As the national bestselling author of more than 50 books, ReShonda Tate has the credentials, and the passion, to bring stories to life. That’s exactly what she does in her latest novel, The Queen of Sugar Hill (William Morrow, Jan. 30, 2024), a fascinating fictional portrait of Hattie McDaniel, one of Hollywood’s most prolific but woefully underappreciated stars, and the first Black person to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in the film classic Gone With the Wind.
A highly sought-after motivational speaker and award-winning poet, ReShonda is the recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature for her book Say Amen, Again and she was also nominated for her books Mama’s Boy and The Secret She Kept. She has received a plethora of distinguished awards and honors for her journalism, fiction, and poetry writing skills, including an induction into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame and the Texas Literary Hall of Fame. Her books have been featured in numerous magazines, including USA Today, The Washington Post, Jet, People, Essence, and Ebony.
The Queen of Sugar Hill is ReShonda’s debut historical fiction novel, but she has written for both adults and teens, as well as nonfiction. Her sophomore novel, Let the Church Say Amen, was made into a film directed by actress Regina King, and produced by TD Jakes and Queen Latifah. ReShonda made her on-screen movie debut in the film which aired on BET and Netflix. Her book, The Secret She Kept, was also made into a movie and aired on TV One. ReShonda made a cameo in that movie as well.
A well-respected journalist for more than three decades, ReShonda has worked as a Television Reporter and Anchor for stations in Oklahoma City, Beaumont, and Houston. She is also Managing Editor for the Houston Defender Newspaper, as well as a radio news anchor and talk show host at KTSU Radio, 90.9 FM. She also works as a professional editor, ghostwriter, and literary consultant.
ReShonda is also the co-founder of the boutique publishing company, Brown Girls Books, with Victoria Christopher Murray. The company, which is aimed at producing quality books from fresh voices and fan favorites, boasts a roster of more than 40 authors. BGB’s subsidiary company, Brown Girls Entertainment, is branching out into the multimedia landscape, producing content for film, TV and the web.
A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, ReShonda is a member of the Missouri City – Sugar Land Chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Jack & Jill of America. She is married to Jeffrey Caradine and is the mother of three children ages 23, 21, and 16, and two bonus children, ages 24 and 23.
“ReShonda Tate was a pleasure to work with; she was happy to collaborate with our library in the program planning process, and she exuded passion and warmth and patience, but most of all, in-depth knowledge of her subject matter when speaking with our audience members and answering their questions.” — Baltimore County Public Library, 2024
