Interview with G. M. Cummings

G. M. Cummings is a divorced mother of four beautiful, children. A nurse for over 25 years, she is an anointed singer , songwriter, and worship leader. She enjoys anything artistic such as cooking, interior decorating, and fashion design. Currently she is busy promoting her book and CD “Stay”. She resides in Inglewood, CA.

A work that was 10 years in the making, A Promise of Fidelity is G. M. Cummngs‘ first novel.

1. Tell us about A Promise of Fidelity and the inspirations behind it.
   

   A Promise Of Fidelity is about the power of God to deliver from the grips of witchcraft. It was inspired by a dream that I had one night about a millionaire playboy who suddenly awakens in a New Orleans hospital following a freak accident. He soon discovers someone is out to get him. He is aided by 5 beautiful nurses who become his friends. He vows to change his scandalous ways but finds out his only hope of survival is in God, who he really does not care to know.

    

2. From those inspirations, how do you go about creating and developing your characters and your plot? Was it difficult?
   The characters and plot were based on my dream. I simply expanded it. Some of the situations were inspired by real life as well. The characters came to life after I lived with them for 4 months. That’s how long it took to finish the book.
    
3. Is writing easy for you? Have you published other items before?
   This book was very easy to write and so much fun! My friends inspired me by reading along as I wrote. This is my first novel.
   
    
4. What was the process like in preparing the book to be published?
   

   I wrote this book 10 years ago. Six months ago, a friend found the script and started reading it to me. It came alive again inside me. I knew in my spirit, God was saying “Publish it now! No more excuses!” He led me to people who took interest and helped me out. Dr. Rosie Milligan, a black publisher, told me to self-publish and she would guide me along. Then, God miraculously provided the funds for me to do so. I had to do a lot of proofreading and corrections. Then the book was evaluated by Dr. Milligan. Once she okay’ed all the changes then it was edited. The cover design was suggested by a friend who thought that picture of me would give it “shelf appeal.” Then, it was off to the formatting and printing. This all took about 5 months.

    

5. What has the feedback been like?
   Most people say they can’t put the book down! At least ten have told me that they read it in 2 days. Some are suggesting that there should be a sequel. The book is very sexy, intriguing and exciting (if I say so myself.) (smile)
   
    
6. What are you doing to market and promote your books?
   I am doing a commercial for radio as well as web-commercials. I am hitting the warm market assisted by friends — book clubs, book signings, passing out postcards, Facebook. I am also doing a website which is still under construction.
   
    
7. Any plans for a next project?
   I am on chapter eight of my next book, Destiny Delayed. This is the story of a middle-aged woman who is asking herself the question, have I missed my chance to make it big because of so many mistakes and wrong choices? She feels God is saying it’s not too late, and then watches in awe as God performs the impossible in her life.

   There will be a sequel to A Promise of Fidelity — I’m naming it St. Vincents Place. All of the main characters will appear in this book. It will be just as sultry and sexy. Katrina Collins will be dealing with the issue of temptation in the work place when the doctor she works with falls madly in love with her.
   
    

8. What are your favorite reads? What books are your shelves?
   Favorite reads? Inspirational books like “A Purpose Driven Life.” Honestly, I do not consider myself an avid reader. I am a hopeless romantic so when I choose a novel it usually because of the romance aspect. I am a very spiritual person, gifted you might say. I have dreams that come true and on occasion I see visions so spiritual books are particularly interesting.

   I consider the book A Promise of Fidelity to be inspiring because it deals with real issues about sex infidelity and Gods power to deliver from witchcraft.

Interview with Hall-Crews

Hall-Crews, a native of Tampa, Florida, began writing short stories as a hobby in 1975. Ms. Crews was recently inspired to write GFB Grown Fokes Bidniss in her mother’s memory, thus commemorating her mom’s knack for making lemonade from life’s lemons. This is Hall-Crews’ first published work. Her future plans include publishing her second novel, Tea With Aunt Lizzie.

The author has earned several degrees at University of Florida and University of South Florida. Although she enjoyed a long and rewarding career as a public school educator and administrator, Hall-Crews now devotes her time to the writing profession. She is happily married to Douglas Crews.

1. You have been writing short stories for some time. What led you to write a novel?
   After hearing little bits and pieces of some ancient family GFB (grown folks business), a story began to churn inside my belly–at times, it was downright distracting! The longer I toyed with the idea of actually putting together the plots and developing the characters, the more I yearned to put my thoughts down on paper. It was clear from the beginning that a short story would never do justice to the kind of tale I wanted to write.
    
2. How was the process of writing a novel? What were the most rewarding and difficult elements?
   Metaphorically speaking, writing a novel is like taking the l-o-n-g scenic route to a destination. The author gets to take his or her own sweet time to build the main plot as well as develop the supporting plots that make up the story.

   Somewhat difficult, yet tremendously rewarding was the process of folding into the story a number of obvious and subtle historical elements. While writing GFB, many long gone historical treasures were discovered as I excavated pertinent information from the internet, interviews, old newspaper articles, and books. The main reasons for including these facts in GFB were manifold: To add a measure of authenticity; to capture nuances of African-American life in the south at that time; to write a story with a message relevant for today, though contained within the developmental constraints of the 1950’s time period; and to portray lifestyles and backdrops specific to the Tampa Bay area.

   I found the most difficult part of the writing process to be remembering to keep consistent the little elements of the story . . . like peculiar traits and sayings of some of the characters, names of places where things happened, and small, but important, details disclosed in previous chapters. For example, over the eighteen months of writing GFB, every time the action of the storyline took me to the church house, I inadvertently switched the name from Mount Zion Church to New Zion Church or First Community Church. It was almost as if that particular house of worship was going through an identity crisis of sorts. Likewise, Betty Jo Lawrence, one of the supporting characters, was sometimes Betty Lee Johnson, and the local newspaper, the Tampa Courier, was occasionally dubbed the Tampa Bulletin. Of course, these name variations were corrected through the editing process, but remaining consistent with names and small details is one of the trickier aspects of the lengthy novel writing process.
    

3. As a former educator, did you call upon any experiences?  How much do your personal experiences reflect in your books?
   As an administrator of an elementary performing arts school, I authored many musical dramas for various student performances. Without a doubt, this ongoing experience helped me to become very proficient at writing believable characters and interesting storylines.

   In regards to personal experiences, the prologue of GFB is nothin’ but truth. The plots are indeed grown from crumbs of hot gossip I picked up while eavesdropping during my childhood. So, throughout this novel, much liberty was taken with a few dollops of hearsay. I admittedly blurred so many lines and embellished the truth to such an extent, it’s hard to say where facts end and fiction begins.
    

4. Is writing easy for you?  Or, do you have to enforce a discipline to write, to review, to re-write?
   Writing a novel takes a lot more discipline than writing a short story or one act play. For years, I thought about writing a book, I talked about it, but I didn’t actually start writing until my brother gave me a wonderful piece of advice. He said, “Write a little bit everyday…even if it’s only one word.” Now that was certainly doable. So, with that wise counsel, I set out writing a little bit of GFB each day. Sometimes two or three chapters were written, sometimes two or three words. But, without fail, for eighteen months, every single day, something was put in black and white.
    
5. How do you go about creating your characters and your plots?  What inspires you — Do you start with characters or with a plot?
   

   Once I have a sketchy plan for the A storyline, the characters are next. To make the tale convincing and appealing, I believe characters should have distinct personalities with somewhat predictable behaviors. When I write, oftentimes my characters are modeled after interesting people I grew up with or folks I have met here and there. One of my majors in college was psychology, so I’ve spent years observing people’s quirks—you know, the uncle who chews his tongue when he’s worried or the aunt who giggles even when she’s thirty-eight hot. Some people have signature dialect or phraseology. In GFB Grown Fokes Bidniss, Gramma Mae frequently emphasizes her opinion by adding, “B’lieb dat!”

   Surprisingly enough, many people fall into very apparent personality types—sassy, timid, boisterous, bossy, edgy, fun-loving, obsessive, spontaneous, easygoing, etc. I like to take personality traits such as these, and then add a few oddities and habits, to create a very colorful cast of characters. Consequently, most people reading my stories or plays will “know somebody just like” this or that character in my writings.

   I’m inspired by dreams, slivers of gossip, interesting incidences, or make believe scenarios in my head. Once I’m primed with one of these, my imagination takes off by pulling together a primary plot. The little side plots take much more mental energy.
    

