Stories by @kamsismith

The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones

It’s the summer of 1955. For Ethan Harper, a biracial kid raised mostly by his white father, race has always been a distant conversation. When he’s sent to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle in small-town Alabama, his blackness is suddenly front and center, and no one is shy about making it known he’s not welcome there. Enter Juniper Jones. The town’s resident oddball and free spirit, she’s everything the townspeople aren’t—open, kind, and accepting. Armed with two bikes and an unlimited supply of root beer floats, Ethan and Juniper set out to find their place in a town that’s bent on rejecting them. As Ethan is confronted for the first time by what it means to be black in America, Juniper tries to help him see the beauty in even the ugliest reality, and that even the darkest days can give rise to an invincible summer . . .

Find Me in Havana

Cuba, 1936: When Estelita Rodriguez sings in a hazy Havana nightclub for the very first time, she is nine years old. From then on, that spotlight of adoration—from Havana to New York’s Copacabana and then Hollywood—becomes the one, true accomplishment no one can take from her. Not the 1933 Cuban Revolution that drove her family into poverty. Not the revolving door of husbands and fickle world of film. Not even the tragic devastation of Castro’s revolution that rained down on her loved ones. Thirty years later, her young adult daughter, Nina Rodriguez, is blindsided by her mother’s mysterious, untimely death. Seeking answers no one else wants to hear, the grieving Nina navigates the troubling, opulent memories of their life together and discovers how much Estelita sacrificed to live the American dream on her own terms. Based on true events and exclusive interviews with Nina Rodriguez, Find Me in Havana weaves two unforgettable voices into one extraordinary journey that explores the unbreakable bond between mother and child and the ever-changing landscape of self-discovery.

A Tender Thing

Growing up in rural Wisconsin, Eleanor O'Hanlon always felt different. In love with musical theater from a young age, she memorized every show album she could get her hands on. So when she discovers an open call for one of her favorite productions, she leaves behind everything she knows to run off to New York City and audition. Raw and untrained, she catches the eye of famed composer Don Mannheim, who catapults her into the leading role of his new work, A Tender Thing, a provocative love story between a white woman and black man, one never before seen on a Broadway stage. As news of the production spreads, setting off an outpouring of protest that threatens the possibility of the show itself, Eleanor is forced to confront her own naive beliefs about the world. Pulsing with the vitality and drive of 1950s New York, A Tender Thing immerses readers right into the heart of Broadway's Golden Age, a time in which the music soared and the world was on the brink of change.

The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes

Cassidy Holmes isn't just a celebrity. She is “Sassy Gloss,” the fourth member of the hottest pop group America has ever seen. Hotter than Britney dancing with a snake, hotter than Christina getting dirrty, Gloss was the pop act that everyone idolized. Fans couldn't get enough of them, their music, and the drama that followed them like moths to a flame—until the group’s sudden implosion in 2002. And at the center of it all was Sassy Cassy, the Texan with a signature smirk that had everyone falling for her. But now she's dead. Suicide. The world is reeling from this unexpected news, but no one is more shocked than the three remaining Glossies. Fifteen years ago, Rose, Merry, and Yumi had been the closest to Cassidy, and this loss is hitting them hard. Before the group split, they each had a special bond with Cassidy—truths they told, secrets they shared. But after years apart, each of them is wondering: what could they have done? Told in multiple perspectives—including Cassidy herself—and different timelines, this is a behind-the-scenes look into the rise and fall of a pop icon, and a penetrating examination of the dark side of celebrity and the industry that profits from it.

Hayley Aldridge Is Still Here

It’s been years since anyone really thought about Hayley Aldridge. A child star turned television royalty, Hayley spent years in Hollywood partying and being plastered across the front page of all the tabloids before quietly disappearing after a whirlwind marriage and divorce and very public breakdown. Once the tabloids wrung every last drop out of the drama, they moved on to the next It Girl. But Hayley is still here. For over a decade, she’s been trapped in a conservatorship and had every aspect of her life controlled by her parents. She goes nowhere, does nothing without their approval, which is rarely granted. Her visits with her kids are monitored, her fan mail is censored, and she’s a prisoner in her own home. She thought things might change once she was well enough to work, but the restrictions got even tighter as she continued to bring money in—the only thing her parents ever really cared about. Hayley is beginning to realize that this nightmare is her actual life. And she’s sick of it. When the hashtag #helphayley starts to emerge on social media, and the public starts thinking critically about what happened to her all those years ago, there’s finally some momentum on her side. With an upcoming court date to review the status of the conservatorship, Hayley might finally have a chance to break free.

