Kudos to Kennedy Ryan!

First of all - excuse my head wrap in these pictures! I had just taken my loc extensions out and my hair appointment was days later, but I was NOT going to miss the opportunity to meet my favorite author, THEE Kennedy Ryan, okay?! - Photos from May 2023 at Page 158 Bookstore in Wake Forest, NC.

In March 2024, Kennedy Ryan announced that she became a New York Times Best Selling Author; and I couldn't think of an author that deserves it more than she does! I fell in love with her writing after reading Before I Let Go in January of 2023. After that, I was on a journey to read every Kennedy Ryan book I could get my hands on! In person, she is all that you'd imagine and hope your favorite author would be. She's approachable, hilarious, authentic, and bubbly! You can see her glow in my pictures. Talking to her feels like catching up with one of your good homegirls. She listens to her readers and takes her time to answer every question with thoroughness and detail, just like her writing.

Kennedy freely expresses how passionate she is about amplifying the voices of marginalized communities. She shared how carefully she researches topics, conducts interviews and uses sensitivity readers to ensure that when she's telling the story of others, it's told just a carefully as she would with her own story.

What I love about her books is how she takes you on a journey with characters that have realistic scenarios such as grief, depression, illnesses, and so much more. You see a piece of yourself or someone you love in each of her characters.

I am so proud and happy for Kennedy Ryan! She deserves each and every bouquet of flowers that she's receiving!