6. Do you have a favorite character?  Will we be seeing more of that character in your books?
   Hands down, my favorite character in GFB Grown Fokes Bidniss is Gramma Mae. She is a classic—everybody’s big mouth, opinionated, Ebonics talkin’, “Big Mamma” . . . the one who says what’s on her mind and yours, too! Of course, Gramma Mae, aka Mae Mason, will have an opinion or two to be heard in my upcoming novel, Tea with Aunt Lizzie.
    
7. What are your plans for your next project?
   My next project, Tea with Aunt Lizzie, is about the evolution of an unlikely companionship which begins when a cantankerous old aunt extends an invitation for tea to a niece with a troublesome angst of the elderly. To the niece’s surprise, the episodic tea parties with her aunt are more than occasions to sip flavored teas and eat crustless sandwiches. Indeed, it is during these times that Aunt Lizzie meticulously spins a most revealing tale of her life and her frowned upon relationship with a man more than ten years her junior.
    
8. What are you doing to market and promote your books?
   
   Promoting my book has been a venture in and of itself. GFB Grown Fokes Bidniss, my first novel, was launched in late June 2009 with my publishing company sending almost 300 personalized emails to announce my new book and to direct potential buyers to my website. A couple of months later, I hosted a book signing party in an old cigar factory here in Tampa’s historic Ybor City. This was an effective catalyst for interviews, photos, and articles in the largest Black newspaper in the Tampa Bay area, the Florida Sentinel Bulletin. A local bookstore hookup has also been an upshot from the party.

   The internet has been a great source for stirring up interest in my book, too. My niece and my brother, who are both tech and business savvy, have helped me set up a Twitter account, another website (Hallcrews.com), You Tube recordings, and a blog (which was used mostly to chronicle my book signing event). I have also written a couple of e-articles to promote interest in GFB Grown Fokes Bidniss.

   My publisher, Eloquent Books, will be promoting my book in upcoming book fairs. There’s one soon in London and another in New York in the springtime.

   Then, there’s good old fashioned word of mouth! It’s amazing how word travels when it comes to a good book with relatable characters and an engaging plot.
    

9. How much input do you get from your fans and critics? Do they influence your writing?
   My fans have helped out tremendously. As a matter of fact, a couple of trusted and brutally frank friends, who are also avid fiction fans, agreed to read GFB as I pumped it out, chapter by chapter. This was helpful on many levels. First, it gave me immediate feedback along the way. Second, if after reading a couple of chapters, my friends were left scratching their heads in confusion, an immediate assessment was done before moving forward. Lastly, having these readers gave me a chance to participate in book chats which sometimes impacted a few aspects of the action in the story.

   GFB’s primary storyline is a love triangle between Ben Cash (eligible bachelor and local entrepreneur), who cunningly uses his charm to pursue Gerry Withers (a gullible, young, married woman) while her husband, Sergeant John Withers, is away fighting in the Korean War. After reading the novel, GFB fans have voiced opinions that are strong, but very diverse. These views confirm that I have successfully written characters who “feel” like real people and a storyline that seems authentic to the readers. Also, the most frequent comment made by GFB fans is, “I can’t wait for the sequel!
    

10. Tell us about some of your favorite experiences from your signings and interviews.  (We’re hoping this one will rank up there, too!)
    The book signing party in the old cigar factory gave me a chance to introduce GFB to the Tampa Bay Area, get together with fans and friends, and to bring in a nice harvest of sales. The ambiance cast by the venue, the 50’s style entertainment, GFB themed decor, and the scrumptious spread of soul food, made it a night to remember.

    Likewise, I’m extremely appreciative and excited to have this chance to interview with a quality website like Books of Soul. The questions set forth by the interviewer are certainly provocative enough to make me lay a finger against my brow and go, “Hmmm . . .,” with deep reflection about my writing. This definitely hits the top spot as my favorite interview experience.
     

11. What are your favorite reads or authors?  What books are on your shelves?
    Amazingly enough,although I write fiction, my general reading preferences have been professional, non-fiction, and motivational books. A blast from the past on my bookshelf is Richard Wright’s, Black Boy. Most recently, writings of President Barack Obama, like The Audacity of Hope, have been a great inspiration.

    I’m also a big fan of old classics like Theodore Dreiser’s human drama, An American Tragedy. The plot of this work, with its twists, turns, suspense, and surprises is masterful.

    As a book collector, I like to scour used book stores and antique shops for first edition and author signed books. This practice has brought to my shelves a wide range of authors and books of every kind—from brightly illustrated pop-up books to 19th century poetry books.

Interview with Rhonda McKnight

Rhonda McKnight is the author of the novel, Secrets and Lies, to be released in Nov. 2009.

Rhonda is the owner of Legacy Editing, a free-lance editing service for fiction writers and Urban Christian Fiction Today (www.urbanchristianfictiontoday.com), a popular Internet site that highlights African-American Christian fiction. She is the vice-president of Faith Based Fiction Writers of Atlanta. When she is not editing projects, teaching writing workshops or penning her next novel, she spends time with her family.

Originally from a small, coastal town in New Jersey, she has called Atlanta, Georgia home for twelve years. More information about the author can be found at www.rhondamcknight.net.

1. What led to your interest in Christian Fiction?

   Christian Fiction is one of those genres that finds you. For a while, I struggled with whether or not I would write Christian Fiction or mainstream, because it just seemed easier to get published in mainstream, but then I realized I had to write who I was and that made my work fall in line with what would be classified as Christian fiction.

2. What are your impressions on that genre?  Do you think that the market for Christian fiction, especially Urban Christian Fiction, is growing?

   Wow, is there a market? It’s huge. Christian fiction has been growing for years and African-American Christian fiction is really growing. Even in this sluggish economy, publishers are still looking for African-American Christian fiction, so I think the future is bright. People are finding that the books aren’t preachy. It’s not a sermon turned into a novel. (LOL!) I believe Bishop TD Jakes’ movies Woman Thou Art Loosed and Not Easily Broken (both Christian fiction novel adaptations) have educated the public about what Christian fiction really is.

3. What were your experiences like in writing Secrets and Lies? Did you got through many re-writes?

   It took me four years to write Secrets and Lies. I probably spent a total of twelve months on the actual keyboard. I was procrastinating big time and, yes, I probably had six or seven rounds of edits, but I think that’s fairly normal for a new writer. It was a pretty bad first draft, so it needed a lot of work. I learned quite a bit about writing over the years and was able to incorporate my learning into the changes.

4. What led you to write this story? Was it the characters, the problems with relationships?

   I’m going to be transparent here, otherwise I’d be keeping secrets and telling lies myself. I was deep in marital woes when I started writing this novel. I woke up one morning and these characters were talking in my head and I just went to the keyboard and let them have their say. Although it’s not my story, I think the emotions are so real, because I bought my personal pain to the project.

5. Did you get much support, like from writer’s workshops, from your peers, or from friends, in preparing your book?

   I am in the most awesome writers group on the planet. Although we’ve changed name and shape over the last six years, it started as a core group of ten women who all aspired to write a Christian fiction novel, now six years later, Sherri Lewis and Tia McCollors are multi-published Essence Bestselling authors, and Ashea Goldson is published also. I also have the best mentor in the world! Victoria Christopher Murray, a national bestselling author in her own right, is on speed dial. She has taught me everything I need to know about this business.

6. How does it feel to be a published author?

   Incredible. I’ve been trying to write a book since I was six. I became really serious about publication in 1998, and I sold my novel to my publisher two years ago. It’s been a long journey, but I can not describe how I feel every time I hold that book in my hand or stop by a bookstore and see it on a shelf. It’s amazing.

7. What are you doing to promote Secrets and Lies?  What has that experience been like?

   I’m doing everything. Internet advertising, interviews, reaching out to book clubs and individual readers. I use social media quite a bit and I find it really works. You build great relationships there. I want to reach out and hug my Facebook friends. They’ve been unbelievable. Then there’s local promotion like booksignings in Atlanta and eastern South Carolina where my parents live. It’s pretty exhausting. I’m more busy than I imagined, but it’s a good busy and I know it won’t be this intense all the time, or at least I hope it won’t. (LOL!) It’s worth it. This is my dream.

8. Have you been pleased with the feedback about your book?

   I have. My reviews are great. All of them. This honestly, humbles me. I mean, it’s my first book and you know you want it to be received well, but you never know. My reader emails make me cry. They really do. I’m very pleased.

9. Would you have done anything differently in writing your book, getting it published, or promoting it?

   The only thing I would have done differently was begin my career sooner. Now the market for Christian fiction is more competitive and of course I’m beginning in the worse economy since the Great Depression. Money is tight for consumers. Book sales are down, but I’m still optimistic. It is what it is, and I have to work from where I am.

