Out of the Blue: A Search for Identity

Where do we belong?

Who are our people?

How do you fit in?

These are age-old questions. Sometimes we are absolutely sure of the answers and at others we can be completely befuddled.

Tina, the protagonist of my debut novel, "Out of the Blue" is on a search for the where, who and how. She finds herself flowing in and out of several distinctly different cultures. She wonders where she fits in to her community and even her family. She thinks she knows who her people are but her deep ancestry paints a different story.

"Out of the Blue" was written for Young Adults (YA). It employs elements of fantasy and magick to explore deeply meaningful questions with which Young Adults wrestle (actually many of us continue this journey towards self-discovery). Being a teenager is fertile ground for engaging with multiple, complicated issues critical to our being. It is a time of tremendous growth, questioning and changes in the body, mind and spirit. That is a lot of territory for a novelist to navigate.

I did not set out to write YA but then my protagonist became a teenager, and the path was set. While her Siren antagonist is ancient, as an immortal, she presents as a teenager as well. Technically, "Out of the Blue" is my second novel, in terms of chronology of my writing. The real first novel also has a teenaged protagonist. I have to ask myself, why?

The why of "Out of the Blue" is complex. In part, the novel explores themes I am passionate about - African American culture, spirituality and World Mythology and folklore. On a deep level, there are still questions of identity that raise their heads, every now and then. One day, through all my different types of writing, the intriguing questions of the journey we call life, will be more fully addressed.

You can preorder the eBook now, here. The paperback will be released March 22, 2020.