BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT #23

Posted by John F. Allen Author on October 30, 2013

TODAY’S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION SPOTLIGHT IS MILTON DAVIS!

Milton Davis works as a full time chemist and a part time writer. He is finally fulfilling my dream of writing by self publishing his novels and stories. His publishing company is MVmedia Publishing and Beyond.

Some of his titles include:

Meji: Vol 1 & 2
Changa’s Safari: Vol 1 & 2

Anthologies he’s published and had work appear in:

Griots: A Sword & Soul Anthology
The Steamfunk Anthology

To learn about other titles and purchase copies of his work(s) visit the company website @: http://www.mvmediaatl.com/

Check out his blog Wagadu @: http://www.mvmediaatl.com/Wagadu/

BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL CREATOR & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!

BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT #21

Posted by John F. Allen Author on October 28, 2013

TODAY’S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT IS SUMIKO SAULSON!

Sumiko Saulson’s blog “Things That Go Bump In My Head” focuses on horror fiction writing and features author interviews, writing advice, short stories and editorial pieces. She is the author of three novels in the science fiction, horror and dark fantasy genres, “Solitude,” “Warmth”, and “The Moon Cried Blood”. She is also the author of a short story anthology by the same name as her blog. A published poet and writer of short stories and editorials, she was once profiled in a San Francisco Chronicle article about up-and-coming poets in the beatnik tradition. The child of African American and Russian-Jewish American parents, she is a native Californian, and was born and spent her early childhood in Los Angeles, moving to Hawaii, where she spent her teen years, at the age of 12. She has spent most of her adult life living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://sumikosaulson.com/books/

COMICS

http://sumikosaulson.com/comics/

BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT #20

Posted by John F. Allen Author on October 26, 2013

TODAY’S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT IS SHAWNTELLE MADISON!

Shawntelle Madison is a web developer who loves to weave words as well as code. She’d never admit it, but if asked she’d say she covets and collects source code. After losing her first summer job detasseling corn, Shawntelle performed various jobs—from fast-food clerk to grunt programmer to university webmaster. Writing eccentric characters is her most favorite job of them all. On any particular day when she’s not surgically attached to her computer, she can be found watching cheesy horror movies or the latest action-packed anime. She lives in Missouri with her husband and children.

About Me: Shawntelle is the urban fantasy author of the Coveted series featuring Natalya Stravinsky, the charmingly neurotic werewolf from South Toms River, New Jersey. The first book, COVETED, was named a Barnes and Noble Romance Pick for the month of May.

The Natalya Stravinsky trilogy will conclude with COMPELLED, which will release in May 2014. Additional series are planned in the Coveted universe.

She is also the author of the romantic horror series called Hadley Werewolves.

You can find Shawntelle on her website, Twitter, and Facebook. She has a variety of helpful author tools on her website:

http://www.shawntellemadison.com/

BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL CREATOR & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!

IMAGINARIUM 2014 ANNOUNCED!

Posted by John F. Allen Author on October 24, 2013

Welcome to Imaginarium 2014, a creative writing convention where ideas transcend reality!
I am excited and extremely proud to announce that coming to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky from September 19-21 of 2014 is, The Imaginarium!

This is a unique kind of convention offering a wealth of programming, events, and all kinds of fun for those who enjoy the world of creative writing!

Imaginarium 2014 is an event open to all genres, exploring all kinds of creative writing, from books, to comics/graphic novels, screenplays, blogging, and much more! Featuring 11 tracks loaded with panels and workshops, a film festival, gaming, an art show, costume contest, awards banquet, and much more, Imaginarium is the region’s premiere creative writing event.

Imaginarium 2014 will feature a powerful array of panelists and guests, including authors, editors, publishers, screenwriters, game designers, and much more. Guests will be added regularly to the site throughout the coming months.

The event offers great discounts for early registration and exhibiting in the vendor hall, so be sure to come aboard early!

Whether you are a an author, screenwriter, a reader, a movie enthusiast, or just enjoy the convention experience, Imaginarium is sure to be one of your “can’t-miss” events of the year!

