Naima Simone on Dark Romance Retellings & Publishing Realities

Ever wonder what really goes on behind the scenes of publishing, or how authors navigate both traditional and indie routes? Are you craving a dark romance that pushes boundaries and reimagines classic tales? On We Read Smut, we're pulling back the curtain with USA Today Bestselling Author Naima Simone. Get ready for a candid conversation about the publishing process, the importance of BIPOC representation in literature, and a sneak peek at her incredibly anticipated new dark romance.

Published since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor, and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.” She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bulletproof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.

In this episode, we're discussing:

• The realities of the publishing process, from editorial feedback to marketing strategies in both traditional and indie routes.
• The critical importance of BIPOC authors celebrating and amplifying their own stories and community.
• How Church Girl explores breaking free from strict religious expectations and finding personal truth while maintaining faith.
• Naima's exciting foray into dark romance with Huntsman, a gritty, unhinged Snow White retelling.
• How Naima challenges herself to write stories without limits, embracing unhinged female characters and darker themes.

Ready to get the inside scoop on publishing and discover your next favorite dark romance? Tune in to this amazing conversation with Naima Simone! Check out Church Girl and pre-order Huntsman wherever books are sold, or get exclusive pre-order perks from Eagle Eye Bookshop. Don't forget to follow, rate, and review the We Read Smut podcast!

CONNECT WITH NAIMA SIMONE:

Website

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BOOKS/AUTHORS MENTIONED:

Church Girl by Naima Simone (Amazon)

Ravaged by Naima Simone (Amazon)

To Conquer a Bride by Naima Simone (Amazon)

Preorder Huntsman at Eagle Eye Bookshop. Make sure you select the format including the preorder bonuses.

Running list of books mentioned (Doc)

Transcript

Alesia Galati 0:00

Get ready to turn up the heat because today we have USA Today bestselling author Naima Simone. And to say that I am excited is an understatement. This conversation was so good. We talk all things publishing, whether it's traditional or indie publishing. We go into her incredible book called Church Girl, as well as her new book, which is coming out in the fall of 2025, Huntsman, and I cannot wait for it. Listener discretion is advised. This podcast contains mature content intended for adult audiences only. Hello, Naeem. I am so, so, so, so, so excited to have you on the podcast. You're like my, so I had Alexandria House on in season one. You're my Alexandria House for season two. Like the big author. Oh my god! The big author that I'm just like, yes, this is the person I need. So I'm I'm so excited to have you on. So if you could start by telling everyone a bit about your author journey.

SPEAKER_01 1:08

Okay, well, I'm still kind of like from that introduction. Let me put it together. Okay. Well, I have been writing for, like you'll probably hear a lot of authors say. They've been writing since they were younger, and that's me. Started my first romance with me and you know, Ralph Tresvent in the seventh grade, almost killed him off, but brought him back to life with a kiss and ICU. And it's kind of been on from there, you know. But I sold, I sold my first book in 2009 to Laura's cave, the publisher that shall not be named. And I went to Entangled. I've been published for Entangled, Harlequin, and HQN, Canary Press, and as a recently Bramble. And it's been 15, 16 years, and it's been a ride. It's been so I can say it's been a ride.

Alesia Galati 2:01

I can imagine like the idea of all right, I'm putting my stories out into the world and then working with different types of publishers. This is for listeners, but I think it's interesting for us to know the kind of behind the scenes of what really happens in publishing. So can you give us just like we don't need to, the whole conversation does not need to be this because that's not what we're here for today. But give us like a little sneak peek of what that process looks like and maybe why quite a few authors go the indie route. I know you also have some indie books as well.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

