|

Black Authors that Write the Paranormal

* This post contains affiliate links

To celebrate Black History Month, we wanted to give you some recommendations of books that feature the book genres we like to read here at The Fangover. These are all written by Black authors and we think you should check them out if you haven’t yet. so here they are, in no particular order.

The Shadow Shifters series by A.C. Arthur

TEMPTATION RISING (bk 1) –
I liked how there was a greater emphasis on the suspense subplot. The heroine, Karina Harper is a Washington D.C. police officer and years ago, she was saved by a cat –like creature. This attack has haunted her now, two years later, she is working as an undercover agent for a powerful man named Roman Reynolds. Roman is suspected to be connected to a drug operation. Arthur does a great job of building up the sexual tension. She brings it in spades. There’s no denying that Arthur writes really sexy cat shifters.

Please note that the Shadow Shifters series is traditionally published but the last two books listed below are part of the spin off series and are both available on Kindle Unlimited. You can get 30 days free on the service.

About A.C. Arthur

AC Arthur has worked as a paralegal in every field of law since high school, but her first love is and will always be writing romance. She’s written and won awards for her acclaimed Donovans and Shadow Shifters contemporary and paranormal romance series. Under her pen name, Lacey Baker, she created the quaint small town of Sweetland and wrote the novelization for the Original Hallmark Channel Movie, A Gingerbread Romance.

After years of hosting reader appreciation events, AC created the One Love Reunion, an event designed to bring readers and authors together to celebrate their love of books.

AC resides in Maryland with her family, where she’s currently working on her next book…or watching Criminal Minds.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

Crimson Moon series by L.A. Banks

Sascha is part of a special government Delta Ops, and, along with 3 other operatives, have been infected with a “werewolf” gene. They take drugs to keep the change at bay, and usually don’t work missions during full moon nights. There was plenty of action, a little graphic at times, government cover-ups, betrayals, and sexy werewolves. What more can you ask for?

About L.A. Banks

Leslie Esdaile Banks, née Peterson (December 11, 1959 – August 2, 2011), was an American writer under the pen names of Leslie Esdaile, Leslie E. Banks, Leslie Banks, Leslie Esdaile Banks and L. A. Banks. She wrote in various genres, including African-American literature, romance, women’s fiction, crime suspense, dark fantasy/horror and non-fiction.

She won several literary awards, including the 2008 Essence Literary Awards Storyteller of the Year.

The Cursed Crown by May Sage & Alexi Blake

My lips hitch up an inch as the hulking, slender man bends down to whisper in my ear. “A divided kingdom without a leader is weak. You will fall. You will fail. You will all die without my kindness, little girl.”
He expects me to falter, shiver, and drop my gaze to the ground like the flock of gentry buzzing around him.
My eyes widen in feigned dismay. “Kindness? Why did no one think to tell me you had any?”
I have to allow him that one concession: Rydekar is fun to tease.
He doesn’t even smile. I don’t think anyone has taunted him. “I have none. You will beg nonetheless.”
I just may, in his dreams. And in my nightmares.

No one was ever born less suited to ruling than Rissa, the thorn of the seelie realm—a half-fae so wild she’s spent the better part of a hundred years in the woods.
For all her flaws, she’s the last of the high court bloodline, and the southern king seems to think that’s reason enough to slap a crown on her feathered head. He needs her to unify the seelie forces. She needs him to forget about that nonsense.
In an effort to aid her people without condemning herself to a lifetime of misery, she sets off on a journey to find the one person with a stronger claim to the throne than hers: the cursed prince.
Sealed in the mountains of the Wilderness, under many spells, the heir of the first seelie queen is the only royal strong enough to protect the fae lands from their immortal invaders.
Surviving the untamed tribes and awakening a thousand-year-old prince seem a lot easier than ruling an entire kingdom where everyone hates her very nature.
And her choices won’t come without consequences.

Releases February 18, 2021

Amazon | GoodReads

About May Sage

May Sage is a USA Today Bestselling romance writer dabbling in different genres, although the readers who follow every series know they’re all related.

When she isn’t writing, she spends her time with her German Shepherd and her two Savannahs. She loves reading, ballet, running, and cake. Mostly, cake.

May Sage also writes fantasy romance as Alexi Blake.

