Audra Russell chats with author Edwina Martin-Arnold. Edwina Martin-Arnold is the author of several romance books. She is a hopeless romantic, and a true believer in happily ever after. However, Edwina knows that the path to real love is rarely straight forward. To the contrary, it’s often paved with many turns and a peril or two, in real life and in the stories she creates. When Edwina isn’t daydreaming about love, she’s using her law degree to fight for Civil Rights or is coaching basketball. ...
Feb 11, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 47
Audra Russell speaks on literary blackface in the publishing industry. Anything Goes is a new monthly segment of Between the Reads. Sometimes fun, sometimes serious, but always informative, these episodes will talk about issues related to Black Indie authors. So sit back, relax, and enjoy! And if this made you uncomfortable... GOOD! Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue t...
Feb 02, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Audra Russell chats with author Sharita Britten. SHARITA BRITTEN from Philadelphia Pennsylvania is the author of the urban novel, Bottom Black Beauty. She published her debut coming-of-age novel in October 2020 through her publishing company, Black Beauty Publishing LLC, and it has received rave reviews. Her other works include a compilation of poems that talk about love, healing and her life experiences, which she plans on releasing later this year. Bottom Black Beauty can be purchased on her w...
Jan 26, 2021•27 min•Season 2Ep. 45
Daneal Brown has been creative all of his life, but he didn’t start focusing his creativity on writing until he began attending high school in Atlanta, GA. His writing started out as poetry, which later became raps. Being a huge rap music fan, Daneal tried his hands at many rap styles, but storytelling became his signature style. One day Daneal was scrolling down his Facebook timeline and saw a post that dared him to write a short description of the picture. This brought back his love for writin...
Nov 24, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Audra Russell chats with author and entrepreneur J. Cerrone of Paper-Chase Publications. J. Cerrone Smith is a native of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with roots in the south side of Chicago, Illinois, and Harlem, New York City. He specializes in urban literature that doesn’t glorify street life, but rather cautions against it. In 2013, he began his writing career in earnest with the founding of Paper-Chase Publications, an independent publishing company. His writing career has continu...
Nov 24, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Audra Russell chats with author Barbara Joe Williams. Barbara Joe Williams is a bestselling author, indie publisher, publishing consultant, proofreader, and editor living in Tallahassee, Florida. She is a Navy veteran, a graduate of Tallahassee Community College, and Florida A & M University. She has published over thirty titles including romance, women’s fiction, and nonfiction. Her latest titles are: Loving My Daddy to Death and Say My Name. We chat about her novella, Loving My Daddy to De...
Nov 17, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Audra Russell speaks with author & entrepreneur Trish Ahjel Roberts. Trish Ahjel Roberts is a blogger, self-actualization coach, yoga and meditation instructor, reiki practitioner, retreat organizer, and founder of Black Vegan Life (TM) and HoneyButterflyz Wellness & Transformation. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and attended Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. She holds a Bachelor's degree from the Metropolitan College of New York and an MBA from Long Island University. She ha...
Nov 09, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Audra Russell speaks with horror author Aminah Iman. Aminah Iman left her job to write in 2005 and is the author of 18 books, all published under Red Ink Publications (of which she is CEO). She clearly loves what she does and has a big heart for helping other authors find success. She took newcomers Jaqueline Stone, Nefertiti and Omega in to rally the all women of color publication house. She started writing at a young age and believes, whether read, spoken, or written, words are the essence of ...
Oct 31, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Audra Russell chats with award-winning author Steven Van Patten. Brooklyn native Steven Van Patten is the author of the critically acclaimed Brookwater’s Curse trilogy, about an 1860s Georgia plantation slave who becomes law enforcement within the vampire community. Steven's short fiction includes contributions to nearly a dozen horror anthologies, including the Stoker Award nominated New York State of Fright. A collection of short horror and dark fiction stories entitled Hell At The Way Station...
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Audra Russell chats with author JeanNicole Rivers. Jean Nicole is a National Black Book Festival award-winner and author of two psychological horror novels, Black Water Tales: The Unwanted and Black Water Tales: The Secret Keepers. She has also garnered awards for her screenplay, If I Die, from multiple film festivals including the Shivers International Film Festival (Canada). Currently, she is working through the third installment of her Black Water Tales series currently titled To the Moon and...
