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Created: October 28 2017

The rich history and vibrant culture of the Bahamas are understood and appreciated by the precious few who've lived it. But that may soon change.

Author, journalist and motivational speaker Wendy Coakley-Thompson, of Bahamian ancestry herself, launched Duho Books in September to bring the underrepresented authors and stories of the Bahamas to the world stage.

The name Duho is a nod to the Bahamas' pre-European past, when chiefs (called caciques) were elevated on wooden ceremonial seats, or duhos. Today, Coakley-Thompson hopes that Duho Books will result in the elevation of the Bahamian experience to a higher level of awareness through the promotion of Bahamian authors and the distribution of their written words.

As a boutique, independent publisher, Duho plans to publish 12, carefully selected books annually. To coincide with its September launch, Duho released three titles:

•    The 15th anniversary edition of Back to Life, by Wendy Coakley-Thompson, is an interracial love story between a black woman and an Italian-American man set against the backdrop of the charged political climate during New York City's mayoral race between David Dinkins, an African-American Democrat, and Rudolph Giuliani, a law-and-order Republican.

•    My Name is Karma, the debut novel by Bahamian psychologist N. A. Cash, introduces readers to Karma, a young woman who struggles with the power and complexities of her supernatural gifts as she journeys on a voyage of self-discovery. Cash's training as a psychologist powerfully informs her ability as a writer to expose the inner life of her characters.

•    The Lights of Home, the debut title from Marin Frederique, is an enticing romance novel filtered through the prism of the beauty of the Bahamas that explores the many forms of love and its power to heal, restore and transform the body, mind and soul.

These titles — and future ones from Duho Books — reflect Coakley-Thompson's vision to offer a space for Bahamian authors to create, thrive and prosper while capturing and celebrating the vibrant culture, history and people of the Bahamas.

Duho Books founder Wendy Coakley-Thompson is the author of Writing While Black, Triptych, Back to Life (2004 Romantic Times Award nominee), and What You Won't Do For Love (optioned for cable television). An experienced journalist and blogger based in the Washington, D.C., area, she has written for Examiner.com as the D.C. Publishing Industry Examiner and has penned articles for Postscript'd, the Grio and Washington Independent Review of Books. She also serves up commentary in her Writing While Blog. She has co-hosted the radio show The Book Squad and earned an Associated Press/Chesapeake Award for her work as a commentator for Metro Connection on WAMU, a Washington, D.C., National Public Radio affiliate.

N.A. Cash, Bahamian author and Miss Earth Bahamas 2005, channels supernatural suspense through fiction. Cash, a self-described extraverted introverted psychologist, spins tales that merge her own vivid imagination with narratives inspired by her decades-long analysis of mysterious internal worlds of individuals encountered through her practice.

Author Marin Frederique writes fiction that explores the many forms of love and its power to heal, restore and transform the body, mind and soul. This exploration is filtered through the prism of the beauty of the Bahamas and highlights the interwoven contributions of the many ethnicities that produce the bold tapestry of Bahamian life and culture. Fluent in Spanish, Frederique is particularly fascinated by the ways in which the proximity of her ancestral home to the southern United States and Cuba influences the lives of Bahamians, resulting in interesting relationships and compelling geopolitics.

For more information about Duho books and the authors, please visit:
www.duhobooks.com
www.wendycoakley-thompson.com
www.AuthorNACash.com
www.marinfrederique.com