Follow her on Facebook or join her newsletter for the latest updates.

The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole

A dystopia set in what feels like a near future, Trinity is recovering from an incident at work. An incident that’s strangely fuzzy in her mind, much like a lot of things in her life recently. One thing she is clear on though is her new neighbour Li Wei, who is equal parts hot as hell and weird as heck. But, strange as he is, he’s also become the one person she feels she can really trust.

Now I know. It isn’t just me that dreams about the hot cyborg moving in next door, Alyssa Cole has thought about it a time or two as well. And, just as I suspected and day dreamed, it’s both sexy and a lot of fun. If you are after a light hearted read which brushes up against the sci fi romance genre this book would be a great place to start.

A captivating romantic comedy with a thrilling sci-fi twist by award-winning author Alyssa Cole!

Trinity Jordan leads a quiet, normal life: working from home for the Hive, a multifunctional government research center, and recovering from the incident that sent her into a tailspin. But the life she’s trying to rebuild is plagued by mishaps when Li Wei, her neighbor’s super sexy and super strange nephew, moves in and turns things upside down. Li Wei’s behavior is downright odd—and the attraction building between them is even more so. When an emergency pulls his aunt away from the apartment complex, Trinity decides to keep an eye on him…and slowly discovers that nothing is what it seems. For one thing, Li Wei isn’t just the hot guy next door—he’s the hot A.I. next door. In fact, he’s so advanced that he blurs the line between man and machine. It’s up to Trinity to help him achieve his objective of learning to be human, but danger is mounting as they figure out whether he’s capable of the most illogical human behavior of all…falling in love. 

About Alyssa Cole

Alyssa Cole is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of romance (historical, contemporary, and sci-fi) and thrillers. Her Civil War-set espionage romance An Extraordinary Union was the American Library Association’s RUSA Best Romance for 2018, and A Princess in Theory was one of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2018. She’s contributed to publications including Bustle, Shondaland, The Toast, Vulture, RT Book Reviews, and Heroes and Heartbreakers, and her books have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her pets.

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Mating the Huntress by Talia Hibbert

This Halloween, love bites back… hard.

Chastity Adofo knows a monster when she sees one. As soon as Luke Anthony wanders into her family’s coffee shop, she recognises the evil lurking beneath his charming smile and fantastic arse. The handsome werewolf is determined to have her—but she’s determined to cut out his heart.

Little does she know, Luke’s plans for her are far more pleasurable than murder. And when the full moon rises, all bets are off…

Warning: Mating the Huntress is 30,000+ words of red-hot, Halloween-themed romance. This novella contains one flirtatious, cursed creature of the night, one badass, knife-happy heroine, and forbidden lust at first sight. Please read responsibly! 

About Talia Hibbert

Talia Hibbert is a USA Today bestselliing author who lives in a bedroom full of books. Supposedly, there is a world beyond that room, but she has yet to drum up enough interest to investigate.

She writes sexy, diverse romance because she believes that people of marginalised identities need honest and positive representation. Her interests include beauty, junk food, and unnecessary sarcasm. She also rambles intermittently about the romance genre online.

Website | Twitter | Instagram

The Oracle Chronicles by Moni Boyce

Secret lineage, a ruthless vampire, and forbidden love.

Willow Stevens dreams of stardom are eclipsed by the real nightmares of a sinister man haunting her dreams. Unbeknownst to her, Eli Walker, her hot but snobbish co-worker, may know the reason nightmares plague her, but their history shows he is more prone to reject her, than help her.

Then Willow passes out at work only to wake in Eli’s apartment. There she has her chance to learn more about her heritage. But, knowing why the vampire king stalks her doesn’t make the nightmares disappear. If anything, they become more real as she now faces off against a slew of creatures she’d always believed were myth.

That Eli is one of those creatures is just her luck. Secret witch guild or not, his natural ways are casting spells her heart can’t escape. As a Protector his only focus should be her safety. Anything else is forbidden. He plans to stay in task, but some women break a man, or tempt him to break the rules.

Can Eli keep Willow alive and safe from the vampires long enough for her to grow her own powers or will both cast aside rules for a reckless passion that will only lead to danger? 

