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HOUSTON, TX, November 7, 2023 —Tarris Marie’s eye doctor handed her a brochure and told her it would be a good idea to learn Braille. An incurable, degenerative eye disease called Stargardt had begun to chip away at her central vision, and it would only get worse. Like many who grapple with an invisible disability, Tarris Marie toggled between trying her best to hide it or embracing her authenticity. In the end, it was her 3-year-old daughter’s unwavering acceptance that taught her a valuable lesson.
“I wanted her to be able to see that mommy’s OK with it,” Tarris Marie said. “I want my children to learn that no one’s perfect, but also that there is nothing more difficult in this human life than to not be true to who you are — and this is a part of who I am.”
That sense of authenticity while navigating life’s imperfections found its way into the personalities of the characters Tarris Marie creates in her women’s crime novels.
In her riveting debut, Blaque Pearle the genres of women’s crime and urban romance collide in a sophisticated, action-packed story featuring a deeply flawed but relatable protagonist who Tarris Marie says is “a representation of sometimes what happens when we go dark.”
That protagonist, Pearle Monalise Brown, was a tenacious aspiring actress from Compton’s unforgiving, scarred streets before her Hollywood dreams were shattered. Never broken, Pearle switches gears to a fallback plan — resorting to using her beauty and acting skills to swindle money and expensive jewels. When she’s hired by the Colombian cartel to steal a priceless Basquiat from a debonair kingpin and art collector named Blaque, her talents might not be enough to keep her from falling into a trap she never saw coming.
Blaque is sagacious and handsome, not to mention the legacy of two powerful organized crime families: the Laurents, known dons hailing from Kingston, Jamaica; and the Savages, a sophisticated syndicate with criminal enterprises across the U.S.
As Blaque and Pearle become passionately entangled, Pearle falls prey to a darker underworld. Time is ticking. Lives are at stake. Will these love outlaws be able to outsmart their enemies, or will they wage an all-out war, leaving the bodies to fall wherever they may?
“Blaque Pearle is a riveting page-turner, fueled by complex characters, erotic energy, and high-stakes action. I couldn’t put it down,” said Tanisha C. Ford, author of Dressed in Dreams: A Black Girl’s Love Letter to the Power of Fashion. “Tarris Marie is a fresh voice on the literary scene who is reimagining the urban crime and suspense genres. I’m excited to see what she writes next. She’s definitely one to watch.”
About the Author
Tarris Marie is proudly a Midwestern girl of the ’90s, born and raised in Gary, Indiana. After 15 years in corporate America, Tarris lost her central vision and eventually her six-figure career in a battle with Stargardt disease, a genetic condition that caused her legal blindness. In addition to being a novelist, Tarris is a screenwriter and actress who uses slivers of her life-experienced pie to create vivid characters and roller coaster journeys to inspire and entertain others. Tarris received a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and business administration from Indiana University, where she also became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She currently resides with her two children and husband in the great city of spaceships (Houston, TX).
For more information, visit www.tarrismarie.com, or connect with the author on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @tarrismarie.
Publisher: Black Odyssey Media
Release Date: September 26, 2023
ISBN-13: 979-8985594171
Available from Amazon.com and everywhere books are sold
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