10. Do you have plans for your next book?

    My second novel, An Inconvenient Friend, will be released on August 1, 2010 and I’m really excited about it also. My bad girl in book one spins off and gets her own book. She’s still not very nice and that made for some interesting writing.

Interview with Sharon M. Draper

Sharon M. Draper is a professional educator as well as an accomplished writer. She has been honored as the National Teacher of the Year, is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Award, and is a New York Times bestselling author. She was selected as Ohio’s Outstanding High School Language Arts Educator, Ohio Teacher of the Year, and was chosen as a NCNW Excellence in Teaching Award winner. She is a Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award winner, and was the Duncanson Artist-in-Residence for the Taft Museum. She is a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement, and is the recipient of the Dean’s Award from Howard University School of Education, the Pepperdine University Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Marva Collins Education Excellence Award, and the Governor’s Educational Leadership Award.

Actively involved in encouraging and motivating all teachers and their students as well, she has worked all over the United States, as well as in Russia, Ghana, Togo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Bermuda, and Guam, spreading the word about the power of accomplished teaching and excellence in education.

Her literary recognition began when, as a challenge from one of her students, she entered and won first prize in a literary contest, for which she was awarded $5000 and the publication of her short story, “One Small Torch.” She has published numerous poems, articles, and short stories in a variety of literary journals. She is the published author of numerous articles, stories, and poems.

Tears of a Tiger has received numerous awards, including the American Library Association/Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for an outstanding new book, and was also honored as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. It was also named as Best of the Best by VOYA and the American Library Association as one of the top 100 books for young adults. Forged by Fire, the sequel to Tears of a Tiger, is the 1997 Coretta Scott King Award winner, as well as the winner of the ALA BEST Book Award and the Parent’s Choice Award and the Indiana Young Hoosier Award.

Darkness Before Dawn, the third book in the trilogy, is an ALA Top Ten Quick Pick, and has received the Children’s Choice Award from the International Reading Association and received the Buckeye Book Award for 2005, and was named an IRA Young Adult Choice for 2003.

Romiette and Julio is also listed as an ALA Best Book and has been selected by the International Reading Association as a 2000 Notable Book for a Global Society, and by the New York Public Library in their Books for the Teen Age.

The Battle of Jericho is the 2004 Coretta Scott King Honor Book, one of the New York Public Library’s Book for the Teen Age, and is one of the 2005 Young Adult Choice Books named by the International Reading Association.

Copper Sun received the 2007 Coretta Scott King Literature award, was named as one of the Top Ten Historical Fiction Books for Youth by Booklist was nominated for the 2007 NAACP Image Award for Literature, and received the Ohioana Award for Young Adult Literature.

November Blues received the 2008 Coretta Scott King Honor Book Literary Award and is honored on the 2008 New York Public Library Best Books for the Teen Age.

Ms. Draper travels extensively and has been a guest on television and radio programs throughout the country, discussing issues of literature, reading, and education. She is an accomplished public speaker who addresses educational and literary groups of all ages, both nationally and internationally, with entertaining readings of her poetry and novels, as well as enlightening instructional presentations. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and a golden retriever named Honey.

Web site: www.sharondraper.com

1. You have been recognized a number of times for your achievements as an educator.  Has teaching or your school experience influenced your writing?

   I think that being a teacher made me a better writer. But the two are inseparable. I’ve retired, but I’m in schools quite often, so I may as well be teaching. I think I understand kids’ mindset. Kids change, and slang changes, and the way young people look at the world changes a little bit, but basically, if you’re fifteen, you’re too tall, too short, too fat, too skinny, your hair’s too curly or too straight — you’re never quite right. If you understand that all fifteen-year-old girls feel like that whether they let you know it or not, then you can start to build a character. The girls will say to me, “That’s just the way I feel!” You know fifteen-year-old boys are worried about whether fifteen-year-old girls will like them. They might know a lot more than we knew at their age, but there’s still that innocence of a child. I think because I was a teacher I can capture that, and kids trust me. They write me letters like, “Dear Sharon, Girl, you is the bomb!” They write to me like they know me because I write like I know them, and they seem to feel it. They ask me questions; they ask me for advice. It’s amazing the things that they write to me. I really appreciate their trust.

2. It must be a wonderful feeling to go into a classroom now as an author and to see your books in school libraries.  What is the reaction of your educational colleagues?

   I’m still blown away when I visit a school library and I see rows and rows of my books. Well-worn, well-used, taped together. I was an avid reader as a kid, and to be that author that kids clamor for now is truly humbling. My colleagues who are teachers and librarians are so very supportive. They make great use of the study materials I provide on my website (sharondraper.com), and they await new titles so they can share them with their students. I can’t ask for anything more. Their support and their sharing of the books with their students means everything to me.

3. How do your readers react?  Any favorite stories?

   I get hundreds of emails and letters from students during the year. They are frank, sometimes funny, and always honest. “I have to do a report on you. Tell me everything you know about yourself. My report is due tomorrow, so please reply quickly.”

   Lots of them get very involved in the lives of the characters in the books–they want to know more about them–almost like they are friends by the time they finish them. That’s one reason why I write trilogies. What was just one book, becomes two, and then becomes three–mostly because of letters and inquiries from student readers. One girl asked me for the home phone number of one of the characters in Tears of a Tiger. She wrote me, “That girl has some serious issues, but I think I can help her!”

   Many students tell me, “I never liked to read” or “I’ve never read a whole book before” but “I read your book in one night and I couldn’t wait to read the others.” They like the reality and the honesty of the stories and locations and characters. Some of the letters are very touching. Sometimes they tell me that reading one of the books changed their lives. I had a student tell me she called the child abuse hotline in the back of Forged by Fire. She wrote me to thank me for saving her life. Another student wrote that he was depressed and was thinking of taking his life, but after reading Tears of a Tiger, he decided to live. I counseled him to talk to someone he trusted, and he wrote me back that he had. Anther student said she was reading Tears of a Tiger in class and that weekend some of her friends were drinking at a party. She thought about BJ in the book (who doesn’t drink), so she called her mother to come and pick her up. Her friends were killed that night in an automobile accident. It’s an awesome responsibility to have so much response to what I’ve written. That’s why I try so hard to make every single book ring true and honest and why I try to be available to them. I try to answer every single email and every single letter that I receive.

   One ninth-grade student who was interviewing for the school paper asked me what I thought about the powerful effect my books have on kids all over the country. I told her, “The proper answer is ‘It’s very gratifying,’ but the real answer is ‘way cool!”

4. Are most of your readers girls?

   No, from the emails I receive, I’d say the audience is divided pretty equally between boys and girls, and represent all races.

5. Any thoughts on what your readers are reading? Any impressions on what African American boys and girls are reading and the choices that they have for entertainment?

   I have found that young African Americans are reading lots more than the news media and the general public gives them credit for. We just need to provide them with quality books that speak to them. I would hope that young Black readers would demand such quality. We so often stoop to the lowest common denominator, like purchasing music which denigrates our women in the name of culture. So I’d hope that these young readers would demand books that reflect who they really are. As I travel around the country and talk to high school students, I’m overwhelmed by their strength and resilience, by their dreams for their future. Books should reflect their struggles and mirror their aspirations, not denigrate them into caricatures of reality. We’ve come too far to settle for less than the best.

   I tell them to read all the time. Read for pleasure and read for knowledge. Read to escape from problems and read to learn how to solve them. Read because you can. Our ancestors were beaten and even killed for daring to learn to read. Don’t let their sacrifice be for nothing. Honor them by reading all the time.

6. Considering your success as an writer, it seems amazing that you started writing almost on a dare.  And that your first story was turned down by 24 publishers. Did you take this “writing thing” as a challenge?

   The first short story was written as a challenge, but everything else came from some place deep within me. Writing for me is a very fluid process–I sit down a wait for the words to come. They usually do—in buckets and waves. It’s amazing. I look upon it as a blessing because the words come so easily. Sometimes I can’t even type fast enough to get the words out. When I write, I try to make strong characters that change and develop and learn from their mistakes. I think the layering comes in the story development. The plot is born from the idea, then is crafted by the characters and how they respond to what happens to them. I get up early in the morning and write all day—maybe ten or twelve hours a day. It is truly an act of immersion. It’s a thrilling, exciting process. I think I’ve just finished my twenty-ninth book!

7. You also have a couple of “Sassy” books ready to hit the shelves. Sassy represents a change of pace for you: your first series geared toward middle-grade girls. What can you tell us about “Sassy”?

