With her debut novel, The Preacher’s Daughter, Kendra Dunn has exploded onto the urban-lit scene with a cautionary tale about a college-bound beauty who chooses to follow her heart rather than take heed to the warning of her father. It’s a decision that sets up a chain of events in her life that can’t be undone and one that she’ll later regret as she strays from her father’s iron hand and is sucked into a hustler’s world. “In its’ bareness, The Preacher’s Daughter is about the power of love and its’ ability to camouflage right as wrong,” says Dunn.

If the storyline of a young girl being led astray seems all too common…don’t sleep on Dunn. She brings urban-fiction readers a storyline with more twists and turns than your favorite rollercoaster at Six Flags! But, Dunn is quick to mention that her purpose as an author is not only to entertain readers but also to enlighten them—shining the light on many of life’s social ills. “The Preacher’s Daughter delves behind the glitz and glamour associated with being a hustler’s girl or somebody’s wifey so to speak and into the beatings and bruises,” Dunn hints at the domestic violence often present in such relationships and explored in her debut novel.

Spending part of her childhood in a community infested with drugs and crime, Dunn is no stranger to the inner workings of the streets or to life in the suburbs. She’s a product of both worlds and says that her ultimate goal is to empower readers whether it’s through the hardships and struggles of her characters or her own personal story of making her dream of becoming a published author come true. “It takes two things…effort and faith,” she says about breaking into the publishing industry.

When asked to comment about critics of urban-fiction literature who believes the genre glorifies the street life Dunn says, “Drugs, crime, violence…they’re all someone’s reality, but they don’t have to be. The majority of urban-fiction acts to highlight the consequences of bad decisions and certainly doesn’t encourage readers to make them. There’s a lesson in every story.” Dunn’s advice to such critics, “Don’t miss the message.”

Under the umbrella of La` Femme Fatale` Productions, Inc., Dunn is quickly making a name for herself and believes that in time, she will undoubtedly be amongst the elite in the Hip-Hop literary game. For now, she’s fine with being an “up-and-coming literary jewel.”

Dunn attended the University of Kentucky where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and minor in African American Studies. She divides her time between Tennessee and Georgia and is currently at work on her next novel.