Black Romance Podcast
The Black Romance Podcast features weekly conversations with Black writers, editors, and scholars of historical and contemporary popular romance fiction. Julie Moody-Freeman and guests talk about a range of experiences: their difficulties trying to publish love stories with Black characters; their favorite books; writing and teaching about black romance fiction; traditional vs self-publishing; publishing queer romance fiction; and their recently released books.
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Vivian Stephens-Part two
09/24/2024
Vivian Stephens-Part two
In part 2 of the Vivian Stephens birthday special, she discusses the following: her work at Dell; her transition as editor from Dell to Harlequin; Harlequin’s release of her; her subsequent work with Black romance writers; marketing an all-Black line of Vivian Stephens romance; and her own publication Second Act. This episode originally aired on September 15, 2020. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this episode.
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Vivian Stephens-Part one
09/23/2024
Vivian Stephens-Part one
In honor of Vivian Stephen’s birthday, we are sharing her podcast episode, which first aired on September 8, 2020. In this podcast, Vivian Stephens discusses her experiences as an editor at Dell Publishing, and she talks about her role in the founding of The Romance Writers of America. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at for sponsoring this episode.
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Vanessa Riley
09/17/2024
Vanessa Riley
Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Vanessa Riley, award-winning writer of A Duke The Lady and A Baby. Vanessa Riley is an award-winning author of over twenty-five novels like Island Queen (a GMA buzz pick), A Duke The Lady and A Baby, and the Lady Worthing mystery series (2024 Georgia Author of the Year for Mystery). Her works spotlight hidden narratives of Black women and women of color, emphasizing power, sisterhoods, and family sagas across historical fiction, romance, and mystery genres. With a doctorate from Stanford University and other engineering degrees from Penn State, Vanessa brings a research-oriented approach to her inclusive storytelling about Caribbean, Georgian, and Regency eras. Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers. Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast! Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Aminat Sanni-Kamal
09/10/2024
Aminat Sanni-Kamal
Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Aminat Sanni-Kamal, best-selling Nigerian writer of Amber Fire. Aminat Sanni-Kamal, our first writer who sets her novel in Lagos, Nigeria, writes contemporary and fantasy romance stories, ranging from clean to sweet to spicy. As an introvert, she finds joy in the quieter moments. When she's not writing, she can be found reading, crocheting, watching dramas, occasionally baking, or taking a nap. Aminat also enjoys savoring delicious meals. Her publications include Amber Fire, her three book series, The Kingdom of Idia, her Rebound Series, as well as her Smith Women books series. Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers. Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast! Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Chencia C. Higgins
09/03/2024
Chencia C. Higgins
Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Chencia C. Higgins, best-selling writer of D’Vaughn and Chris Plan a Wedding. Chencia C. Higgins is just a girl from Texas writing about sassy, southern women finding love. In 2019 she won an Emma award for her debut paranormal romance Janine: His True Alpha, and in 2022 her traditionally published debut D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding was named one of the best romances of the year by the New York Times. When she isn't daydreaming about imaginary people, Chencia can be found with her nose in a book (or two, or three), saving recipes on Pinterest for things she’ll never make, and dreaming of traveling even further south for the winter. Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers. Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast! Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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N.G. Peltier
08/28/2024
N.G. Peltier
Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview N.G. Peltier, best-selling writer of Sweethand. N.G. Peltier is an anime watching, book reading, video-game playing, story writing kinda girl. A devourer of words and books from a young age, she enjoys writing romance and creeping people out with the Caribbean folklore stories she grew up hearing. A Trinidadian born and raised, she currently lives in Trinidad with her mountain of ideas and characters battling each other for whose story get told next. She is the author of Sweethand, Don’t Go Baking My Heart, and The Dating Countdown, which will be released in September 2024. Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers. Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast! Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Rebekah Weatherspoon
08/20/2024
Rebekah Weatherspoon
Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Rebekah Weatherspoon, best-selling writer of Harbor. After years of meddling in her friends’ love lives, multi award winning author Rebekah Weatherspoon turned to writing romance to get her fix. Raised in Southern New Hampshire, Rebekah Weatherspoon now lives in Southern California where she will remain forever because she hates moving. With over twenty titles under her belt, Rebekah has covered sub-genres from suspenseful paranormal romance to steamy romantic comedies, and now young adult romance. With everything going on in the world, she still believes in love, the fluffier the better. Look for her young adult romantic comedy out now from Penguin Teen and her most recent adult romance, MEEGAN: A Holidate for Hire. You can find Rebekah and her books at Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers. Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast! Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Kennedy Ryan