To find out more about Imaginarium 2014, including registration and vendor tables at discount rates, visit www.entertheimaginarium.com
– See more at: http://seventhstarpress.blogspot.com/2013/10/imaginarium-2014-announced.html#sthash.GS033j6F.dpuf

BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT #19

Posted by John F. Allen Author on October 23, 2013

TODAY’S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT IS JOE ROBINSON CURRIE!

My name is Joe Currie aka That Strictly Kid

I am the Head Creator and Publisher for Strictly Underground Comics.

I have been in the comic book business as a publisher and a creator for about 17 years.

My credits: Include,Co-Creator, Co-Writer and Publisher for the “Huntsmen” 3 issue mini series. Published in 1996.

Co-Creator, Co-Writer and Publisher for the “Something” 4 issue mini series.

Creator, Writer and Publisher for the “Prodigy” 4 issue mini series.

Creator, Writer and Publisher for the “PUNXofRAGE 6 issue mini series.

Dodger & Prodigy
PUNXofRAGE
Pic: Stanley Weaver

My Website www.punxofrage.com

BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL CREATOR & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!

BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT #17

Posted by John F. Allen Author on October 21, 2013

TODAY’S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT IS DERRICK FERGUSON!

I’m always told by other writers whose opinions I respect highly that I need to have a proper bio handy so that folks can ‘connect’ with me. They say that in this brave new world we find ourselves in that the rules have changed for writers. We have to make ourselves “accessible” to the readers and “open up.” We have to show we’re “vulnerable.”
I dunno about all that. I actually have a hard time believing that anybody would want to know anything about my day-to-day activities which are actually pretty mundane and boring. I do pretty much the same things a lot of you guys do. I shop and go to the movies/dinner with my wife. I play games on my Xbox. I watch movies on Netflix. I read books and graphic novels. I go out with the fellas for an occasional night of telling lies and doing the six-ounce curl. The most interesting thing about me you can find is in my books as the one thing I have over most folks is that I’ve trained my imagination to tell highly entertaining stories. Okay, that was the part where I relate to you. Now here comes the boring stuff…

My name is Derrick Ferguson and I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York where I have lived for most of my still young life. I’ve married for 30 years this past March 12th to the wonderful Patricia Cabbagestalk-Ferguson who lets me get away with far more than is good for me. Both my parents are still living, Thank God. My mother Corine Ferguson resides here in Brooklyn, NY while my father has returned to his hometown of Bennettsville, SC. My sister Jan lives in Long Island while my sister Valarie lives here in Brooklyn with her domestic partner.
My interests include but are not limited to: radio/audio drama, Classic Pulp from the 30’s/40’s/50’s and New Pulp being written today, Marvel/DC fan fiction, Star Trek in particular and all Science Fiction in general, animation, television, movies, cooking, loooooong road trips and casual gaming on the Xbox 360.
Running a close second with writing as an obsession is my love of movies. I’m currently the co-host of the Better In The Dark podcast where my partner Thomas Deja and I rant and rave about movies on a bi-weekly basis. If you’re interested then by all mean go on over to http://www.betterinthedarksite.com/ and you’ll find over a hundred episodes where we do so. We also welcome suggestions on movies we should be talking about and guest hosts.
I’m also a rotating co-host of the PULPED! podcast along with Tommy Hancock, Ron Fortier and Barry Reese where we interview writers of the New Pulp Movement as well as discuss the various themes, topics, ebb and flow of what New Pulp is and why you should be reading it.

Bounce on over here for a listen: http://pulped.libsyn.com/

I currently have three blogs where you can keep up with my work:

____________________________________________________________________________
BLOOD & INK: http://dlferguson-bloodandink.blogspot.com/ is where you can find any and all information about most of my work that has already seen print and in the works. I also occasionally will throw up a book review. I also have my “Kickin’ The Willy Bobo” series where I interview other writers and creative folks.

DILLON: http://derrickferguson1.wordpress.com/ this is the blog that features my signature character, Dillon. I won’t go into details about him here. That’s what the blog is for. Bounce over there and check it out. But trust me when I say you’ll be glad you did.