Whether you decide to go indie or whether you decide to go traditional, both of them are great. One isn't better than the other. It's just what the author wants. That's really it. It's what the author wants control of, money-wise, what's better for them. How do you want your books distributed? Do you want to see them like mass market production, stores? Or it's really choices. See, one so one route is not better than the other. But for me, I just dreamed of always seeing my books on a bookshelf. Like when I walked into Books A Million, or for me back then was Borders, or you know, or Barnes and Nobles. Yeah, I think I just aged myself. So that was my dream. And so that's the path that I chose. So for me, I finish a book. Probably not on time. But I finish a book and then I submit it to my editor. My editor, like, I've been blessed to have wonderful editors my entire career. They I used usually like three rounds, one developmental, and I'll get back. First, I'll get back that editorial letter, which is usually soul crushing at first because it tells you everything that you need to go ahead and revamp and retool and work on. And one time I had an editorial letter was like 11 pages, and I just like put that to the side, went and had a drink, and just rolled over and cried. No, literally, I cried. My mother had to talk me down off a ledge because it was 11 pages long of what I did wrong. So, but you know, most of them aren't like that, but you know, might be like three to five pages telling you like big picture stuff of things you have to change, conflict, you know, you need to tighten up, characterization. And then you go through two more rounds of just tightening the book up. Then you get a galley. After line edits, you get a galley, and that's what the book will look like when you see it. But it's your last chance to go through and catch anything that you or the editor or the line editor didn't catch. And in the meantime, they also have another person's eyes on it. It might be one or two other people who are also reading it at the same time, who are like proofreaders and catching the same thing. So by the time it finishes, it should really be a clean book because there's been a lot of eyes on it. And then in between that, I'm getting cover art. Depending on the house, you might have more input, you might have less. But in traditional publishing, the decision is always up to the art team and the publisher at the end. So you might have input, you like more or less, they might take your opinions into consideration, but it's always the publisher's opinion. So get your art. They talk to you about depending on the publisher. You might have like a marketing and promotion meeting, you might not. You might just get a marketing plan, or you might not get that. I've had I've had all three. And so whether you're indie or you're traditional publishing, it's really in your hands to make sure your eyes get on your book, you know. So, me, I will hire like an outside promotion company to like set up something for added promotion or marketing on the week of or two weeks of the release. So you really have to push your own self because nobody's more invested in your book than you. So that's across the board, whichever way you decide to publish. But and the authors put way more money into it and more focus on it than us. Because mistakenly, I think like new authors think when they go into traditional publishing that all publishers are going to roll out like the marketing red carpet on them. It is not like that. Like with one publisher, I have, you have like five other books, or maybe two or three other books released in the same day as you. So they're marketing the line, not the author. So it's really up to you. You know, they might set up a few blog posts or interviews for you, but that's really the extent of it. Or that, you know, they'll put your book on the website, of course, and maybe on their own separate sites or whatever, or ads, they'll do that. But it's really up to you. That's the extent of it. You know, one publisher I had had a marketing plan, but it was kind of boilerplate. So, you know, you get your graphics, you get your marketing plan, and they would set up more things for you than, you know, other publishers, but it was still up to you because it was boilerplate. And then another publisher that I have, they had a marketing and promotion meeting where it was like eight and nine people there who were clearly, clearly invested in your book doing well. And they had a specific individualistic plan set for your book and you. It really depends on the publisher. And so after that, you know, your book was up a pre-order, maybe not. Most times, yes, could be a year in advance, could be six months, could be two months. And again, depending on the publisher. And then after that, the book releases. And again, I cannot stress, it depends on the publisher. That's why you have to be careful about what publisher you choose, or just go in with your eyes wide open about what publisher you're submitting to, knowing what they will do for you and what work you'll have to do on the back end. Because with some publishers, the first week they're promoting you on their site, social media, whatever. That's all like for the most part, after that first week or two is pushing it, that's it. They're on to the next release because they release a new book every week. Then you'll have some publishers who will push it a month. And then you'll have some publishers who have a long-term marketing plan for you for several months after. And then we'll have plans for okay, once it's out for like three, four months, we're gonna do like a book pub for it, or we're gonna put it on sale or to put this out in front to highlight your next book that's coming in. So each publishing journey is kind of different. It doesn't stop after you turn in the book or after you get published. That journey continues with your publisher and far after.

Alesia Galati 9:02

Wow. Yeah, it definitely is interesting because I know recently when we're recording this, for anyone who's in the future, hello future, that Elizabeth Stevens, who was on season one, released her book with Amazon publishing. Yes, I love her too. And it was wild to not see her book available because the marketing was up to her. And like Amazon was not giving her, like, we're gonna name drop it, the support that she needed to like get this book out there. And also the added comments were a lot of black authors saying, like, we see our white counterparts getting the red carpet of marketing rolled out for them, and we don't get the same. And so the community really comes together, and those small indie bookstores really come together to get these books out because a lot of people were going to like Barnes and Noble on the day of release, and where the heck is the book, right? Like, so yeah, Shinora Williams just posted about that same thing.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