Oct 12, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Audra Russell chats with author Aryka Nicole Moore. Aryka N. Moore, Esq. is an Illinois native who received her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She then went on to attend Georgia State University’s College of Law to receive her Juris Doctorate. Ms. Moore is admitted to practice law in Missouri and Georgia. She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and the Mound City Bar Association. Ms. Moore also volunteers with the Ferguson Legal Defense team. Her p...
Oct 06, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Audra Russell chats with author & entrepreneur Leslie Crawford. Leslie Crawford is a rising literary mogul in her own right. She is successfully navigating the pages of her own story right before our eyes. With over 10 years of experience, she has self-published four books of her own while also guiding other authors. Leslie began Exposed Books Publishing, LLC in 2013 in Baltimore, MD. In 2018 she was able to turn her passion into her full-time business. She strives to give authors their lite...
Sep 22, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Audra Russell chats with author B. Reads. Brittany, better known by her Pen Name— B. Reads, is a Self-Published Author, new to the literary scene. Born and raised in White Plains, NY, B. Reads has always had a love for reading and writing. With creative expression as her God-given gift, pen & paper were never too far from her reach. She's read countless books with a mixture of genres, but Urban and Contemporary Fictions always resonated with her, becoming her foundation for her own ground-br...
Sep 22, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Audra Russell chats with author Black Rose. Born in Linwood, California and raised on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, Sonya McNair a.k.a Black Rose is a writer with a goal of focusing on real subjects and issues that are both entertaining but bring healing and understanding to her audience. Starting off her career writing plays and skits for her local church, Black Rose later expanded herself into writing novels which had been her dream since she was sixteen years of age. Though her first bo...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Audra Russell chats with author Tasheea Nicholson about her book, Camping Noire: The Black Girls Guide to Surviving a Weekend Unplugged. We have a great time laughing and talking about Black women camping! Fair warning: you are gonna laugh at some of the stories we have to tell. So grab your favorite beverage, sit back, and enjoy! Please support this independent podcast. Every little bit helps me continue to bring you new and exciting content. By supporting BTR, you'll be helping me continue to ...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Audra Russell chats with author Janae Marie. Janae Marie was born in Detroit, Michigan. She received her first college degree in Media Arts and Studies from Wayne State University. Later, she relocated to California, where she pursued and received her second degree in Broadcast Journalism. Janae published her first book, Flirting with Temptations at the age of 25, then later published two more books before the age of 30: Daddy's Home and Double Take. Her latest novel, Besties, is available now a...
Aug 25, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Audra Russell chats with Christian fiction author D.A. Bourne. D.A. Bourne is the author of THE PHAT FIVE series, an urban Christian tale of five friends who go through personal drama during a spiritual journey. Originally, the first two books (That Crazy Weekend, Part 1 and 2) were written as one book called Crazy Drama in 2007. He then followed up with a standalone novel called Unshaken in 2013. It was during the period from 2008-2018 when D.A didn't know how to move forward as a writer. D.A k...
Aug 18, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Audra Russell chats with author Michelle Richards-Graham. While her dream of becoming an author had been sparked when she was 6 years old, Michelle Richards-Graham had no idea that her worst nightmare would become the inspiration behind her very first book. She wrote the first draft of her novel It Could Never Happen to Me when she was 14 years old after being molested. Through her writing and with the support of loved ones, Michelle was able to overcome and decided to publish the book in 2004 w...
Aug 11, 2020•47 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Audra Russell chats with author Peter Dowdy. Thirty-three-year-old Peter Roshan Dowdy from Houston, Texas, has geared his life to be a prime example in his community as the ultimate entrepreneur, and at his age, he's just getting started. As an Architecture graduate from the well-known HBCU, The Prairie View A&M University, he's taken his journey to compile his life's interests into each of his business ventures. Since drawing designs such as cars, shoes, and houses at the age of 17, he's gr...
Aug 04, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Audra Russell chats with author Keith Kareem Williams. Keith Kareem Williams is the author of over 20 books and 7 screenplays. He still resides in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York, where he delicately balances his time between his responsibilities as a single father and the challenges of being a full-time author. In interviews, one of the most difficult questions he’s been asked is, ‘What genre are your novels?’ because honestly, he never writes with any particular style in mind. He enjoys ble...
