Where are you from?
I’m originally from Rosston, Arkansas, but I’ve lived in Tallahassee,
Florida, for the past twenty years.
What inspired you to pen your first novel?
I’ve been an avid reader all of my life, and I’ve always dreamed of
writing a book. However, on this particular day, I went to the book
store specifically looking for a romance novel about a married couple.
To my surprise, there weren’t very many to choose from. So after
careful consideration, I concluded that there was definitely a market
for this type of literature because most of my friends were married
with children and loved reading romance novels. I figured that even if
it wasn’t ever published, at least my friends would like it, and I was
right. Their overwhelming enthusiasm inspired me to get the story
edited, copyrighted, and published to share with others.
How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
I grew up in the south, and I remember that my mother used to love
reading the Harlequin romance books and the true love story magazines
that were popular during that time. I would sneak her books and
magazines into my room and read them when she wasn’t around. Ever
since then, I’ve been hooked on reading romance novels although I do
read other fictional works by various authors.
Do you have a specific writing style?
No, I don’t. I spend a great deal of time developing the characters
and their voices in my head. Then, I write what’s in my heart and what
they tell me to say.
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
I prefer writing contemporary romance novels with a touch of
spirituality. My novels are not classified as Christian literature,
but they are inspirational stories.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
The first novel titled, Forgive Us This Day, was originally titled,
Tomorrow is Another Day. After sharing the story with my best friend,
she suggested that I change the title because she felt that the story
was more about forgiving than anything else, and I didn’t even have
that word in the title. So we kind of played around with some words
and phrases before deciding to name the book, Forgive Us This Day,
which is a love story about a couple seeking forgiveness from each
other. We both liked the fact that it was a take on the Lord’s prayer
“give us this day.”
The second novel titled, Dancing with Temptation, came about because I
knew that I wanted the word “temptation” in the title. So again, it
was just a process of brainstorming for an appropriate title based on
the storyline about a married woman being tempted into having an
affair with a younger man.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Yes, I want to inspire my readers to feel confident about seeking
committed relationships. That’s why I wrote about married couples that
were having some troubles in both of my novels. I want readers to know
that it’s hard being married, but you can overcome whatever obstacles
come your way if you cherish each other.
How much of the novel is realistic?
My novels are filled with realism. I want to give my readers a
realistic glimpse into the heart of a long-term marriage on the edge
of disaster. Forgiving is a huge part of married life, and everyone
struggles with temptation on a daily basis whether they’re in a
committed relationship or not. I’m really into writing about love and
romance, not fantasy.
What are your current projects?
Currently, I’m working on the editing process for my third novel
titled, Falling for Lies, which will be released in November 2006. I
have the first chapter of that book placed at the end of the latest
release. It’s a great story about a female Baptist minister who falls
in love with a deacon in her church. But the question is this, “Is she
falling for the deacon or is she simply falling for his lies?”
Do you feel that the boom in African American writers is a fad or
another renaissance?
I definitely feel that it’s another renaissance for us. And I’m so
glad about it.
Do you feel more African Americans are reading? Yes, there are more African American-based book clubs than there
have ever been in history. So we’re definitely reading. Almost every
major publisher is developing a line geared to tapping into the
African American market.
How do your feel overall about self-publishing?
Well, self-publishing is not for everybody because it’s a lot of hard
work, but it’s truly working out for me. I enjoy being able to make
all of the creative decisions for my publications.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of promotion for
self-published authors?
The major strength of promotion for a self-published author is that
you can work around your own schedule which gives you more
flexibility.
The major weakness of promotion for a self-published author is that
it’s hard to get the distribution that you need to get into the
bookstores.
Would you encourage or mentor someone to become self-published?
Yes, mentoring is one of the major joys of being an independent
publisher. That’s why I wrote a handbook titled, One Sister’s Guide to
Self-Publishing: A Ten-Step Program to Success, to help others that
are interested in traveling this road. Hopefully, it’ll make their
journey a little easier.
