Featured Spotlight

Publication: Booked & Quoted Magazine

B.R.A.E. Year 5 Special Edition • October 2026

Within the pages of this special B.R.A.E. Year 5 edition of Booked & Quoted Magazine, readers will meet 33 Black indie authors as they share the books they chose to spotlight, the journeys behind their writing, and what brought them to this year’s event. The issue also includes firsthand reader experiences and an in-depth feature with B.R.A.E. founder A.A. Lewis.

Readers will also get a closer look at The BLK Shelf and its connection to the literary community, along with a growing Black Literary Resource Directory created to help readers and authors continue discovering books, platforms, businesses, events, and opportunities beyond the pages of the magazine. Together, these features celebrate the stories, voices, connections, and community shaping B.R.A.E. Year 5 and the wider Black independent literary space.

So… We Decided to Do a B.R.A.E. Edition

When I decided Booked & Quoted was doing an entire edition around B.R.A.E. Year 5, I thought I had a simple plan: find out who was participating, spotlight a few authors and books, hear from some readers, learn more about B.R.A.E., and pull it all together. Then the submissions started rolling in. Thirty-three authors later, a reader form I hadn’t originally planned on creating, and more moving pieces than I expected, that “simple” idea had turned into something much bigger.

And I’m glad it did. Putting this issue together made me look at B.R.A.E. from more than one seat—as LJ Walker the author, LaShonda the reader, and Booked & Quoted the publication paying attention to everybody else’s experience too. That’s when the real story of this edition showed up: the authors, the readers, the people behind the scenes, and all the community surrounding those free books. So no, it didn’t come together exactly the way I pictured it. It got better. And after spending all this time in everybody else’s B.R.A.E. business, 😂 it’s finally time for y’all to meet them.

About B.R.A.E

Five Years of Black Stories, Reader Appreciation, and Literary Connection

B.R.A.E., the Black Readers Appreciation Event, was created as a way to celebrate readers while helping connect them with independent Black authors across genres. What began as a simple act of appreciation has grown into a larger literary community built around discovery, visibility, and the relationship between the people writing the stories and the readers helping those stories travel.

Now in its fifth year, B.R.A.E. continues to create multiple ways for readers to experience Black literature through ebooks, audiobooks, author connections, and expanding community opportunities. At its core, the event remains rooted in one thing: making space for Black stories to be discovered, shared, supported, and carried forward.

A.A. Lewis — The Woman Behind B.R.A.E.

The Founder Whose Thank-You Grew Into a Community

Books introduce us to characters and stories, but interviews introduce us to the people who create them.

Throughout this issue, you'll discover the inspirations, challenges, and defining moments that have shaped each author's journey, reminding us that every published book begins with a single idea and the courage to share it.

Whether you're discovering a new favorite author or reconnecting with a familiar voice, we hope these pages inspire you to explore new stories, support independent authors, and celebrate the power of Black storytelling.