THE FERGUSON THEATER: http://derricklferguson.wordpress.com/ The last time I checked I had over 400 movies reviews there. This blog started out with me posting movie reviews on my Live Journal (remember LJ?) mainly because I got tired of people asking me my opinion on movies. So I figured that if I just posted reviews, it would take care of that problem. The reviews outgrew LJ and eventually I had more than enough to justify a blog of their own. Please feel free to check it out and if you have a suggestion for a movie I should review, by all means, please let me know.

Okay, that covers the basics. Now that you know where to find me, anything else you want to know, just ask. You can contact me through my Facebook page or by email: DerrickFerguson@gmail.com is my preferred one but if there’s something you need a response to right away then email me at DerrickFerguson1@aol.com

Okay, I think that’s enough for now. We have a whole week to talk and get acquainted so I suggest you guys take advantage of it. Thank you for your kind attention and may God Bless you in all your creative endeavors and bless your families as well because He knows that they truly need it. Talk to you later.

Derrick’s story “Dillon and the Alchemist’s Coffee” appears in the Pro Se Productions anthology, Black Pulp!

Black Pulp is a collection of stories that features characters of African origin, or descent, in stories that run the gamut of genre fiction. The concept was developed by noted crime novelist Gary Phillips.

BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL WRITER & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!

BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT #15

Posted by John F. Allen Author on October 19, 2013

TODAY’S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT IS LINDA ADDISON!

Linda Addison
(photo attached, photo credit Brian J. Addison, my son)

Linda D. Addison grew up in Philadelphia and began weaving stories at an early age. She moved to New York after receiving a bachelor of science in mathematics from Carnegie-Mellon University and has published over 280 poems, stories and articles. Ms Addison is the author of “How To Recognize A Demon Has Become Your Friend” short stories and poetry collection which won her a third Bram Stoker Award(R) (Necon E-Books, 2011) and the first African-American recipient of the world renowned Bram Stoker Award(R). “Dark Duet” (Necon E-Books, 2012), a collaborative book of poetry written with Stephen M. Wilson, was a finalist for HWA Bram Stoker Awards(R).

She was published in “Four Elements”, a collection of prose and poetry published in 2013 by Bad Moon Books, which has four sections, each written by a HWA Bram Stoker winner (Linda Addison, Marge Simon, Rain Graves, and Charlee Jacob).

Ms Addison is the only author with fiction in three landmark anthologies that celebrate African-Americans speculative writers: the award-winning anthology Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction (Warner Aspect), Dark Dreams (Kensington), and Dark Thirst (Pocket Book). Her work has made frequent appearances over the years on the honorable mention list for Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror and Year’s Best Science-Fiction.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Linda Addison Summary Bibliography

290 Total Publications (246 poems, 23 fiction, 21 non-fiction)

BOOKS (4)

1-“How To Recognize A Demon Has Become Your Friend”

Short stories and poetry (Necon E-Books, 2011) (How) -received HWA Bram Stoker award® 2011

2-“Being Full of Light, Insubstantial”, 100 poems (Space & Time, 2007) -received HWA Bram Stoker award® 2007

3-“Consumed, Reduced to Beautiful Grey Ashes”, poetry (Space & Time, 2001) -received HWA Bram Stoker award® 2001

4-“Animated Objects”, sf, fantasy, horror poetry & short stories (Space & Time, 1997) (AO)

Books with others:

5-“Dark Duet” collaborative poetry collection with Stephen M. Wilson (Necon eBooks, 2012); HWA Bram Stoker finalist 2012

6-”The Four Elements” poetry/prose collection with Rain Graves, Charlee Jacob and Marge Simon (Bad Moon Books, 2013)

POETRY (246) published in (summarized list, see Linda’s site (www.lindaddisonpoet.com for details)

-Magazines: Essence, Asimov’s SF, Star*Line, African Voices, Doorways, Abyss & Apex, Eye to the Telescope

-Anthologies: Dead Cat Bouncing, The Big Book of Necon, Dark Faith, High Stakes (2013)

FICTION (23)

1. “Night of the Living and Dead”; Outer Darkness mag.

