MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis author is being celebrated for making it onto Amazon’s ‘Best Sellers’ list for her debut novel.
Chandae Smith published "What a Fool Believes" in June. The Memphis native said she wanted to write ever since she was nine-years-old.
This book is 16 years in the making. She finished it in 2005 but shelved it. The pandemic spurred her to circle back to it, and the rest is history.
She said her book is a relatable love story, and those who read it will certainly notice some familiar names and places.
The book was published June 8, 2022, and made it as high as No. 74 in early August.
"I really am proud of my city, and I wanted to honor my city in a way that I feel like sometimes, Memphis kind of gets a bad rap, but we're rich in history rich, and culture, music, food,” Smith said. “We have all of these wonderful things, and I really wanted to honor that. And because Memphis in itself has this really unique vibe, and I wanted to showcase that.”
Smith published the book in her mid-50s. She said she wanted to send a message to Memphians that it’s never too late to achieve their dreams.
You can buy her book here.