More than ever, romance novels featuring men and women of color are raking in big bucks for publishers and self-publishers, reports an NPR story.
Writers of ethnic romances like Brenda Jackson and Michelle Monkou are two authors that have experienced success writing love stories featuring African-American characters:
Jackson makes sure her books are saturated with black culture and customs. Her heroines and heroes have money (sometimes inherited, often made through hard work), and are connected to their families and communities.
Jackson’s latest is Dreams of Forever, under Harlequin’s Kimani Arabesque imprint. Of course, the patron saint of ethnic romance writing is How Stella Got Her Groove Back author Terry McMillan, whom Monkou credits with making ethnic romance mainstream:
“[The book] gave mainstream publishers a peek into the appetite of [ethnic] readers, and they got interested and presented imprints for it.” And the books have been selling briskly ever since. The advent of e-books has boosted sales even more, Monkou says, because authors have more control over their product.
Monkou’s most recent book, The Millionaire’s Ultimate Catch, is also published by Kimani Arabesque.
Here are a few more African-American romance authors we love:
Here’s to women of all colors, shapes, and sizes being represented in mainstream fiction.
[NPR]
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