Black & Published

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with C.M. Lockhart, author of the novel, We Are the Origin. C.M. (also known as Chelsea) is a Black writer of fantasy. She loves creating worlds, exploring relationships, and writing stories about Black girls who aren't all that nice. She is the founder of Written in Melanin LLC — which encompasses a weekly podcast and YouTube channel as well as an online database of books written by Black authors.

In our conversation C.M. discusses the reprieve she finds in writing high fantasy. How creating a world run by a goddess and four god lovers helped her work out her own questions of faith, spirituality, and religion. And how she returned to writing at the lowest point in her life. 

Support the show

Follow the Show:

IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished

Follow Me:

IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com

In this debut episode of Black & Published, Nikesha is speaking with author, Mbinguni, about her debut novel, Looking for Hope. Mbinguni is a natural storyteller with roots in West Africa and the Gullah-Geechee region of Georgia's barrier islands. Her novel, Looking for Hope, follows the life of young Hannah "Mouse" Maynard in this coming of age tale where Mouse transforms from a shy, quiet, girl into a strong assertive woman. 

Through the course of the conversation, Mbinguni reveals why it took her 14 years to tell the story of Mouse,  how she overcame her own insecurities to finally take the leap of her dreams, what made her to decide with an independent publishing company or "vanity press," and why in everything she does she wants to make sure it is done in a spirit of excellence, as she leads with love. 

Support the show

Follow the Show:

IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished

Follow Me:

IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com

On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts, author of the essay collection, Black Joy. Tracey, holds both an MBA and an MFA. She's come up through the indie author ranks, has served as a celebrity ghostwriter, and is the author of 15 other titles. 

During the Conversation, Tracey opens up about the happenstance opportunity that propelled her from relative anonymity to major book deal visibility, how joy feels in her body, and the ways she's creating legacy for her daughter. 

Support the show

Follow the Show:

IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished

Follow Me:

IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Cleyvis Natera, author of the novel, Neruda on the Park.  Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York City, Cleyvis has received honors from PEN America, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Hermitage Artist Retreat, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation (VONA). Her fiction, essays and criticism have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, URSA Fiction, The Rumpus, and more.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College and a Master of Fine Arts from New York University. Cleyvis worked a corporate job in insurance for two decades ascending to the executive level before pivoting her career to become a full-time writer.

In our conversation Cleyvis explains how attending elite programs did not prepare her for the rejection and failure she experienced within the publishing industry. Plus, why it was important for her to address toxic masculinity, the climate crisis, and capitalism in her story about a family in crisis. And the sacrifices made for her and that she's made herself that have helped to shape who she is as well as her career. 

Support the show

Follow the Show:

IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished

Follow Me:

IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Remica Bingham-Risher, author of the memoir, Soul Culture: Black Poets, Books and Questions that Grew Me Up.  A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Remica is a Cave Canem fellow and Affrilachian Poet. Her work has been published in The New York Times, The Writer’s Chronicle, Callaloo and Essence. She has written three poetry collections and is the Director of Quality Enhancement Plan Initiatives at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, where she resides with her husband and children. 

In our conversation we discuss, how she came to conduct interviews with poetic giants that eventually developed into her memoir, why writing love poems in times of crisis is a revolutionary act, and the directive she's giving to the next generation of poets coming behind her. 

Support the show

Follow the Show:

IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished

Follow Me:

IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Shola Gbemi, author of the novel, They Were Chosen. A  New York native of Nigerian descent, his novel focuses on the twin movements of social justice and sexual assault while following fictional characters on an HBCU campus.

During our conversation, Shola explains why writing his novel was a seven year process. What he learned from the council of women who checked him over the course of the writing to create female characters with nuance and depth, plus the research he did that helped his characters feel true to life. 

Support the show

Follow the Show:

IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished

Follow Me:

IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Toni Ann Johnson, author of the short story collection, Light Skinned Gone to Waste. The collection won the 2021 Flannery O'Connor Award for short fiction. Toni Ann's novella, Homegoing, won Accents Publishing's inaugural novella contest and was published in 2021. Toni Ann was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award for her novel, Remedy for a Broken Angel. 

During our conversation, Toni Ann opens up about how she was able to overcome her insecurity as a writer, how her collection contributes to the ever evolving conversation about Blackness in America, and how she developed her style and voice after her first career as a screenwriter. 

Support the show

Follow the Show:

IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished

Follow Me:

IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with George McCalman, author of the book, Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen. The work 
collects 145 of George's original portraits of Black pioneers alongside stirring profiles of why these individuals matter. A classically trained artist, his studio, McCalman.co creates long-lasting brands for clients across arts, lifestyle, food, and mobile media. He is a senior lecturer in graphic design at California College of Art and is the author and illustrator for the San Francisco Chronicle’s monthly “Observed” column. 

During our conversation, George discusses how rage fueled his publishing process, why he says book publishing is harmful for writers and artists, and how his mother's death clarified his vision for the book. 

Support the show

Follow the Show:

IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished

Follow Me:

IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Tracy Cross, author of the horror novella Rootwork. Tracy has had several stories published in mass market anthologies and contributed to many horror podcasts. Her debut novella, Rootwork, is a folk horror homage to her late grandmother. She lives in Washington, DC and is a huge Prince fan. 

During our conversation, Tracy opens up about growing up practicing hoodoo rituals she calls earth magic, why it was important for her characters to get the revenge her grandmother couldn't, and why you will never catch her reading or writing romance. 

Support the show

Follow the Show:

IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished

Follow Me:

IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com

On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, author of the novel, Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? Lizzie is a British-Nigerian writer who has been at the receiving end of the question in the title of her novel many times. Born and raised in London, she  now lives with her husband in Milton Keynes, England. 

In our conversation, Lizzie explains why her novel is an unconventional love story. The three traits she believes every writer needs to have. And she explains why she chose to tackle colorism, the importance of mental health, and prioritizing religion and Christianity when dating. 

Support the show

Follow the Show:

IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished

Follow Me:

IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com