Leah T. Williams's Blog: Caribbean stories don’t stop in June — not when you write them all year long.

June is Caribbean Heritage Month — but for those of us from the Caribbean, culture isn’t limited to a month. It’s in the food we eat, the words we speak, the music in our hips, the flags we fly, and the stories we pass down — whether on paper or through memory.

We may call it Johnny cakes, fry bake, festival — but we’re often talking about the same golden dough. And somehow, that feels just right.

This month, I’m celebrating the stories rooted in the places and people who made me:

Where the Guava Tree Stands

Neither Out Far Nor In Deep

Sweet Like Sugar Cane

These aren’t just novels — they’re cultural offerings.
Teaching is one of the ways I keep that culture alive. It shows up in the laughter during read-alouds, in passionate debates about fictional characters, in the quiet power of journal entries… and in the handwritten notes from students that make it all worth it.

Here’s to the aunties by the fire, the kids with mango juice running down their elbows, and the storytellers who dare to keep it all alive.

✨ What’s a dish your island swears it invented — even though you know everyone else makes it too?
(Go on, tell the truth. Your auntie’s not watching.)

With gratitude,
Leah T. Williams
@kittiwriter1
🌴 Caribbean stories. Young voices. Real life.

May always feels like a season of quiet magic — a time when stories, like mangoes, ripen slowly until they're ready to be shared. My newest novel-in-verse, Where the Guava Tree Stands, is only a few weeks old, and it means so much to finally have Mina’s story in readers' hands. If you haven't yet discovered Neither Out Far Nor In Deep, there's still time — head over to the Giveaway section of my website (www.leahtwilliams.net) for a limited-time free audiobook code! And coming June 1, Sweet Like Sugar Cane will join the family — a prequel about beginnings, belonging, and heart. I believe stories find us when we’re ready. Maybe this season is yours. 🌿 What memory reminds you of May? I’d love to hear in the comments!
Where the Guava Tree Stands

Hi there,

If you’re reading this, chances are you recently received a free copy of my book through a Goodreads Giveaway — and I just want to say thank you.

Whether you’re flipping through the first few pages or just finished the last poem, know that your time and attention mean the world to me. As an indie author, I don’t have a big marketing team or publisher behind me. It’s just me — writing stories from the heart, rooted in the Caribbean and diaspora experience, hoping they find the readers they were meant for.

If you enjoyed the book (or even just parts of it!), I’d be so grateful if you left a quick review on Goodreads or Amazon. Even just one or two sentences helps new readers discover it — and helps authors like me keep going.

📚 Where the Guava Tree Stands on Amazon - https://a.co/d/1zNV1pV
📖 Review on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Every single review matters. Your voice matters.
Thank you again for reading. I hope our paths cross again in the pages of another book.

With gratitude,
Leah T. Williams
@kittiwriter1
🌴 Caribbean stories. Young voices. Real life.