Author Talk: Dark Fantasy and Romance with Naima Simone and Raena Ashanti

The Author Series Committee at DPL welcomes bestselling romance and fantasy author Naima Simone. She will be visiting Detroit to share details about the forthcoming second installment in her The Hunted Kingdom trilogy: Ember (Bramble, 2026). This new scorching dark mafia romance sees a modern-day Cinderella fight against the stepbrother who inherited her legacy--but he wants more than just the family empire: he wants her.

Joining Naima in conversation is writer Raena Ashanti. Copies of Naima's books will be available for sale from Source Booksellers.

About Naima: Published since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor, and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.”

She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bulletproof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.

About Raena: Raena Ashanti is a proud Flint, MI native and a graduate of Fisk University. Her son is currently living the Sparty life at Michigan State University. In 2018, she married her book boyfriend, Mike, and together they’ve been building a cozy‑luxe “Chalet life” right in the heart of the city.

She is an avid multi‑genre reader, crafter, cheer coach, and community builder.

You can usually find her treating her social media like a group chat talking books, great food, and curating a Chalet lifestyle and state of mind, all while navigating life on Migraine Island. She’s dedicated to wrecking your TBR in the best way possible and reminding you that reading is fun, healing, a journey, and whatever else you need it to be. Every genre and sub‑genre holds a doorway, and she believes you hold the key. You can find her across social media @ChaletNTheCity.

This is NOT a ticketed event, which means seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration is highly encouraged in order to receive important updates about this author visit. Questions? Email [email protected]!

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