08/13/2024
Kennedy Ryan
Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Kennedy Ryan, best-selling writer of Reel. New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Kennedy and her writings have been featured in NPR, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Glamour, Cosmo, Ebony, TIME, and many others. The audio edition of her novel Reel received the prestigious Audie® Award, and her Skyland series is currently in development for television at Peacock. The co-founder of LIFT 4 Autism, an annual charitable book auction, Kennedy has a passion for raising Autism awareness. Dubbed the Queen of Hugs by her readers, she is a wife to her "lifetime lover" and mother to an extraordinary son. Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers. Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast! Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Adriana Herrera
08/06/2024
Adriana Herrera
Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Adriana Herrera, best-selling writer of A Caribbean Heiress in Paris. Adriana Herrera is a USA Today Best Selling and Audie winning author of over a dozen novels. Adriana was born and raised in the Caribbean and loves writing stories about people who look and sound like her, getting unapologetic happy endings. When she’s not dreaming up love stories, planning logistically complex vacations with her family or hunting for discount Broadway tickets, she’s a trauma therapist in New York City, working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers. Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast! Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Beverly Jenkins
07/30/2024
Beverly Jenkins
Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Beverly Jenkins, best-selling writer of Vivid. Beverly Jenkins is the recipient of the 2017 Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the 2016 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for historical romance. She has been nominated for the NAACP Image Award in Literature, was featured both in the documentary “Love Between the Covers” and on CBS Sunday Morning. Since the publication of Night Song in 1994, she has been leading the charge for inclusive romance, and has been a constant darling of reviewers, fans, and her peers alike, garnering accolades for her work from the likes of The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, and NPR. Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers. Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast! Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Seressia Glass
07/23/2024
Seressia Glass
Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Seressia Glass, best-selling writer of Shadow Blade. Seressia Glass is an award-winning author of more than twenty-five contemporary and paranormal romance and urban fantasy stories. Her paranormal series, (Shadowchasers, Sons of Anubis) are steeped in Egyptian mythology. Her follow-up to THE LOVE CON, a story about a Black plus-sized nerd in a cosplaying reality show competition is her latest release GAME ON, about a Black female gamer taking on a game company’s CEO. Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal for Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers. Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast. Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Co-creator, Co-producer, and Co-host of Season 4 of the Black Romance Podcast: Carole Bell @cvbell Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Tia Williams
07/16/2024
Tia Williams
Dr. Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview Tia Williams, best-selling writer of A Love Song For Ricki Wilde. Tia Williams had a fifteen-year career as a beauty editor for magazines including Elle, Glamour, Teen People, and Essence. She’s the author of The Accidental Diva, the It Chicks series, and The Perfect Find—now a Netflix film starring Gabrielle Union. Her novel, Seven Days in June, was an instant New York Times bestseller and a Reese’s Book Club pick. Her latest bestseller, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde, was named one of the year’s best romances by New York Times and Amazon. Tia lives with her family in Brooklyn. Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal for Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers. Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast. Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Season 4 Preview
07/15/2024
Season 4 Preview
In season four, I’m joined by Dr. Carole Bell. Carole is a culture writer, a media scholar, and a romance fan. This season’s focus is on “Pathbreaking Books and New Directions.” We are diving into novels both past and present that have expanded the domain of romance produced by Black writers – works that speak to the complexities of Black experience across different settings and contexts, time periods, spaces, genres, and sites of production. We will talk to an author about a single outstanding book that has broken ground in some way and forged new directions for writers and readers. Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman is the Director of the Center for Black Diaspora, Co-Director of the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, and an Associate Professor in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She is the co-editor of The Black Imagination, Science Fiction, and the Speculative and The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, Futurism, and the Speculative. Her work on African American Romance has appeared in Romance Fiction and American Culture, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction, and the Journal for Popular Romance Studies. She is also the creator and host of the Black Romance Podcast, which is building an oral history on Black Romance writers. Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Grio, and she is a contributor to the Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast. Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a and Miya Jefferson Sound Editor: Miya Jefferson Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Bolu Babalola and Dr. Carole Bell
