It’s fall and officially frosty as hell outside, so you know what that means — it’s time to refresh your reading list! What better way to spend a chilly October evening than to be snuggled up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and a serious page-turner.
If you’re looking for an option that really captures the vibe of the moment (and one that is seriously affordable), then you should definitely check out Stephanie Guerilus’ debut novel, “Control.”
A longtime journalist, Guerilus has worked for The Philadelphia Tribune as a general assignment reporter and for Madame Noire and Urban Cusp as a contributor.
“Control,” aptly titled after Janet Jackson’s 1986 hit, is a story of a young girl named Theresa who thinks she knows it all. Here’s a brief synopsis:
Reesa quickly becomes an It girl after speaking up at a Black Lives Matter protest but her activism gets in the way of her career. She wants to be the next pop diva on the charts. For that to happen, Reesa will have to be packaged; smile and wave as though she’s at a beauty pageant. She’ll have to give control to advisers who want her to sing on cue, tap dance on command, no throwing shoes at parties and keeping her mouth shut on the culture. If only Reesa had just sat there and ate her food. Control is a novel that addresses the political climate, #MeToo, identity and what it means when you are a young woman of color who the world doesn’t automatically think to protect.
Asked how to take a book from idea to publish, Guerilus advises on just writing. “Pick up a pen and a notepad and just write,” she says.
“Control” is available on for purchase on Kindle and in paperback.
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