   My daughter owns a dance studio, and I’m often there talking to the middle-grade girls who take dance classes. They are avid readers, enthusiastic conversationalists, and lively participants in their world. They have strong opinions about fashions and fads, about family and friends. I wanted to capture their joy of life, so I decided to create a character and write a book that they could embrace with passion. I think readers will love Sassy’s “spark and sparkle.” She’s delightful, yet realistic, with a strong sense of self and a yearning to find her place in the world. She could be anyone’s “little sister.”

   I hope that girls as well as boys enjoy reading about Sassy and her adventures. I wanted to show a strong family setting, with busy parents who care for their children, and an extended family of grandparents who complete the circle. The stories are easy enough to be read by children in second or third grade, but have ideas advanced enough for discussion for children in upper elementary grades as well.

   But the Sassy books are not my first books for this age group. I have written six books called The Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs series. These books, in which the main characters are African American boys, are geared to grades 3, 4, and 5 as well. I do lots of presentations at elementary schools and I love talking to, and listening to the children. They ask wonderful questions and are deeply excited about books and reading. When I write, I try to capture their voices and their honesty. Their age doesn’t matter.

8. What can you tell us about Just Another Hero, and the preceding novels, The Battle for Jericho and November Blues?
   

   Just Another Hero is Book 3 in the Jericho Trilogy. In Book One, The Battle of Jericho, we meet the characters and discover that making the right decisions is one of the hardest choices faces teens today. They feel so pressured to fit in that they are often willing to even risk their own lives to feel part of the accepted crowd. So Jericho and his friends make terrible decisions, and young readers can talk about those choices.

   Book Two, November Blues, continues the story by focusing on the girlfriend of one of the young men in the first book. She is left to face her own choices alone, and she struggles through much of the book as a consequence.

   When I started Book Three, Just Another Hero, I wanted to tackle the issue of school violence, but I couldn’t write about killing children. I wanted to bring up the issue so young adults can talk about it, without gratuitous bloodshed. I also wanted to discuss the idea of heroism. What is a hero? What makes a hero? We have a tendency to think of heroes as movie stars; I wanted young people to talk about the real heroes in their lives.

9. Any plans to do a “grown-up” novel?

   I have no plans to write an adult novel. I love writing for teen readers.

10. Any favorite books or authors? What’s on your nightstand?

    Currently, I still am a reader. That stack of books by everyone’s bed — I have that same stack: books I’ve read, books I’m going to read, books I need to read, books that people have told me are good books to read. My favorite author right now is Diane McKinney-Whetstone. She’s an African-American author, and if I could write grown-up books, I’d write like her. She just writes beautifully, with quality and with depth. I sent her an e-mail recently and said, “I don’t want to sound like one of the fifteen-year-olds who write to me, but gee, I like your writing!” I really did sound like a kid when I wrote it. I also admire Olympia Vernon, who is a powerful, powerful African-American voice.

11. If you were asked to coalesce your work into one sentence, what might that be?

    I try to write powerful, meaningful stories for young people and show them I understand the difficulties of growing up, and to let them know I care.

Interview with Diane Martin

Diane Martin was born in Chicago, Illinois. And she currently lives in the Chicago area. She earned her Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degree from Chicago State University. She is the author of three novels: Never What it Seems, Autumn Leaves, & Fallen Angel.

Diane describes herself as “a nerd by nature – spending most of my time writing, marketing, editing, responding to emails, and taking care of my family…not always in that order.”

I’ve studied under some incredible people, but have chosen not to “drop” names because I want people to buy my books and support me because they believe in me and my work.

I have written three novels in one year and edited/published another. I’ve been blessed that everyone enjoys my novels. We are on the second print of Never What it Seems after only one year in circulation. Autumn Leaves, my second novel, went international last year – during the first seven months of its release. Currently, I am proud to say that they are all still doing well even in this economy.

My novels have been “checked-out” more often than any fiction novel currently in circulation and more copies of my novels have been stolen from the local libraries as often as Sista Soulja’s, The Coldest Winter Ever. One library director told me that, “You know you’ve made it when people start stealing your books.” One library had to purchase several copies of my novels just to meet the demand and during the first year of their release there was always a waiting list to take them out of the library.

Humble by nature, I don’t usually share things like this, but I’m telling you.

I don’t know if any of this is interesting, but it’s as interesting as it gets.

• What got you started with writing? And, what led you to self-publishing your own books?
  I’ve always loved literature, but never saw myself as a writer. I was writing something one day and my husband stumbled upon it. After reading it, he said, “I didn’t know that you could write.” I thought that he said that because he loved me, but he kept encouraging me to finish. Of course, as a mother and a wife, I wasn’t thinking about finishing a book – I didn’t have time to read one, let alone, write one. After obtaining a Master’s in English, he approached me again about finishing the book, but as always, life dictated something else. Finally, a year ago he asked me again about writing and told me that if I would write, he would take care of everything else. Three novels later, here I am. I decided to self-publish because I wanted to have complete control over my art.
  
   
• How do you go about creating your characters and your plots? What inspires you — Do you start with characters or with a plot?
  My novels are my dreams. When I write, the goal is to get the story out of my head and onto paper.

  Fallen Angel is the story of a man. He’s someone who walks among us every-day. On the outside, he’s the picture of perfection, but on the inside there’s a war going on. His name is Izrael, biblically, the Angel of Death. He just wants to be left alone as he struggles to deal with the demons of his past – his fears, his guilt, and his regrets. Everyone wants him – to be a part of his world whether willingly or by force. He fights daily to destroy the frightening thoughts that wreak havoc on his ability to find balance and peace of mind. He realizes that in order to survive – a part of him must die. His survival – his redemption depends on it. Join me as we take a journey with Izrael as he delivers his message with contempt and conviction.

  I wrote this novel to bring awareness to mental illness and how it affects those who are forced to live with it and the family who has to take the journey with them. It is a debilitating disease and so many of our soldiers who has returned home from the war are dealing with it. My novel depicts the dark side of it. Izrael doesn’t represent every individual dealing with the disease. He is a physical manifestation of their dreams, their nightmares, and often their reality from my perspective.
  
   

• Do you have a favorite character? Will we be seeing more of that character in your books?
  I don’t have a favorite character. I love them all.
  
   
• Is writing easy for you? Or, do you have to enforce a discipline to write, to review, to re-write?
  Writing is really easy for me. I write at least 15 hours a day. I really love it.
  
   
• Another slant on the previous question: Is writing getting easier for you, now that you are a published author? How much input do you get from your fans and critics?

  I receive a lot of reviews from my readers. I really appreciate the feedback. I have published many of them on my website and in my books. It is my way of saying ‘thank you’ for supporting me.
  
   

• What are you doing to market and promote your books?
  I’ve done a lot of book-signings, television interviews, radio interviews, online-chats, emails, and I promote them via word of mouth. Book signings are most effective and I enjoy them because it gives me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people.
  
   
• Any plans for a next project?
  We just finished my husband’s book and I am currently working on the sequel of my first novel, entitled, Never What it Seems.
  
   
• What are your favorite reads? What books are your shelves?
  I enjoy all forms of literature. I love to read anything written by Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Frederick Douglass, Ernest J. Gaines, and Langston Hughes. I am a collector of African-American literature.

Interview with Cheryl Robinson

Author Cheryl Robinson has penned her latest novel about a forty-three year old woman falling in love with a twenty-five year old man.  In Love with A Younger Man (NAL Trade, January 2009)is more than a new twist on the hot topic and growing trend of relationships between older women and younger men. It is about the sacrifice that some women make in their personal life in exchange for a lucrative career. Often forgoing family, friendships, and the work life balance needed. Moreover it is about redefining self and rediscovering love. 
 
A bestselling author and native Detroiter, Cheryl Robinson has been known for writing novels with a twist, portraying women who face the odds and succeed. Cheryl began her literary journey in 2002 as a self-published author of two novels; Memories of Yesterday and When I Get Free. Memories of Yesterday, the story of Winona Fairchild, a single mother of two concealing her HIV status, and Porter Washington, the man who falls in love with Winona before learning of her status. Memories of Yesterday appeared on the Essence Bestseller list in July 2004, which was a major accomplishment for an independent author. It was later re-released in January 2005 by NAL Trade a division of The Penguin Group under the title, If It Ain’t One Thing in a two book deal that included the sequel, It’s Like That. If It Ain’t One Thing, now in its third printing, also appeared on the Essence Bestseller list in September 2006 and numerous other best seller lists including The Dallas Morning News.
 