06/27/2023
Bolu Babalola and Dr. Carole Bell
Julie E Moody-Freeman and co-host Dr. Carole Bell interview best-selling writer of Love in Colour and Honey & Spice Bolu Babalola. Bolu Babalola is a British-Nigerian journalist, writer, and lover of love. In 2016, she was shortlisted in 4th Estate’s B4ME competition for her short story “Netflix & Chill,” a hilarious tale of teen romance. Bolu has worked as a writer for books, TV, press and as a cultural commentator. Dr. Carole Bell is a Jamaican-born communication researcher, writer, and critic with two decades of experience working at the intersection of media, culture, and politics. A lover of books, TV, film and democracy, her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and theGrio and she is a contributor to the recent Black Love Matters essay anthology. She earned her PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism concentrating in political communication, public opinion, and public policy and communication effects. She also holds an MS in Television and Radio from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard College. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast. Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a Sound Editor: Randall Spriggs with @rsvideophoto_media. Website is Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Bette Ford
06/06/2023
Bette Ford
Julie E Moody-Freeman interviews award winning romance writer Bette Ford. Ford is the author of fourteen books including, For Always, Forever After, All the Love, The Prescott Series, and Mrs. Green Girls Series. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast. Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a Sound Editor: Randall Spriggs with @rsvideophoto_media. Website is Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Francis Ray and Anna Larence with Michelle Ray, Ann Fields and Margo Hendricks (Elysabeth Grace)
05/23/2023
Francis Ray and Anna Larence with Michelle Ray, Ann Fields and Margo Hendricks (Elysabeth Grace)
Julie E Moody-Freeman is joined by Race and Romance: Coloring the Past writer Margo Hendricks, by Michelle Ray, and by Ann Fields to discuss Black romance writers Francis Ray and Anna Larence. Francis Ray’s books can be found at: One can find Fields online at: , , , Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast. Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a Sound Editor: Randall Spriggs with @rsvideophoto_media. Website is Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Christina C. Jones and Jessica P. Pryde
04/18/2023
Christina C. Jones and Jessica P. Pryde
In this episode, Julie E Moody-Freeman is joined by Black Love Matters writer and When In Romance podcast co-host Jessica P. Pryde to interview Christina C. Jones, a best-selling romance novelist and digital media creator. They discuss Jones’ self-published romance novels as well as her experiences publishing and marketing romance novels through her self-built online platform. Christina C. Jones’ audio and eBooks can be purchased at . Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University for sponsoring this podcast. Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a Sound Editor: Randall Spriggs with @rsvideophoto_media. Website is Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Jacquelin Thomas with Rochelle Alers
04/04/2023
Jacquelin Thomas with Rochelle Alers
Julie E Moody-Freeman is joined this episode by two best-selling and award-winning romance writers: Rochelle Alers and Jacquelin Thomas. In Season 1 episode 10 of the Black Romance Podcast, Rochelle Alers joined Julie to talk about Alers’ experiences in the romance industry. In this episode, Alers joins as co-host of the show to talk with Jacquelin Thomas about her experiences publishing romance, romantic suspense, mainstream fiction and young adult fiction. In this conversation, Thomas recounts her history of publishing with Kensington Books, Genesis Press, Hachette, Harlequin, Simon & Schuster, and Penguin Putnam. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora for sponsoring this podcast. Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a Sound Editor: Randall Spriggs with @rsvideophoto_media. Website is www.rsvideophoto.media Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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DL White
03/28/2023
DL White
DL White joins Julie E Moody-Freeman to talk about White’s experiences writing, publishing, and marketing romance novels through her self-built online platform. DL White’s eBooks, print, and audio books can be purchased at booksbydlwhite.com/books. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora for sponsoring this podcast. Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a Sound Editor: Randall Spriggs with @rsvideophoto_media. Website is www.rsvideophoto.media Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Natalie Dunbar with Barbara Keaton
03/21/2023
Natalie Dunbar with Barbara Keaton
In this episode, Julie E Moody-Freeman and her co-host romance writer Barbara Keaton speak with award-winning romance writer Natalie Dunbar. They discuss Dunbar’s experiences publishing with Genesis Press, Parker Publishing, Silhouette, and Kimani Arabesque. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul for sponsoring this podcast. Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Marketing and Promotions: Jennifer Gardner @jpgm.a Sound Editor: Randall Spriggs with @rsvideophoto_media. Website is www.rsvideophoto.media Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Seressia Glass
12/09/2022
Seressia Glass
