Latest news with #BeforeILetGo
Elle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Bestselling Author Kennedy Ryan Wants Publishing to ‘Let Her Cook'
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. In an early chapter from Can't Get Enough, the latest New York Times bestselling romance novel from author Kennedy Ryan, the ambitious businesswoman Hendrix Barry tells an audience of potential investors that 'there's no such thing as Black Girl Magic.' Cue the shock. She continues, 'I know as soon as I said that, many of you inwardly responded the way my grandfather did when I was growing up in the country: The hell you say. I know that for many of you, shoot, for me, there was a time when questioning Black Girl Magic would feel like sacrilege.' But, she finishes, 'We are not magic. We are resilient. It's not a wand. It's work.' Ryan is careful to outline the many differences between herself and her heroine. But, in this instance, Hendrix seems to speak directly from the author's own experience. 'I just said to my husband the other day, 'There's got to be an easier way to make a living,'' Ryan jokes from her office in North Carolina, from which she joins a Zoom call with me mere days before the release of Can't Get Enough. Ryan's success, like Hendrix's, has been a long time coming. Starting out in the '90s as a journalism graduate from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill—go Heels—she spent years writing and ghostwriting for nonprofits, churches, and, really, 'anywhere I could,' she says. When she later gave birth to a son who was eventually diagnosed with autism, she adjusted most of her work to focus on advocacy. She wrote for Chicken Soup for the Soul and parent-focused magazines; she launched an Atlanta-based nonprofit to serve individuals with autism and their families. But the constant intensity of this work, in addition to the personal demands of parenting her son, found her bereft of a creative outlet. Throughout much of her youth, she'd found solace in romance novels. Why not try writing one of her own? Thus Ryan began a draft of the book that would one day become Before I Let Go, the first installment in the Skyland trilogy, now finalized with Can't Get Enough. In 2013, she secured a book deal with Hachette Book Group, and though she (temporarily) put Before I Let Go aside, she rolled out what would become known as the Bennett series, kickstarting her author career. From then on, Ryan became a publishing force to be reckoned with. Over the ensuing years, she built a backlist—and, she's quick to add, a brand—as a hybrid author, straddling the worlds of traditional publishing and self-publishing in the romance genre. In 2019, she became the first Black author, ever, to win the RITA Award in the Best Contemporary Romance: Long category, bestowed by the Romance Writers of America, an organization long mired in controversy thanks to its mishandling of diversity, equity, and inclusion. (The RWA has since filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, though it is still active.) Ryan entered one of her self-published titles, Long Shot, into RITA consideration on something of a dare. 'I remember being on Twitter at the time, and there was this hashtag #RITASoWhite, the same way they had, like, #OscarsSoWhite,' Ryan says. 'And so many people were saying, 'Well, the reason there's never a Black author winning is because they just never enter.' And I was like, 'No…I think it's systemic.'' The RITAs had been handing out awards for nearly 40 years before a Black author won. 'I think there's something else to it,' Ryan deadpans. Even after she made history as a RITA winner herself, Ryan realized she wasn't satisfied with proving her point in only one gatekept space. 'I started looking around and not really seeing Black romance authors very much on the New York Times list,' she says. 'We weren't on shelves. There wasn't much visibility for our books, really, at all. I started thinking about the brand I had built, which was a brand that had something to say. Not that nobody else did, but I had a very clear sense of who I wanted to center and celebrate.' She didn't want to write to fulfill trends or tropes, or to surpass a sales goal. She didn't want to give readers a shiny alternative universe in which to reside, even if, as a requirement of the romance genre, her books had to have happy endings. She wanted to push the 'discourse' further. In the acknowledgments section of Can't Get Enough, Ryan writes, 'No one wonders about weightier issues being broached in literary fiction or crime novels or any other genre. Why must romance remain agnostic on the most urgent issues of the day?' In our interview, I asked Ryan to elaborate on this idea further. How does she think about romance writing, if it's not simply about that all-important Happily Ever After? 'I am not approaching romance from a place of escape,' she tells me. 'I'm approaching romance from a place of activism. I want to talk about the destigmatization of mental health in marginalized communities. I want to talk about domestic abuse, and I want to talk about it in the context of a patriarchal culture that values paternal right over women's and children's safety. In a romance novel? Yes, in a romance novel.' She wants to deliver the big-picture issues in a package her readers will appreciate. Take Hendrix in Can't Get Enough. This is a protagonist, Ryan argues, with a 'sense of agency, a woman who believes that her body is her own, a woman who has goals and dreams.' She begins the novel as a single 40-something businesswoman, childless by choice, with a substantial income and a group of loyal, adoring friends. When she meets the tech mogul Maverick Bell, she's attracted to him not on account of his money, but because of his respect for her. He sees her. He values her. He shares her commitment to investing—fiscally and emotionally—in Black communities. He empathizes with Hendrix's grief as she struggles with her mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis. And yet Hendrix still hesitates to begin a relationship. She doesn't want to abandon her ambitions to buoy a man's own success; she's seen it happen too many times before. Maverick, ultimately, must convince her he's worthy of her affections—and that he doesn't want her to contort the life she's built. 'When I'm writing all of that, it's not to escape from real life,' Ryan says. 'It's to say, 'This is not too much to ask for in real life.'' The RITA win had presented Ryan with an opportunity: She could broaden her reach (and her message) amongst readers, but do so on her terms. She revisited her draft of Before I Let Go and reestablished her relationship with Hachette, outlining from the jump what she wanted for her next round of traditionally published books: Black women on the cover. 