Interview with Feminist Book Club Box

Sarah sits down to discuss Kenya Nelson’s debut novel, UNGRATEFUL. Listen in as they chat about Kenya’s process when developing characters, the #metoo movement, and the alternative rock industry.

Happy Women’s History Month

It’s still March and this month, the world has continued giving every female trailblazer (past and present) her flowers. I made a brief presentation that I intended to share at my virtual book launch. However, because of timing and technical issues, I left it out. Therefore, I’m going to share Black female rock trailblazers, with...

The “Ungrateful” Virtual Book Re-Launch!

I didn't get a chance to share these photos the day after the book launch. I was in a whirlwind of anxiety and excitement. Like Alimah says, "my nerves were a balled-up piece of paper thrown against the wall". I was up and down. Frazzled and a bottle of rosé was my saving grace. I...

The “Ungrateful” Book Trailer

My brother and I collaborated on my book trailer, and it turned out amazing! This trailer truly embodied the mood and aesthetic of the novel. My brother, Ken Nelson Jr., is an award-winning filmmaker and editor, with an even more impressive resume. You can learn more about his work at http://www.raymediacreative.com. https://youtu.be/cTYixhPgtsA https://read.amazon.com/kp/card?asin=B08R8FNFW2&preview=inline&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_YWVZG89NN60EX5HXQ4B3

Book Cover for “Ungrateful”

When I designed this cover, I thought about embodying the story through color, font style, and composition. The colors red, black, and white are important to this story in terms of the story’s overall mood and its moral, Alimah’s music, and spirituality. I remember showing this cover to a close friend, and he told me,...

Soundtrack for “Ungrateful”

I created a Spotify soundtrack for my novel Ungrateful. It’s a two-playlist soundtrack called RED/BLACK, based on the promotional images’ red and black color scheme and the colors’ symbolism in the book. I played certain songs while writing particular scenes. Like creating a score for a movie or TV show, I selected music that best...

Creating Alimah: Her Personality

Alimah suffers traumatic events in the music industry. Therefore, I sought extensive research to portray an accurate survivor of sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse in the entertainment industry. While I have reached out to people who have worked in the industry or are still active in the music industry, the bulk of my research came...

Creating Alimah: Her Music/Sound Pt. 2

Alimah performs lead guitar and rhythmic guitar, performing for her own music as well as collaborating with other artists. And as far as her mastery as a guitarist, I was inspired by the guitarists Jimi Hendrix, Ernie Isley, and Pat Metheny. Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic" and "Are You Experienced" were two songs that greatly inspired how...

Creating Alimah: Her Music/Sound Pt. 1

Alimah's Vocals I had fun imagining Alimah’s vocal style and type. For her voice, I gave her a raspy, sultry, mezzo-soprano vocal type similar to Stacy Barthe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ5UqwEmoXU However, in many of her rock ballads, her vocal pitch can go higher and sound similar to singer-songwriter Diana Gordon (FKA Wynter Gordon) in this video below:...

Creating Alimah: Style and Public Image

As a debut artist, Alimah rode the old school hip-hop, nu-rave, and hypebeast popularity during the mid-2000’s MySpace days (yes, I’m showing my age). Artists like M.I.A., Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and NERD, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco, Santigold, and Kelis were a big part of the style in this era. In her debut years, at...