#saving ruby king

✍🏿 Debut You: A 2020 Debut Author Series: Catherine Adel West

Debut You is an interview feature on Our Stories Matter blog. Debut authors, who have released or have upcoming releases in 2020, are given five questions to answer about themselves and their book. Currently, the questions are the same for all authors. We hope you enjoy getting to know these new authors and can offer them your support.

Describe yourself in five words, then expound on one of them.

Intelligent, creative, focused, funny, and proud.

I’d say ‘focused’ is the word that best describes me. It took a lot to get my debut novel Saving Ruby King traditionally published. There’s a lot of rejection and doubt peppered throughout the journey towards publication, but if you remain steadfast and confident in your ability, there is a good chance you’ll be able to achieve your goal, no matter what it is.

Explain your writing procedure, such as how you come up with ideas, carve out time to write (or, if you can write anywhere at any time during the day), deal with writer’s block, or anything particular or peculiar.

I’m a pantser, so many of my ideas for Saving Ruby King came to me at moments when I was focused on something else. Also, I pull many of my ideas from my experiences and the people around me. I write at all times of the day (when I’m not at my job). Mainly, I write on weekends in the morning as it’s a calm time. Recently, I’ve participated in writing sprints with friends who are other women of color. We talk, encourage each other, and have a lot of fun.

If I experience writer’s block, I normally write something outside of my comfort zone. So, I’ll write some (bad) poetry or flash fiction, or I read a book I’ve been meaning to read for a while. That normally gets my creative juices flowing again.

Continue reading Debut You HERE on Our Stories Matter Blog

Family. Faith. Secrets. Everything in this world comes full circle.

Saving Ruby King: A Novel (Park Row, Young Adult, 320 Pages, June 16, 2020) 

Pre-order Saving Ruby King

Find more children’s and young adult books by Black authors here

🎉Happy Book Birthday🎉

Saving Ruby King: A Novel

Catherine Adel West 

Park Row 

“Forever and to the end. That’s what they say instead of I love you.”

When Ruby King’s mother is found murdered in their home in Chicago’s South Side, the police dismiss it as another act of violence in a black neighborhood. But for Ruby, it’s a devastating loss that leaves her on her own with her violent father. While she receives many condolences, her best friend, Layla, is the only one who understands how this puts Ruby in jeopardy.

Their closeness is tested when Layla’s father, the pastor of their church, demands that Layla stay away. But what is the price for turning a blind eye? In a relentless quest to save Ruby, Layla uncovers the murky loyalties and dangerous secrets that have bound their families together for generations. Only by facing this legacy of trauma head-on will Ruby be able to break free.

Available at👉🏿 | Amazon | IndieBound |Bookshop

Find more children’s and young adult books by Black authors here

Alice King is killed in her home after returning from church, where she spent most of her time. What the locals know is that Ruby King was at her mother’s side as she died of a gunshot wound inside their home. As a Black family on Chicago’s South Side, police quickly believe they’ve solved the crime and just need to compile evidence. Her father, Lebanon, is well known for a murder he committed in…