Lez Talk Books Presents: V. Nikki Jones

V. Nikki Jones (a.k.a. Kionne Nicole) began writing short stories and poems at seven. Kionne Nicole is actually a pen name that the author created as a child. "Retaining the name is a way for me to honor my childhood," she explains, "and a way for me to carry on something that has always been inside me."

To help deal with the stresses of unemployment, Nikki wrote her first novel, The Space Our Love Demands, in 2009. The story mirrors aspects of her personal relationships and explores the thoughts and emotions of young, African American lesbian-identified college students. "I think it's important for us to tell our own stories the way we want to tell them," she says.

Her latest novella, Lyric and Blake, delves into the interior life of Astin Lyric Boyd, who self-describes as undefined. “I’m proud of my novella,” the author says, “because it adds diversity to youth-focused literature. This book is just one of many ways that I can influence a young person’s opinion. And, hopefully, it’s a positive opinion that will lead to interactions that help make their schools and communities better places.”

Nikki is a native of Drummonds, TN. She is currently a full-time doctoral student and licensed Couple and Family Therapist residing with her partner in Louisville, KY.