Wayne Jordan
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I live on the beautiful tropical island of Barbados which is known for its shimmering crystal-clear waters and golden sands. I'm a high school teacher who always dreamed of being a published author. I didn't know, at that time, what I wanted to write, but following the advice of a few online author friends, I decided to write romance, a genre, which I read and enjoyed. In 2003, after winning the Heart & Soul Aspiring Authors' Contest (at the annual Romance Slam Jam Conference), an editor at the then BET Books, Demetrial Lucas, read and made me an offer. CAPTURE THE SUNRISE was released in November 2005, as part of a two-in-one volume, SLOW MOTION. I write contemporary romance and category romance which features black heroes and heroines.
I've always been an advocate for romance, in particular, romance which features a black hero and heroine. I've watched the publishing industry and find the categorising of the books, we black authors write, as shades of our past, rooted in slavery and segregation. We write contemporary, mystery, romanctic suspense and in all the other genres. As far as I know there is no genre called African-American.
https://www.waynejordan.net/
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Margie Walker
RRAW Legend Honoree
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Margie Walker is the author of 14 novels (11 romance, romantic suspense and mystery titles with Kensington and the now defunct Marron Publishers) and three self-published — “A Slice of Reparations” mystery, In Blood Only romantic suspense (also directed the short video) and Stolen Moments, a psychological romantic suspense.
Since winning the Spirit of Moondance at the 2012 Moondance International Film Festival for the short screenplay “Tryin’ Times” (also produced the short video on Vimeo), Margie committed to learning the craft of screenwriting and film making. She was a Second Rounder at the 2017 Austin Film Festival with “Plum Blossoms,” and recently edited the feature screenplay “The Sound of Glass” by the talented writer/director Ricardo Bates.
Margie is a graduate of Texas Southern University with degrees in Speech Communication. She did post graduate studies at Colorado State University (communication) and University of Houston (anthropology).
https://www.margiewalker.net/
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Emma Rodgers
RRAW Legend Honoree
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Entrepreneur Emma Rodgers was born on September 16, 1944 in Niagara Falls, New York. Rodgers completed her freshman year at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas in 1966.
In 1977, Rodgers co-founded a mail order business for books, which eventually became the retail store, Black Images Book Bazaar in Dallas, Texas. Rodgers’ support for African American authors, in association with Black Images Book Bazaar, brought commercial success and critical acclaim to numerous authors, including J. California Cooper, Edward P. Jones, E. Lynn Harris, and Edward Ball. In 1995, Rodgers founded Romance Slam Jam, an African American book genre conference event. The following year, Rodgers was selected as a member of the U.S. Information Agency Corridors of Culture team, which presented works at the “Muse to Marketplace” symposium in Accra, Ghana, Harare, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. In 2005, she organized and led a trip to Ghana for students from ROPP, Inc., an enrichment program for teenage girls. Black Images Book Bazaar closed its doors in 2006. However, Rodgers continued to hold book signings for established and upcoming authors. Since 2007, she served four terms on the Dallas City Planning and Zoning Commission.
Rodgers was an active participant in her community and has been involved with numerous organizations. She served as a board member for TeCoTheatrical Productions, and during the summers, Rodgers taught classes at the annual day camp. She was also the director for the Dallas Civil Rights Center, and served as a board member for Quuenhyte Publishers, and as a member of the advisory board for the Black Writer’s Alliance. She also facilitated a monthly book club and served as a publicist for the annual Irma P. Hall Theater Arts Festival.
She was the recipient of many awards and honors for her service to the community. In 2003, the Emma Award, which honored excellence in romance-action literature, was named in her honor. She was also the recipient of the Wordspace Award for Outstanding Support of Literature in 2004 and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Golden Soror of the Year in 2016. The Emma Rodgers Learning Laboratory was dedicated at Bishop Arts Theater in 2009.
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Iris Bolling
USA Today Bestselling Author | Film Director and Producer
Siri Austin Entertainment
USA Today bestselling author Iris Bolling published her first novel, Once You’ve Touched the Heart in 2008. This self-published work was the first installment to the popular Heart Series which has captivated the hearts of readers and catapulted her name into the many hearts and minds of romance readers across the world.
https://irisbolling.com/
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USA Today Bestselling Author | Film Director and Producer
Siri Austin Entertainment
Cyrus Webb
Media Personality | Amazon Reviewer | Host of Conversations LIVE | Editor of Conversations Magazine | Cyrus Webb Presents.
Cyrus Webb Presents
Author * Host of Conversations Live & Cyrus Webb Presents * Editor of Conversations Mag * Top Book and Product Reviewer.
https://linktr.ee/cyruswebbpresents
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Media Personality | Amazon Reviewer | Host of Conversations LIVE | Editor of Conversations Magazine | Cyrus Webb Presents.
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Brenda Jackson
NT Times & USA Today Award Winning Author
RRAW Feature Author
https://www.brendajackson.net
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NT Times & USA Today Award Winning Author
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Sharon C. Cooper
USA Today Bestselling Author
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https://www.sharoncooper.net/
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Andrew Grey
Award Winning Author
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https://andrewgreybooks.com
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AJA .
Award Winning Author
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https://ajathewriter.com/
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Monica Walters
Award Winning Bestselling Author
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https://www.authormonicawalters.com
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Rona D. Drinkard
Award Winning Author
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https://ronadwrites.com
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Mel Walker
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https://www.authormelwalker.com
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