Whenever I read a book by a Black author, both secular and Christian, I always put it aside to give to a friend of mine. She tells me that she only reads books by Black authors. I’ve read several authors over the years, of different races, that I think are truly phenomenal. When I try to recommend a book by an author of another race, she refuses to read it.

I just feel that it’s closed-minded to be that way. I’ve been reading books since I don’t know when, especially fiction. When I was growing up, there were not that many Black authors around who wrote popular fiction. So, if I had not been open-minded enough to read the White authors, I wouldn’t have had anything to read during those long boring summers, since I read books so quickly it was like I was inhaling them!

I would anxiously wait once every two weeks to hear that loud honking horn of the bookmobile that would pull up in the front section of my neighborhood. I would glance through the titles, choosing enough books to fill the next fourteen days! I had a fondness for romance novels, however, I gave just about any type of fiction a chance.

I believe the explosion of Black fiction started around the time Terry McMillan’s book Waiting To Exhale was released. I think it was around that time that publishers realized that Black people read books too, and this was an untapped market that needed to be conquered. If I don’t have my facts straight, feel free to comment so that I can correct this blog entry.

I try and support other Black Christian fiction authors by putting them together on the website, www.blackchristianfiction.com However, I don’t limit my reading tastes to the people listed on my Black Christian Fiction website. I have Black authors who are my favorites and I have some white authors who I think are fabulous. As a matter of fact, I have some of the White authors listed on my website, giving them as examples of people to read when one wants to target the Christian fiction genre for publication.

I don’t think that God wants us to read books by only people of a certain race. If you see a book by someone of another race, feel free to give it a try. You just might like it! You can always put it down and not finish it if it doesn’t entertain you!

Until next time,
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com