Author: Anonymous
Source: free-articles
Topeka, KS September 13, 2004 — Good Riddance Buffy and you skinny Charmed witches of the WB. There’s a new slayer in town.
Her name is Angelica (Jelly), she’s African American, weighs over 200 pounds and she’s featured in plus-sized author, Monica Jackson’s newest short story, The Ultimate Diet, which is included in the much-anticipated paranormal anthology, Dark Thirst, (Pocket Books, October 2004). Dark Thirst offers up six tales of the undead by some of today’s most popular and up-and-coming African-American authors, including best-selling novelists, Jackson, Donna Hill and Omar Tyree.
In The Ultimate Diet, Jackson’s offbeat story and the anthology’s inaugural tale, best friends, Keeshia and Jelly are eventually forced to face off, when the main character, Keeshia decides the only way she can lose weight and stay slim is to become a vampire; the undead ??” not knowing that in her spare time, her best friend, Jelly has become a vampire slayer.
???I’m not interested in writing perfect characters. My heroines are a hair on the left side of different ??” if you know what I mean. I will always write about real and confident heroines who are overweight and struggling with acne, stretch marks, a smart mouth . . . and/or some other perceived flaw. And I think being undead is about as big a flaw as one can have,?? Jackson says with a laugh.
With this story under her belt, as well as her newest full-length novel and first paranormal romance, In My Dreams, which also features a full-figured African-American demon slayer, Jackson hopes to put hefty African-American female fictional characters in the forefront of pop culture. Jackson is unique in that she’s one of only a few black women writing in the paranormal genre and she’s the only one writing paranormal novels featuring positive overweight heroines.
???We women need to learn to embrace who we are, where we are, no matter our size, and I’m committed to telling tales that send a strong and positive message about weight and self-acceptance. I like writing stories about large women that are comfortable in their skin. Because the truth is, the impact of America’s plus-sized population is undeniable. Sixty-two percent of American women wear size twelve or larger. Big is definitely beautiful, but unfortunately in fiction, you don’t see life-affirming stories about full-figured women. It’s as if we’re not capable of love, workplace success or being happy. I want to write stories for large women ??” that celebrate our various facets of fabulousness!?? says Jackson.
Jackson’s novel In My Dreams, (Kensington Dafina, October 2004), is a refreshing tale that focuses on a sensitive and sexy romance between a unique heroine and a to-die-for (literally) hero. In the novel, dark-skinned Bless Sanderson’s ???gift?? of second sight leads her to Atlanta, where she finds her sexy sister, Ginger pregnant and under threat from unknown forces. While in Atlanta, Bless meets Rick, for whom she falls hard. But her sight warns her that Rick is tied to Ginger and the increasing paranormal phenomenon surrounding her and her baby.
When Bless learns that her feelings for Rick are reciprocated, she’s torn, and forced to question whether the possibility of a dream-come-true love is worth sacrificing what’s most important to her. Suddenly imbued with a demon-slaying power beyond her comprehension, it’s up to Bless to save her sister’s unborn child ??” even as she prays that the love in her heart for Rick will be strong enough to withstand the evil that seeks to destroy them all.
With the novel, In My Dreams, Jackson not only creates a collage of vivid characters, but she also writes a story that is a moving tribute to the full-figured woman. She’s truly created an imaginative story that challenges the notion that only a svelte heroine can slay vampires, have steamy romantic romps and find everlasting love. It’s a perfect read for paranormal booklovers of all ages, races and sizes.
In addition to her newest novels featuring plus-sized heroines, Jackson also wrote 1999′s The Look of Love, which featured a hefty main character. To date, that book is one of Jackson’s most popular novels, garnering her numerous awards and her largest reader response thus far. Up next for Jackson is the January 2005 release of the anthology Big Girls Don’t Cry (NAL/Signet), an upbeat collection of stories about plus-sized women dealing with plus-sized romantic issues.
AUTHOR BIO
Monica Jackson has published eight novels and more than 8 novellas/short stories during the span of seven years. Heralded as a ???gifted writer?? by Rendezvous Magazine, her debut novel, Midnight Blue was developed into a television movie of the week by Black Entertainment Television in the year 2000. Her newest book, In My Dreams received 4-1/2 stars from Romantic Times and is a RT Book Club Top Pick. To learn more about author, Monica Jackson, visit her website at www.monicajackson.com
Editor’s note: Monica Jackson welcomes the opportunity to do interviews, reprint portions of her newest novels/short stories, or write personal essays/columns on love, romance and/or weight acceptance.
To discuss any of these options, contact Monica Jackson at monicawrites@yahoo.com. or contact Michelle Buckley at 816-966-1170.