She touched the past and it answered.
Why subscribe?
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
Stay up-to-date
TOYA: The Warrior Who Raised An Empire, is a serialized historical fantasy epic. Subscribe to journey into a place where mountains hide a nation, a warrior becomes a spy, and freedom is waged in the soul as fiercely as on the battlefield. Never miss an update. Every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.
Join the crew
Be part of a community of people who share your interests. Participate in the comments section, or support this work with a subscription.
About TOYA!
TOYA! is a serialized historical epic unfolding as a screenplay, rooted in the Hayti Revolution and centered on the women, children, and hidden networks who shaped it.
This publication is where the story lives.
Each installment advances TOYA: The Woman Who Raised an Empire, a three-season narrative inspired by the life of Toya, the Dahomean warrior and Agoji who survived enslavement, trained revolutionaries, and helped raise Jean-Jacques Dessalines. It is a story of resistance, memory, strategy, and choice, told from inside the revolution rather than after it.
Subscribers receive:
Serialized screenplay episodes, released in sequence
Cinematic images and short video illustrations that bring scenes, characters, and rituals to life
Behind-the-scenes context on history, character, and worldbuilding when relevant
A clear reading order, so new readers can begin at Episode One and move forward
This is not commentary on history.
It is narrative.
The work blends historical research, African cosmology, and dramatic storytelling to fill the silences left in the record, especially around Black women, maroons, and the children who became the first witnesses of rebellion.
If you are interested in:
Prestige historical storytelling
Screen-ready narrative IP
Revolutionary history told from the inside
Episodic fiction that reads like film
This publication is for you.
New episodes are added regularly.
Subscribers are notified when the story advances.
Welcome to the world of TOYA.