In addition, Cheryl signed two more book deals with NAL Trade; Sweet Georgia Brown (January 2008) is the story of Georgia Brown, a humble housewife determined to become a household name and her obnoxious husband Marvelous Marvin, a popular syndicated morning radio host who readers love to hate, and In Love With A Younger Man (January 2009), the story of a very successful female corporate professional who falls in love with a man eighteen years her junior while on a one-year paid sabbatical, and although fictional, the story does at times mirror Cheryl’s current relationship. She also contributed to the anthology These Are My Confessions with her novella entitled Strapped. It was the first African-American erotica collection released by AVON Red, a division of HarperCollins Publishing.
 
Currently, Cheryl resides in central Florida and spends most weekends in Atlanta, Georgia, which is quickly becoming her home away from home. She is writing her next novel, which is the second book in a series that revolves around Olena Day.

• With your current book, a lot has been made about your reality inspiring your fiction. Tell us about your writing experiences with this book as opposed to your earlier books.

  Every book I have written have revolved around a woman who was broken in some way, but who finds the courage to move on from her past and live again. With In Love With A Younger Man, I put a little bit of my college experiences from Howard University into this book, but very little. For instance, there is a scene where Olena is reflecting about being a part of the fashion show at Howard and what she experienced at the after-party that was held in one of the row houses. None of that was fiction. I was one of the models in the fashion show my second year at Howard and yes, I did have a big crush on the fashion show director who happened to be gay, but I at the time I didn’t know.

  Aside from that, Olena is the first character I have written about who was single with no children and from that standpoint I can really relate to her.
  

• 
  How do you go about creating your characters and your plots? What inspires you?

  Often I’m inspired by the people I meet and the conversations that I overhear. I don’t consider myself to be nosey, but I must say I’m a great listener even when I’m not the one being spoken to.

• Is writing easy for you? Or, do you have to enforce a discipline to write, to review, to re-write?

  Writing is a process that is becoming easier for me. I used to never enjoy the revision process, but now it is one of my favorite parts in the process. My favorite part is the beginning. I love beginnings.

• Another slant on the previous question: Is writing getting easier for you, now that you are a published author? How much input do you get from your fans and critics?

  For me, being a published author does not make the process any easier. As far as input from fans and critics I get a fair share, but because I love hearing from those who have read my books I don’t think I could ever get enough.

• How much effort does it take for you to get a book published now as opposed to when you were getting started?

  I believe that getting my next book published depends on the success of my previous book combined with the belief my editor and publisher have in me as a writer. Publishing is not an easy business by any means. Now that I am published I have to pitch my ideas first to my agent and from that point my agent pitches the idea to my editor. However, my perception prior to getting picked up by a major publisher was that once I got picked up the process would be easy. Even distribution isn’t easier. Just because an author is published doesn’t mean you will see their book everywhere books are sold. However, you can order the book from any place books are sold because so many major distributors will carry the book.

• What are you doing to market and promote In Love with a Younger Man?

  I am connecting with book clubs across the country, marketing on various web sites that attract readers, doing blogtalk radio interviews. I have a web site, which is www.cherylrobinson.com and www.myspace.com/cherylrobinson

• Any plans for a next project? Will we see the same characters again?

  My next project will be released in April 2010. It is the story of Alicia Day and her two half sisters. Alicia Day was one of the supporting characters from In Love with a Younger Man. She is Olena Day’s niece. Aside from Alicia all of the characters are new. And the story has nothing to do with Olena’s story. But Olena may make a cameo.

Interview with Paulette Harper

Paulette Harper is an emerging Christian Author making her debut with her first inspirational book “That Was Then, This Is Now, This Broken Vessel Restored”, a compelling story of deception, heart-ache and ultimate victory. In 10 chapters she masterfully uncovers the hidden obstacles she faced as the “first lady” and how she eventually broke through those barriers.

A native of Pittsburg, Ca, Paulette travels as an Inspirational speaker and licensed minister teaching people how to overcome life’s unexpected experiences by delivering a strong message of hope. Beyond her writing ability she has a passion to lead people to a clear and precise understanding of how life challenges can become one’s ultimate source of victory by sharing solid, biblical principles that will enable people to find a way out of every trial so they can reach their God given potential.

Paulette has been a contributing writer for Inspired Women, WOW Magazine, Divine Inspiration, Average Girl, Mentoring Moments, Internet Café, and Live Magazine. She has also been featured in Grace and Mercy Magazine and EKG Literary Magazine. She has been appeared on numerous TV and radio stations in the Northern California area.

To schedule Paulette Harper for a book club meeting, interview, book signing, speaking engagement, workshop, seminar, or other appearance, please contact her at paulet_harper@yahoo.com. For more information about Paulette and her new release “That Was Then, This Is Now,” visit: Broken Vessel Ministry

• What has been your writing experience like with your first book? Was it more or less difficult to write? What was your writing process like?

  While writing That Was Then, I was filled with excitement knowing that God had called me to do something out of the norm. Writing has never been something I had ever imagined doing so to see the journey I’ve been traveling has been exciting. That Was Then This Is Now is a non-fiction inspirational genre and it is about me so sharing it to the world was quite easy to do. My process of writing That Was Then is such that I named the chapter titles first and I built my story around each title. For example chapter 1 is entitled “Built to stand”. I chronicled several situations that I was faced with that required me to stand and face the opposition and I provided the scriptures as a reference guide to use in prayer.
  

• What has been the reader reaction to your book? Have they provided encouragement?

  The response from the readers has been very positive. I’ve gotten many comments on how That Was Then, This Is Now has brought encouragement, hope and healing in so many lives. I get e-mails, phone calls and even people just approaching me to tell me how the book has blessed them.

• How have you set out to promote it? Any book signings or book tours?

  I have a publicist assisting me in marketing That Was Then, This Is Now however I have continued to put the book before readers by using many on line magazine companies; I have joined many network sites; I have several websites and a blog page. I constantly look on line for promotional offers. I’ve written several articles that have made it possible for me to share about That Was Then, This Is Now. I’m am also a columnist for Step up Sista which is an on line magazine which allows me the exposure I need to get word out about That Was Then, This Is Now.

  My calendar continues to be full of book signing and speaking engagements. I’m planning on traveling to Alabama, Georgia and Florida later in summer months.

• What are you reading now?

  Currently reading Dr. Linda Beed novel “Business Unusual.”

  I’ve read “Illusions” by Wanda Campbell. A Christian fiction but with real life issues. One of the reasons why I loved this book is because I could identify with the characters. It’s a story about a Pastor, his family and his church. In the story I began to reflect on my own life and some of the same issues that the first lady struggled with were my own. Even though it was fiction the situations and circumstances are things in which we face today. This book was one on hope, restoration and healing.

  I’ve read “The good stuff” by Michelle Stimpson. Another Christian fiction. A great read for those having problems in their marriages. What I loved about this book was the fact that the writer showed the importance of standing in a marriage and believing God to bring restoration. I was inspired because Michelle revealed that marriages takes work and both people need to have a open heart in order for God to come in and make things better.

  Since becoming a writer, my library has enlarged to include Christian Fiction. I usually read inspirational books. TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Joel Olsteen, Miles Monroe to name a few.
  

• Tell us about That was Then, This is Now: How did you come up with the title of the book?

  That Was Then, This Is Now is a nonfiction inspirational book. I uncover the obstacles, barriers and hindrances I faced as the “first lady” while going through a divorce. It is a must read for anyone facing bumps in the road, those who are dealing with life’s challenges, disappointments and let downs. It is definitely a book that will inspire, motivate and encourage anyone to face every trial and test in life knowing that God will bring victory to them. The title was derived from a desire of wanting the readers to see the condition my life was in and the progression I was making as I traveled in unfamiliar territory.

• Is there a message that you wanted your readers to grasp? Who were you writing to?

  The message is clear I want people to experience freedom and That Was Then, gives one a genuine message of hope. That Was Then, is written for those who are still scared by divorce, trauma and the issues of life. I survive what I called one of the greatest trials and I want people to realize that God will and can pull you out of your situation and bring good to you.

• I assume that most of the book is shaped by your experiences but, are there other experiences that gave you additional inspiration to write this book?

  I realized that all during the ordeal God was carrying me through the rages of life. Even when He seemed so distant He was there. I continued believing that God was not allowing me to experience the things I was experiencing in vain.

• Are you planning to write a follow-up?

