#coverreveal #stevendossantos #twinjabookreviews #thetorchkeepersseries #thetorchkeeper #theculling #thesowing #theraising #mmyaromance #queercharactersinya #coverlove #latinoauthors #speculativefiction
If y’all really want to go there, we can. Let’s talk about Black women and stereotypes. Angry Black women? Dark skin. Hoodrats? Dark skin. Babymamas (although no one wants to have kids with us) Dark skin. Welfare and crackheads? Dark skin. Crazy exes? Dark skin. Unsuccessful? Dark skin.
Wives? Light skin. High school crushes? Light skin. Love interests in almost every movie made after 2002? Light skin. Signs a Black man is winning in life? His girl/wife is White or LIGHTSKIN. The only kind of Black woman acceptable to be seen with as a rich Black man? Light skin.
If y’all want to fucking go here, we can. Everything from classic movies to current rap hits tell the Black boys that a lightskinned woman is worth loving. Every chance a rapper gets, he let’s it be known that lightskinned women are the prize.
Are White people racist? Absolutely but guess what, they still going to pick you over me ANY DAY. So all those internships, jobs, promotions and credits you had to fight for, believe me, there was a dark skin girl fighting harder. Dark skin women been fighting so long, y’all forgot that Claudette the original DARK SKIN woman who refused her seat on an Alabama bus had to watch YOUR GRANDPARENTS AND UNCLES recreate it with a light skinned Black woman so it would be received. Y’all better miss me with the bullshit.
Lover of romance books? Enter this bookish giveaway!
We’re feeling festive so I’ve joined forces with these amazing authors to bring you a HUGE giveaway running from the 15th December – 20th. Looking forward to the New Year’s sales? We’ve got $500 cash to give away, perfect for treating yourself or stocking up on goodies for next year. Check out the authors involved then enter below. And don’t forget to stop by Love Books’ Facebook pagefor more…
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This teaser is everything!
Looking for something new and different? Into kinky reads? Like an intriguing plot with a dash of romance? I’ve got just the thing to sate your curiosity.
Entwined is now available for pre-order on Amazon!
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016KZQC00 Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016KZQC00
Pre-orders are coming next week for Kobo and All Romance.
Promo created by Taria Reed Cover Artist
#erotica #threesome #interracial #novelette
[SuperheroesInColor faceb / instag / twitter / tumblr / pinterest / support ]
I was wondering what kind of female black characters do people want to see more of? Like, them being soft or selfish?
Black Girls & Women: Representation We Want
As a Black woman reader, I definitely want to see more soft Black girls and women in literature. Girls with their own self-interests (caring about oneself isn’t necessarily selfish) and not always someone else’s caregiver is great too.
Here’s my list!
In love
With close family bonds and healthy relationships and support systems (that don’t require enduring abuse, fixing their partner, or overall emotional labor to earn domestic happiness)
Being protected
As main characters, heroines and anti-heroes
On adventures
In fantasy and magical settings
In historical settings as peasants, upper-class society, and royalty
Descriptions of Black Afro hair, skin, features as a normal thing in books (see this compilation) and not in an Othering way
On the other hand, vibrant, sometimes hyped up descriptions that allude to their beauty (see this ask. Or this one). Not Othering, just appreciating!
Put us in fancy dresses and give us a sword and let us dance at the balls and have admirers!
Experiencing complex emotions not necessarily in reaction to racism or racist violence
On the book cover! And with an accurate, not light or white-washed model
~Mod Colette
@madamef-er
Soft black girls and nerd girls who like cute things.
Shy black girls not just in situations with boys.
More lgbtqia+ black girls. Studs! Femmes!
Gender fluid and non conforming constantly changing their style because they like it!
Spies and not just as the 'sexy bait' or 'weapons master' let us sit behind the computer for once and be hackers and stuff
@tanlefan
Black girls who are just...people.
I want a fantasy escapism adventure that isn't a thinly veiled discussion on slavery or racism or any other aspect of The Struggle. I am tired.
Can I just have a happy Black girl who believes in fairies or something?
@esmeraldanacho-1776 More autistic Black women/girls! I don't care what genre really; just have them in there!
@briarsthicket And enby black people!
@mattiekins
Def soft black girls.
Energetic and playful.
Or shy and quiet.
I want to see more black girls who are nerds and not just mommy mommying or nanny nannying everyone.
I want black girls who want to be a ballerina, or a talk show host, or a game designer etc.
I want a black girl who gets to be happy.
Who doesn't have to act older than she is and be the shoulder for everyone, always.
@xiiishadesofgrey
I want more black lady nerds, if we’re talking modern settings!
More black ladies who have a sporty/playful nature!
Who aren’t afraid to get dirty and make chaos, without being dirty or frowned upon!
Strange as it sounds coming from me, more black princesses! Brandy as Cinderella in the 90s was my first Cinderella, and I LOVE that.
Please, god, more black wlws.
