Donna Hill

May 11, 2021 | 1:01:18 | Best-selling writer Donna Hill joins Julie for the first episode of Season two of the Black Romance Podcast. They discuss Hill’s experiences writing and publishing romance, and they deep dive into three of her novels: Rooms of the Heart, Chances Are, and Confessions in B Flat.

Shirley Hailstock

May 18, 2021 | 00:54:01 |Best-selling and award-winning novelist Shirley Hailstock joins Julie to talk about her successful writing career and they deep dive into her novels Whispers of Love (Under the Sheets) and Love in Logan Beach.

Reese Ryan

May 25, 2021 | 01:04:40 |Best-selling writer Reese Ryan joins Julie to talk about her successful writing career, which began with the 2013 publication of her first book, Making the First Move. They discuss Ryan’s recent nomination for the Vivian Award in the Contemporary Romance Short area as well as her experiences writing and publishing romance. They also deep dive into three of her novels: Making the First Move, Second Chance on Cypress Lane, and Waking up Married.

LaQuette

June 2, 2021 | 01:10:25 |Best-selling writer LaQuette joins Julie to discuss her successful writing career, which began with the 2013 publication of her first book, My Beginning. They discuss how she came to write and publish romance, her role as the current President of the Romance Writers of America, her publishing company Brooklyn Girl Ink, and her books Jackson and Bedding the Enemy.

Kennedy Ryan

Jun 8, 2021 | 01:19:34 | Best-selling writer Kennedy Ryan joins Julie to talk about how she developed her writing craft, which led to the 2014 publication of her first book When You Are Mine. She talks about her experiences self-publishing, starting a foundation serving Atlanta families living with Autism, and she recounts her experiences at the 2019 RWA award ceremony when she won the Rita award for her self-published novel Long Shot in the Contemporary Romance Long area. They deep dive into her books series All the King’s Men, Queen Move, and her latest release Reel.

Piper Huguley

Katrina Jackson

June 22, 2021 | 00:52:13 | Today’s guest is Katrina Jackson, best-selling writer of over twenty novels. She joins me to discuss her prolific career. Katrina discusses some of her early reading practices, writing her first romance, a self-published book titled Encore, and why she publishes affirming images of Black women. She also recounts how her life as a pre and post-tenured historian in the Academy informs some of her novels’ themes. She and I also discuss several of her books: From Scratch, Office Hours, The Hitman, Encore, Grand Theft New Year’s Eve, and her current release Back in the Day.

Adriana Herrera 

June 29, 2020 | 01:00:27 | Adriana Herrera, a USA Today bestselling author, joins me this episode to talk about a converging series of experiences and events that led her to write and publish romance: her experiences as an immigrant from the Dominican Republic; the dissonance she felt between her studies on Black Feminist Thought and the colonial images she read in romance; the demoralizing rhetoric about immigrants in the 2016 elections and her need to affirm the existence of immigrants; and her need to create romance novels that center diverse characters who are Black and LGBTQ. In this conversation, she and I also talk about her Dreamer series as well as her additional publications: Finding Joy, Mangoes and Mistletoe, Here to Stay, “The Duke Makes Me Feel," and her newest release One Week to Claim it All.

Celeste Norfleet

July 6, 2021 | 00:52:34 | Celeste Norfleet, a best-selling writer of over twenty-five novels, joins me this week. We talk about her 2002 debut novel Priceless Gift and its curious ending, which became the inspiration for the novels in her well-loved Mama Lou Matchmaker Series. She recounts her experiences at the beginning of her career and the supportive environment of Romance Slam Jam among her well-known sister writers and readers. We also discuss her current release One Night in Georgia, which tells the story of three friends on a road trip in 1968 from New York to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.    

Eboni Snoe

July 13, 2021 | 00:51:20 | Eboni Snoe is the best-selling author of seventeen books. In this episode, we discuss her experiences publishing her first romance novel A Shiek's Spell with Odyssey Books in 1992 as well as her experiences publishing with Arabesque and Avon Book. We deep dive into her novels Beguiled, Tell Me I'm Dreamin', her forthcoming autobiography The Altar, and her publishing company Beyond Maya Press.

Veronica Mixon

July 20, 2021 | 00:47:38 | Veronica Mixon recounts her experiences during her years of creating Doubleday's Starlight Romances. In an unexpected turn of conversation, she talks about working with Octavia Butler on an article for Essence magazine and advocating with the editor for higher pay for Butler's books.

Chilufiya Safaa

July 27, 2021 | 00:50:11 | Chilufiya Safaa is a romance novelist whose books put a fresh twist on African and African American love themes and allow readers to examine what they thought they knew about African and African American people. In this episode, we talk about Safaa's first four novels, A Foreign Affair, Passionate Encounters, The Art of Love, and Stay the Night, which was all published by New York publisher Kensington Publishing, her fifth and sixth books, Stolen Dreams and Bittersweet, that were independently published. Safaa also talks about her relationship with Vivian Stephens, the writing coach for her first three books, and about her career publishing traditionally and self-publishing.

Barbara Keaton

August 3, 2021 | 01:05:03 | Barbara Keaton's first romance novel, All I Ask, was published in 2000.  In this episode, we discuss: her experiences publishing with Genesis Press, working with Romance Slam Jam, the mentorship a community of Black writers have provided her, and we deep dive into her novels Nights Over Egypt, Heat at First Sight, and Show Me!.

Farrah Rochon 

August 17, 2021 | 01:20:02 | Best-selling writer Farrah Rochon and I talk about her new release The Dating Playbook and also deep dive into several topics: how she wrote and published her 2007 debut novel, Deliver Me, the first in her Holmes Brothers Series; we talk about her New York Sabers Football Series; Bayou Dream Series; Moments in Maplesville Series; and The Boyfriend Project.

Frederick Smith and Chaz Lamar Cruz

August 24, 2021 | 00:57:51 | In today's episode I talk with Frederick Smith and Chaz Lamar Cruz, co-authors of In Case You Forgot and their recent release Busy Ain't The Half Of It. We discuss their co-authored books as well as many other topics, including the importance of publishing love stories between Black queer characters; how Frederick Smith's romance novels Right Side of the Wrong Bed and Down For Whatever, published by Kensington, were inspirational to Chaz; their path to becoming co-authors; and how Chaz's career as a poet shape both language and style in their novels.

Patricia Vaughn

August 31, 2021 | 00:28:20 |This week historical novelist Patricia Vaughn talks about her experiences writing and publishing her first two historical novels in the 1990s. She discusses how her agent Vivian Stephens helped her to publish her first historical novel Murmur of Rain with Pocket Books in 1996 and talk about her second Shadows on the Bayou.