Black Haven: a fictitious neighborhood
Black Haven:
a fictitious neighborhood weaves its way through two short stories and a novelette
In addition to being a standalone novelette, The Legend of Tanisha Biggers gives a name, culture and history to the neighborhood in which the short stories Cardinal Rule and Swiggers take place. To build this urban village, I began by identifying the landmarks that were already embedded in the previously-published short stories. Additional details were added to fit the whims and the needs of the literary landscape. The neighborhood of Black Haven is born.
When I wrote Swiggers, and later Cardinal Rule, I saw the characters, and what they were doing, with clarity. However, I left aspects their location ambiguous on purpose. I kept the stories short and focused on other aspects and layers. The ebb and flow of the conversation between Earline Jones and Teddy quickly carries Cardinal Rule from beginning to end. Swiggers is a character-driven story that keeps the reader close to Teddy and his crew. When I set out to write The Legend of Tanisha Biggers, I wanted to show how all three stories are connected. The surroundings weave their way through Cardinal Rule and Swiggers, and The Legend of Tanisha Biggers puts them in context.
The Legend of Tanisha Biggers: Deluxe Edition is an anthology that bundles Cardinal Rule and Swiggers together with the novelette to give you a seamless look at the atmosphere of the neighborhood over the course of three tales.
