Pearls: Fiction & Nonfiction

The following authors will be reading excerpts from their work: Rita Potter, SA Mossman, Becca Spence Dobias, Kimberly Dark, Christiana Harrell, and Kenni York.

• Rita Potter, Upheaval (As We Know Book 1),
• SA Mossman, Last Night at the Fremont,
• Becca Spence Dobias, On Home,
• Kimberly Dark, Damaged Like Me,
• Christiana Harrell, For Bidding or for Worse,
• Kenni York, Testing My Gangsta,
• Meredith Doench, From Whereabouts Unknown

Rita Potter’s stories are eclectic but typically put her characters in challenging circumstances. She feels that when they reach their happily ever after, they will have earned it. Despite the heavier subject matter, Rita’s humorous banter and authentic dialogue reflect her hopeful nature. For more information about this author and to view book purchase information, visit the Authors page.

S.A. Mossman is a writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California. She began her career writing and directing with projects including; the documentary short Charm City Roller Girls about the women’s roller derby league in Baltimore, Maryland, and the dramatic thriller short Art/Form about a sex worker turned artist taking solace in violence against men after the accidental death of a man that drunkenly attacks her. Her work has screened at Cannes, Cambridge Film Festival, Austin Music Video Festival, and the Independent Horror Movie Awards. Her debut novel Deadalus Detectives: Tree of Life will be released in late 2022. For more information about this author and to view book purchase information, visit the Authors page.

Becca Spence Dobias is from West Virginia, and now lives in Southern California with her husband and two children. She is the author of On Home (Inkshares, 2021). She misses West Virginia every day but learning to play clawhammer banjo helps. For more information about this author and to view book purchase information, visit the Authors page.

Kimberly Dark is a writer, professor and storyteller, working to reveal the hidden architecture of everyday life so that we can reclaim our power as social creators. She’s the author of Damaged Like Me; Fat, Pretty, and Soon to be Old; The Daddies; and Love and Errors, and her essays, stories and poetry are widely published in academic and popular online publications alike. For more information about this author and to view book purchase information, visit the Authors page.

Christiana Harrell was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She introduced herself to the literary scene in 2009 with her first bestseller Girl: A Story for Every Les Being. GIRLwould set the stage for the author she would become and the voices she wanted to represent. In 2013, her title CREAM would become a finalist selection in the Lesbian Fiction category for the Lambda Literary Awards. To date, Christiana has published twelve titles. For more information about this author and to view book purchase information, visit the Authors page.

Kenni York has penned  33 books including her LGBT titles Testing My Gangsta and A Savage Stole my Soul. She is passionate about using her voice and talent to tell stories representing her community. Her literary accolades include 2013 AAMBC Female Author of the Year Award Nominee, 2013 National Association of Professional Women Inductee, 2013 Continental Who’s Who Award Recipient, 2014 and 2015 Who’s Who in Black Atlanta Entrepreneurial Award, 2015 Literary Jewels Editor of the Year Award, 2018 The Secret Place Book Club Author of the Year,  2018 and 2019 ACHI Author of the Year Award Nominee and Entrepreneur of the Year Award Nominee, and 2018 & 2019 ATL’s Hottest Author of the Year Award Nominee. For more information about this author and to view book purchase information, visit the Authors page.

Meredith Doench is the author of the Luce Hansen thriller series and Whereabouts Unknown (March 2022). Her writing has also appeared in many literary journals. She is a board member of Mystery Writers of America, Midwest Chapter, and is a senior lecturer of creative writing, literature, and composition at the University of Dayton in Ohio. For more information about this author and to view book purchase information, visit the Authors page.