Publisher Salem West announced today that Bywater Books has signed author Cheryl Head, whose self-published debut novel, Long Way Home: A World War II Novel, was a 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Award finalist in both the African American Literature and Historical Fiction categories. “Cheryl Head is an exciting addition to Bywater’s family of authors and staff, and we’re thrilled to include the first installment of her gritty detective series called The Charlene Mack Mysteries, to our Spring 2016 catalogue,” West said. “Her characters are written with equal parts sharp, shimmering intelligence and edgy, moonlit subconscious—and her approach to diversity and humor trespass the established boundaries of the modern mystery genre. ”
Originally from Detroit, Cheryl Head now lives on Capital Hill in Washington, D.C. Her career as a writer, television producer, filmmaker, broadcast executive and media funder has taken her to every continent except Antarctica and Australia. “Much of what I write focuses on the themes of diversity in its broadest sense, acculturation and tolerance, sometimes with a bit of danger and always with a lot of humor, food and music,” Head said. A regular blogger and Twitter user, she also works as a consultant on a wide range of diversity issues. “I’m an ardent observer and listener, always trying to connect the dots that connect us to each other.”