  Actually I’ve started writing another book entitled: Completely Whole which will be released next year. It’s not a follow up to That Was Then, but I will share how God uses life tough times to bring us to a place of wholeness in Him, spirit, soul and body.

• How does writing fit into your plans? What are your current projects?

  I’ve had to rearrange my whole life and put things in proper order. Writing has now become one of my major projects. I understand that I have something in me that is worth sharing and I’ve seen positive results from writing my first book. I will also launch writer’s workshops to assist other inspiriting authors and poets move from procrastination to become published authors.

Author JavaNoir
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Interview with Charlise Lyles

Charlise Lyles is the co-founding editor of Catalyst Cleveland and conceived the expansion to Catalyst Ohio. Before that, she was a metro columnist, editorial writer, ombudsperson, government, social services and courts reporter, and feature writer at daily newspapers.

A native of Cleveland, Charlise Lyles is an alumna of the A Better Chance program and a 1981 graduate of Smith College. Lyles began her career as a clerk for The New York Times White House Correspondent Hedrick Smith. In 1987, she was part of a team awarded the Copeland Public Service award for contributions to a series in The Virginian-Pilot on poverty and low-income housing in an affluent city.

A 1990 recipient of an Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellowship, she has worked as a reporter for the Virginian–Pilot and the Ledger-Star newspapers in Norfolk, Virginia and the Dayton Daily News. Lyles is the recipient of three awards from the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists. In 1999, Lyles co-founded Catalyst Cleveland now Catalyst Ohio magazine, which provides independent reporting on the state’s eight large, urban school districts.

Lyles was also a Fellow in the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism at the John Glenn School at The Ohio State University. Catalyst has also received three awards from The Ohio Society for Professional Journalists and is a winner of a 2007 Clarion Award from the Association of Women in Communication.

In 1995, her memoir, Do I Dare Disturb the Universe? From the Projects to Prep School, was published by Faber & Faber Inc. The second edition was published by by Gray Publishers & Co. in 2008:

I felt the original version of the memoir was incomplete. It didn’t live up to its subtitle, which is From the Projects to Prep School. The first edition covered the early part of my life [projects] well, but didn’t really talk much about my three years at Hawken School [prep school]. More than a decade has passed since I wrote the first edition, and I’ve had time to more deeply reflect on what I experienced at Hawken and to come to some understanding of how my experiences there have defined the woman I am today.

• What were your experiences with the first edition of your book as you began the book-signing and promotional tours? What was the reception like from teachers and school administrators?

  The first lesson that this writer’s soul learned from doing book promotions and signings is the profound irony of writing memoir, which is that writing is an intensely personal act; yet the act of promoting and selling my book has to be an intensely public act if the book is to succeed. I wasn’t always comfortable openly pushing my book, even though I yearned to tell my story and share it with others. There is a very modest part of me that is uncomfortable putting my work in the limelight. Also, I guess I have a very old-school notion of the literary writer as being low-profile and hermetic—Emily Dickinson writing her poems and then tucking them away. But there are so many contemporary models who can teach me how to sell my work, for example, Maya Angelou. I am still learning how to genuinely and graciously promote my work. I want to feel comfortable in my own skin as I urge readers to buy my book because I sincerely believe they will find truth, a moving narrative and a new voice in American memoir.

  The second lesson I learned is just as important as the first. When an author signs a contract with a publisher, a provision that provides a publicist is essential. For the first edition of “Do I Dare,” I was pretty much on my own to do the promotion. This second go round, I’ve had tremendous support from the publisher Gray and Company of Cleveland.

  As for the reception that the first edition received from teachers and schools, it was very good. Cleveland Schools actually hosted a reception for me attended by many of my old teachers who are now retired. I had a chance to see Miss Collins, Miss Nelson, Mr. Jarvey and many others. It was deeply moving. In addition, some high-school teachers made the book required reading for their English classes. I was invited to several schools to read from the book and talk with students. The book was also picked up by a few college sociology courses at Tufts University and elsewhere.

• What was the initial reaction that you expected?

  I really didn’t know how teachers, administrators and others would respond to the book. When writing any work as personal as a memoir, I believe one has to hold at bay one’s expectations of readers because those expectations can get in the way of the truth of the story as the author experienced it. One cannot write to please, or for that matter to displease, any particular audience.

• Did reader reaction influence your decision to write a new edition?

  To some extent, yes. Many readers commented that the first edition did not quite live up to the promise of the book’s subtitle “From the Projects to Prep School.” And they were correct. That first edition covers my girlhood and junior high school years but the narrative ends just as I enter prep school; it stopped short of chronicling the three years during which I actually attended prep school. So readers felt that they did not get the full story.

  I agree. I realize now that I hadn’t fully digested my experience in prep school enough to write about it in the first edition. More than a decade has passed since I wrote the first edition. I’ve had time to reflect more deeply on the years I spent at prep school. Also, over the past 10 years, I’ve co-founded and edited Catalyst Ohio, a magazine on urban school improvement efforts. Reporting on equity issues and the achievement gap helped me to better understand the educational disparities that I witnessed and lived on my trajectory from the projects to prep school.

• With the new edition, has promotion become easier? Any lessons learned from promoting that first edition?

  Promotion is never easy. However, I have learned to do it with more ease and grace. Also, I’ve learned to use technology more. I plan to post a simple web site or blog. I continue to send out e-blast when I am appearing at various bookstores or other events. Most significantly, I’ve learned to have high expectations for my work. Book promotion can be, in one sense, a real test of being my true self and asking readers to appreciate and accept me as I am.

• Has the reaction been similar to the new edition?

  I find that readers are still very excited about reading a Horatio Alger narrative—in this case, somewhat of a bootstrapping story of a kid plucked from a public housing project and put on a path to educational success. It offers readers some hope, although it in no way addresses the systemic problems that plague urban education.

  In the context of the election of Barack Obama as the nation’s first African-American president, there are some readers who see “Do I Dare” as a Great Society coming-of-age narrative that speaks to the experiences of many African-Americans who took very different paths to an education, paths that forced them to venture into new and different worlds, paths that forced them to forge a new and unique identity. And as a result, those African Americans have grown up to be people who see the world through a very different lens.

• Any changes to your writing style or habits between the first and second editions?

  The three new chapters in the second edition are written as scene and summary narrative, while the original chapters are a more detailed and dramatic narrative that almost reads like a novel. The new chapters and the old have two very distinct voices: the new carry the voice of a mature woman looking back on a painful but enriching and necessary passage in her life and trying to make some sense of it; and the old carry the voice of a naive, in-your-face teenage achiever who doesn’t quite know what she is getting into and isn’t very reflective.

  Rob Lucas, the editor at Gray and Company Publishers did a very meticulous job helping me to make the narrative work.

• As a published author, the co-founding editor of Catalyst Ohio, and an advocate for public education reform, what’s next for you?

  Right now: I have a ghost-writing project that I am currently under contract to complete the first quarter of this year. And I also have a novel manuscript that I am determined to finish this year. Lastly, I have stepped down as editor of Catalyst Ohio magazine but I will continue to contribute to it by writing a column on urban education issues.

  In the not-so-distant future: I hope to teach young people the craft of journaling as a tool for psychological well-being or self-nurture, as well as for developing good writing skills. I believe this can be especially therapeutic for adolescent boys. I began keeping a journal in 11th grade in prep school. The 39 dairies that I have accumulated over the years are a testimony to my love of journaling. I value it as a tool to help me and others make some sense of the often painful and paradoxical world around us and the world we create and recreate in our immediate surroundings. And it can offer clues to how we can change ourselves to make that world a little better.

  Finally: As an education advocate, my passion is to do non-profit work in the field of college access for African American and other under-serviced students.

  Thank you for reading and I hope you will buy and enjoy my book.

Interview with Laura Castoro

Best-selling and multi-award winning author Laura Parker Castoro has written (39) thirty-nine books. She has written historical romances, westerns, sagas, romantic novels, romantic suspense novels, young adult nonfiction, and mainstream women’s fiction. She also writes articles for magazines and newspapers. Her books have been translated into 15 languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Icelandic, and Czech.

Born in Ft. Worth, Texas, Laura Castoro grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and lived for many years with her husband and three children in the Dallas, Texas, area. Recently, she moved back to her hometown.

