Join Niccara as she welcomes Arriel Vinson, Reese's Book Club LitUp Fellow and debut author, to the pod! We talk about her novel-in-verse, "Under the Neon Lights", the power of Black girls with big names, and how change—whether it's gentrification, divorce, or growing up—creates opportunities for freedom and belonging.

YA lovers, especially those who appreciate stories centered on Black girlhood, identity, and community, this episode is for you! Make sure you pick up "Under the Neon Lights" from where you get your books!

Follow us at: @butmakeitbookspod @thebookishhottie

Follow & Find Arriel Vinson: arriwrites.com & @arriwrites

Use my Mahogany Books link here using code BMIB.

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Mentioned in this episode:

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

The Seven Daughters of Dupree Pre-Order Offer

 Nikisha Elise Williams, the host of the Black and Published podcast, is celebrating the release of her forthcoming novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. This historical fiction novel is about the secrets kept between mothers and daughters over the course of seven generations and is told backwards in time from 1995 to 1860. The Seven Daughters of Dupree will be released on January 27th, 2026, but is available for pre-order now at MahoganyBooks.com. Please consider pre-ordering The Seven Daughters of Dupree today.

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

Join Niccara as she welcomes Aricka Alexander, Young Adult Romance & Queer Adult Romance writer, to the pod! We talk about her newest release, "Where There's Smoke", growing up in the South, and how love is driving force for what we do and inspiration that we find right in front of us.

Romance lovers, especially my sapphic romance lovers, this episode is for you! Make sure you pick up "Where There's Smoke" from where you get your books!

Follow us at: @butmakeitbookspod @thebookishhottie

Follow & Find Aricka Alexander: instagram & website

Use my Mahogany Books link here using code BMIB.

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Mentioned in this episode:

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

The Seven Daughters of Dupree Pre-Order Offer

 Nikisha Elise Williams, the host of the Black and Published podcast, is celebrating the release of her forthcoming novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. This historical fiction novel is about the secrets kept between mothers and daughters over the course of seven generations and is told backwards in time from 1995 to 1860. The Seven Daughters of Dupree will be released on January 27th, 2026, but is available for pre-order now at MahoganyBooks.com. Please consider pre-ordering The Seven Daughters of Dupree today.

Join Niccara as she welcomes K.Powell, a thriller writer you need to know about! We talk about her newest release, Say I Do and explore the lines between love, obsession, possession, and what it means to be the last woman standing.

Thriller lovers, this episode is for you! Make sure you pick up "Say I Do" from where you get your books!

Follow us at: @butmakeitbookspod @thebookishhottie

Follow & Find K.Powell: instagram & website

Use my Mahogany Books link here using code BMIB.

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Mentioned in this episode:

The Seven Daughters of Dupree Pre-Order Offer

 Nikisha Elise Williams, the host of the Black and Published podcast, is celebrating the release of her forthcoming novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. This historical fiction novel is about the secrets kept between mothers and daughters over the course of seven generations and is told backwards in time from 1995 to 1860. The Seven Daughters of Dupree will be released on January 27th, 2026, but is available for pre-order now at MahoganyBooks.com. Please consider pre-ordering The Seven Daughters of Dupree today.

Join Niccara as she welcomes Tanvier Peart, social advocate by day and giving us the feels at night! We talk about her newest release, Tender Offer and explore second chances, redemption, growth, social advocacy layered in romances, and cinnamon role main characters.

You won't regret listening to this conversation. Make sure you pick up "Tender Offer" from where you get your books!

Follow us at: @butmakeitbookspod @thebookishhottie

Follow & Find Tanvier Peart: instagram & website

Use my Mahogany Books link here using code BMIB.

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Join Niccara as she welcomes the masterminds behind one of the biggest Black book festivals, the Black Romance Book Festival. We talk about how this amazing event sold out in 30 minutes (30 MINUTES?!), why Black romance, the healing power of community and love and so much more.

Lock in to this amazing conversation. Come for the vibes but stay for the healing. Remember tickets go on sale on August 15th.

Follow us at: @butmakeitbookspod @thebookishhottie

Follow & Find Black Romance Book Festival: instagram & website

Use my Mahogany Books link here using code BMIB.

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Join Niccara as she welcomes USA Today bestselling author Kristina Forest, whose mission centers on writing the books she wished she had as a young Black teenager. In this powerful conversation, we explore how Black romance serves as a source of healing and affirmation for readers across both YA and adult genres. Kristina opens up about her journey of crafting stories that intentionally showcase Black joy, healthy family dynamics, and the transformative power of love through works like her Greene Sisters series, "The Neighbor Favor," "The Partner Plot," and her latest YA novel "Heartsick."

Whether you're seeking books that affirm and transforms, this conversation offers healing romance and coming-of-age stories, this is an episode for you!

Follow us at: @butmakeitbookspod @thebookishhottie

Follow & Find Kristina Forest: instagram & website

Use my Mahogany Books link here using code BMIB.

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Join Niccara as she welcomes indie thriller writer, Desiree Moodie to discuss her newest novel, "The Perfect Mother".

*Some Spoilers*

In this conversation, the desperation, the messiness, and the unspoken truths of motherhood through the pages and genre of her newest thriller following Dawn and Evelyn in an idyllic suburban town that hides more within the seemingly perfect lawns and picturesque homes.

Make sure you get "The Perfect Mother" as well as her other works!

Follow us at: @butmakeitbookspod @thebookishhottie

Follow & Find Desiree : site, instagram, Substack

Use my Mahogany Books link here using code BMIB.

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Join Niccara as she welcomes a fellow Black book influencer, Lakia Barr at Kia's Korner who mission is focused on how to get people excited about reading, and increasing the visibility and support for Black authors and Black books.

In this conversation, we talk hidden truths we find in the pages of our favorite reads, self discovery through literature, and how books have a way to bring squared with the realizations about ones' self.

If you are looking for additional reflection through the pages of your favorite reads, this is an episode for you!

Follow us at: @butmakeitbookspod @thebookishhottie

Follow & Find Lakia : site, instagram, Goodreads

Use my Mahogany Books link here using code BMIB.

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!