African American Mystery Novels by Women are they becoming extinct?

The one genre that seems to be slim to almost extinct is the genre of african-american women mystery.

Penny Mickelbury who has published six novels write mysteries, and she says, "Publishers don't want to take a chance on an African American woman mystery writer." She then goes on and says "There is a need for African American mystery writers, but we're becoming extinct because of bookstores who won't give the equal amount of publicity that the white mytery writers get."

I agree to an extent. I do read AA books, from urban fiction to romance, however, there doesn't exist many woman mystery authors. You really have to search deep.

I myself am an African American mystery author and a woman. My newest book, Searchable Whereabouts is a mystery novel about a woman trying to unravel the myterious death of her uncle. The novel addresses an important issue, but can't say exactly because it will give away the ending. However, I have already received raved reviews and can't wait until its release on February 1, 2008.

However, you can get a glimpse into the book by reading an excerpt and by viewing the book trailer at my website: http://www.tinishanicolejohnson.com

A bit of a niche 'genre', isn't it?

I'm glad to hear about your raved reviews and I'm glad the book addresses an important issue. Can you tell me what it is, if I promise not to read the book?

> 2

A bit of a niche 'genre', isn't it?

Only if you assume that mysteries by African-American women aren't read by anyone except other African-American women, which is a false assumption.

Eleanor Taylor Bland, Barbara Neely and Valerie Wilson Wesley are just a couple of such writers who are read by quite a variety of folks.

I very much enjoyed Valerie Wilson Wesley. But even more, I liked Terris McMahan Grimes's Somebody Else's Child. Nothing wrong with a good PI tale, but I felt like that Grimes got beyond that and gave a insightful look into the amateur sleuth's community. I hope Grimes' Blood Will Tell lives up to this promise. I have found reference to a third Grimes book, have any of you heard of others by her? Keep the examples of this niche genre coming--or other mysteries by African-American writers of any gender.

>3 lilithcat:: I'm not talking about the readership. I'm just saying that separating female African-American mystery writers from male ones seems a bit picky. Personally, I'd just call Tinisha a mystery writer and be done with it.