“SEQUEL BAIT”
This week host Melinda continues our Paranormal & Urban Fantasy theme with special guest author Chencia C. Higgins as they discuss the scarcity of inclusive paranormal romance
EP 210 HOSTS
> MELINDA UTENDORF (she/her) was that child reading Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High books with a flashlight until 2 a.m. and checking out stacks of books from the library every week. After getting sick of ‘important’ books in her English degree classes, she turned to romance and HEAs and hasn’t looked back since. Melinda spends her time doing puzzles, listening to podcasts, and helping as admin for @RomanceSparksJoy. When she’s not busy with all of that, she’s a freelance editor or talking about books as @MelindaEdits
> ANA COQUI (she/her) A lifelong genre reader, Ana grew up reading fantasy, sci-fi & mystery novels in Puerto Rico, before finally wandering into the romance section of the library in search of HEA’s after bawling through one too many dystopian novels. When she is not reading, knitting, writing about romance for Love in Panels or running #RomBkLove on Twitter as @anacoqui, Ana is a school librarian
EP 210 GUEST
CHENCIA C. HIGGINS (she/her) Chencia C. Higgins is just a girl from Texas who writes stories in which Black women are loved out loud. In 2019 she won an RSJ Emma award for her debut paranormal romance, Janine: His True Alpha. She resides in Houston with her family. You can visit Chencia’s website at www.therealchencia.com or follow her on Twitter @therealchencia and on Instagram @ohchencia
EP 210 DISCUSSION
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
NOTE: These notes include affiliate links to Bookshop.org and Amazon.com to support the RBP transcript project
NOTE: This episode was recorded in mid-October during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020
> Meka was not able to join us this month, but she sends her love! Love you, Meka!
> Alyssa Cole recs The Wolves of West Texas
Link: https://twitter.com/therealchencia/status/1215670860373164032
> Beverly Jenkins recs The Wolves of West Texas
Link: https://twitter.com/authorMsBev/status/1261303028696694784
> Title: Janine: His True Alpha (Wolves Of West Texas #1)
Author: Chencia C. Higgins
Relation to theme: Shifters
Representation: Black, queer author, Black MCs
Content Warnings: slavery references, paranormal violence
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/35aRHdr
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42935975-janine
> Title: Lenora: His Omega Mate (Wolves Of West Texas #2)
Author: Chencia C. Higgins
Relation to theme: Shifters
Representation: Black, queer author, Black MCs
Content Warnings: slavery references, paranormal violence
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/32qkXeo
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48658876-lenora
> Wolves of West Texas #3 Alicia is due out Dec 7th 2020
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54835448-alicia
> Chencia mentions the Animorphs series as a childhood gateway read to paranormal fiction
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/40442-animorphs
> We love female alphas too!
> Title: The Shifter Bachelor (The Rare & the Unknown #1)
Author: Shai August
Relation to theme: Shifters
Representation: Black author, Black MCs
Content Warnings: paranormal violence
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2IhMhEJ
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42098424-the-shifter-bachelor
> Title: The Cause and the Cure is You
Author: Jessica N. Watkins
Relation to theme: Superhero, urban fantasy
Representation: Black author, Black MCs
Content Warnings: none identified
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/36hLnQF
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35377318-the-cause-and-cure-is-you
NOTE: This is a duet with the HEA at the end of the second book
Bookshop:
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3n5lXwG
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39836976-the-cause-and-cure-is-you-2
> Title: Haunted (Eternally Tethered #1)
Author: Christina C. Jones
Relation to theme: Psychic, supernatural
Representation: Black author, black MCs
Content Warnings: none
Bookshop: unavailable
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3n4BBIt
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25174427-haunted
> Melinda and Chencia highly recommend Wonder by Christina C. Jones, a dystopian retelling of Alice in Wonderland, especially the audio
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54545355-wonder
NOTE: This book was previously discussed on the RBP Best of 2019 episode
> Title: Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing (Big Bad Wolf #4)
Author: Charlie Adhara
Relation to theme: Shifters
Representation: White, queer author, queer MCs
Content Warnings: murder, non-consensual medical procedures, past trauma: child abuse, torture
Bookshop: unavailable
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2U9ifWq
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50818771-wolf-in-sheep-s-clothing
> Melinda and Ana highly recommend Charlie Adhara’s Big Bad Wolf series
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/226484-big-bad-wolf
NOTE: This series follows a single couple and each book ends with an HFN
> Title: Binding Shadows (Tooth & Spell #1)
Author: Jasmine Silvera
Relation to theme: Witchcraft, shifters
Representation: Black author, Black MCs
Content Warnings: references to parental death off page, death of minor characters, work harassment
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3k9qNak
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49231123-binding-shadows
> The Tooth & Spell series is a prequel to the Grace Bloods series by Jasmine Silvera
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/234986-grace-bloods
> Title: Bear With Me
Author: Lucy Eden
Relation to theme: Shifter
Representation: Black author, bi MC
Content Warnings: animal attack resulting in injuries, fated mates scenario, accidental marking
Bookshop: unavailable
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3eFpmPC
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48588208-bear-with-me
> Melinda mentions Mating the Huntress by Talia Hibbert which is another great shifter read
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55517826-mating-the-huntress
> Title: Labyrinth Lost (Brooklyn Brujas #1)
Author: Zoraida Córdova
Relation to theme: Witchcraft
Representation: Latinx, queer author, Latinx, bi MC
Content Warnings: animal death
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/358p94u
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40510987-labyrinth-lost
NOTE: This is YA trilogy with romantic elements
> Book #3 in the Brooklyn Brujas series, Wayward Witch, is on Melinda and Ana’s TBR
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53739717-wayward-witch
> Melinda highly recommends Things Hoped For by Chencia C. Higgins which is NOT paranormal or urban fantasy, but it is an f/f romance
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53009242-things-hoped-for
> After the recording ended we also discussed another Chencia romance with paranormal elements:
>> Title: An Illicit Seduction
Author: Chencia C. Higgins
Relation to theme: Supernatural
Representation: Black, queer author, Black MCs
Content Warnings:
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2U6w87z
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50726461-an-illicit-seduction
> What are your #InclusiveRomance paranormal and urban fantasy favorites? Tag us @RomBkPod or share with us in the comments
Happy Reading!
EP 210 MUSIC CREDIT
Music: “Lift Off” by Jahzzar
From the Free Music Archive
CC BY-SA 3.0
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