Like her new release, and I mean, she's a New York Times best-selling author. And how do you not have her books on the shelves when you when she goes into these stores or when we go into these stores? I think she said she couldn't find one for a 200-mile radius. That is ridiculous. But I mean, it's it's just true. It's the ugly truth that a lot of us outside of the BIPOC community, they don't want to recognize or don't want to admit to, but it's it's very true. Just in general, when you sign on to a house, I mean, you're not the only author, especially if you're a debut author or mid-list author. Your marketing budget is small compared to other authors that they already plan this huge budget for and will give money to. That's in general. And I don't know the the whole science or the whole numbers behind deciding who to put their money to, besides name recognition. There are some authors that are very huge, so you know they're gonna get those marketing bucks. But then sometimes you'll have debut authors who book is coming out and you'll see it everywhere. Yeah. But you'll have an author in that same house who has been consistently selling, consistently, does well every single book, may not hit a list, maybe hit it once like a couple years ago, may not hit a list with every release, but is consistently sells, has a solid readership, very popular, but will not get the money. Now, picture that. Yeah. Now picture that. I'm taking it from a time to tell. Now picture that author black. You know, it's harder. It's harder because authors who are not of color, it's kind of like, you know, when we walk into a store and we're followed, you know, and then when a white person walks into a store, they're not followed because, you know, it's uh they already have that you're given the privilege of the belief that you belong there. With and when we walk into a store, if we're followed, it's because the perception is that we don't belong there. We're only there for one specific reason. So it means that they're gonna follow us until we prove that we're not up to something, that we are good enough to hand over money to the cash register and walk out the store without causing any kind of theft from mayhem, right? It's kind of like the same for a BIPOC author with a publishing house. And I know people say, well, they just see names and stories. They don't know. No, no, no, no. Stop. It's like some people want to either be willingly naive or willingly obtuse because in the age of social media, the first thing they do, editors or agents do when they get your name is they look you up on social media, look at your numbers. Look, I mean, they they look you up to see what your books are selling like. And if you're a debut author, what kind of presence you have, you know, just things like that. So they know what you look like and they know who you are. And while white authors accept they have this privilege of being, okay, let's see what your book looks like. And let me look go into this with your books, assuming that you have skill because you've submitted to us. We're judged right out from the gate. We're judged as soon as they see the name or see the skin, we're judged right out from the gate. And it's like, okay, I have to prove that I'm worthy to get this contract two times, three times, seven times harder than my less melanated brother and sister. You know what I mean? Yeah. So it's that hard. It's that kind of gatekeeping. Does it mean we quit? Hell no. You know, if you want to be traditionally published, if you want to hit the New York Times, the USA Today bestsellers list, do that. Do not let that kind of bullshit stop you from submitting to these houses and proving that not only do you belong there, but that they need you there and that you are supposed to be there. That is your purpose to be there. Do that. But also just be realistic, knowing that, like always, we're gonna have to be, we gotta be 10 times better. We got to be on it. Where other people can lack, we can't.

Alesia Galati 14:30

Yeah. And I think that as readers and purchasers, right, of the books, that our part can really be amplifying these authors and getting their voices out there and like showing our excitement for the books that are coming out so that the publisher can see, like, oh, wait, this person does have a presence. These authors are desired, right? Like, we as readers and bookish content creators, we can keep doing the work behind you guys to push this forward.

SPEAKER_01 15:04

I had a friend, there was this, there's this TikTok video, and this this black creator was like talking about how, and and I agreed with her about how there was a very popular author who didn't write BIPOC characters, and she explained why she didn't, because she said that she didn't feel that she could, her opinion, but the creator was upset about that. I saw her, I saw her her point. Clearly, I saw her point, and I agreed with it. But I also started having this conversation with another friend of mine, another author friend of mine, and she says something very, very profound to me. She said, I don't understand us begging these other authors to see us and to put us in these books. I don't understand it when we have a community who reads us and craves what we write in our books. Why are we begging other people to do it? And I was like, damn. I mean, I knew it, like on a level, I knew it, but for her to break it down like that, it's true. Why are we begging her to write us in our books when we are here and we can write our own selves in our books and our own stories? You know, so we have to celebrate ourselves. Stop begging allies. And I'm not saying they aren't allies because they are, and we're grateful for them. But stop begging people or stop expecting people, I guess I should say, to amplify us and let's take care of amplifying our own. And let's do it loud, let publishers know that we are indeed readers. Like we are voracious readers, and let them know that we want to see them publish book by us with our stories, that with characters that look like us. We need to take care of our own.