LOVE ON THE LINE, Avon A (Feb ’09) is her most recent release. ICING ON THE CAKE, MIRA (2007) is also available. Her next release is tentatively titled STORMY WEATHER, part of an anthology called COUGAR TALES, Parker Publishing May (’09)

A sought-after speaker and writing workshop leader, Laura puts her passion for the written word to good use. She just stepped down after 2 ½ yrs as President of the Board of the Communications Arts Institute, which oversees the Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow, a working writers’ residence program in Eureka Springs, AR. She remains on the board. She has recently taught classes in Memoir Writing and creative writing for teens at P.A.R.K in Little Rock. Her most thrilling award was being named recipient of the Arkansas Writers Hall of Fame Award for 2005.

She enjoys reading, traveling (she’s been to Australia, several European countries, Canada and Mexico), theater, movies and listening to R&B and classical music.

• With such a number and variety of books published, let’s ask the obvious question first: What inspires you to write? Are you presented with topics? Do you draft a story and then look to get it published?

  Every book I write has a slightly different origin. I began writing because I ran out of something to read. I had just finished THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER, a lush historical romance by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I enjoyed it immensely but I was frustrated by the retiring, almost cowardly response of the heroine to the overbearing macho hero. I was so annoyed by her behavior that out of the blue I wrote a scene about a heroine who picks up the hero’s sword after he’s made improper advances toward her and runs him through and almost kills him! I can laugh now because I had no idea that would be the first chapter of my first book SILKS AND SABERS, published by Dell in 1980.

  My other inspiration in the beginning was Frank Yerby. Mr. Yerby’s affect on my writing came from more than his rousing stories. As an African -American man writing in the ’40s through 60s, he had the audacity to write what some back in those unenlightened days called “White” stories. His work provided many positive lessons for me a writer:

  1) I did not have to live what I wrote about.

  2) One’s heritage didn’t give one the corner on the market for writing certain kinds of stories. Every writer one must go to the same place for his or her knowledge of history–the library and research.

  3) As for the quality of storytelling, that depends solely on the imagination and creativity of the writer.

  In other words: I could learn what I needed in order to write about anything or anyone who interests me. Race, age, and/or gender are not automatic barriers to a storyteller.

  As for general inspiration, I always looked for story ideas that will keep me entertained for the months it takes to write a book. Recently I’ve written about turning 50 in A NEW LU and ICING ON THE CAKE, both humorous mainstream books on midlife. I’d read one too many sad novels about women who have no other place in fiction but as victims of divorce, unappreciative children, or failing bodies that no man will be interested in. Life is not a disaster for the many vibrant mature woman I call friends. Hm, maybe a theme is developing here. I like to turn conventional wisdom on its ear.

  Yes, I always start writing before I try to sell something. If I’m in interested enough to write a few chapters then the story hasn’t yet formed in my head, or it’s not a subject I’m going to love all the way through.

• Is it more difficult to write and to promote in one genre than in
  another? Do you have a favorite genre?

  No, the process is the same. A writer must find an audience for her work. I’ve been extremely lucky to find things I want to write about that will sell. Not every idea sells, I have a drawer of unsold ideas to back that up. But all genres have an audience. Some are larger than others but I’ve never based writing a book on the size of its potential audience, as long as there is one.

  Trying to catch the attention of readers has become increasingly difficult because so many more books are published now than when I began in 1980. Avenues like online books and downloads make the audience more fractured in terms of finding them. So I have a web blog now: www.lauracastoro.com where I blog about my books, the writing life, inspiration, work in progress, answer questions. I’m trying to stay current.

  I loved writing romances. I’ve written westerns, historical saga, romantic suspense and so forth. Right now my love is mainstream fiction. Whether or not a particular novel is sub-categorized into African American fiction doesn’t matter to me. I write for anyone who likes a good story about women and their relationship with the modern world, which includes business, family, and romance.

• Is there a genre that you would like to write in?

  I’ve never tried mystery. I like to read them but I haven’t had a strong storyline come to mind yet.

• How do your readers react to your stories? Do you notice a
  difference between readers of your novels?

  Historical romance readers tend to be very loyal and want a writer they like to produce a book a month! They tend to pore over every detail of the age in which the book is set. I’ve been lucky to get wonderful letters from readers who say they know I must be Irish or Portuguese, or Brazilian because I’ve written truthfully about those cultures in my writing. That’s the best kind of compliment a writer can get. I got it right!

  Western fans, mostly men, ask you to prove you know how to load a Hawken rifle or trap a beaver, or dress a buffalo! They demand a certain amount of authenticity of their writers. LOL

  For books like LOVE ON THE LINE I get warm letters from readers who are glad to see African American stories about mature characters. So many books are written about 20 Somethings, still dating, which is great. But variety is good, too. My stories revolve around family. Many readers have read me in other genres and some weren’t aware that I’m African American. Others like to share their own experiences of being multiethnic, or being made to feel different by family and friends, or who have an adopted a child of another race or ethnicity, or having dated or married someone of another race or ethnicity. Sometime the issues have nothing really to do with the storyline. They say the like having read someone they believe can relate to them with understanding. We all want to feel that someone understands us.

  I enjoy chatting on line or answering email from readers. Anytime someone takes the time to write me, I know I’ve touched something in them and that makes me proud and humble. Writing should touch lives.

• Do you have a favorite character of your own creation?

  You’re asking me to choose my favorite child! I love Lu of A NEW LU. She’s the 50 year old heroine who ends up divorced and pregnant, and that’s just the beginning of her humorous troubles. Lu’s a survivor with a sense of humor.

  Thea, of LOVE ON THE LINE is probably the closest to me because of how she came to be created. LOVE ON THE LINE is the companion book to a novel I wrote several years ago titled CROSSING THE LINE. I had used my situation in life, as a light-skin African American, to write an article for ESSENCE Magazine way back in 1997 called “Invisible Sister,” about how my experiences, some funny and some not so funny, of being mistaken for white by strangers black and white. A version of that article is in the back of LOVE ON THE LINE.

  Interest in the article led me to turn the idea behind it into novels. Thea’s story is very different from my own life story but I wrote these books through my view of the world. I am married to an Italian American and we have successfully reared three biracial children. I’ve lived, in a way, Thea’s life. Certainly dealt with many of her issues.

  I liked writing Thea because she tries to think through her problems, always aware of what might happen, even though she tries to prevent it. A recent radio interviewer, who had read both books, said she thought I was like Thea: courageous, honest, companionate, and willing to do the right thing though it’s difficult. I’m sure I’m not that virtuous but I liked hearing it!

• What’s your writing experience like? Do you write every day? At a
  prescribed time? Do you get help from others?

  I write every morning 3-4 hrs when I’m working on a book. I have had the luxury of a ‘spousal endowment’ in the beginning so I became a daytime writer while I reared three children. Sometimes I don’t accomplish much but I have to put in the time.

  As for help, there always comes a place in a story, sometimes after 50 pages or after 100 pages, when I need someone I trust to read what I’m writing to determine if the story is working. That is often my daughter or a friend I know who is a discriminating reader, someone who won’t just be kind but tell me the truth. I’ve been known to toss 150 pages because the story, which was published, wasn’t working with that beginning. I learned early that I have to please myself before I can please anyone else.

• What are your reading tastes? What are you reading now?

  I’m reading or just read David Sedaris, Kathryn Stockett, Beverly Jenkins, and The Soloist by Steve Lopez.

• Do you see any trends taking place in African American fiction or
  nonfiction? It seems that urban fiction, Christian fiction, and almost
  anything about the Obamas are selling.

  Aren’t the Obamas wonderful? I don’t think any author could have created better ambassadors for 21st Century America this particular time in our history. I hope their example of two people who so clearly love and honor one another touches a chord with all of us about the partnership a good marriage can be. Not that many stories are written about marriage, unless the marriage is breaking up. LOVE ON THE LINE is about a committed married couple who discover that life is always handing you one thing or another to handle.

  Also, Barack Obama has a positive profile of a biracial and multiethnic person. He’s smart, he’s positive, and he’s inclusive. He is completely at ease in his own skin – to make a pun – and doesn’t see the need to choose one part of his heritage over another. He embraces all that he is, and isn’t that refreshing, and healthy? The public now has a couple who are not celebrities or sports figures or musicians or actors who are truly someone you’d want a child to emulate. It’s so hopeful because millions of people in the world see something in the Obamas that make them hopeful.

  Accepting one’s self is another subject LOVE ON THE LINE embraces through the story of Jesse, Thea’s biracial daughter. I didn’t want my story to be another book of hardship and mistreatment because she is biracial. I wanted to write an honest look at what it’s like to have a choice and to choose not to choose.

  Christian fiction will always be strong because it is the life’s blood of the African American culture.

  I would like to see more nonfiction books about marriage and child-rearing. Again the Obamas are rearing two wonderful well-mannered and seemingly happy children. That takes skill, it’s no accident.