@daintythoughtswritersblock
I want to see tropes exercised
Black women of all shades and tones
@hazelnut4370
Tbh just fellow black people being happy, like I rarely see that,
Or enjoying hobbies
rivergoddessdream
Happily childless black women
Black women traveling the world
Fat black women in happy, healthy, poly relationships
Black cis and trans women having a true sisterhood
Autistic black women
Black women in period pieces that aren't about slavery and don't take place in the US
Black women thespians
Black women painters
Black women revolutionaries
Black women front and center in the narrative
Black women healers and storytellers
Non christian Black women stories
Black women rockers
#complicated black women characters #tell those stories
@missnancywrites
More Black Girls...
With diverse cultural and social backgrounds!
That are nerdy, girly, intelligent, ditzy, all the personality types that white girls in literature get!
That are fragile, shy or anxious. Almost every single black woman I’ve seen in media or otherwise are wise and adult. Let us be an absolute wreck, or an anxious mess!
In science! Characters like Shuri, Moon Girl and Iron Heart in Marvel revitalized me, cuz young black girls only get two types. Both these girls are in intellectual and in science, but have bery different personalities.
In interracial relationships, and not because they hate black men or something along those lines. They just happen to be dating outside their race, black women get hate for that in real life and it’s unfair. Let us have relationships outside our race! That said...
In platonic relationships with black men! I think that’s important, cuz I don’t often seen black solidarity unless it’s for the purpose of showing how diverse the writing is. Let them share interests, daily frustrations that they would only understand, but don’t force a romance.
In solid friendships with other black girls! For some reason, we’re pitted against in each other inside and outside of writing! Write some sweet wholesome friendship!
With different sexualities! Let there be some that are ace, others are gay, bi or pan! Just be sure you don’t sexualize them, or turn em into a robot.
•Who are dark-skinned! This can be seen a lot in tv or movies, but when you want a black girl in your stuff don’t just hire a light-skinned black girl or a biracial black girl. It’s not the same.
Who get to act their age! Black women have a long standing history of being adultified, starting from a very young age, and it’s extremely harmful. Little black girls can wear what they please, the problem is people sexualizing them. Let the teen black girl be a teenager, she can look out for her siblings but she isn’t the keepern the house or their lives. Young adult black girls are not ideal housewives or capable working machines, they mess up and mess around just as much as any young adult.
With mental/physical disabilities or illnesses. Alongside with being forced to be more mature than they are, disabilities/illnesses are never taken seriously and we’re forced to just deal with it. Having black girls who happen to have these issues, but also have a healthy support group is always good!
@ink-and-roses
Seen as beautiful and desirable and NOT in a hypersexualized way
Interracial relationships are wonderful because black girls are beautiful and lbr everybody sees it
Sensitive and allowed to feel something other than righteous anger
Some black girls are skinny! Some are big! Some are slim and some are curvy! There’s no mold!
Dark skinned!
A YA protagonist out to save the world from something other than racism
Superpowers or magic that doesn’t come from generational trauma or slavery
Black characters who support other black characters. None of this token crabs in a barrel business.
Black girl nerds and punks and goths exist. I promise.
And this may be a personal preference but I’m not against the idea of a damsel in distress. We are always being strong. Let her be soft and delicate and cared for. Let her be princess carried and rescued from the tower and the dragon.
[Note from Mod: It’s not just you! I love a Black damsel being saved and protected. What is progressive for one woman varies due to historical and present depictions and is why intersectionality in feminism is so important! -Colette]
@nightlyswordswoman
As a writer, I write a lot of my black female characters like this because I rarely ever see black women being represented in these ways! ESPECIALLY on the covers of books, unless the author themselves is a black woman and even then its rare.
Too often black women are stereotyped as strong protector types that are always rough, tough, and don’t need anybody in books (and real life), when that’s honestly just dumb and inaccurate--black women are as vulnerable as anyone else (in some cases, even more vulnerable, but that’s another topic).
So yeah, this list is 100% accurate and I encourage those who are interested in writing black female characters (whether you’re a black woman or not) to consider writing them like this, because the stereotype needs to die lol.
I am BEYOND excited about @lyssachiavari cover reveal for her sequel to a book I adore, New World. This book is like my dream come true with a multicultural cast of awesome characters! Synopsis: MARS, 2075 C.E.Isaak has returned from Iamos, but life hasn't exactly gone back to normal. In what felt like a month to him, two years passed in the world he left behind—and now that he's home, he's not sure if he knows what home is anymore. Mars has become a world of riots and police states, with GSAF doing everything in their power to clamp down on the burgeoning rebellion started by Isaak's once-best friend, Henry Sandhu. It doesn't take long before he realizes that maybe coming back to Mars wasn't such a good idea. But unless they can find a way to get to the time postern—currently guarded by heavily-armed GSAF agents—Isaak is stuck in the future... and so is Nadin.Nadin thought that the future would hold her answers, but everything changed the moment they passed through the door. All she wants now is to return to Iamos and make sure that her partner, Ceilos, is safe. But once her identity as a native Martian gets out, she finds herself caught in a political struggle she doesn't understand, with both factions trying to win her over to their side. And when GSAF learns that Nadin holds the key to deciphering the mysterious System, they'll stop at nothing to keep her on Mars—permanently. Add New World to your to-read list on Goodreads! Expected Publish date :Early 2018 by @snowywingspub Custom stock provided by @mosaicstock Cover design by @najlaqamberdesigns
(via nobody's cheerleader)
Great article on the treatment of Black boys vs Black girls