2. “Little Red in the Hood” (Tomorrow magazine)

3. “Am I Repeating Myself?” (Outer Darkness magazine)

4. “Dust to Dust”, (Poison Apple)

5. “Boo”, (Going Postal anthology, Space & Time)

6. “One Night At Sheri-Too-Long’s Popcorn Bar”,(AO)

7. “Just Passing Through”; (AO)

8. “The Box”; (AO)

9. “The Christmas Ghost”; Dark Matter magazine

10. “Homecoming”; More Monsters in Memphis, collaboration with Beecher Smith

11. “Twice, At Once, Separated”; Sheree Thomas’ Dark Matter anthology, Warner Books

12. “Excerpts from The Unabridged Traveler’s Guide as UFOs in Galaxy A.G.2” (Scars anthology)

13. “The Power”; Dark Dreams I (Kensington Publishing Corp)

14. “Whispers During Still Moments”; Dark Thirst (Pocket Book)

15. “Milez To Go”; Voices From The Other Side, Dark Dreams II (Kensington Publishing Corp)

16. “When We Dream Together”; Genesis: An Anthology of Black Science Fiction (Graves Sheffield Publishing)

17. ” 369 Gates of Hell”, (How)

18. “Future, Past, Imperfect”, (How)

19 “Artificial Unintelligence”, (How)

20. “Working Up the Corporate Ladder”, (How)

21. “Live and Let Live”, (How); 2013 reprinted in Mothership Tales from Afrofuturism and Beyond

22. “Unrequited”, (How); reprinted in

23. “Heart Throb”; Slices of Flesh (Dark Moon Books)

NON-FICTION (21)

1. Nancy Kress interview, (Pirate Writings)

2. Painfreak by G. Houarner book review, (Pirate Writings)

3. Painfreak by G. Houarner book review, (Poison Apple)

4. Pirates of the Universe by T. Bisson book review, (Pirate Writings)

5. The Orange Cat Bistro by Nancy Linde book review, (Pirate Writings)

6. Terry Bisson interview, (Pirate Writings)

7. HWA Stoker Weekend article w/G. Houarner (Hellnotes)

8. NECON 17 convention article (Hellnotes)

9. The Wings of Honneamise, video review w/Brian Addison (Space & Time)

10. Inside the Works by G.Houarner/T.Piccirilli/E.Lee review; (Pirate Writings)

11. Barry Malzberg interview, (Pirate Writings)

12. Going Postal review, (Pirate Writings)

13. KeeneCon 2000 report (DarkEcho)

14. The Cell movie review, www.feoamante.com

15. “Never Consumed, Never Reduced” article, Jobs In Hell online

16. History & My Writing essay, TheAngryBlackWoman blog

17. Introduction to poetry section in book on Neil Gaiman

18. Recognizing Demons and Angels” article, HWA newsletter, Blood & Spades column

19. The Inner Circle, From the Trenches article for HWA Newsletter

20. Keeping Up, From the Trenches article the HWA Newsletter

21. How Geek Girls Will Rule the World, interview

BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL WRITER & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!

BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT #13

Posted by John F. Allen Author on October 18, 2013

TODAY’S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT IS NISI SHAWL!

Nisi Shawl

Nisi Shawl is an American writer who when she was little, I told her middle sister Julie convoluted tales of how she was a mermaid that had come to dwell in the small midwestern town of Kalamazoo, Michigan. This odyssey involved the Saint Lawrence Seaway, several of the Great Lakes, and mysterious underground passages her schoolteacher called aquifers. Her own origin was much simpler, of course; their parents, she explained, had found her in a garbage can.

In 1971, at the age of sixteen, Nisi from Kalamazoo to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan’s Residential College. She took several French courses, Oral History, Cosmology, and a poetry seminar that taught her ten weeks of nothing. Most classes took place in the dorm, and Nisi got a job in the dorm’s library. One day she was startled to notice an extremely short person walking towards me. They were less than two feet high. It took Nisi several seconds to realize that this was a child.

Anyone under a certain age had become alien to her experience. It wasn’t this isolation that led to Nisi dropping out of school. She had an abortion, became depressed and quit going to classes two weeks from finals. She failed to finish her assignments, and left the University without a degree.

Nisi moved into a house called Cosmic Plateau and lived with people who called themselves Bozoes. She paid $65 a month rent and worked part-time as a janitor, an au pair, a dorm cook, an artists’ model. Nisi wrote and performed her writings publicly, at parks and cafes and museums. She learned a lot.

