Episode 7- A Conversation with Author Nicole Falls
Our final interview for this season is with Nicole Falls, self-published author of more than twenty Black romance novels. Nicole is a Chicago native, podcaster, editor, and a staunch supporter of Black romance. Her most recent release is Excess Baggage and she’s recently soft-launched Black Romance University. In this episode, we talk to Nicole as a life-long reader of Black romance about her favorite authors, the important role of libraries and bookstores as a young reader, the African American fiction section, and the glory of romance anthologies among other juicy topics!
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Steve Ammidown
Website: https://romancehistory.com/about/ [https://romancehistory.com/about/]
Socials
IG: @romancehistorian [https://www.instagram.com/romancehistorian/]
Bluesky: @stegan.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/stegan.bsky.social]
Nicole M. Jackson/Katrina Jackson
Websites:
https://www.katrinajacksonauthor.com [https://www.katrinajacksonauthor.com]
https://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/history/faculty-and-staff/nicole-jackson.html [https://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/history/faculty-and-staff/nicole-jackson.html]
Socials
IG: @katjacksonbooks [https://www.instagram.com/katjacksonbooks/]
Our guest: Nicole Falls
Website: https://nicolefalls.com/
X (#PillowTalkWithNic): https://x.com/_nicolefalls?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_nicolefalls/
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@niccytok
#TheShop: https://theshopbynicolefalls.com/
Black Romance University Instagram:
Latest Release:
Excess Baggage [https://www.amazon.com/Excess-Baggage-Flights-Feelings-Book-ebook/dp/B0D1V93RCX?ref_=ast_author_dp&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.te2OFZ7Tg71SYmEFfl02mouHP3gzmbPjTZSHF67FhtwF6lH_u6QfIS9BFFeWF1TrPeD32KhIS4woVHxpkCK7M-orjxpJJaBhdVDvJyp8kUxdVGeWot6ZZCyjWj0R4QknJ-cogJ9vkRBEHrGwgscVWU8Aar6tGtoNTzXz4pLhNIBYLy19TcLUhRnosIP6OH2Z968s2WuiGdp38w-OFEtv_qfNBcC5xs35NvBIBRHiMsE.52kd61V8gaLf5dv5w-dHYIddPBk5eMeQoCNAJOOBY8Q&dib_tag=AUTHOR] (Flights & Feelings, Book 1)
Mentioned in the Episode:
Carla Fredd, Brenda Jackson, Felicia Mason, A Valentine Kiss [https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/a-valentine-kiss-cupids-bowmade-in-heavenmatchmaker_brenda-jackson_felicia-mason/469277/#edition=791654&idiq=455613], Arabesque
A.H. Cunningham, Out of Office [https://www.ahcunninghamauthor.com/booksandtings/ooo]
Marcus Books [https://www.marcusbooks.com/]
Erika Hardison, “Remembering The Black Expressions Book Club,” Book Riot, August 17, 2021. https://bookriot.com/the-black-expressions-book-club/ [https://bookriot.com/the-black-expressions-book-club/]
Mimi Swartz, “Vivian Stephens Helped Turn Romance Writing Into a Billion-Dollar Industru. Then She Got Pushed Out,” Texas Monthly, September 2020, https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/vivian-stephens-helped-turn-romance-writing-into-billion-dollar-industry/ [https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/vivian-stephens-helped-turn-romance-writing-into-billion-dollar-industry/]
Nicole Falls, We’ve Only Just Begun [https://www.amazon.com/Weve-Only-Begun-Nicole-Falls/dp/B09X6YVG54/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3E2TZX7LYAT35&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Ig6q73QG3PRuAkSOrdyOouU1Rj0OntPaVJSfcrTPdOI.VGFyYwdSFlNAVykslrUBmKBdvtOenINYHf32kVIKji8&dib_tag=se&keywords=we%27ve+only+just+begun+nicole+falls&qid=1723315875&sprefix=we%27ve+only+just+begun+nicole+falls%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-1]
Rochelle Alers [https://rochellealers.org/]
Shirley Hailstock [http://www.shirleyhailstock.net/]
Leslie Esdaile Banks/L.A.Banks [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Esdaile_Banks]
Eboni Snoe [https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/eboni-snoe/409376/]
Robyn Amos [https://www.robynamos.com/]
Kayla Perrin [https://www.authorkaylaperrin.com/]
Eric Jerome Dickey, Friends and Lovers [https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/friends-and-lovers_eric-jerome-dickey/348339/?resultid=3b525ba1-ba88-4c29-ba25-6e4e3037ddb9#edition=2398558&idiq=1034717]
Michael Baisden, Maintenance Man [https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-maintenance-man-a-novel_michael-baisden/270172/#edition=3419929&idiq=1472231]
Omar Tyree [https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Omar-Tyree/702385]
Colin Channer [https://www.colinchanner.com/]
E. Lynn Harris, Eric Jerome Dickey, Colin Channer, Marcus Major, Got to Be Real: Four Original Love Stories [https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/got-to-be-real-four-original-love-stories_eric-jerome-dickey_marcus-major/578329/#edition=2398631&idiq=5916494], New American Library, December 2000
Further Reading:
Carina Thomas, “For 64 years, the oldest U.S. Black-owned bookstore inspires,” Berkeley High Jacket, November 3, 2023. https://berkeleyhighjacket.com/2023/features/for-82-years-the-oldest-u-s-black-owned-bookstore-inspires/ (This is Nicole Jackson’s high school newspaper. She’s a very proud Yellowjacket.)
Hari Sreenivasan, “Why this small, Black-owned bookstore is hallowed ground for some,” PBS, February 28, 2021. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-this-small-black-owned-bookstore-is-hallowed-ground-for-some [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-this-small-black-owned-bookstore-is-hallowed-ground-for-some]
Anna Gooding-Call, “A History of Racism in American Public Libraries,” Book Riot, March 8, 2021. https://bookriot.com/racism-in-american-public-libraries/ [https://bookriot.com/racism-in-american-public-libraries/]
Gregory Frost, “In Remembrance of L.A. Banks 1959-2011), Reactor, August 2, 2011, https://reactormag.com/in-remembrance-of-la-banks-1959-2011/ [https://reactormag.com/in-remembrance-of-la-banks-1959-2011/]