Join us as we talk all things historical fiction with Vanessa Riley with Tammi Smithers, visionary of The Personal Librarians Book Chat.
EVENT DEETS
When: October 19 at 7 PM CST
Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden
How: Get a free ticket or support our programming and store by purchasing a book with your ticket.
About the Book
Perfect for readers looking for a darker twist on Bridgerton, this first in a vibrant, inclusive historical mystery series from a acclaimed author Vanessa Riley portrays the true diversity of the Regency-era, as an aristocrat whose skin color and notorious family history have left her with few friends she can rely on is named as the prime suspect in a murder case…
Discovering a body on her property presents Lady Abigail Worthing with more than one pressing problem. The victim is Juliet, the wife of her neighbor, Stapleton Henderson. Although Abigail has little connection with the lady in question, she expects to be under suspicion. Abigail’s skin color and her mother’s notorious past have earned her a certain reputation among the ton, and no amount of wealth or status will eclipse it.
Abigail can’t divulge that she was attending a secret pro-abolition meeting at the time of the murder. To her surprise, Henderson offers her an alibi. Though he and Juliet were long estranged, and she had a string of lovers, he feels a certain loyalty to his late wife. Perhaps together, he and Abigail can learn the truth.
Abigail, whose marriage to Lord Worthing was not a love match, knows well how appearances can deceive. For all its surface elegance, London’s high society can be treacherous. Yet who in their circle would have killed Juliet, and why? Taking the reins of her life in a way she never has before, Abby intends to find out—but in the process she will uncover more danger than she ever imagined . . .
About the Author
Vanessa Riley is an award-winning author of historical romance, mystery, and fiction novels featuring realistic multicultural communities and powerful persons of color including Island Queen, A Duke, the Lady and a Baby & Sister ,Mother Warrior. To fuel her interest in the Regency and early-Victorian eras, she made time for attending renaissance fairs and consuming period novels and films while obtaining her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and a master’s in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University, as well as a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Penn State University. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Specialty RWA Chapters: The Beaumonde, and the Georgia Chapters, as well as the Historical Novel Society. A frequent speaker at literary, women's, and STEM events, she lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her military husband and teenage kid. Visit her online at VanessaRiley.com. Visit her at www.vanessariley.com.
About the Conversation Partner
Tammy Smithers is a resident of Houston, Texas and is an interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner who thrives at the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion and social justice philanthropy. Dr. Tammy holds a Doctor of Education from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, a Master of Business Administration from Rice University, and a Bachelor of Journalism in Public Relations from University of Texas at Austin. As a consultant, convener, speaker, researcher, and disruptor, she approaches justice-related issues with engaging, thought-provoking candor.
In July 2021, during the height of the pandemic, she stumbled on an audience of readers of historical fiction who enjoyed learning about Black women hidden figures. Through an introduction of The Personal Librarian and New York Times Best-Selling Author Victoria Christopher Murray’s urging, Dr. Tammy became the visionary of one of the largest online global book clubs. The Personal Librarians Book Chat boasts 370 members made up of Black women readers, authors, and bookstore owners from around the US and a few international places. PLBC hosts a series of monthly hybrid or virtual author discussions, panel discussions, field trips, and national and international travel to places they read about.