Alesia Galati 16:48

Yeah. Yeah. I think that it's so important. And I, you know, it's interesting because in black romances, right, where both the characters are black, we see white characters, white side characters, because that is the world that we live in. We live there. There is variety. And so for someone to say, especially traditionally published, where you can have the publisher find a what is the word, a sensitivity reader, find someone that can make sure that you are presenting these characters in a way that is not stereotypical. Absolutely. That you have that power to talk to the publisher to create a world that looks like the one that we live in, because it does. Like I could go to the store and I will see every variety of people because that is the world that we live in.

SPEAKER_00 17:45

Walk outside. All I gotta do is walk outside on my street.

SPEAKER_01 17:48

Yes. It's the world we the world is not white. And to be frank, it never has been. At least our country, it never has been. But our world is not white. Our world is a beautiful, vivid mixture of races, cultures, religions. To me, this is why I can't understand what is going on in the world today. That is what makes this country so damn unique. And we should be appreciative of it. You know, we should be valuing our differences. And the way that you value your difference is for authors, is we write it. We write the world that we see, we write the communities that we want to be that should be, you know, and for that's why I'm not even gonna lie, like I love Hallmark Christmas movies, right? Love. Love. But the last year, last Christmas, it was hard for me to like watch a lot of them. Because in the last year, it's hard for me to like read a book that doesn't have black people in it, look at a movie that you don't have at least one black person in it, like a TV series where you don't have representation, and not just black. Let me let me take that roll that back, where you have no representation of people of color. None. It's incredibly hard for me to watch or read any of that. And I read, like I read across the board. I don't just read like black romance because I don't just write black romance. I write interracial, I've written books with with white lead characters, but there will always be diversity in every book that I write. And there are authors like I read white authors as well, where the represent they incorporate their like representation in it. And those are the reasons like I love those authors. But then, you know, you see like media where like what town do you know where it's all white people that that I okay, they exist. They exist. Let me take that back. They exist, but for me, it does not exist. Right. Okay. And if it exists for you, you need to get online and get some black friends. That's all I'm saying. Or some friends of color. So learn about your worlds. It's fun over here. Yes. So, like, yeah, so I don't even, I don't, it was really hard for me to watch those movies because I'm like, listen, I I can't, I can no longer just watch movies where the only black person is the mayor, okay, or the real estate agent. I need movies where there is diversity. Okay. I I can't do it anymore. I can't read it in my books, can't watch TVs, can't watch movies. Like I refuse to. Can't do it. Yeah.

Alesia Galati 20:34

So if someone wants to get started in reading your books, yes, we're gonna focus on some going a little deeper into church girls here today. But if someone's like, ooh, I want one pick from your black romance, one pick from your multicultural, and one pick from your interracial to get started, where should they begin?

SPEAKER_01 20:53

For black romance, I would say church girl because we're that's the one we're here to discuss. Yes. And you're gonna get all the details on it. For interracial, I would say ravaged. Okay. Yeah, I would say that. I I love that book. And for multicultural, I would say Tacakra Bride.

Alesia Galati 21:12

Nice.

SPEAKER_01 21:13

Awesome.

Alesia Galati 21:13

Yeah, I love that so much. So let's talk Church Girl. Let's get into it. I love this book first. So I'm gonna hold it up for those watching the video. I loved this book. You can see my tabs.

SPEAKER_01 21:28

Oh my god, that makes me feel so good.

Alesia Galati 21:30

I like, and this is like minimal tabbing because I don't tab books, but I had to tab this one. And like, I got double tabs for the sexy bits, you know what I'm saying? Like, like, yes, I was like, I might need to come back to this.

SPEAKER_00 21:48

I am so I just I'm listening I am just give me chills. Like I have meals right now. Oh, I love it.

