Thanks to Camika for sharing information with readers!  -The SCBC, Inc.

Where are you from?   Dallas, Texas

Tell us your latest news?  Currently working on 5th book, serving as Content Editor for Dallasblack.com, working on a stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz titled, "Emerald City" with Jonathan White and remaining closely bound to the cultural community in Dallas.

When and why did you begin writing?  Since I learned to write, I've been writing. I've been writing as a 'writer' since 1996. I began writing out of the need to express and tell stories.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?  Around 2001.

What inspired you to pen your first novel?  Self-motivation. I'd read a few novels and decided I could write a novel too. It was the creative aspects of it that I loved mostly.

Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?  Great storytellers like Stephen King influence my writing by being so vivid. Nature and man-made environments influence my writing through coming up with new means of description and I influence my writing by challenging myself to be better.

How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?  It's unique in that it's specific to my life. How things are said and done in my environment isn't necessarily the same in other environs. Also, I have a host of characters in my life who more than give me platforms to work from.

Do you have a specific writing style?  My style is pretty quick paced, witty, and usually highly unusual. I like action and movement, so you will tend to see that in my books.

What genre are you most comfortable writing?  Contemporary fiction.

How did you come up with the title for your book(s)?  I like titles that make you want to open a book yet they go with the content inside the book. When All Hell Breaks Loose was exactly that. Cubicles was about the work world, and He Had It Coming was about a book club that kidnapped an author.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?  My goal is to take my readers somewhere they've either never been or never been in quite this way and with that comes messages. I never have a specific message, but rather ideas that lead to messages.

How much of your novels are realistic?  Depends on who is reading it. From my standpoint it's all fiction.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?  No. Events in my life? I hinted on it with Cubicles because while I wrote the book, I was contemplating leaving my job.

What books have most influenced your life?

It by Stephen King - the most vivid, scariest book I read.
Fast Sam, Cool Clyde and Stuff by Walter Dean Meyers - First book I ever received as a gift. It was funny and I really got engaged in the book.
Conversations With God by Neale Donald Walsh - A book that allowed me to self-affirm my place in this world as a writer with a unique gift.
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle - This book keeps me grounded on the work that must be done in the world.
Mad at Miles by Pearl Cleage - The first woman non-fiction writer I read that totally made sense to me.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler- Realistic and imaginative.
Soul City by Touré - Highly imaginative and funny read.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?  Stephen King and Pearl Cleage at the same time.

What new author has grasped your interest? Touré

What are your current projects? 5th book.

Do you feel that the boom in African American writers is a fad or another renaissance?  Neither. I feel it's about time.

Do you feel more African Americans are reading?  I know more are reading, but who is buying should be the question.

Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.  Toni Patterson. If it had not been for her, I would have been roaming the countryside alone pushing my books. She was my right hand person during my self-publishing days.

How does your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?
Hard to say. I don't come from a family of readers, so sometimes I can tell they think it's lucrative and sometimes I can tell they think I'm wasting my time with this "writing thing."

Do you see writing as a long- or short-term career? Long term if I keep at and don't take it for granted.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything? Yes.

Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?
That writing is not easy if you know how to do it well. I want my readers to know that just because a person has written a book, it doesn't make them superhuman or imperfect. We all are out here doing what we can to get our stories out in the world and we need the help, honesty, and deliberation of readers to do that. I for one, thank all my readers and am wholly grateful for each letter I receive and each book bought.

Self-Publishing Questions:

How do you feel overall about self-publishing? It is humbling work.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of promotion for self-published authors?

Strengths - self-determination, knowledge of the industry at a grassroots level, control.
Weaknesses - lack of money to compete, can be lethargic after a while, control.

What do you feel is one major benefit to self-publishing your book?  When it was time to sign a contract, I had the numbers to negotiate a better deal.

Would you encourage or mentor someone to become self-publish?  I do it all the time. Like I said, humility is the best benefit of self-publishing.

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Photo Credit: Dave Herman

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