Kristine Simelda's "Rise Up, Sista" Amplifies the Rhythms of Reggae and Rock

ROSEAU, Dominica - Sept. 13, 2021 - PRLog -- A reggae artist and a British rocker meet in 1963 London, sparking a powerful story of friendship and cultural revolution. "Rise Up, Sista," Kristine Simelda's new novel, is set to release November 15, 2021. Dedicated to the life of Nelly Stharre, a Dominican reggae artist who passed away in 2015, "Rise Up, Sista" expresses the explosive diversity of music during the 1960s, an anchoring force for many during this time of global unrest.

Since she first moved to the Eastern Caribbean island of Dominica in 1994, Simelda has worked to empathetically encapsulate her cross-cultural experiences as an American, independent scholar of Caribbean culture. In "Rise Up, Sista," Simelda replicates the moment she first encountered reggae after years of being saturated in the British Invasion of US pop music.

In writing about the cross-sections of global popular culture, Simelda hopes to promote new literary endeavors in the Caribbean. Though Simelda says Dominica is not exactly a literary hub yet, she hopes that writing like "Rise Up, Sista" and her work with Dominican writing groups, namely the Waitukubuli Writers, will foster a globally diverse and wide-scale group of artists, musicians, and writers who feel empowered to keep the vibrations of One Love alive.

About the Book
Set in the UK and Jamaica, "Rise Up, Sista" is a story about female friendship and the power of music to change individual lives and popular culture that spans over fifty years.

Mercy Mae Williams, a Jamaican reggae artist, and Annabelle Sinclair, a British rocker, meet as young women in London in 1963. It's a heady era—cultural revolution and fresh musical genres explode on both sides of the Atlantic.

All readers can find "Rise Up, Sista" on November 15, 2021 at https://bit.ly/SimeldaRiseUpSista. "Rise Up, Sista" will also be available from major book retailers in eBook ($5.99) and paperback ($16.99). Wholesale from Ingram and TouchPoint Press.

About Kristine Simelda
Kristine Simelda is an independent scholar of Caribbean culture. Her focus has been to record cross-cultural experiences with empathy and engagement. While "Rise Up, Sista" is her most recent publication, she has previously written three novels, a novella for Young Adults, and many pieces of published short fiction.

About the Publisher
TouchPoint Press is a traditional publisher of fiction and nonfiction. Our staff is comprised of professionals whose collective experience in publishing, editing, journalism, design, and marketing set the stage behind our growing list of published titles. We are proud to work with talented authors and strive to be as innovative and energetic as possible from acquisitions to promotion before and after publication.

For interview and review requests, please contact Jennifer Bond at media@touchpointpress.com.