My newest novel, Grandelyn has so much meaning to me. The main character Ariyah and her  people/warriors, the Grandenites are so inspirational to me and I hope it'll be to anyone who reads it. Grandelyn and the Grandenites are slightly different because people are used to seeing warriors as fit, muscular, handsome, gorgeous etc. But with the Grandenites, they are a heavyset, overweight group of people, that in today's time would just be seen as a land of fat people. But Ariyah and the Grandenites are more than that. Yes, they are "overweight" but they are not lazy, somber, clown-like bafoons; that typically people like to think of when referencing or portraying "fat" people. They are fit, hard-working, skilled fighters and highly respected warriors. They are smart, clever and though they were once an enslaved group of people, they worked and fought hard to get out of a terrible situation. I despise the way the media and people in general look at overweight people. We are seen as the clown, the pathetic "can't get a date" loser, the lazy and worthless, and with the publication of Grandelyn I hope to change those perceptions. With Grandelyn we will a a new definition of PHAT people. We Rock!

Grandelyn is the newest fantasy novel by author Dionne Lee Nelson, also writer of The Mafia Princess Diaries series.

Set in a fantasy world that is both harsh and beautiful, Grandelyn follows the journey to freedom of an enslaved group of people. Oppressed by an evil dictator, the slaves appear doomed to a lifetime of torture and servitude. But an unlikely leader rises among them and offers a chance for freedom. Ariyah, the beautiful young daughter of a rebellious slave, grows to become a fierce warrior and a reluctant leader in the eyes of the people.

Ariyah attempts to lead the slaves out of bondage and into a new life – in a beautiful yet mysterious land called Grandelyn. After years of pain and suffering, Ariyah and her people find that Grandelyn offers the potential for peace and happiness.

But Grandelyn has dark secrets that are about to be revealed. Those secrets, and a dictator who is unwilling to relinquish his grip, threaten everything that Ariyah and the others have fought so hard to attain.

In effect, Grandelyn is the story of two journeys, and two transformations. One is the journey of an enslaved people struggling to transform themselves to a free people. The other is the journey of a young girl struggling to quickly transform from a child slave to a leader. Both journeys have unexpected and dangerous consequences. All journeys must end. Will both of these journeys end in the peace and prosperity of Grandelyn, or in a dark new world?