ABOUT THE BOOK

A JOURNEY OF BEAUTY AND BRUTALITY

Born amid the bigotry of the Deep South, mixed-race Joseph is a slave in all but name. Separated from his mother at birth, he yearns to run away from his loveless home and find her. It’s a journey that will take him from plantation to plantation and hardship to hardship, yielding joy, sorrow, and love along the way.

          Years later, Joseph’s son, Isaiah, faces his own journey: coming to terms with his homosexuality. But society is still slow to accept change, and Isaiah fears rejection from even those closest to his heart.

          From 1940s Mississippi to the civil rights era of the ’60s and the push for LGBT equality, Journey of a Cotton Blossom follows three generations of a family fighting for liberation. J. C. Villegas paints an eye-opening story that will inspire readers to open their hearts to love. Though her characters face different types of discrimination, they all draw strength from love and from their faith in God. Can Joseph find the mother he has never met? Can Isaiah survive injustice and adversity? And can they each learn to love themselves in the face of a world that challenges their right to exist?

NEWS AND EVENTS

3.14.2019 | INDIE BEACON RADIO
Check out the author’s latest interview and fan Q&A.
Watch the Interview
Listen to the Interview

3.2.2019 | DAHLONEGA LITERARY FESTIVAL | 11:30 A.M.-6:00 P.M.
Panel discussion - - “Portraying Injustice in Fiction”
Dahlonega Baptist Church- 234 Hawkins St.; Dahlonega, GA
Event Details


10.20.2018 | FORT WORTH BOOK FEST | 9:30 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Panel discussion - “Portraying Injustice in Fiction”
TCC Trinity River Campus- Downtown Ft. Worth, TX
Event Details


8.4.2018 | EAST TEXAS BOOK BASH:
Harvey Hall Convention Center - 2000 W. Front St.; Tyler, TX 75702
Event Details


4.7.2018 | DALLAS BOOK FESTIVAL
Dallas Public Library - 1515 Young St.; Dallas, TX 75201
Event Details


SOCRATES BOOK REVIEWS:
Enter the April 2018 book giveaway and read the in-depth author interview
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JACKSON FREE PRESS
The Mississippi native earns home state praise for her debut novel Read More

POPSUGAR:
Journey of a Cotton Blossom joins NYT bestsellers and award-winners on the blog's curated spring reading list Read More

KEYSMASH:
J.C. Villegas shares what inspired her to write her first book Read More

YA GOTTA READ THIS!:
“A powerful novel that couldn't be more appropriate for the strife in this country”
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GINA’S LIBRARY:
The debut book from J.C. Villegas captivates historical fiction fans Read More

GLOBAL HEALTH MEDIA:
Meg Jordan, PhD, RN, CWP praises Villegas for inspiring "the deepest kind of advocacy and social justice" Read More

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW:
The debut book from J.C. Villegas earns accolades as an "unforgettable historical novel" Read More

LOOK INSIDE!

“I don’t want to grow up to be a mean, hateful person like my daddy. I feel like we are all  the same. I heard a kind voice and a gentle spirit when you spoke to me. That is all that matters to me. I was given a gift to not see the differences in people. I can judge them based only on their actions and their spirits.”

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“In what way were you touching his hand, Isaiah?” Isaiah briefly shut his eyes and then slowly opened them, directing them back down toward the ground. He could not dare look his father in the eyes. He was too ashamed as he revealed his truth. “I was holding it. I was holding Kamil’s hand.”

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When she’d worked in that field like an animal, she would, for a while, lose her will to live; then she would look up at the beauty and the life that the flower held in its soft petals. She admired the flower and respected its strength. It symbolized everything she was as a person. She could look past the negative and see the beauty in everything.

 

 




$24.99 HARDCOVER, 374 PAGES



Good Read. Great Cause.

Turning book sales into support for the Campaign for Southern Equality, the author makes it simple for readers to give back. For every copy purchased via JCVillegasBooks.com, 10 percent of sales will be donated to CSE, a human rights initiative working across the South to promote full LGBT equality; visit SouthernEquality.org to learn more and make additional contributions.