Some stories come to you like a whisper. Others, like a wound. See, Grace In The Rearview, here.

At its core, When Vinyl Vibes is a love letter to Black creativity, and to the freedom we’ve always found in taking something beloved and reshaping it in our own image. Think The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz. While both are cultural staples, my heart leans toward The Wiz. Maybe it’s subjective, but I’ve always found the story behind The Wizard of Oz more interesting than the movie itself. That, and Judy Garland was undeniably luminous.

Still, what moves me most is how Black culture has a long-standing tradition of reclaiming familiar stories and making them resonate with our own rhythms and truths. That tradition is the spark behind When Vinyl Vibes, which takes its inspiration, though not its blueprint, from Grease.

Now, let me be clear: Grease is iconic. Its impact can’t and shouldn’t be replicated or replaced. I’ve loved it for years. But my hope is that When Vinyl Vibes can at least stand confidently in its shadow, offering something new while paying homage to what came before.

Why now? Honestly, I can’t say for sure. I like to think it’s divine timing. I have over 50 book ideas (yes, really!), and I couldn’t tell you exactly why this one pushed its way to the front. But once it arrived, it stayed. Writing it became a kind of creative palate cleanser after my novel Talk About Him. If Talk About Him is Oppenheimer, then, When Vinyl Vibes is Barbie, different tones, different weights, but both meaningful in their own ways.

Let’s talk about some of the intentional choices I made.

One of the biggest points of contention around Grease is the ending, how Sandy changes herself for Danny. It’s a characterization I don’t personally align with, I think the movie was deeper than that. However, I didn’t want to echo that sentiment in my own story. So in When Vinyl Vibes, the characters do change, but the transformation is spiritual, not physical. Their growth is rooted in God, not in winning someone else’s approval.

There’s also a pregnancy subplot in Grease. You won’t find teen pregnancy in When Vinyl Vibes, but I did want to address issues of sexuality and promiscuity. I tried to write with tenderness, the kind of advice I wish someone had offered me at that age. I also made space to gently question the more toxic elements of purity culture. Whether I succeeded will ultimately be up to you, the reader, but I hope it lands with grace.

One character in particular was written with intention for girls who feel like they’ve lost their way in the noise of modern expectations. There are studies and essays out now suggesting that the so-called sexual revolution hasn’t felt all that liberating for young women. I see that. I feel that. So I wrote a girl who starts down a path she thinks she should be on, only to stop, take a breath, and ask herself what she really wants. Sometimes, that’s all we need: permission to pause. To reevaluate. To breathe again. I want young girls to know that society’s way isn’t the only way. You are allowed to want something else. Something gentler. Something whole.

Despite the deeper themes, I really tried to keep the tone of the book light and vibrant, true to the spirit of the musical genre. You’ll even find original lyrics woven throughout the story. I’m not a professional songwriter, but I hope the words can be appreciated as poetry in their own right.

More than anything, I hope When Vinyl Vibes becomes a kind of lexicon, a mirror for girls growing up, giving them space to see themselves. To feel seen. To laugh, to sing, to think, to grow.

Thank you for reading. I hope this story meets you with joy.

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