Author Talk | Jacinta Howard

A rare birthday. A second chance. A woman finally choosing herself.

Simone Harris has always known how to hold it down. For her son. For her clients. For the sports agency she built from scratch. She keeps things running, keeps herself moving, and keeps her heart tucked safely out of reach.

But this birthday feels different. It falls on a leap year, a date that only circles back every so often. A rare kind of day that feels like it arrives exactly when it’s meant to. The kind that makes you pause and ask what you have been pushing through just to keep going. In that stillness, something begins to surface alongside it. Fatigue. Questions. The quiet ache she has learned to ignore.

She is not falling apart. Still, something is shifting. The pressure she has lived under feels heavier than it once did. And as she begins to listen to what her spirit has been trying to say, the past reappears, bringing with it a familiar comfort, unfinished conversations, and a quiet invitation to feel again.

Books will be available for sale and signing from All the Tropes Romance Bookstore

Jacinta Howard is an Atlanta-based author and culture journalist with over a decade of experience writing about music, art, and pop culture. As a lifelong music lover, Jacinta’s experiences in culture journalism naturally influence her novels, which explore the complexities of relationships, personal healing, and true intimacy. Named a USA TODAY-recognized author and two-time RONE (Reward of Novel Excellence) Award nominee, her books have been featured in USA Today, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Book Riot, and OkayAfrica. Jacinta is currently a senior writer and associate editor at The Infatuation.

Moderating the talk will be Brianna Peppins. She is the author of young adult contemporary books, including Briarcliff Prep and As Long as We're Together. She was raised in Prince George's County, Maryland, and graduated from Spelman College with a BA in psychology. When not writing, Brianna takes special interest in spending time with her loved ones and social justice issues, and is a self-proclaimed movie aficionado.

Host or Publisher Gwinnett County Public Library