Meet Ann:

I’ve loved romance since I was a teenager, back when my biggest problems were finishing up school work quickly so I could sneak away and read my novel in peace. I started with Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, then quickly graduated to Mills & Boon, falling in love with every Greek tycoon and emotionally unavailable Italian billionaire I could find. I’ve devoured romance books religiously, gone through my full Wattpad phase, my Christian Grey era, and yes, even my Gideon Cross obsession. (My dog is actually named after him. Cross is the moodiest, sweetest dog I’ve ever had. No regrets.)

Truth is, I’ve always preferred reading to writing. I only started writing because I got tired of waiting for stories about Black African women that didn’t center trauma. We deserve soft love stories too. We deserve to be the main character just because, not because we’ve survived something. So, I write what I want to read, stories where African women are messy, unlikable, lovable, complicated, joyful, and falling in love in whatever way they damn well please.

Today, I might be writing a romance novel. Tomorrow, it might be feminist nonfiction. Who knows? But what I do know is: when the urge hits, I’ll write. And I’ll keep writing stories that let women like me escape into something good, if only for a few days. As much as I’d love to be a full-time writer, I also work as a gender equity specialist. My day-to-day involves program design, policy development, and finding creative, feminist ways to break down the patriarchy. I also run my own NGO, so rest assured, there’s always a Google Doc open somewhere. When I’m not working or writing, I love long walks, hosting people, baking, always drinking cocktails, and reading the most amazing books. I’m obsessed with art, but mostly, I love consuming it

Thanks for stopping by. You’re always welcome here.