‘Black Magic Women’

by Sumiko Saulson

Feb. 15 is the official release date for “Black Magic Women: Terrifying Tales by Scary Sisters,” associated with the reference guide “100 Black Women in Horror.” The new book is being released on Mocha Memoirs Press, a publishing house out of North Carolina that does a lot of work with Black authors and women authors alike and is owned and operated by Nicole Kurtz, an African American woman.

Imagine horror where Black characters aren’t all tropes and the first to die; imagine a world written by Black sisters where Black women and femmes are in the starring roles. From flesh-eating plants to flesh-eating bees, zombies to vampires to vampire-eating vampire hunters, ghosts, revenants, witches and werewolves, this book has it all. Cursed drums, cursed dolls, cursed palms, ancient spirits and goddesses create a nuanced world of Afrocentric and multicultural horror. Seventeen terrifying tales by seventeen of the scary sisters profiled in the reference guide “100 Black Women in Horror.”

“Black Magic Women” includes the stories “Appreciation” by Mina Polina, “Death Lines” by Nuzo Onoh, “Sweet Justice” by Kenesha Williams, “Bryannah and the Magic Negro” by Crystal Connor, “The Lost Ones” by Valjeanne Jeffers, “Tango of a TellTale Heart” by Sumiko Saulson, “Blood Magnolia” by Nicole Givens Kurtz, “Labor Pains” by Kenya Moss-Dyme, “Return to Me” by Lori Titus, “Here, Kitty!” by LM Moore, “Left Hand Torment” by R. J. Joseph, “Dark Moon’s Curse” by Delizhia Jenkins, “Killer Queen” by Cinsearae S, “Sisters” by Kai Leakes, “Black and Deadly” by Dicey Grenor, “Trisha and Peter” by Kamika Aziza, “Alternative” by Tabitha Thompson and “The Prizewinner” by Alledria Hurt.

Sumiko Saulson, author, writer of dark speculative fiction, can be reached at [email protected], and visit her at www.SumikoSaulson.com.