Defiance: A Reckoning with the Dream (PB) (2026)

Based on a true story set in 1868 Reconstruction-era Savannah as America struggles to redefine freedom and justice. One man rises to challenge a system determined to crush his dreams.

Defiance: A Reckoning with the Dream tells the gripping story of Reverend James Simms, a freedman newspaper publisher, teacher, and preacher who dares to run for the Georgia state legislature in 1868. Against a backdrop of escalating racial violence and political turmoil, Simms becomes a symbol of hope for a fractured community-risking his life to claim a seat at the table of democracy.

But this is more than a story of one man's fight. It is the story of a family: Minda Campbell, the indomitable matriarch who uses every tool at her disposal to protect her sons; and Thomas Simms, the estranged brother whose path of rebellion intertwines with James's crusade for justice. Together, they face violent mobs, betrayal, and impossible odds in their fight for equity and representation.

Rich in historical detail and unflinching in its portrayal of Reconstruction-era struggles, Defiance is a bold exploration of democracy's fragility and the enduring power of resistance.

With themes that echo across generations, this novel is a searing reminder of what's at stake in the ongoing fight for justice-and why the battle is far from over.