I read Charnas, Russ, Delany, Colette, Wittig. I sent out a horrible story about fornicating centaurs and got a wonderfully sweet rejection letter. Then our landlady kicked all the Bozoes out of Cosmic Plateau, and I had to live by the sweat of my brow.

Nisi worked at a natural foods warehouse, sold structural steel and aluminum, sold used books, got married and joined a band.

In the midst of all of that she kept writing and got better at it.

Nisi’s first science fiction appearance was in the nude. She modelled for one of Rick Lieber’s illustrations for Bruce Sterling’s Crystal Express (the Arkham House hardcover–I’m the Dark Girl of “Telliamed”).

Her first science fiction publication was in Semiotext(e) (see the bibliography below for dates on this and the rest of her print oeuvre). Nisi shared the table of contents with William S. Burroughs, J.G. Ballard, Bruce Sterling, William Gibson and a bunch of less well-known but quite cool others. She states that she owes her part in this literary conspiracty to Crowbar, publisher of the ‘zine Popular Reality.

In 1992 NIsi attended a cyberpunk “symposium” in Detroit. Sterling, in his inimitable manner, supposed that no one in the audience had heard of Semiotext(e), let alone read it, and she was able to retort from the third row that she was in it. So NIsi got to hang out with him, and with Pat Cadigan and John Shirley, which last professional offered to read her stories! He was of the opinion that she could write. He recommended that Nisi attend the Clarion West Writers’ Workshop, where he and Cadigan were to teach that summer.

At Clarion West she learned in six weeks what six years at the University could never have taught her.

Because of Clarion West and another writers’ program in the Puget Sound area (Cottages at Hedgebrook, a retreat on Whidbey Island), Nisi put Seattle near the top of her list when considering a move from Michigan. She’d gotten divorced, sold her house and when she asked her ancestors where she ought to live, they said this was the place.

Her apartment is one block off of the #48 bus route. King County Metro takes Nisi all the way to the beach. Grey and wild, or smooth as oil, the water is unfailingly beautiful. By ways as circuitous as those she described to her sister almost four decades ago, this mermaid has returned to the sea.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.nisishawl.com/Bibliography.html

Please visit Nisi’s website @: http://www.nisishawl.com

BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL WRITER & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!

BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT #12

Posted by John F. Allen Author on October 18, 2013

TODAY’S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT IS JIBA MOLEI ANDERSON!

Jiba Molei Anderson

Jiba Molei Anderson was born in the city of Detroit, MI on August 17, 1972. The son of Liberian mother and and African American father from the Motor City. He was the product of two environments that were similar, but too different for him to fit comfortably into either world. The four-color world was where Jiba found his solace. His father introduced him to the world of speculative fiction and opened the doors of his imagination. Jiba’s desire took him first to the University of Michigan where he obtained his BFA in Illustration and Photography.

He soon traveled to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where he completed his studies earning an MFA in Visual Communications. Jiba paid his dues. He also walked the corporate route working for companies such as DraftFCB, KBA Marketing, Manga Entertainment, Ryan Partnership and Landmark Sign Group. Jiba worked creating websites for companies like On The Street Promotions, ICEE Records, Oopala Fortifying Shampoo and others.

In 1999, he formed Griot Enterprises, a publishing company / creative studio and created its flagship property, The Horsemen.

The first Horsemen volume, Divine Intervention was released in 2002 to critical acclaim with The Horsemen: The Book of Olorun released in 2009. Jiba has also written the educational text Manifesto: The Tao of Jiba Molei Anderson, which focuses on the creation of comics. In addition, he was Lead Writer and Art Director on the graphic novel Hip Hop Chronicles for Spacedog Entertainment in partnership with Universal Music Group.

Jiba is currently working as lead artist/ art director on Taletown, an independent Facebook game for Tuxedoman Entertainment and completed the animated music video, Start A Fight, for the rock band The Ex-Senators. He currently, as Adjunct Faculty at the International Academy of Design and Technology teaching courses in Animation, Game Design and Fashion Design. Recently, He was an Associate Professor at the Illinois Institute of Art – Schaumburg, teaching courses in Animation and Video Game Design. Jiba has also been featured in the book Black Comix and spoken at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art with his book, The Horsemen, being included in The Smithsonian’s permanent library. Jiba’s work is defined by pop culture. From Alphonse Mucha to Frank Frazetta, from comic books and animation to “Grindhouse” films, these “low-brow” creations sparked my imagination. Their bold and shameless design and marketing aesthetic inspire the way that he creates images and brings his message to the masses…and according to him, they are a lot of fun!

_____________________________________________________________________

Check out his website @: http://www.griotenterprises.com

also,

http://www.behance.net/jazintellect

PUBLISHED WORKS:

• The Horsemen: Divine Intervention – Griot Enterprises

• The Horsemen: Book of Olorun – Griot Enterprises

• Manifesto: The Tao of Jiba Molei Anderson – Griot Enterprises

• High Concept – Griot Enterprises/ The Illinois Institute of Art – Schaumburg

• Even More Fund Comics – Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

• JBD: The Devil’s Due (with LaMorris Richmond) – B.L.A.M. Comics/Griot Enterprises

• The Holy Bible: Dignity & Divinity (with Walter D Greason) – Griot Enterprises

• The Horsemen: Mark of the Cloven (with Jude W. Mire) – Griot Enterprises

PRINT: http://indyplanet.com/store/index.php?manufacturers_id=10781

DIGITAL: http://comics.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=359

BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL WRITER & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!

BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT #11

Posted by John F. Allen Author on October 17, 2013

TODAY’S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT IS TANANARIVE DUE!

Tananarive Due

Tananarive Due is an American author and educator born in Tallahassee, Florida. She is the oldest of three daughters of civil rights activist Patricia Stephens Due and civil rights lawyer John D. Due Jr. Tananarive was named her after the French name for Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. She went on to earn a B.S. in journalism from Northwestern University and an M.A. in English literature, with an emphasis on Nigerian literature, from the University of Leeds. While studying at Northwestern, Due lived in the Communications Residential College.

Tananarive serves as the Cosby Chair for the Humanities at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia where she resides. She has written a dozen supernatural suspense novels, including the African Immortals series that began with “My Soul to Keep.” Tananarive won an American Book Award for her supernatural thriller “The Living Blood”, and along with her husband, science fiction author, Steven Barnes, won an NAACP Image Award for the mystery novel “In the Night of the Heat.” Barnes was co-author of the novel and they both worked in collaboration with actor Blair Underwood.

Due worked as a journalist/columnist for the Miami Herald when she wrote her first novel, “The Between,” in 1995. This, like many of her subsequent books, was part of the supernatural genre. Due has also written “The Black Rose”, historical fiction about Madame C. J. Walker (based in part on research conducted by legendary author, Alex Haley (prior to his death) and “Freedom in the Family”, a non-fiction work about the civil rights struggle she co-authored with her mother, Patricia Stephens Due.

She also was one of the contributors to the humor novel, “Naked Came The Manatee”, in which various Miami area authors each contributed chapters to a mystery/thriller parody. Due is also the author of the “African Immortals” novel series and the Tennyson Hardwick novels.

Tananarive is a member of the affiliate faculty in the creative writing MFA program at Antioch University Los Angeles.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Speculative fiction novels

The Between (1995)
The Good House (2003)
Joplin’s Ghost (2005)

African Immortals Series

My Soul to Keep (1997)
The Living Blood (2001)
Blood Colony (2008)
My Soul To Take (2011)

Mysteries

Naked Came the Manatee (1996) (contributor)

The Tenneyson Hardwick novels

Casanegra (2007; with Steven Barnes & Blair Underwood)
In the Night of the Heat (2008; Steven Barnes & Blair Underwood)
From Cape Town with Love (2010; Steven Barnes & Blair Underwood)
South by Southeast (2012; Steven Barnes & Blair Underwood)

Short Stories

“Like Daughter”, Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora (2000)
“Patient Zero”, The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Eighteenth Annual Collection (2001)
“Trial Day”, Mojo: Conjure Stories (2003)
“Afternoon”, Dark Matter: Reading the Bones (2004)
“Senora Suerte”, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (September 2006)

Other works

The Black Rose, historical fiction featuring Madam C.J. Walker (2000)
Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights (2003) (with Patricia Stephens Due)

BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL WRITER & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!