'Natural hair. Pigmentation,' Ryan lists. Her Hachette imprint, Forever, 'listened, which doesn't always happen.' Before I Let Go became a fan favorite after it was published in 2022, and Ryan secured a deal with Peacock to adapt the book—and, by extension, what would become the Skyland series, including the New York Times bestselling follow-ups This Could Be Us and Can't Get Enough—for television. Ryan continues, 'I think it makes a real difference when we as Black artists get to shape things around who we know is our most predictable, reliable reader, which is a Black woman. A lot of times people are like, 'Gosh, why don't Black books sell?' And I'm like, 'No, you don't know how to sell Black books.' And if you would listen to the people who create them, if you would give them aid and creative agency and voice, your bottom line would improve.' When Hachette gave her that agency and that support, Ryan says, she allowed herself to dream big. 'I was like, 'What if this series does what I hope that it could do? I could see Black women on shelves. I could see Black women on billboards. I could see Black women, potentially, one day, on television, thanks to a book I wrote.'' Ryan laughs, delighted. 'And it's so funny, because all of those things have happened or are happening.' Now, Can't Get Enough is a hit; the Skyland saga is in active development at Peacock ('We're still working, and as soon as they say I can announce things, I will,' Ryan teases); and Ryan is at work on the next book in her Hollywood Renaissance series, titled Score. Anyone who has spoken with her for more than a few minutes knows she's the kind of person who practically vibrates with joy—there's a reason she's been dubbed 'Queen of Hugs' amongst fans—but that enthusiasm hasn't made her frustrations with the publishing industry any less acute. She doesn't want to be one of only a handful of Black romance authors who get this level of visibility, especially given that her own visibility pales in comparison to that of many white authors. She continues, 'I am frustrated by the fact that we can't figure out the systems that make it harder for Black women to break through. And it's funny because I hear some readers say, 'Kennedy Ryan is not the only Black romance author! There's a whole bunch of others!' And I get it. Because it's always been this way, not only in publishing but in entertainment in general, only allowing so many of us [Black women] through at a time.' Ryan doesn't want to be an outlier. She wants her success to represent one drop in a sea change. 'We need more Black editors,' she says. 'We need more Black publishers. We need more Black agents. And not just Black—brown, queer, marginalized. We need them in acquisition and editorial roles. When we don't have that, we have people who may not actually know our community making decisions about our art.' She pantomimes a conversation with a publisher. 'You have all these resources, and I respect that. We have this experience and talent and voice. When those two things align, and you give us space?' She grins. 'Like the kids say…'Let her cook.''
Al Bawaba
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
Beyoncé launches Cowboy Carter Tour with daughters, bold visuals, and country-pop power
ALBAWABA - Beyoncé began her Cowboy Carter Tour Friday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, in a typically chic and choreographed performance. She began her show with a cover of "Before I Let Go" by the Maze and the late Frankie Beverly, cameos from Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter, and multiple live debuts for Cowboy Carter songs. She was wearing a white, fringed leather outfit and a cowboy hat. An American flag was displayed on an electronic screen next to a speaker tower bearing the letters "KNTRY," which stands for Cowboy Carter's fictional radio station, before Beyoncé and a group of red-robed dancers took the star-shaped stage. Beyoncé riding a mechanical horse was featured on merchandise designs over the phrase, "Never ask permission for something that already is yours." She began by honoring the Black women who pioneered rock, folk, and country music with "American Requiem" and "Blackbird," before switching to a distorted version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" that was based on Jimi Hendrix's iconic Woodstock song. Beyoncé Instagram profile Beyoncé sported dreadlocks and smoked a cigar in the "Freedom" video. The sash stated "the reclamation of America." Blue Ivy took on the choreography for "Formation" and stayed on to sing with her mother on several tracks, including "America Has a Problem," which was preceded by an interlude that sounded like a sample of "You Might Think He Loves You" by Death Grips. Later, during the dance routine, Rumi joined for "Protector," seemingly going off-brief to wave enthusiastically. This caused Beyoncé to break character and chuckle while hugging her. Cowboy Carter dominated the show in terms of the setlist and the themes, even if there were many Renaissance cuts and a few of her catalog staples, along with a lighthearted parody of the popular "she ain't no diva" TikTok. To fit into a larger story that portrayed Beyoncé as a Wild West outlaw who overcame outsiderdom and alienation to establish her claim to the land, a mechanical bull was sighted backstage. A video of a firefight in which she took up arms against an older, white cowboy whose bullets pounded her body to pieces marked the culmination of the third act. In front of a Statue of Liberty with her hair braided, Beyoncé performed "Amen," the last encore closer. HOUSTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 25: Beyoncé (Texas./AFP) As the second installment of a planned trilogy, Beyoncé released Cowboy Carter, the sequel to 2022's Renaissance, in March. The pop star became the first Black woman to debut at the top of the Top Country Albums list, and the album went on to earn her eighth No. 1. Additionally, it brought her three Grammy Awards in 2025, where she won Album of the Year for the first time, Best Country Album, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Beyoncé performed during the halftime show of one of the NFL's inaugural Christmas games, which was streamed live on Netflix, in her hometown of Houston last December. After the enormous Renaissance World Tour in 2023, Beyoncé's seventh headline tour is the Cowboy Carter Tour. The latter, which included guest appearances by Kendrick Lamar and Megan Thee Stallion and took place over 56 concerts worldwide, was documented in the highly successful documentary concert film Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé. Beyoncé Instagram profile On Thursday, May 1, the Cowboy Carter Tour will resume with a second night at Inglewood. She will then go to New Jersey, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C., before making stops in London and Paris in Europe.
