{"title":"Didi Anofienem","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginally from Houston, TX, the hometown of Beyoncé and Meg thee Stallion, Didi Anofienem is a novelist and educator residing in Los Angeles, CA. She earned her MFA from the University of San Francisco in 2017, a BS from UT-Austin in 2010, and a BA from the University of Houston in 2014. Passionate about words, Didi wrote her first story at the age of eight. She grew up reading Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Ntozake Shange. As an adult, her favorite authors are Octavia Butler and Laurell K. Hamilton. In the past, Didi has written romance novels, a poetry collection, several short stories, plays, and personal essays. She just recently completed a Master of Education in Private School Leadership from Teacher’s College at Columbia University. When she’s not teaching English and creative writing, Didi spends her time traveling back and forth to Houston, re-reading her favorite books, dancing to Beyoncé, and playing The Sims 4.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDidi Anofienem’s books are published by Keylight Books, an imprint of Turner Publishing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrowse more: \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/books-new-releases\"\u003eNew Releases\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/award-winning-books\"\u003eAward-Winning Books\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"descendants-of-fire-water-essien-of-alkebulan-1","title":"Descendants of Fire \u0026 Water (Essien of Alkebulan, 1)","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhat would the world be like if Africa had never been colonized—and if the transatlantic slave trade had never happened? \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe only daughter among five brothers, Essien was raised in a village where women are bred to tend to their husbands and bear children. One night, after she is led by akukoifo—mythical beings of Alkebulan folklore—to a fabled river, Essien emerges from the waters with superhuman abilities: hands that burn with the flames they contain, and the strength to overpower any of the men around her.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eUnsure of what this newfound power means, Essien returns to an unfamiliar world a changed woman. And when militant rebels destroy her father’s fields, leaving him crippled for life, Essien is left with no choice but to defy the social conventions of her upbringing and become the first woman to enlist in Alkebulan’s formidable military. Without the presence of her family and friends, surrounded by fellow soldiers who want her dead and powerful forces that seek to manipulate Essien’s inner magic for evil, Essien must learn to control and harness her new powers, even as she fights her destiny to become her country’s long-awaited goddess. But not everything is as it seems. Will Essien step into her destiny as Goddess of Alkebulan, or will she make a decision that will alter the course of Alkebulan history forever?\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFueled by ancestral magic and the power of gods on earth, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDescendants of Fire \u0026amp; Water\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e is the thrilling first book in the powerful new\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEssien of Alkebulan\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e series.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eWe earn a commission for purchases made through the following links.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/1684429919\/ref=nosim?tag=tpcecomm-20\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Amazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003c!-- bookshop-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/book\/9781684429912\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Bookshop.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/bookshop-buylink --\u003e","brand":"Didi Anofienem","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43857254187224,"sku":"9781684429905","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43857254219992,"sku":"9781684429912","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0563\/7786\/8475\/files\/9781684429905_FChigh_2_mockup_v2_1687447754_f45a5d4b-9fd2-4c06-a3db-acea0e95b3e1.jpg?v=1791065125"},{"product_id":"wielders-of-floods-and-flames-essien-of-alkebulan-2","title":"Wielders of Floods and Flames (Essien of Alkebulan, 2)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEssien of Alkebulan returns in this gripping sequel to\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDescendants of Fire and Water\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRescued from the clutches of President Gabriel by Enyemaka, Essien flees into the wilderness of Alkebulan, finding herself amongst a group of rebels who seek to dismantle the very regime she used to serve. She quickly becomes a reluctant participant of the rebel cause, desperate to gain control over the flames that threaten to overwhelm her, only to discover she’s simply traded one captivity for another.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDetermined not to be caged, she goes on the run from both the rebels and the President. But Gabriel cannot be so easily shaken, nor ignored. Using Enyemaka as leverage, Gabriel convinces Essien to return to him, this time bonded, to fulfill the Mothers’ prophecy of the pair ruling Alkebulan together. But first, Essien must convince all of Alkebulan to crown her Queen. As the pressures of the campaign and Gabriel’s desire threaten to break her, Essien must decide what pieces of herself she’s willing to sacrifice for the good of her people.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeductive and disturbing,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eWielders of Floods and Flames\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etakes readers on a journey of captivity, resistance, and reclamation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eWe earn a commission for purchases made through the following links.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0D9J516XN\/ref=nosim?tag=tpcecomm-20\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Amazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003c!-- bookshop-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/book\/9798887980379\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Bookshop.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/bookshop-buylink --\u003e","brand":"Didi Anofienem","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":49489034936536,"sku":"9798887980362","price":33.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":49489034969304,"sku":"9798887980379","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0563\/7786\/8475\/files\/WOFAF_FChigh_mockup_v2_1740148564_fb5a75fd-c06d-47f2-858b-b5dac78ac961.jpg?v=1791078296"}],"url":"https:\/\/turnerpublishing.com\/collections\/author-didi-anofienem.oembed","provider":"Turner Publishing","version":"1.0","type":"link"}