ORLANDO, Fla. – When you think of the Orlando region, you think of places like the University of Central Florida and Lake Eola.
One local author is bringing her experience in the community to light in her latest book, “Running Out of Tomorrows.”
Recommended Videos
It’s a story about a young man who decides he can no longer live in the shadows of his siblings and after having a hard experience in high school, he moves away for college and attends UCF.
He then realizes he can’t run away from his problems and ends up with new ones. Now he has to navigate through his new life, while also dealing with the troubles of love and growing up.
Chantal Roaché is the author behind the book. She first started getting into books at a young age when her parents took her to the library every weekend. Books and writing became her escape, but she said she still felt like she didn’t fit in growing up.
”I had difficulties that other children may not have faced. I was overlooked many times or made to feel like I was not good enough. My white friends had opportunities that I did not. Having these experiences helped me view thoughts and emotions on a grander scale with the ability to translate this into my writing,” Roaché said.
Especially after writing her book, which has an interracial couple in it, she realized even more so how important it is to make sure black voices are heard.
”I recognized the lack of colored faces on book covers in my genre. Not only was there an absence of representation in the romance genre, but it didn’t seem like it was something many people were aware of. I decided from here on out, I would keep that in mind when writing future books,” she said.
Now she’s using her book to showcase the melting pot seen in Central Florida and what the community has to offer young adults. She said this is her way of giving back to a community that gave so much to her.
“The community will uplift you and we have faced tragedies here and learned the importance of togetherness. My book will always be a true representation of our area and what time and effort here can do for someone who is lost and trying to find their way,” Roaché said.
While Roaché aims to lift black voices and write about different types of relationships in the future, she did have a message to young authors of color, and that is to never stop.
”It is up to all of us to finish what we started. Let this next generation of writers be diverse, powerful, and unbreakable. Let that be you,” she said.