In this episode, Julie E Moody-Freeman speaks with award-winning romance writer Seressia Glass about her experiences publishing with Genesis Press, Parker Publishing, Simon & Schuster, and Berkley. They also discuss Glass's Shadowchasers series and The Love Con. Thanks to the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul for sponsoring this podcast and to Jennifer Gardner for media promotion. Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Sound Editor: Randall Spriggs with @rsvideophoto_media. Website is www.rsvideophoto.media Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Black Romance and Historical Spaces
12/01/2022
Black Romance and Historical Spaces
Join Black Romance authors Katrina Jackson and Elysabeth Grace as they discuss writing Black historical romance. The authors engage the question of readerly and publishing perceptions about the place of African/African diaspora love in historical spaces. For Black romance authors, what does it entail to represent Black love within historical romance? Questions of colorism, sexuality, class, and gender affect perceptions of historical romance fiction. Is historical fiction or women’s fiction the only way to write Black love? Can a genealogy and reading practice for Black historical romance emerge? A genealogy that encourages writers and readers (including agents, publishers, reviewers) to consider different frames of reading the idea of authenticity? The conversation attempts to move beyond the Eurocentric/American focus to look at the role of Black subjectivity (not individualism) as integral to Black historical romance. Finally, the authors seek to encourage Black romance authors and readers, and the wider romance community to re-imagine their relationship to historical romance in general, and Black historical romance in particular. Thanks to @cbddepaul for sponsoring this podcast and to Jennifer Gardner for media promotion. Creator, producer, and host of the Black Romance Podcast: Julie E Moody-Freeman Sound Editor: Randall Spriggs with @rsvideophoto_media. Website is www.rsvideophoto.media Black Romance Artwork: Kyle Gabb @Marciano_arts
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Patricia Vaughn
08/31/2021
Patricia Vaughn
This week historical novelist Patricia Vaughn talks about her experiences writing and publishing her first two historical novels in the 1990’s. She discusses how her agent Vivian Stephens helped her to publish her first historical novel Murmur of Rain with Pocket Books in 1996 and talk about her second Shadows on the Bayou.
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Frederick Smith and Chaz L Cruz
08/24/2021
Frederick Smith and Chaz L Cruz
Co-authors Frederick Smith and Chaz Lamar Cruz discuss In Case You Forgot and their recent release Busy Ain’t The Half Of It. They also discuss the importance of publishing love stories between Black queer characters, how Frederick Smith’s romance novels were inspirational to Chaz, their path to becoming co-authors, and how Chaz’s career as a poet shapes both language and style in their novels.
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Farrah Rochon
08/17/2021
Farrah Rochon
Best-selling writer Farrah Rochon and I talk about her new release The Dating Playbook and also deep dive into several topics: how she wrote and published her 2007 debut novel, Deliver Me, the first in her Holmes Brothers Series; we talk about her New York Sabers Football Series; Bayou Dream Series; Moments in Maplesville Series; and The Boyfriend Project.
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Barbara Keaton
08/03/2021
Barbara Keaton
Barbara Keaton’s first romance novel, All I Ask, was published in 2000. Since then she has gone on to write thirteen romance novels, which celebrate black love. In this episode, we discuss: her experiences publishing with Genesis Press, working with Romance Slam Jam, the mentorship a community of Black writers have provided her, and we deep dive into her novels Nights Over Egypt, Heat at First Sight, and Show Me!.
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Chilufiya Safaa
07/27/2021
Chilufiya Safaa
Chilufiya Safaa is a romance novelist whose books put a fresh twist on African and African American love themes and allow readers to examine what they thought they knew about African and African American people. In this episode, we talk about Safaa’s first novel, A Foreign Affair, published by Kensington Publishing, and Stolen Dreams, self-published. Safaa also talks about her relationship with Vivian Stephens, the writing coach for her first three books.
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Veronica Mixon
07/20/2021
Veronica Mixon
Veronica Mixon, my guest today, was an editor at Doubleday for fourteen years from 1974 to 1988. She recounts her experiences during these years: creating Doubleday’s Starlight Romances, working with many writers, including Barbara Stephens, Millie Ragosta, and Rochelle Alers, building relationships with other Black editors at the time like Marie Brown at Anchor and Vivian Stephens at Dell.
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Eboni Snoe
07/13/2021
Eboni Snoe
Eboni Snoe is the best-selling author of seventeen books. In this episode, we discuss her experiences publishing her first romance novel A Shiek’s Spell with Odyssey Books in 1992 as well as her experiences publishing with Arabesque and Avon Book. We deep dive into her novels Beguiled, Tell Me I'm Dreamin’, her forthcoming autobiography The Altar, and her publishing company Beyond Maya Press.
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Celeste Norfleet
07/06/2021
Celeste Norfleet
Celeste Norfleet, a best-selling writer of over twenty-five novels, joins me this week. We talk about her 2002 debut novel Priceless Gift and its curious ending, which became the inspiration for the novels in her well-loved Mama Lou Matchmaker Series. She discusses her experiences at the beginning of her career, the supportive environment of Romance Slam Jam, and her current release One Night in Georgia.
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