Alesia Galati 21:58

So I want to read a line. From page 18, like starting out the gate making me cry. Okay, because and I'll explain why in a second. So here's the line you know firsthand what it is to feel like you're slowly suffocating under the heavy weight of expectation of standards so high that trying to reach them is just a setup for failure. So have uh did I write that? I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian cult, and I've shared that on the podcast very briefly before, but even before going to this cult, and I when I say cult, I don't just mean very cultish church. I literally mean it was a plot of land with facilities and the leader and the works. Just for people who are like, wait a minute. It was not a sex cult. It was a fundamentalist Christian cult. And before that, we went to a church that was very fundamentalist and very culty in that if you go to other churches, they don't know the way. They don't have the truth that we have about Jesus and God and stuff. Right. And then going like it was a very easy transition for my mom, who was a drug addict for the majority of her life, as well as before we had gone there, she was a sex worker to afford the drugs that she wanted. And going from that fundamentalist church to this facility where she could be clean, where she could have her kids with her, because so many women's programs to help women overcome addiction don't allow the kids there as well. So to have all of us together fully provided for, and her not to have to make decisions for her life. Right. And to put that power in someone else's hands to just guide her, and then growing up as a child in that environment of the expectation to be perfect, the expectation to constantly be in the world, but not of the world, right? Like just this language that was used so often to stay pure until marriage, like just so much conditioning to the point where when I got out, because I finally, of course, did get out. And when I got out, at this point, I was a new mom. I worked at a job, I was in college, like I was trying to like make something of myself. And a friend said, Hey, I wanna go to an introductory yoga class. Do you want to go with me? And the very first thought I had was yoga satanic. Oh, and I was like, Whoa, whose thought is that? Like this is like four years after leaving at that point. And it's still like the conditioning is still there. The conditioning is still there. And like trying to like be a good person, right? Quotes here, a good person, whatever that looks like, outside of that religion, was I just had to figure myself out, right? And say, like, right, do I know that to be true, or is that something I need to explore? Okay, I'm gonna try this yoga thing. And if they're like, welcome the spirit into your like, okay, maybe we don't do that.

unknown 25:42

Right.

Alesia Galati 25:43

Maybe goat yoga. Right. Yeah, maybe we do puppies and goats and that kind of stuff, right? But it was not like that at all. My first yoga instructor was a fat woman, and she just owned it and was like doing all these poses and just so down to earth. And I'm pretty sure I fell asleep in some classes at the end because I was just so relaxed, like very new mom feelings. Just like, oh, this is peace. That's wonderful. Right. And then was like, okay, so I've made my decision based on my experience that this is not bad. Now in Church Girl, we see some very similar kind of trajectory, which is why this book like just gave me all the feels. Because I was like, yes, you know, this woman who grows she grows up in as a pastor's kid, has these expectations put on her and is like, I need to get out. And then also finding her beliefs outside and like what that looks like to be a good person, to still believe in God, to still want to like be a Christian, but also not out, like completely separate, and what that looks and feels like. Walk us through like what it was like to like it.

SPEAKER_01 27:09

You still got it. Yay! Because sometimes I think when people like read it, I hope when people read it, I'm not trashing church, you know, that that's not what she was doing. She was just because she was she very much still believed in God. She was still very much, she loved God. But what she hated was the rules, the man-made rules and you know, expectations that her father had, like the religion had instead of the spirituality part, you know, instead of what what God really is. It was these rules that were man-made that were constricting her and suffocating her, you know. So I'm so glad you got that. Because I'm a pastor's kid. So yeah, I was so glad.

Alesia Galati 27:57

Yeah, I just I found it so interesting. And then also it's spicy, guys.

SPEAKER_00 28:02

So like it's gonna be with me, the doors are always gonna be blown wide open.

Alesia Galati 28:11

How do you, as an adult and like writing erotic content and that kind of thing, not though I'm trying to find the right word here, but like line up that with Yeah, with growing up as a pastor's kid.