  Love Steve Harvey’s Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment. Good advice delivered with humor.

  Urban fiction has its place. Yet I worry that young people see it as glorifying a lifestyle that is not healthy. An exclusive diet of any one thing is not good for the spirit. But if young people are reading, then I see hope that their tastes in reading will mature along with them.

• What can you tell us about your writing experience with Love on the
  Line?

  Writing LOVE ON THE LINE was a labor of love. It tells the story of African American Thea Morgan and her biracial daughter Jesse Morgan. Thea, a widow, is about to marry the man she first fell in love with as a teen, Reverend Xavier Thornton, a charismatic former celebrity turned AME minister. They are very and sexily in love. They will face very modern problems of how to blend two different lives and two very different careers with their own hopes and love. Daughter Jesse heads for a college far away from home where no one knows her, her family, or anything about her. But what she learns is: no baggage doesn’t equal no problems. It’s also a mother-daughter story as the daughter becomes a woman and their relationship changes and grows. I like to write about life problems that are real and characters that are genuine, making mistakes and missteps as they try to do the right thing.

  After CROSSING THE LINE was published, I received dozens of letters from readers asking me for more. They wanted to see how this couple to manage a marriage after all that had gone before. And I wanted to give them that happy ever after. The other request for readers was to see how Jesse would live her life away from home where everyone knew her and that she was biracial.

  We call know, life ain’t easy. It’s said young love is about wanting to be happy yourself. Mature love is about wanting the person you love to be happy. Thea and Xavier each wants the other to have what they think they need in their career life to be happy. Pretty soon they are living in two states, trying to hold down a high-powered job in Thea’s case, and begin new ministry in a small town church for Xavier.

  I hope readers will embrace my characters and come to love them as much as I do.

Interview with Pamela Samuels Young

Pamela Samuels Young is a Los Angeles attorney and author of the legal thrillers, Murder on the Down Low, Every Reasonable Doubt, and In Firm Pursuit.

A former journalist and native of Compton, Pamela serves on the Board of Directors of the Southern California chapter of Mystery Writers of America.  She is a graduate of USC, Northwestern University and UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. 

Pamela earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and her master’s degree in broadcasting from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. After spending several years as a television news writer and associate producer, including stints at WXYZ-TV in Detroit and KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, Pamela took a break from the news business to serve as a Coro Foundation Fellow in St. Louis, Missouri. Pamela later returned to school and earned her law degree at UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. She practiced law at the Los Angeles office of O’Melveny & Meyers for several years and served as Employment Law Counsel for Raytheon Company.

She has served as legal consultant to the Showtime television series, Soul Food and is a frequent speaker on the topics of self-empowerment, diversity and pursuing your passion.

Pamela is an in-house employment attorney for a large corporation in Southern California, an adjunct professor at the University of Redlands’ School of Business and the legal columnist for Global Woman magazine. She still finds time to serve on the Board of Directors of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.

A desire to see engaging female and African-American attorneys depicted in today’s mainstream legal fiction motivated Pamela to start writing despite a busy legal career.

Her short story Setup is featured in the Sisters in Crime Anthology, Landmarked for Murder.

Pamela’s newest release, Murder on the Down Low, was an “Editor’s Pick” by the Black Expressions Book Club.

Pamela shares her writing expertise via articles on fiction writing at BizyMoms.com, where she is a featured expert. When attorney and best-selling author Pamela Samuels Young isn’t practicing law, you can usually find her penning her next legal thriller.

Visit Pamela’s website at www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com. To invite Pamela to your book club meeting or event, email her at pamelasamuelsyoung@gmail.com.

• Legal thrillers have such broad appeal, whether the attorneys are ambulance-chasers or high-priced corporate lawyers. Can you explain the fascination?

  I think people love reading about people they love to hate and attorneys are perfect for that role. Also, legal thrillers give the reader the opportunity to root for “justice.”

• So, tell the truth: Can practicing law be as exciting as one of your novels?

  No way! Much of my current practice involves providing advice and counsel aimed at keeping my company out of court. Unless you’re a prosecutor or public defender, most lawyers don’t spend all that much time in court and rarely see the kind of drama played out on shows like Law & Order and The Practice, two of my favorites legal dramas.

  However . . . my second novel In Firm Pursuit is actually based on a race discrimination case I tried in federal court several years ago. A guy terminated for sexual harassment sued the company, claiming he was wrongfully terminated. I represented the company and we won at trial. In the book, I added lots of imaginary legal drama that didn’t occur in real life. So I guess that proves that the real life practice of law isn’t as exciting as the imaginary legal world I created.

• What can you tell us about Vernetta Henderson, the lead character of your novels? Of course, the question must be asked: How much of her is you, and vice versa?

  Vernetta grew up in Compton, California, and so did I. Vernetta worked at a large corporate law firm where she was one of only a few African-Americans. So did I. Vernetta is married to an electrician. I’m married to a plumber. So yes, I’ve put a lot of my own experiences in my novels through Vernetta. They say write what you know, and that’s exactly what I did.

• Care to share any hints as to what your next novel will be? Will we see more of Vernetta Henderson?

  My next book, Buying Time is my first stand-alone. But don’t worry, Vernetta, Special and Jefferson aren’t gone for good. I have lots more legal drama for them down the line.

  In Buying Time, Waverly Shaw is a down on his luck lawyer. But just when he’s about to hit rock bottom, he stumbles upon a business with the potential to solve all of his problems. In his new line of work, he comes to the rescue of people in desperate need of cash. But there’s a catch. His clients must be terminally ill and willing to sign over rights to their life insurance policies before they receive a dime. Waverly then finds investors to advance them thousands of dollars—including a hefty broker’s fee for himself—in exchange for a significant return on their investment once the clients take their last breath.

  The stakes get higher when Lawrence Erickson, who’s bucking to become the next U.S. Attorney General, hires Waverly to broker the insurance policy of his cancer-stricken wife. But Waverly’s clients start dying sooner than they should and Erickson —who has some skeletons of his own to hide—is unwittingly drawn into a perilous web of greed, blackmail and murder. With two determined federal prosecutors hot on his trail, Waverly is on the run, and this time, the price is on his head.

• Needless to say, your novels have been well-received. What has been the reaction at your book tours? How have fans received you at book signings and readings? Any comments from other attorneys?

  The reception to my books has been tremendous! It’s really what has kept me going in the face of rejection from the publishing industry. I started writing because I was fed up with never seeing women or people of color depicted as savvy, hot shot attorneys in the legal thrillers that I read. So I decided to create my own characters. My fan mail has been so uplifting. The readers who’ve taken the time to write to me to let me know they enjoyed my books have been people of all ages and races. One of my favorite fan letters came from a 75-year-old white attorney I met at a book signing in Atlanta. I was so pleased that he took the time to write me a complimentary letter (which he sent to my publisher, I guess because he doesn’t use email) about my first novel, Every Reasonable Doubt. Book clubs have also supported me. I love bonding with them at their book club meetings.

• With the variety of nominations that your books have received, what do you do to promote your books?

  Book clubs are a big focus of my promotional efforts. My sisters all over the country have given me such tremendous support. I make book club appearance both in person and via speaking phone. I even did a book club meeting in the San Francisco Bay Area and patched in another book club in the D.C. area via speakerphone at the same time. I also do a lot of motivational speaking and writing workshops. Libraries and churches are also big on my promotional list. If you take a look at the tour page of my website, you’ll see that I rarely turn down an invitation. And of course, I’m all over the web and have even done a virtual book tour.

• Is being a published author what you expected it would be? What has been the biggest challenge to you?

  Before I was published, I didn’t realize that very few authors these days get promotional support from their publishers. The biggest challenge has been trying to get my name out there. My first two legal thrillers Every Reasonable Doubt (BET Books) and In Firm Pursuit (Harlequin) were traditionally published. But my third book, Murder on the Down Low is self-published. While I don’t have a big publisher behind me, I’m really pleased at my promotional success. I was offered a distribution deal from the Independent Publishers Group, so Murder on the Down Low is on bookstore shelves, which is a big coup for a self-published novel. Frankly, I’ve landed much bigger publicity as a self-publisher. For instance, Murder on the Down Low was featured as an Editor’s Pick by Black Expressions magazine and was featured on the cover of Publisher’s Weekly (March 2, 2009 edition). Nothing like that ever happened with my traditionally published books. And I can see the snowball effect of word-of-mouth publicity. Like I said, my sisters have really been talking up my books and I truly appreciate it!