FADERS AND ALPHAS SERIES
For most of my life, I’ve enjoyed movies and books that center fantasy characters and superheroes. Yet I always wondered, “why are all these superheroes, sci-fi badasses, and otherwise magical characters mostly straight white guys?” Sure, we had Storm, Blade, and Spawn while I was growing up in the 90s. We even had Angela Bassett kicking ass in Strange Days.
In the 2010s, more black fantasy and science fiction books targeting teens and the YA reading crowd hit the scene. But black fantasy and science fiction for adults remains limited. For the adult crowd, we got Saga by Brian K. Vaughn. We also finally got Black Panther, Black Lightning, and Thunder. Just a handful of adult black superheroes and fantasy characters who are more than background noise. “But that can’t be it,” I told myself. “We can’t just be relegated to a sprinkling of Marvel and DC characters.”
“When you understand the nature of a thing…you know what it’s capable of.”
Blade
Once I realized I was capable of creating the characters I desperately wanted, I decided to take matters into my own hands. It was time for me to write the fantasy and superhero stories I wanted to read, stories where those of us on the margins (black, queer, working class) are superheroes, magical, and sometimes just regular people trying to figure out life. But I didn’t set about this task alone. I realized I needed a partner in crime, another person who shared my yearning for more representation. My partner, Lornett B. Vestal.
Lornett and I decided to take an unprecedented leap of faith as writers. No, I’m not talking about the fact that we decided to get married. That came later. First, we decided to embark upon co-writing an adult-oriented fantasy and science fiction series that starts with a bored and underpaid Chicago schoolteacher who has unique abilities. From there, the story developed into more than we expected and became what is now the Faders and Alphas series.
We released the first book, Eve and the Faders, in January 2021 to great reception and launched a web show for bookclubs and fans of the story. The second and final novel, Aya and the Alphas, hits stores on June 1, 2022.
Check out the short stories that provide a glimpse into the events after Eve and the Faders and lead to the world readers see in the second book, Aya and the Alphas! If you are interested in staying up-to-date about all things Faders and Alphas (giveaways, discounts, and more), be sure to sign up for my quarterly newsletter or follow me on Instagram!
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