SPEAKER_01 28:25

Yeah. Because I I think, of course, like when you're a pastor's kid and you're you're in church, and my grandfather was a pastor too, and then my father, like, you know, right behind him. So yeah, I mean, you're kind of looked at. There are expectations being put on you. You have to behave a certain way, like you have to be the model of behavior for other children, you know, like that. But for me, my experience from other pastors' kids were and I think it's just because of my family, you know. My family is crazy, we're loud, we're lovable, we're messy, you know, we're we're all the things. We're just in in a word, very imperfect, but we love each other. So those were expectations that other people put on me, but my father and my grandfather and my mother never put on me. But I saw what that could look like. And also, I mean, I have friends who are pastors' kids, and I saw what that looked like for them, which was the opposite of what it was for me with my family. And fortunately for me, my family wouldn't let the weight of other people's perceptions and definitions of what I should be define who I should be. You know, I was my own person. So when I went in a church girl, it was like very important for me to not disrespect Christianity, not to dis because I'm a Christian, not not disrespect God because or or scripture because it is, it is my foundation. You know, I am a Christian, I love God. I don't think I there's no think I know I wouldn't be where I am today without Him. But it was addressing how parental expectation, dogma, the rules of religion can harm. How if a pastor or a reverend or leaders of a church are not living what they preach, then it can cause harm. So that's what I wanted to show. And a lot of times it is family who was harmed before congregation members. Yeah. And that's what her father was doing to her. And all she wanted to do was live out loud. And she could not do that. It was like her whole life was planned out. She had no voice, she had no choice. Nobody bothered to ask her. It was just expected. And she was pushed in the direction of this marriage, of the man, you know, who she didn't even like, but nobody asked her if she liked him or not, you know? And so it got to the point where she was just like, no, and she hauled ass out that church in her wedding gown. And so, and to the one person who everybody saw as the black sheep of the family. But to her, it was like her cousin Tamara represented freedom. You know, take me with you. And so that's what happened. And on her journey there, not only did she find love, of course, but like this incredibly hot, reckless ass mouth man. It was just like she found that she could make her own choices. She found her voice and that it was loud in her own way. She could stand up for herself, she could decide her own path, she could claim her sexuality, she could voice that she did have sexual urges and she wanted it dirty, and she wanted this man, and there was nothing wrong with it. And at the end, it wasn't enough for her to recognize that for herself. But at the end, she got to confront her parents and tell them that. Like, I'm no longer going to live by your rules, your idea of who I should be. I'm defining who I should be, and I'm walking that. And if you disagree with it, you disagree with it. Go with God and go with love. But if you're on my then call me, we'll talk. But if not, I love you. Just gonna have to love you from a distance.

Alesia Galati 32:24

Yes. So much of her story felt like mine, where I was like, yes. I think about being 18. And we were homeschooled through the program. And when I got to 18, having never had a job before, having no money to my name, not having a license, not having any type of external world interactions to be able to go out into the world, being told that if I did not go to the Bible college that was associated with this cult, which also was on a bunch of land and you weren't allowed to leave and you weren't allowed to have phones, right? Like very closed community as well. And so if I didn't go there, then I would not have a home to come back to. And so being 18 and like being like, this is the only home that I've known for the last seven years, my teen years, the only home I've known. My family is here. I'm the oldest of five. And you're telling me that if I leave, even going like I had plans to go to a regular Christian college. Like, I wasn't even planning on going to a quote unquote worldly college or a secular college. Like I was going like Bible colleges. Nope. Not in you have to go to the one associated. And then getting there and just being like, I don't know how to live in this world. And they're not prepared for it. I know. What is happening? Hello. Right. And of course, my second year there, sneaking my phone in, starting to read erotica, right? Like, that's where, like, what is happening to the world? Like, my brain was like, pew pew pee pew. Um, so yeah, that was my journey. So much of it felt like hers, of like, as I was reading it, being like, yes, nodding my head along to the feelings and the thoughts and the like, oh my goodness, yes, I feel all of this. That feels wonderful. So much. So that feels thank you for writing it.

SPEAKER_00 34:42

Oh, I'm like, dang, I feel so like I feel so incredibly blessed right now that I did write it.

SPEAKER_01 34:51

I'm like, wow, that I mean, that's such a great compliment. That makes me feel so good. That makes it worth like all the pain and doubt of writing that book.

Alesia Galati 35:02

Yeah, it is such an incredible book. Everyone go check it out. Please go read it. But you don't just write contemporary or like Harlequin style books. You write a variety and you have a new book coming out in the fall of 2025 when we're recording this. So for anyone in the future, it's already out. But in the fall of 2025, you have a dark romance coming out. I do. Oh my god, I'm so excited. So tell us about what we can expect from Huntsman.