About Moni Boyce

Moni Boyce is an award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance, a filmmaker and a poet. She spent fifteen years working in the film industry and now creates characters of her own, bringing to life on the page. She considers herself a bookworm, film buff, foodie, music lover and an avid world traveler having visited 33 countries, 5 continents and 27 US states so far. She currently lives in Virginia, but considers Los Angeles home.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Do You Dream of Terra- Two? by Temi Oh

When a planet is discovered that can support human life, a plan is formed. Along with a crew of veteran astronauts, a crew of six highly trained teenagers will embark on the twenty year trip to start settling the planet. For twenty years they will travel the stars together working as a team to counter any problems that arise and be the first generation to make a home on Terra Two. At least… that’s the plan.

when you open the pages of Do you Dream of Terra Two? you are met with a character study of a group of flawed human beings trying to find hope in the dark. Each character isn’t always likable, but they are always human. We watch as six bright but ultimately troubled minds slowly unravel in different ways. It did a great job of displaying the psychological pressures each person was subject to, all catalysed by the claustrophobia of living in close quarters with people you don’t always like, but can’t escape. Despite being afloat in the vastness of space, there is no where to go.

This was a beautifully written with the feel of a space opera. A fantastic debut by Temi Oh each character was complex and multifaceted and the story itself was interesting and compelling.

When an Earth-like planet is discovered, a team of six teens, along with three veteran astronauts, embark on a twenty-year trip to set up a planet for human colonization—but find that space is more deadly than they ever could have imagined.

Have you ever hoped you could leave everything behind?
Have you ever dreamt of a better world?
Can a dream sustain a lifetime?

A century ago, an astronomer discovered an Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby star. She predicted that one day humans would travel there to build a utopia. Today, ten astronauts are leaving everything behind to find it. Four are veterans of the twentieth century’s space-race.

And six are teenagers who’ve trained for this mission most of their lives.

It will take the team twenty-three years to reach Terra-Two. Twenty-three years locked in close quarters. Twenty-three years with no one to rely on but each other. Twenty-three years with no rescue possible, should something go wrong.

And something always goes wrong.

About Temi Oh

Temi Oh was born in London, to Nigerian parents. She studied at Bishop Thomas Grant and then Emanuel School, Battersea. In 2015 she graduated from King’s College London with a BSci in Neuroscience. Her degree provided great opportunities to write and learn about topics ranging from ‘Philosophy of the Mind’ to ‘Space Physiology’. In 2016, she received an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh. Temi Oh is the author of Do you Dream of Terra-Two? A novel about a British expedition to an earth-like planet, which won the American Library Association’s Alex Award in 2020. 

She currently lives in London with her husband.

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

Dread Nation series by Justina Ireland

Let me set the scene: it’s a few decade after the American civil war a war that was effectively ended by the emergence of zombies. The world has now settled into an uneasy co-existence with the zombie plague. Slaves have been emancipated. Kind of. Instead of working fields, Black and Native American boys and girls are sent to combat schools to be the front line against the zombie attacks. Jane McKeene has almost graduated Miss Preston’s School of Combat when she finds herself entangled in a conspiracy which brings into sharp relief what she already knows; zombies may be an undead scourge…but it’s humans who are the real monsters.

I haven’t even gotten to everything I like about this book…like the letters at the beginning of each chapter from Jane to her mother which foreshadow events. Or, how fast paced and interesting the conspiracy story was. Or, the amazing pieces of history that Ireland weaves into the story that give it a real authentic feel for the time. This was a very engaging read that I recommend everyone who is looking for something exciting to pick up and give a try.

About Justina Ireland

Justina Ireland enjoys dark chocolate, dark humor, and is not too proud to admit that she’s still afraid of the dark.

Justina Ireland is the author of Dread Nation (Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins), a New York Times bestseller as well as the sequel Deathless Divide. Her earlier works include the fantasy young adult novels Vengeance Bound and Promise of Shadows (both Simon and Schuster).

Justina also writes for the Star Wars franchise, including the books Lando’s Luck, Spark of the Resistance, and the upcoming A Test of Courage, part of the High Republic publishing initiative.

She is the former co-editor in chief of FIYAH Literary Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, for which she won a World Fantasy Award. She holds a BA from Armstrong Atlantic University and an MFA from Hamline University. 

Website | Twitter

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.