We were lucky to catch up with Kamaya Tarpley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kamaya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

I believe it’s important to include all stories when we are writing stories. BIPOC, people who are disabled, LGBTQ+, and other minority communities/religions deserve to be represented well. Not only that, but other authors, especially indie authors need to champion each other. There is enough space for all people of all belief systems to thrive and we need more of that. Whether it’s exploring a new author, sharing a post, or creating a story that includes someone who may be albino or in a wheelchair, there is a wide future in diversity.

Kamaya, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started writing professionally when I was 25 and to be quite frank, directionless. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life but after a tumultuous relationship with a Marine corporal, I felt compelled to write about it. Of course I had always written as a side hobby but never considered it an actual career until then. I wrote “Alicia Vale: I Salute You” and its sequel as my only two romance themed works then moved on to my true passion in fantasy/horror fiction. As a Black woman who has had alternative interests their whole life, I was often excluded so I saw the opportunity to give someone like myself the limelight. I ended up writing about Black & Brown witches, mermaids, succubi, ghosts, and more. As an open-minded woman, I also like to include other cultures in my work including Indigenous, Hispanic, White, and Asian/Pacific Islanders. I am very proud of the representation I have done and hope to continue creating it so that others don’t have to feel the way I used to feel.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

My mom always told me “Not everyone thinks like you, Kamaya” and I had to apply that to my writing. It kept me open-minded and allows me to view my characters as people instead of just my creations. It makes my work more dynamic.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I worked as an independent vendor at the Las Vegas Book Festival in 2018, it was a weird year. I had begun to write scarier stories and that wasn’t appealing to many who passed by my booth. I received comments from many white men who stated that I didn’t belong and I needed to stay out of “white culture”. On the other end, many older Black women advised my books weren’t for Christians and too scary. That was a very difficult day for me – I just felt like I couldn’t win. However, both of those criticisms were wrong about me. I had to tell myself that I am not only proud of myself but I truly love what I’m doing. Black women are not linear beings, no matter what others may think. We are extremely versatile and cannot be confined to any box. How they feel or felt does not dictate how I feel about my career. I swallowed their comments and here I am now, 14 books later with an audience that grows every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: kamayatarpley.com
• Instagram: kamayatarpley
• Twitter: kamayatarpley
• Other: Tiktok: @kingkamaya

Image Credits
I own and have the copyrights to all images