I am so excited to share what is going on in my world. From writing to the podcast, I will give you the highlights and share some big picture things. You’ll be able to keep up with me and my journey, all from the comfort of your e-mail inbox. :)
About Me
Well, if you signed up for this newsletter, I would assume that you know a little about me. (LOL). But if you don’t, here is a brief run-down: I am a native ATLien with 2.5 degrees in English (dropped out my PhD program), a higher education professional, and red lipstick connoisseur. My hair changes constantly because I love wigs. I collect Wonder Woman/Nubia memorabilia. I love sweet tea and lobster (not always together.. but sometimes). I am a mom to a precocious little girl and wife to a sexy Caribbean hunk of a chef educator. I sing country and Southern rap in the shower. OutKast is the G.O.A.T. and I am a little too obsessed with the golden age of Black cinema, the 1990s. Oh, and I write contemporary romance and women’s fiction, centering quirky Black women and men, all from a Xennial perspective. I also have a podcast with my friend of over twenty years. To learn more about me (and read my real bio), visit my website.
Writing Tea
As many of you know, I received an offer of publication of my first full-length contemporary romance novel. It’s been a wild ride and a learning process. It started with a pitch event called DVPIT, held annually on Twitter to highlight diverse voices who want to be published. From there, I received a lot of interest from a variety of agents and publishers. There were a lot of pitch requests which ultimately led to rejections. I really thought that this thing called writing was a bust. There were a lot of rose’ and tears. But it only takes one person to believe in you. For me, that person was Kate Marope, former acquisitions editor at Carina Press, a digital-first imprint of Harlequin Romance. She loved the story and requested what was known as a “revise and resubmit”. I was overwhelmed. Luckily for me, I had just signed up for mentorship program with my writing group, Inclusive Romance Project. My mentor, author Kilby Blades, got my butt right in gear. In addition, I signed up (well, pushed by my friend Fortune) to join Wordmakers to put myself on a writing schedule. At the end of my mentorship program, I submitted my revised manuscript. The waiting to hear back was the absolute worst part. I thought about throwing in the towel. As soon as I was ready to give up, I heard from Kerri Buckley, the head honcho at Carina that they were interested in working with me. And the rest, they say, is history. I cannot wait for you all to read my debut novel, The Build Up, about two 40 something Black architects in Atlanta who are trying to resist not falling in love. We will release it in Spring 2023.
In the meantime, each month I’ll def take you on my ride to publication. From editing to cover reveals, the newsletter will be the spot to read the news first. I will also talk about what I am working on writing-wise in the meantime.
Podcast Tea
My podcast, Romance in Colour, has wrapped for season 3. Yakini and I never expected our podcast to take off how it has. But it has afforded us an opportunity to not only talk about holiday movies, romance and its various facets but also interview some amazing authors along the way. I can now say many of these authors have become good friends. This year we had some amazing panels on men and romance and an amazing Pride podcast featuring Black queer writers. We will be on hiatus until September, but you can catch up on the podcast here or anywhere you get your podcasts.
Tati is Reading…
Since I’ve been down (see Random Tea below), I’ve caught up on some reading for leisure, and not just for the podcast or to prepare for an interview. There is so much amazing romance and literary fiction out there, it’s overwhelming. Lately, I’ve been turning to audiobooks versus reading because as I work from home it helps my workday go by faster. I just finished this amazing, juicy book by Akwaeke Emezi. Their You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty turns the romance genre on its head by flipping the dreaded “love triangle” into a poignant, beautifully lyrical tale of a woman, grief, and new beginnings. You all definitely need to check it out.
Random Tea
COVID absolutely sucks.
Two weeks ago, I woke up in a cold sweat, shaking like a leaf on a tree. At first, I thought my allergies had gotten the best of me. But no, this was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Although I’d been vaxxed and boosted, I took a COVID test to be on the safe side. I was positive. I had no clue HOW I contracted COVID, given that I WFH and I mask 95% of the time. That morning, my little family was all feeling blue, and we all found out that we had COVID. I stayed home from work (I usually go in once a week) and just rode it out for the next 1.5 weeks,keeping hydrated and resting. The cough is still lingering, but it certainly isn’t as bad as before. It did, however, put a wrench in my writing and planning schedule for the second half of the year.
This entire ordeal had me thinking about our janky healthcare system and how many lives succumbed to COVID during the height of the pandemic. Luckily for me, the preventative measures helped. Yet those that didn’t have access to it or refused, were not so lucky.
I am glad that it passed through quickly. I am thankful my little family is fine. Most of all, I am so glad that I am here to keep on sharing stories with you all.
Life is just beginning.
Until next month,
Tati