Check Out Kristen Edwards’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Edwards.

Hi Kristen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve always loved reading. Growing up, books were my favorite escape, but as I got older, life got busy. Between building my career and raising my twin daughters, reading slowly took a back seat.

In August 2025, I was scrolling TikTok looking for recommendations from Black independent authors when I came across Jahquel J. I picked up her Capone series, and I was instantly hooked. That series reignited my love for reading and introduced me to an amazing community of readers and authors.

That’s when I decided to create Melanin Muse Reads. I started reviewing books, sharing recommendations, and creating character visuals inspired by the stories I was reading. I love being able to connect with other readers and help people discover books they may have never picked up otherwise. At the end of the day, I just love getting lost in a great story, and now I get to share that passion with others.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. In the beginning, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out where I fit in and what kind of content felt the most authentic to me. Finding my niche took some trial and error, and so did discovering the types of content I enjoyed creating the most.

Looking back, I’m grateful for that process because it pushed me to be more creative and helped me build something that truly reflects my love for books. Now I get to combine my passion for reading with content creation, and that’s been one of the most rewarding parts of the journey.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I create book-focused content under my brand, Melanin Muse Reads, where I primarily spotlight Black independent authors and celebrate the stories that deserve to be discovered. Since launching on TikTok in October 2025 and expanding to Instagram, I’ve built a space where readers can find honest reviews, book recommendations, reading updates, and creative character visuals inspired by the books I love.

One of the things I’m most proud of is seeing authors use my character visuals to help promote their books. Knowing that my creativity can help bring their stories to life for other readers is incredibly rewarding.

I think what sets me apart is that I don’t just review books. I try to create an experience that makes people excited to pick up the next read. If someone discovers a new favorite author because of something I shared, then I’ve done exactly what I set out to do.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happiest is being able to bring stories to life in a way that sparks that same sense of wonder we had as kids. When we’re children, picture books help us imagine the world and the characters through illustrations. I don’t think that curiosity ever goes away. As adults, we just have to imagine it for ourselves.

That’s what I love about creating character visuals. I’m not just recreating the people described in the book. I’m building the world around them, from the setting and atmosphere to the music mentioned in the story, so readers can fully immerse themselves in the experience. It’s my way of bringing a little of that childlike magic back to reading fiction.

I also love sharing my creativity with the book community. There’s something incredibly rewarding about connecting with people who love stories as much as I do and helping them discover books they may never have picked up otherwise.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaninmusereads