BOOKS
“Great stories are truths pretending to be lies.”
YOU WILL DO GREAT THINGS
A young boy's imagination takes off as he gazes at family photos, whisking him off on a fantastical journey. Along the way, the boy tries exciting and bold new things, ventures into unexplored worlds, and forms deep connections with his multicultural heritage and the ancestors who imbue him with the strength and courage to make a difference.
Bestselling author and Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Amerie has written a moving, sweeping, and deeply loving story that is inspired by her own family. It is a celebration of everything our little ones have yet to do: the great, the amazing, the strange, and the new. It's also a lasting reminder that the loved ones in our lives will always be right there beside you—and in our hearts—cheering us on.
Roaring Brook Press - ISBN 9781250817020
A multi-genre YA anthology of bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors challenging the concept of “the geek,” featuring contributions from Amerie, Kalynn Bayron, Terry J. Benton-Walker, Roseanne A. Brown, Elise Bryant, Tracy Deonn, Desiree S. Evans, Isaac Fitzsimons, Lamar Giles, Jordan Ifueko, Leah Johnson, Amanda Joy, Kwame Mbalia, Tochi Onyebuchi, Shari B. Pennant, K. Arsenault Rivera, Julian Winters, and Ibi Zoboi.
A girl who believes in UFOs; a boy who might have finally found his Prince Charming; a hopeful performer who dreams of being cast in her school’s production of The Sound of Music; a misunderstood magician of sorts with a power she doesn’t quite understand, and beyond.
These plotlines and more comprise the eclectic stories found within the pages of Cool. Awkward. Black.–a dynamic, exciting, and expansive collection of stories featuring exclusively Black characters. From contemporary to historical, fantasy to sci-fi, magical to realistic, this anthology celebrates and redefines the many facets of Blackness and geekiness–both in the real world, and those imagined.
Viking BFYR - ISBN 9780593525098
Sixteen tales by bestselling and award-winning authors that explore the Black experience through fantasy, science fiction, and magic.
Evoking Beyoncé's Lemonade for a teen audience, these authors who are truly Octavia Butler's heirs, have woven worlds to create a stunning narrative that centers Black women and gender nonconforming individuals. A Phoenix First Must Burn will take you on a journey from folktales retold to futuristic societies and everything in between. Filled with stories of love and betrayal, strength and resistance, this collection contains an array of complex and true-to-life characters in which you cannot help but see yourself reflected. Witches and scientists, sisters and lovers, priestesses and rebels: the heroines of A Phoenix First Must Burn shine brightly. You will never forget them.
Contributors include Elizabeth Acevedo, Amerie, Patrice Caldwell, Dhonielle Clayton, Jalissa Corriel Somaiya Daud, Charlotte Nicole Davis, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Justina Ireland, Danny Lore, L.L. McKinney, Danielle Paige, Rebecca Roanhorse, Karen Strong, Ashley Woodfolk, and Ibi Zoboi.
Viking BFYR - ISBN 9781984835673
COMING JULY 2017 (BLOOMSBURY)
BECAUSE YOU LOVE TO HATE ME (Bloomsbury)
This unique, New York Times-bestselling YA anthology presents classic and original fairy tales from the villain's point of view. The book's unconventional structure--thirteen of the most influential BookTubers on YouTube join forces (writing-prompt style) with thirteen acclaimed and bestselling authors--gives these mysterious, oft-misunderstood individuals characters a chance to tell their stories, their way.
Like Maleficent or Wicked, these are stories of vengeance, of defiance, of rage. They are stories of pain, of heartbreak, of sorrow. But don't expect a circle of hands. Leave it to the heroes to help the world; villains just want to rule the world. We love to hate them and they hate to be loved, if only because being hated frees them from having to be good.
Contributing authors include bestselling and buzzy names Renée Ahdieh, Soman Chainani, Susan Dennard, Sarah Enni, Marissa Meyer, Cindy Pon, Victoria Schwab, Samantha Shannon, Adam Silvera, Andrew Smith, April Genevieve Tucholke, and Nicola Yoon, with a foreword and a story from anthology editor Amerie.
Bloomsbury - ISBN 9781681197906
"A diverse array of high-profile authors are showcased...and the inclusion of the BookTubers is an interesting idea that allows for a range of perspectives. The concept alone is enough to draw readers, so stock up—it’s never been so fun to be bad."
-- Booklist
"...an explosively entertaining joy ride of villainous goodness."
-- Kirkus
“Writing honestly about the human condition rarely leads to answers, but more questions.”
“I write because I must write.
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I began at the age of seven, stories of fairies and pirates and witches and phantoms. (My pirates were always female and always “impetuous” because to seven-year-old me, that was the coolest thing a girl could be. Cue to the time I stuck a crayon up each nostril and, somehow forgetting myself for a moment, sniffed a bit too hard.)
There are a few commonalities within my writing: an obvious love for the fantastical, whether it be science-fiction or fantasy or somewhere between; an exploration of morality and ethics, good and evil, and wondering if any of these even exist; and mostly, I do my best to examine the greatest conflict there is, as Faulkner (and the great George R.R. Martin) put it: “the human heart in conflict with itself.” No matter how exotic the set dressing, at the core of every great story are very real human beings–real emotion and conflict. Somewhere between the lines we read, there we are.
So yes, I write because I must write. But I also write to find myself.”