USA Today
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Steamy romance books can be empowering, too
Steamy romance books can be empowering, too Good morning booklovers! USA TODAY books reporter Clare Mulroy here to give you another look at this week's news in books. Have you ever heard someone mention they love spicy romance books? Ever seen a social media post rate a book using a scale of chili pepper emojis? These steamy novels are hot right now (literally) and continue to dominate bestseller lists. But they're often dismissed as guilty pleasure books or fluff. This Valentine's Day, I wanted to find out why. So I headed over to an event hosted by Spotify to celebrate spicy audiobook listening and asked Kennedy Ryan, the bestselling romance author of 'Before I Let Go.' I called 'Twisted Love' author Ana Huang and paranormal romance author Kimberly Lemming. I chatted with readers and romance publishers and found that attitudes toward steamy novels are shifting away from guilty reading to empowering as they demystify conversations about sex and center female pleasure. 'What is so guilty about reading stories about love and connection and happy endings?' Huang asked me. 'Why is it only that the 'substantive' books are the ones that are sad and challenging?' In other book news, 'The Let Them Theory' by Mel Robbins has overtaken Ali Hazelwood's new 'Deep End' for the No. 1 spot on the USA TODAY Best-selling Booklist. Robbins' self-help guide promises to help readers relinquish 'the power you give to other people' to find happiness and success. Plus, there's still time to enter our Winter Book Challenge. If you fill out our bingo card and write into us by March 21, you'll be entered in a sweepstakes to win a $100 gift card!
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wendy Williams' 94-year old dad dances at his birthday party: 'Love you endlessly Papa'
Keep on dancing! Wendy Williams' 94-year old dad Thomas Williams danced at his birthday party in Miami over the weekend. His granddaughter, Alex Finnie, shared a video of Thomas, a former teacher and football coach at Asbury Park High School, dancing up a storm on Instagram. 'Happy 94th birthday to my Papa who continues dancing his way through life and leads with the quote, 'You're never too old to do what you might have done,' ' Finnie said. 'I love you endlessly Papa (heart emoji) happy birthday.' Beyonce's "Before I Let Go" plays will dad dances. Wendy, 60, attended the party but was not shown in her dad's dance video. More: Tubi's 'Saving Wendy': Wendy Williams says son partly to blame for guardianship Dad Thomas was the first Black principal at the former River Street School in Red Bank in 1969. Shirley, his wife and Wendy's mom, passed away in 2020. She was a member of civic groups ranging from the Monmouth County Council of Girl Scouts to the Central Jersey Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women. Alex's mom, and Wendy's sister, is Wanda Finnie, a former New Jersey Assistant Deputy Public Defender. Their brother is Thomas Williams Jr. More: Wendy Williams defiant on 'Breakfast Club,' takes on court-ordered conservatorship, Diddy All aspects of Wendy's life, including financial and living arrangements, are decided by court-appointed guardian Sabrina Morrissey. In 2022, Wendy's bank, Wells Fargo, claimed Wendy was 'the victim of undue influence and financial exploitation.' Part of the legal equation was the alleged expenditure of more than $100,000 on Uber Eats by her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., as stated in the 2024 Lifetime documentary 'Where's Wendy Williams.' Another $100,000 plus expenditure by Hunter Jr., related to a boat rental for a birthday party, was discussed in the recent TMZ Tubi documentary 'Saving Wendy.' Alex is leading the charge to get Wendy extricated from the guardianship, which has included residency in a memory care unit of an assisted living facility in New York City. Wendy has been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, but she's disputed the diagnoses in recent interviews. The Asbury Park and Ocean Township native was the host of TV's 'The Wendy Williams Show' from 2008 to 2021. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Subscribe to for the latest on New Jersey celebs. Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at cjordan@ This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Wendy Williams: 94-year old dad dances at birthday party