SPEAKER_01 35:34

Well, oh, I just happen to have an ARC here. Oh, okay. So Huntsman, I am so, so excited about this. It's my first dark romance. I love dark romance. Like, love. I love dark romance, urban fiction romance. Like, and to me, this is like a blending of both, like my two loves. And it is a retelling of Snow White and a Huntsman, and it's a mafia dark romance. But this book, as all the other two books in the series, in the Hunted Kingdom series, will revolve around the Disney princesses, sort of. But these are not the princesses in Disney. The story is kind of like grim, but they're like the mafia princesses. That's what it, you know, revolves around. And Huntsman, Eshe, who is the princess, who is a Snow White character, she's like, she's called the Alori of the of her family, which is like the second in command. But her mother was the head of it. And her aunt killed her mother, took it over when she was younger. And so Ashie is like always wanted revenge on her. But she's kept it and she's like planning it in secret. She has been all these years since she was 16 when she saw her mother killed. But in the meantime, because there's been stirrings within the family about, you know, her coming into power because her aunt is not a good ruler. She's a selfish, mean ruler. And her aunt sends the huntsman after her, which who is like the boogeyman of the underworld. So, and he, when he gets the mission, he does not miss. He has never failed. So she sends him after Eshi, but when he gets there, the hunter becomes the hunted. The predator becomes the prey because she flips the table on him very, very quickly. Homegirl's a stalker and has been obsessed with him forever.

Alesia Galati 37:27

Oh my god, I love it.

SPEAKER_01 37:29

She don't play about the huntsman. She don't play about the huntsman. That's her man, even if you don't know it and you don't agree when he find out.

Alesia Galati 37:37

Oh my god. You have character art, right? Of him tied to a bed. Is that am I remembering that correctly?

SPEAKER_01 37:48

Like, look at my Instagram tomorrow. It's gonna, I'm showing the whole thing. Like, I got vellum art made for my pre-order campaign. Oh my god, yes. That's in chapter two.

SPEAKER_00 37:59

If that gives you, if that tells you any idea what what kind of book this is, that happens in chapter two. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 38:09

Yeah. This book is like, it is so much darker than anything I've written. And I had so much fun writing it because whenever I would ask myself, can I write that? I was like, yeah, and just let him tell you to take the bad dialogue. Like, just go ahead. Stop asking yourself, can you write it and just write it? You know, I I just had to throw out the rules and just write what I wanted to write, which wasn't we all love an unhinged, you know, male character. I have an unhinged female character, and he ain't all there himself, you know. But he's more torture, but she's unhinged and loves it unapologetically. Instead of the dwarves, there's her seven, which is a badass group of seven females under her. Like this, it's like a nod, a really reimagined nod to the fairy tale, but so much darker, so much more fun. I love the book. I hope everyone else does too.

Alesia Galati 39:06

So yes. Oh my gosh. I am so excited. So when can we expect this? Where can we pre-order all of that fun stuff?

SPEAKER_01 39:17

Well, you can pre-order everywhere, but as of today, I'm going to announce it. Like I'll I'm going to post it and announce it tomorrow. But as of today, you can go on Eagle Eye Bookshop, their website, and you can pre-order Huntsman and you will get the Vellum art insert. You will get a bookmark, you'll get a purse charm of either an Apple or a Blackheart, and the book will be signed by me. So yeah. Like all of those for free if you pre-order from Eagle Eye Bookshop. But it's available to pre-order everywhere. And I encourage you to do so. Yes. Yeah. Go ahead and do that.

Alesia Galati 39:54

We'll make sure that we have a link for that specifically in the show notes. Awesome. So if anyone's like, wait, give me that link. We got you. Check the show notes in the YouTube description. It'll all be in there. Appreciate it. Yes. Uh, Naima, this has been so much fun. I am so I'm so excited.

SPEAKER_00 40:12

I had so much fun. This is I love talking to you. This is fun. We're doing this again, right? We're doing this again.

Alesia Galati 40:20

Yep, absolutely. Okay. It needs to happen. All right.

SPEAKER_00 40:23

Because I'm like, we besties now on the screen life.

Alesia Galati 40:28

That is exactly how it feels. And that's why I love having these conversations is like to be able to talk to the authors that we know and we love and like get to know you guys on a deeper level. But then also it's very selfishly I get to talk to you, which is always fun. Like it's just the benefit of having a podcast. You mentioned your Instagram. Where can people check that out? What is that account? And of course, we'll make sure we have it linked in the show notes. And then anywhere else that you like to hang out online where people can connect with you.

SPEAKER_01 40:59

You can always find me at my website, naimasimone.com. I'm on Facebook, Naema Simone Author, and Naeema Simone Author on Instagram and TikTok. Perfect.

Alesia Galati 41:11

And again, like I said, we'll have those linked in the show notes for anyone who's doing other things. We got you. Naima, thank you so much for being on. I appreciate you. Thank you for inviting me.

SPEAKER_01 41:21

This was, I had so much fun. This was amazing.