Beyoncé, Black Country Music, and The Art of Scandal in Paperback
Plus what I've been reading and a few Black History Month recs
The Art of Scandal Paperback is Coming Soon
If you’ve been waiting for the trade paperback version of The Art of Scandal, you won’t have to wait much longer. It’s coming April 23rd with this beautiful new cover that I cannot stop staring at. It screams sexy, messy, rich folks making sexy, messy choices.
Thoughts on Beyoncé, Black Country Music, and August Lane (2025)
Beyoncé is releasing a country album! I received so many messages about this last night because I’ve been very vocal about how much I needed that cowboy Grammy outfit to manifest as music. I love both new tracks and immediately added them to my playlist for August Lane.
The news about this book dropped last year, but after recent events, I wanted to remind you of what’s coming in 2025 here.
I’ve worked on August Lane since 2021 before The Art of Scandal was sold to my publisher. The original kernel of an idea was a lot older than that (which seems to be a pattern with me). Still, it only solidified when I came across this Rolling Stone article about Linda Martell, the first Black woman to sing at the Grand Ole Opry. It was jarring to realize that I had been listening to country music most of my life and had never heard of such an important figure in Black music history. It made me wonder what else I didn’t know.
It turns out I didn’t know a lot. I didn’t know that the banjo was originally a West African instrument. I didn’t know Tina Turner’s first solo album was a country album called Tina Turns the Country On! I didn’t know that narrative about country music being an inherently white genre was crafted by a music industry that separated the music of Black and white southern artists into race records and hillbilly music to appease segregationists uncomfortable with the two mixing. I discovered amazing new Black country artists, like Mickey Guyton, Rissi Palmer, The War and Treaty, Amethyst Kiah, Allison Russell, and more.
I also learned I'm not alone as a Black country music fan. That’s one thing I hope August Lane does for its Black readers: make them feel seen in a space that has historically made us feel invisible.
If you’re interested in learning more about the history of Black country music, I recommend Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions, a phenomenal blend of history and memoir by Francesca T. Royster. Also, Rissi Palmer has featured country artists of color on her Apple Music show, Color Me Country (named after Linda Martell’s album) for years. Follow her on Instagram to keep up with the latest BIPOC music news. If you want to see a live performance, check out the tour dates for The Black Opry, a touring collective of country, Americana, blues, folk, and roots music acts. And finally, this op-ed by Tressie McMillan Cottom sums up the impact of Black women on the genre and some of the obstacles they continue to face.
That’s not everything, but if you’re interested, hopefully, it’s enough to get you started. While it’s too soon for preorders, you can add August Lane to Goodreads and Storygraph now!
My Neverending TBR
Once I finished my draft, I immediately started thinking of the next project I wanted to tackle. However, my husband suggested I use my early morning writing time to read.
Y’all, I married him for a reason.
My TBR is so backed up, but here are a few I have read and enjoyed lately.
Jewel Me Twice by Charish Reid
I blurbed this one! So fun and steamy. It’s out on July 23rd so order now!
“Is there anything Charish Reid can't write? Jewel Me Twice is a steamy heist thrill ride I never wanted to end. The combustive chemistry between Celeste and Magnus kept me turning the pages of this witty, second-chance love story. These sexy thieves stole my heart.”
1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative by Jami Attenberg
If you’re a writer, I recommend listening to this audiobook while on a social media break. It’s a fantastic way to refocus on creativity if you’re struggling with getting orders on paper.
Lips Like Sugar by Jess K. Hardy
This one comes out on March 28th. If you’re craving a sexy, sweet, Gen X romance, this one’s for you.
“A sweet, sexy knockout of a romance. Mira is fiery but relatable, while Cole is the cinnamon roll grandpa I didn’t know I needed. Jess K. Hardy is giving us the grown-up Gen-X romance we’ve been craving. This forgotten generation might also be the hottest generation.”
Black History Month Recs
It’s Black History Month, and I posted this on Threads on February 1st.
In the spirit of celebrating our joy, life, and rest, I’ll leave with a few book recs that center all three.
All the Black Girls Are Activists: A Fourth Wave Womanist Pursuit of Dreams as Radical Resistance by EbonyJanice Moore
Reel by Kennedy Ryan
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney
South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae
I Think I Might Love You by Christina C. Jones
Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins
I’ll be doing more writing than traveling this year, but I have a few events coming up and will share them as details become available. I’ll definitely be at Steamy Lit Con in August and hope to see some of you there!