Throwback

Being a first-generation Asian American immigrant is hard. You know what’s harder? Being the daughter of one. Samantha Kang has never gotten along with her mother, Priscilla—and has never understood her bougie-nightmare, John Hughes high school expectations. After a huge fight between them, Sam is desperate to move forward—but instead, finds herself thrown back. Way back. To her shock, Sam finds herself back in high school . . . in the ’90s . . . with a 17-year-old Priscilla. Now this Gen Z girl must try to fit into an analog world. She’s got the fashion down, but everything else is baffling. What is “microfiche”? What’s with the casual racism and misogyny? And why does it feel like Priscilla is someone she could actually be . . . friends with? Sam's blast to the past has her finding the right romance in the wrong time while questioning everything she thought she knew about her mom . . . and herself. Will Sam figure out what she needs to do to fix things for her mom so that she can go back to a time she understands?

Love Tokens

Charlene Stone, an African-American self-made billionaire, enjoys the perks of living the high life and being the most successful businesswoman in Virginia Beach. Despite this, she remains humble and maintains close relationships with her family and friends. The only thing she’s missing is love. Harold Tomanelli, a mixed-race British stockbroker of Jamaican and Italian descent, is grateful for the wealth he garnered, but that doesn’t mean it will make him happy in the long run. Having dealt with depression his entire life, a lot of people don’t know what to think of him. Some people think he’s aloof and sensitive while others think he’s weird to the point that he could become a criminal. People also chase him around in public places due to his resemblance to Johnny Depp with Harold constantly lashing at people for bothering him. One night, Charlene and her company, Glory Road throw a Christmas party along with her family and friends a week before Christmas. All executives from major companies around America and internationally including Harold’s company Nationwide Building Society show up to the party. Charlene is hesitant to talk to Harold after everything she heard about his interactions with people but musters the courage to know Harold to push people’s judgments and Harold’s pessimistic views on life. Will opposites attract? Will Harold discover that life is worth living? Will Charlene accept Harold for who he is?

Anselmo and Didina

A modern-day reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, a family feud ensues between a Dominican family and a newly arrived Haitian family in the Bronx. The Almodovars are the most powerful and wealthiest in the country whereas the Barineaus have moved to the Bronx from Haiti for a better life and to keep their daughter, Didina out of trouble after Didina spent 6 months in a juvenile detention center for vandalizing a local market. Anselmo grew up very privileged and was forbidden from associating himself with poor non-Dominicans. Anselmo wants to explore life differently from the life that his parents gave him. One night, the Almodovars throw a party where Anselmo spots Didina in a corner. Despite being born into different backgrounds, it takes a while for the couple to connect. Once they start dating, they face racism, disapproving family members, and the threat of being disowned until one tragic event changes everything. Will the couple choose each other or their families?

Fight for What’s Right

As a young Japanese American growing up in the late 1960s, 19-year-old Natsuko Hashimoto wants to pursue modeling because Asians have never been represented positively following the death of Chinese American actress Anna May Wong. Despite the concerns and disagreements that her immigrant parents have, Natsuko still wants to do it. Because of the racism in America, Natsuko moves to her parents’ native Japan without her family’s knowledge. Will the fight for change be worth it for Natsuko?

Don't Say I Didn't Warn You

Tommy Finch is making records for being the second mixed-race president of the United States since Barack Obama(his mother being black and his father being white) and having a non-American First Lady since John Quincy Adams. He has a beautiful family and will do anything to protect his beloved country. His intern, Lisa Hancock has a romantic interest in Tommy despite wanting to be faithful to his wife, Kaiya. Once Tommy turns down her advances, Lisa proceeds to kidnap him and hold him for ransom on national television, causing his family, friends, and the American people to fear for his safety.

