Happy Friday my froomies!
This week has been a long one for me, but also it was a good one! I have been reading (GASP I KNOW) and I have been loving every minute of it.
As February comes to a close, I want to remind you that black books, media, authors, etc. exist outside of the month, so I encourage you to continue adding black books and authors to your TBR throughout the year, and not just during Black History Month.
And on that note, here is another author that I want to see on more people's list!
The author in the spotlight today is.......
JESSICA CAGE!
Jessica's books showed up on my page with two single words, "Booty Juice". Now if were as taken aback and intrigued as I was, then you also sped to her page to inquire on the book that started with the aforementioned words. As soon as I read I Accidentally Summoned a Demon Boyfriend, I knew this was my type of book.
Most of you know that I am a lover of monster romance novels. They are glimpses of humanity translated from non-humans. They live, breathe through different methods, and love. The connections they form run deep because we remove the expectations that we place on humanity and see the love that we often search for. It can be used as a tool of self reflection as to finding the sort of love we crave as well as understanding more about us as human beings. There is something so beautiful whenever this is translated by Black authors and in Black stories, because it adds a deeper layer to the conversation and how society sees the "monster vs the man" argument. I say this because Jessica does this, bringing unabashedly black characters who are funny due to Black colloquialisms and mannerisms, but also has glimpses into society. We root for these characters because they mirror people I have seen in my day to day life as well as wanting them to succeed past the outside pressures that wish to tear them down.
Now, how did I get all of that from "booty juice", you may be wondering. Well, I shall get to that point! Take for example, the character Jericha Brown from the third book in the Accidents Happen series, I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker. Jericha is a badass woman who has worked hard to get where she is, a no nonsense boss of her security firm. She is bold and brass in a way that I have seen many a Black women, and also misunderstood to her more non-black counterparts. She knows that her personality can be seen as "too much" but never lets that hold her back. In fact, she shows up and lets it be know that she is breaking that glass ceiling, because to hell with that.
This is just an example of the characters that Jessica creates that are interwoven with humor and baddassery, and you can tell that it just springs from her as both a person and an author. She talks, on her author page, that she was told that "There is no money in writing" and, for a time, let that narrative stop her but not anymore. What would the world be if we listened to the narrative that our dreams are only worth what monetary value that they can produce? Certainly not one that I or many other Black creatives would wish to be a part of.
And so, we shape the world by our work, creating the spaces that are necessary for others to thrive. Jessica does this in droves, and I cannot wait to dive more into her works.
And so, if you take anything away from this, do take the time to read her books. Not only are you going to laugh from the absolute fun you are going to have, but you are helping to contribute to someone so kind and amazing.
Find out more about Jessica Cage on her website:
https://www.jessicacage.com/books
