The idea that I was out in the marketplace, the African-American readers were just over the moon.

Some of the stories they told me of going in the bookstore and seeing Night Song.

And, you know, the first thing they did was, the you know flip to the back to make sure it was

written by a black woman and and one woman sat she sat in the bookstore right there on the

floor and started reading that was the voice of beverly jenkins we are thrilled to have

Beverly with us we've been working on getting her to join us on Fated Mates since season one and pandemics and busyness got in the way, but we're finally here. And it feels right that the first time we talked to Beverly, we're talking to her as part of the Trailblazers series. You will hear her talk about her life, her time beginning

writing, her work, her research, publication, her editors, and her readers. And we think you'll love it.

Welcome to Fade and Mates.

We are so thrilled to have Beverly Jenkins with us today.

Welcome, Beverly.

Thank you, thank you.

I'm thrilled to be here.

This is, you know, we've been trying to hook up for a while.

So thanks so much for the invite.

We really have.

And we, I mean, obviously, for many,

many reasons, Jen and I have been wanting you to come on fate of mates to talk about all sorts of

things. But I don't know if you remember this, but you and I were together outside of the

National Book Festival, what feels like a thousand years ago, when we could be with each other.

And you started telling me stories about the beginning of your career and the early days.

And it was one of the most magnificent afternoons of my life.

And so I am basically just here to make you tell those stories on tape.

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