Forever My African Queen

Ethiopian princess Subira Deressa is tired of living behind the palace doors of Addis Ababa and yearns for change despite her parents wanting her to marry an Ethiopian man and taking over the throne. Subira convinces her parents for her to apply for college in England for a business degree. Her parents happily allow her to go, but only for a few days just in time for the wedding. In reality, she ends up meeting a biracial local, Philip Broomfield while working at a local clothing store. Will Subira follow her heart and risk being removed from the throne or keep living a lie to impress her parents?

Jesus to a Child

For as long as he could remember, Lucas Haughton knew he was trapped in the wrong body. Born Mackenzie, he’s raised by his abusive mother who prefers gender roles over her child’s happiness. Now a junior in high school, he does everything to fit in as a female to please his mother. But as time progressed, he takes drastic measures to fit in as male much to his mother’s condemnation. He doesn’t care about his mother’s condemnation as he makes friends and finds love. Things take a turn, causing the mother-child relationship to drain further.

That’s Life

After being the bridesmaid for 3 of her best friends’ weddings one being her ex-boyfriend and childhood best friend Ricky Barnes, Bailey Prescott decides to move from Alabama to Aberdeen for a better life after being bored of the state after graduation. Once she arrives in Aberdeen, she self-funds her savings to open a Southern-style bakery. As she adapts to life on the West Coast, she meets aspiring grunge musician and recovering heroin addict, Daryl Lincoln. She realizes that Daryl is similar to Ricky in terms of personality. Despite her family’s and Damon’s concerns and warnings, she just can’t resist him and his charm. But as the relationship blossoms, Daryl has a secret that threatens to drive Bailey to move back to Alabama. Will Bailey follow her heart or never speak to Daryl again? Find out in the spin-off of the American and the Aborigine!

Get Into the Groove

In the summer of 1981, 17-year-old Felipe Olivero and his best friend Elaheh Daghestani move from Houston to Los Angeles to finish their final year of high school. After years of moving back and forth from Felipe’s parents’ native Guatemala to Houston due to his father’s technician business, he finally gets a stable life. Felipe and Elaheh must conquer the hurdles of identity, race, self-esteem, and making first impressions with that stable life- all before prom season.

My Life as a Suburban Girl

11-year-old Anne Greenwald and her 15-year-old sister Barbara were living a comfortable Midwestern middle-class lifestyle with their mother in Peoria in 1945 when their father returns home after being in the US army for 6 years due to World War II. Thanks to the GI bill, the Greenwalds can move to the suburbs in any city as long as Anne finishes 9th grade in Peoria High School. 5 years later in 1950, Anne is now living in Levittown as a new girl in General Douglas Mac Arthur High School. She can't ask Barbara for high school advice since she's in college studying for her business degree and newly engaged to Gregory Mancini, a charming Italian American greaser. Since her friends in Peoria and Barbara aren't by her side she has to deal with being the new girl on her own. Her life changes when she joins the school cheerleading team, where she makes new friends and even meets a handsome baseball player. But when one of her old friends humiliates and betrays her, she feels more lost than when she first moved to Levittown.

Awkward Butterfly

For all of her life, middle schooler Aizivaishe Moyo moved to different schools because her mother believes that the schools she previously attended weren't doing a good job in the special education system to manage Aizivaishe's autism. With Appleton Prep School being the last option, Aizivaishe's frightened by the new change, but later accepts her mother's choice. At Appleton, the students see Aizivaishe as weird and strange due to, in her mind, her "boredom tools". Things begin to look up when she meets Booker Forge, Dawn, and Finch Bishop, three classmates who are in her English class and want to make Aizivaishe feel welcome at Appleton. But will bullies stand in the way of their friendship?

The American and the Aborigine

Ricky Barnes has spent much of his life traveling across the world with his country superstar parents, juggling a regular life, and standing out from his peers. However, being the child of a successful public figure has had devastating consequences on his school life and romantic relationship with his childhood friend Bailey Prescott. With that, he gives updating altogether and focuses on school and his acting career. Jewel Kadibil, like Ricky, grew up in a well-known family albeit on a larger scale since her family rules a section of Australia. Though well-put-together on the outside, she struggles with everyday tasks since she suffers from spina bifida as well as dealing with her overbearing nurse. She wants a way out of her dull life and be her person. When the two cross paths in an unexpected place, drama and hilarity ensues. Will they care about their images than their personalities? Will the two families approve?