Spotlight & Excerpt: The Union + Giveaway

The Union
by Leah Vernon
ASIN: B09MT7Y5H2
Publisher: ‎47North
Publication Date: ‎December 1, 2022
Language: ‎English

A thousand years in the future, a Black elite class reigns. The lower classes toil in the fields or scrape by in blighted cities, serving their rulers in a cruel, divided world.

Among the Elites is eighteen-year-old Avi Jore, born to a powerful father and destined to rule. But as she comes of age, Avi cannot help but notice the injustices in her world—the treatment of enslaved workers, the oppression of the lower classes. Her disillusionment grows when she meets Saige Wilde, a mixed-race enslaved girl whose only goal is escaping beyond the borders of their brutal nation.

When Saige saves Avi from an assassination attempt, their paths become intertwined in ways they never imagined. As Saige plots her path to freedom, Avi tries to enact change from the inside. But it’s a complicated endeavor, fraught with danger and malice.

Together, their efforts could spark a revolution—and underscore the staggering power of friendship.

***

From author and body-positive activist Leah Vernon comes a daring dystopian novel that explores the power of friendship in a future society built on violence and division.

Publisher Note: This title was previously self-published as Impure. This edition of The Union includes substantial editorial revisions.

Praise for THE UNION

“A thought-provoking dystopian novel…Readers will find it easy to invest in Vernon’s complex political tale.” —Publishers Weekly

“Fans of Justina Ireland and N. K. Jemisin will appreciate the innovative world building from a Black perspective and the well-developed characters used to present serious topics such as racism and privilege.” —Booklist

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Excerpt:

Each of us settled in our assigned positions with our hands behind our backs, awaiting the Administrator’s arrival.

The worker who had spoken to Winnie stood across from me, staring over my head. He had deep eye sockets and almost nonexistent lips. His auburn hair, cut unevenly, fell flat against his forehead. All the workers present were as fair as milk.

Seconds before the Administrator arrived, Winnie hacked into her hand. She grimaced at the fleshy cherry blob in her palm and quickly concealed it once she realized that a physician had noticed and had begun typing on his holopad.

Heavy boots clapped. If I hadn’t already known that it was the Administrator, I would have imagined it was a stallion’s massive hooves striking the ground. We were not allowed to glance in her direction until she said at ease. She was heavyset, about three hundred pounds, and the tallest Upper Resident female I had ever seen. Perhaps she was mixed, like me— except part giant, part human. She had a coveted body type in the region: the curvier, the bigger, the better. A well-fed body meant that one had the funds for proper nourishment, enough for overnourishment.

Her thighs rubbed together when she walked; her bodysuit fabric probably created enough friction to start a territory fire. Her skin was an even russet color. She slathered cocoa butter on herself while ordering us around: Clean this, clean that, you are moving too slow. As long as you stayed out of her way and did exactly what she ordered, then you were safe. I was good at staying under the radar despite being the only Impure.

She stepped in front of me and moved in uncomfortably close. I imagined her biting a chunk out of me. !e thought quickly dissolved. I had never actually seen an Upper Resident partake in cannibalism, but who knew what the so-called civilized race was capable of.

Giveaway:

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Photo Content from Leah Vernon

Leah Vernon is an international bombshell with a double masters in business and creative writing. She’s been featured in high-profile campaigns such as Ugg “Feel You” and Fitbit’s “Feel Your Power”.

She’s the first visibly plus-size Hijabi influencer to hit the mainstream with over four million views combined. She’s also an author of The Union and Unashamed: Musings of a Fat, Black Muslim.

Leah V isn’t your regular influencer; She’s a disruptor, a trendsetter, and a changemaker in her perspective fields. She began her blogging journey back in 2013, when she fell deep into disordered eating and noticed that there was no one that looked like her that was considered “worthy” or “beautiful”. And, frankly, she was tired of sucking her stomach in around her skinny friends.

With a grainy android phone and clothes from the clearance racks, she began paving her own way through the fashion industry. She used her fat, Black, and unapologetic Muslim body as a rebellion. Beauty is NOT one size fits all. She moved to New York and began smashing glass ceilings. To date, she has worked with renowned brands like Target, Dove, and Amazon just to name a few.

After years of brands telling her she had no place in the fashion world, that she was not “marketable” enough, Leah V carved her own beauty standards.