Aug 04, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Audra Russell chats with author and poet Tiffany Richardson. Tiffany Richardson is author of “The Colored Line” & “Whispers of Africa”. She is co-founder of Big Black Chapters, a forum dedicated to showcasing the literary contributions of Black writers, especially indie authors of color. Tiffany has been published in Publisher’s Weekly and is a poet, a mother, a fan of Shakespeare, tragic love stories, cheesy love stories, Michael B. Jordan, and wine. Join Audra as she chats with Tiffany abo...
Jul 27, 2020•47 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Audra Russell chats with author Chase Bolling. Chase Bolling is an indie author from Bridgeport, Connecticut. He's a soldier of the struggle, who has been about that life and is now patiently awaiting the revolution. To pass the time, he crafts rhymes, write books, studies military field manuals, Talhoffer, and other historical martial arts... while listening to rap music. Make of that, what you wish. Chase was raised with a deep connection to his African and Native American roots and involved i...
Jul 20, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Audra Russell chats with author and entrepreneur N.D. Brennan. In 1998, a successful young entrepreneur, technology innovator, and writer, N.D. Brennan, attempted to purchase a Mercedes Benz from a local dealership in Atlanta, Georgia. It was after he had been credit approved, that this young radical, cornrowed professional African American man was suddenly approached by the owner of the dealership. Mr. Brennan had purposely deviated from his traditional corporate appearance of a low-cropped hai...
Jul 07, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Audra Russell chats with author, publisher, and fellow podcaster Chelsea Lockhart of Written in Melanin Publishing. Chelsea is a twenty-something writer of romance who dibbles and dabbles in fantasy and dystopian – the genre can change as long as she is exploring relationships and what it means to have a connection with other people. She has been writing since she was 14 and it’s what she loves to do. Keeping Promises is the first book of many she plans to write. Aside from being a writer, Chels...
Jul 03, 2020•2 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Audra Russell chats with author and poet Joel Atterberry. One of Harlem’s own, born, bred, and raised on the west side of town, Joel Atterberry absorbed everything that Harlem was around him socially, culturally, and artistically, including everything from the characters that paraded the blocks before, presently and after him from their hustling spirit for survival to the style of fashion these citizens projected as they navigated the concrete jungle. Inspired by the spirit of the greats Langsto...
Jun 30, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Audra Russell chats with author M.J. Felder. M.J. Felder is a Native New Yorker who hails from the Eastside of Buffalo. He is a career Firefighter in the Buffalo Fire Department and has been working with the inner city youth of Buffalo for over 20 years. He also writes and performs personalized spoken word pieces for various events. SOUL OF A KNIGHT: The Knight’s Birth, is his Debut Novel, and is the first in the Urban Fantasy Epic trilogy. He is currently working on the second installment. We a...
Jun 30, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Audra Russell chats with author, poet, publisher, and fellow podcaster Cordell Grooms. Cordell Grooms has been writing poetry and short stories for more than 25 years. Blessed with a natural born ability of transforming words into visual expression, many of his tales depict life in the inner-city and the quest for survival. In addition to his writing he is an Educator, Podcaster, Basketball Historian, and former Sports Administrator at the college level for over 14 years. We keep it real in this...
Jun 16, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Audra Russell chats with forensic toxicologist, entrepreneur, and author Tamykah Anthony. Tamykah Anthony is a passionate and award winning Forensic Toxicologist with a deep love for the community. She is also an entrepreneur and educator. She serves as a mentor, role model, and an inspiration to children and women, specifically those in the Brooklyn community where she grew up. Her book, Diary of a MisEducated Baby Mama, is a raw autobiographical poetic memoir that is unapologetically honest ab...
Jun 09, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Audra Russell chats with author T.H. Moore about his book, I AM. T.H. Moore is a Southwest Philadelphia native who relocated to Camden, New Jersey at the age of ten. He’s an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Morgan State University. His career as an Information Technology Consultant and Real-Estate investor has afforded him the opportunity to travel to many countries all over the world as well as the majority of the United States. Blend...
May 29, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Audra Russell chats with author, editor, and literary agent Felice Laverne Felice Laverne is Creative and Editorial Director of Art + Deco Agency and a renowned book editor, having edited Zerlina Maxwell’s The End of White Politics among others. She is a graduate of Georgia State University and Kingston University in London. Her essays and short fiction have been published in Padmore Culture and Kingdoms in the Wild, respectively. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area but was originally born a...
May 12, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 18
