Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Sarah Dass, award-winning writer of Where the Rhythm Takes You.

Sarah Dass Sarah Dass is a young adult fiction author from Tobago that is best known for her debut work of fiction Where the Rhythm Takes You. While she was born in Trinidad, her family moved to Tobago when she was two years old. Dass has been telling stories since she was a young child. At the age of eight years old, when she ran out of Nancy Drew novels to read, she tried to pen her own. She would later go on to attend the University of the West Indies and University College London. Sarah grew up in a seaside resort in Tobago, and her debut novel draws inspiration from her experience living there. She has described Where the Rhythm Takes You as the book she would have wanted to read when she was growing up – a romantic, contemporary YA story set in her home country. She hopes readers like her, who love Trinidad and Tobagonian or Caribbean-set fiction, enjoy and connect with her characters. Sarah's most recent YA novel is When the Vibe is Right. It Waits in the Forest will be published by Disney / Rick Riordan Presents in 2024.

Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers.

Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College.

Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast!

Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman

Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell

Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson

Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson

Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts

Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Rufaro Faith Mazarura, award-winning writer of Let the Games Begin.

Rufaro Faith Mazarura is a British Zimbabwean writer who grew up in Birmingham and studied English and Creative Writing at the University of Surrey. She works as a podcast producer, bringing stories to life through audio, and has written and produced podcasts for the BBC, iHeartRadio and Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children's Books. Let The Games Begin is her debut novel.

Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers.

Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College.

Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast!

Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman

Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell

Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson

Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson

Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts

In part 2 of the Vivian Stephens birthday special, she discusses the following: her work at Dell; her transition as editor from Dell to Harlequin; Harlequin's release of her; her subsequent work with Black romance writers; marketing an all-Black line of Vivian Stephens romance; and her own publication Second Act. This episode originally aired on September 15, 2020.

Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this episode.

In honor of Vivian Stephen's birthday, we are sharing her podcast episode, which first aired on September 8, 2020. In this podcast, Vivian Stephens discusses her experiences as an editor at Dell Publishing, and she talks about her role in the founding of The Romance Writers of America. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at for sponsoring this episode.

Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Vanessa Riley, award-winning writer of A Duke The Lady and A Baby.

Vanessa Riley is an award-winning author of over twenty-five novels like Island Queen (a GMA buzz pick), A Duke The Lady and A Baby, and the Lady Worthing mystery series (2024 Georgia Author of the Year for Mystery). Her works spotlight hidden narratives of Black women and women of color, emphasizing power, sisterhoods, and family sagas across historical fiction, romance, and mystery genres. With a doctorate from Stanford University and other engineering degrees from Penn State, Vanessa brings a research-oriented approach to her inclusive storytelling about Caribbean, Georgian, and Regency eras.

Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers.

Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College.

Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast!

Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman

Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell

Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson

Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson

Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts

Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Aminat Sanni-Kamal, best-selling Nigerian writer of Amber Fire.

Aminat Sanni-Kamal, our first writer who sets her novel in Lagos, Nigeria, writes contemporary and fantasy romance stories, ranging from clean to sweet to spicy. As an introvert, she finds joy in the quieter moments. When she's not writing, she can be found reading, crocheting, watching dramas, occasionally baking, or taking a nap. Aminat also enjoys savoring delicious meals. Her publications include Amber Fire, her three book series, The Kingdom of Idia, her Rebound Series, as well as her Smith Women books series.

Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers.

Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College.

Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast!

Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman

Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell

Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson

Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson

Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts

Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Chencia C. Higgins, best-selling writer of D'Vaughn and Chris Plan a Wedding.

Chencia C. Higgins is just a girl from Texas writing about sassy, southern women finding love. In 2019 she won an Emma award for her debut paranormal romance Janine: His True Alpha, and in 2022 her traditionally published debut D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding was named one of the best romances of the year by the New York Times. When she isn't daydreaming about imaginary people, Chencia can be found with her nose in a book (or two, or three), saving recipes on Pinterest for things she'll never make, and dreaming of traveling even further south for the winter.

Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers.

Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College.

Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast!

Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman

Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell

Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson

Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson

Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts

Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview N.G. Peltier, best-selling writer of Sweethand.

N.G. Peltier is an anime watching, book reading, video-game playing, story writing kinda girl. A devourer of words and books from a young age, she enjoys writing romance and creeping people out with the Caribbean folklore stories she grew up hearing. A Trinidadian born and raised, she currently lives in Trinidad with her mountain of ideas and characters battling each other for whose story get told next. She is the author of Sweethand, Don't Go Baking My Heart, and The Dating Countdown, which will be released in September 2024.

Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers.

Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College.

Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast!

Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman

Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell

Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson

Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson

Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts

Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Rebekah Weatherspoon, best-selling writer of Harbor.

After years of meddling in her friends' love lives, multi award winning author Rebekah Weatherspoon turned to writing romance to get her fix. Raised in Southern New Hampshire, Rebekah Weatherspoon now lives in Southern California where she will remain forever because she hates moving.

With over twenty titles under her belt, Rebekah has covered sub-genres from suspenseful paranormal romance to steamy romantic comedies, and now young adult romance. With everything going on in the world, she still believes in love, the fluffier the better. Look for her young adult romantic comedy HER GOOD SIDE out now from Penguin Teen and her most recent adult romance, MEEGAN: A Holidate for Hire. You can find Rebekah and her books at rebekahweatherspoon.com

Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers.

Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College.

Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast!

Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman

Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell

Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson

Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson

Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts

Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Kennedy Ryan, best-selling writer of Reel.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Kennedy and her writings have been featured in NPR, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Glamour, Cosmo, Ebony, TIME, and many others. The audio edition of her novel Reel received the prestigious Audie® Award, and her Skyland series is currently in development for television at Peacock. The co-founder of LIFT 4 Autism, an annual charitable book auction, Kennedy has a passion for raising Autism awareness. Dubbed the Queen of Hugs by her readers, she is a wife to her "lifetime lover" and mother to an extraordinary son.

Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers.

Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College.

Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast!

Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman

Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell

Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson

Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson

Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts