Vanessa Riley in conversation with Nicki Salcedo

The Georgia Center for the Book (GCB) has become the largest non-profit literary presenting organization in the Southeast and one of the largest in the nation. The Center’s mission is to support libraries, promote literacy and the literary arts, and preserve the literary heritage of Georgia.The GCB hosts monthly author events and Poetry readings; coordinates the Georgia River of Words, and the Georgia Letters About Literature student writing competitions; co-sponsors the Book As Art Exhibition, the Lillian Smith Book Awards, The Townsend Prize for Fiction, The SCBWI Gallery Show; and compiles the Books All Georgians and Young Georgians Should Read lists, annually.

Georgia Center for the Book

Acclaimed author of "Island Queen," Vanessa Riley, discusses her new book; a sweeping novel of the Haitian Revolution.

Decatur Library

Join us for an evening with acclaimed author of Island Queen Vanessa Riley, in conversation with Atlanta author and journalist Nicki Salcedo. With her new book Sister Mother Warrior, Riley brings readers a vivid, sweeping novel of the Haitian Revolution based on the true-life stories of two extraordinary women: the first Empress of Haiti, Marie-Claire Bonheur, and Gran Toya, a West African-born warrior who helped lead the rebellion that drove out the French and freed the enslaved people of Haiti. This in-person event will be held in the Decatur Library Auditorium. It is free and open to the public, but you must register on Eventbrite to reserve your spot.We are committed to a safe environment. For the safety of our invited speakers, staff, and all attendees, we respectfully request that masks be worn in the venue for the duration of the event. We are currently limiting the capacity of the Auditorium to promote social distancing, so registration is required. We encourage groups to sit together, but please only sit in the designated rows, and keep a respectful distance from other attendees.Purchase Sister Mother Warrior from Eagle Eye Book Shop, our partners for this event, <a href="https://eagleeyebooks.com/home/bookdetailsin/9780063073548/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">here</a>.About Sister Mother Warrior:Gran Toya: Born in West Africa, Abdaraya Toya was one of the legendary minos—women called “Dahomeyan Amazons” by the Europeans—who were specially chosen female warriors consecrated to the King of Dahomey. Betrayed by an enemy, kidnapped, and sold into slavery, Toya wound up in the French colony of Saint Domingue, where she became a force to be reckoned with on its sugar plantations: a healer and an authority figure among the enslaved. Among the motherless children she helped raise was a man who would become the revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines. When the enslaved people rose up, Toya, ever the warrior, was at the forefront of the rebellion that changed the course of history.Marie-Claire: A free woman of color, Marie-Claire Bonheur was raised in an air of privilege and security because of her wealthy white grandfather. With a passion for charitable work, she grew up looking for ways to help those oppressed by a society steeped in racial and economic injustices. Falling in love with Jean-Jacques Dessalines, an enslaved man, was never the plan, yet their paths continued to cross and intertwine, and despite a marriage of convenience to a Frenchman, she and Dessalines had several children.When war breaks out on Saint Domingue, pitting the French, Spanish, and enslaved people against one another in turn, Marie-Claire and Toya finally meet, and despite their deep differences, they both play pivotal roles in the revolution that will eventually lead to full independence for Haiti and its people.Both an emotionally palpable love story and a detail-rich historical novel, Sister Mother Warrior tells the often-overlooked history of the most successful Black uprising in history. Riley celebrates the tremendous courage and resilience of the revolutionaries, and the formidable strength and intelligence of Toya, Marie-Claire, and the countless other women who fought for freedom.

About the author:Vanessa Riley is an award-winning author of Island Queen, A Good Morning America Buzz Pick. Riley's historical novels showcase the hidden histories of Black women and women of color, emphasizing strong sisterhoods and dazzling multicultural communities. Her works encompass historical fiction, historical romance, and historical mystery and have been reviewed by the AAMBC, Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Publisher Weekly, and the New York Times. She's received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. This Southern, Irish, Trini girl holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and an MS in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University. Riley also earned a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Penn State University. Her research skills have helped NASA, GM, Hewlett Packard, and several startups. Yet, her love of history (Caribbean, Georgian, and Regency) and lattes overwhelmed her passion for math and has led to the publication of over twenty titles. Her latest releases are Island Queen (Historical Fiction), An Earl, The Girl, and A Toddler (Historical Romance), and A Duke, The Lady, and A Baby (Historical Romance). Upcoming in 2022: Sister Mother Warrior (Historical Fiction), A Duke, The Spy, An Artist, and A Lie (Historical Romance) and Murder in Westminster (Historical Mystery). Vanessa is a member and former president of Regency Fiction Writers, a member of Georgia Writers Association, the Historical Novel Society, Crime Writers of Color, and on the Board of Directors of Christian Book Lovers Retreat. She's an avid baker who loves creating her Trinidadian grandma's cake recipes. You can find Vanessa writing on her southern porch with proper amounts of caffeine.

About the moderator:Nicki Salcedo is an Atlanta native and graduate of Stanford University. Her romantic suspense novel All Beautiful Things earned her the Maggie Award of Excellence and a Golden Heart nomination. She writes weekly columns for the Atlanta based newsites Decaturish.com and AtlantaLoop.com. She has published two collections essays based on these editorials. She writes about life in the South and beyond. She has appeared at the Decatur Book Festival, Georgia Center for the Book, and on the radio with GBP's On Second Thought. She's also taken the stage as part of Listen To Your Mother and Write Club Atlanta. She is a speaker, writer, and catalyst. Nicki thinks everyone should write and loves connecting with readers.

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Vanessa Riley in conversation with Nicki Salcedo

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Vanessa Riley in conversation with Nicki Salcedo

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