giveaways

Want to win a free copy of A Wish After Midnight or The Door at the Crossroads? Then stop by the El Space blog and enter Linda’s giveaway by May 5! While you’re there you can also read the interview we did. Here’s a glimpse:

El Space: In a recent Huffington Post article, you stated, “Self-publishing is, for me, an act of radical self care—and self-love.” Could you unpack that a little for us?
Zetta: Audre Lorde once wrote that self-care is political warfare because it is an act of resistance. When you live in a society that is committed to destroying and/or denigrating Black people—and Black women in particular—then choosing to be gentle with yourself means a lot. It means you reject all the messages you’re receiving about your worth. Self-love insists that you are worthy and deserving of care and kindness and compassion. Black women do a lot for others but we don’t always remember to make ourselves a priority. Then add publishing to the mix and you’ve got an industry dominated by white women that largely excludes Black women. When I self-publish, I’m pushing back against the implicit message that my work doesn’t matter to them. It matters to me and it matters to the members of my community, so I don’t need to look outside myself and my community for permission to tell my tales.

I’ve also set up a Crossroads giveaway on Goodreads but that won’t start until May 2 and winners will be announced on May 23.

I had 4 blank squares on my calendar this week but, of course, my days filled up and so now it’s Wednesday and I haven’t yet worked on The Ghosts in the Castle. I’ve got over 6K words written so there isn’t much more to write. Wish I could hop across the pond and finish the novel in London, but I really need to stay put for a while. Charity Russell, the illustrator who worked on Wave and Let the Faithful Come, used to live in Windsor so I’m hoping I can get her to do the b&w illustrations. But first I have to finish the book…