About
Jarika Tucker has earned a Bachelor of Arts in English-Creative Writing and a Master of Science in Computer Science. She develops apps by day, writes by night, and directs a short film once every blue moon. She spends her free time reading widely and traveling as far as her family’s budget will go. She is a mentor with Girls Write Now, and she was a mentee in the AWP's Writer-to-Writer Mentorship program; she recently read an excerpt of her adult-aged speculative manuscript about Black mermaids, THE DROWNING CROWN, at their conference and is seeking representation for this and other speculative fiction. She is also a volunteer with Women Who Code where she focuses on bringing as many marginalized people to the tech industry as possible. Find her online at jarikatucker.com.
Featured Work
The Drowning Crown
400 years ago, the Atlantic slave traders drowned enslaved African people by hurling them from ships to claim the insurance on their remains. Mami Wata, the African water-spirit whose magic controls the seas, gave them magic to inhabit deep waters in exchange for their loyal service in assisting the slaves who were enduring horrors on land. The pact has continued until the present day when our story begins.
Cheryah has performed triumphantly on land-missions and gained the queen’s recognition. When she abdicates her throne, the queen chooses Cheryah to replace her. But Cheryah is harboring a secret, one that makes it impossible for her to refuse to enter the deadly queen quest that nearly killed her mother years ago. To steal the throne, her mentor-turned-foe frames her for treason, banishes her to land, and wipes her memories of the deep seas.
In her land-life, she juggles launching a business, grappling with grief, and undoing her breakup with her longtime boyfriend. Everything would be almost bearable but dreams of a life she scarcely remembers haunt her. A life that can’t be possible. A life in deep waters. Then, a forgotten friend reminds her of her true home and their love story, igniting the warrior within her. Not only will she fight to get back home, but she wants revenge…and she’ll take the blood-soaked crown.
