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Interview with the author

Q. What inspired you to write your novel?

A. I have always wanted to write a book but I thought there was too much competition out there and I was afraid of failure. However, in the last few years I had been feeling as though I wasn’t doing what I was called to do. It became especially clear after my father died. That’s when I got serious about the musings I had scribbled over the years and started turning them into a book. Also, my mother always said I should write a book because she believed I had a gift. But, you always do the opposite of what your parents tell you to do, so I never really took it seriously. As a child, I wanted my world to be more like my imagination. I’d write little plays, poems and songs and it made me feel better. Writing this book has generated a new confidence level in me.

Q. Do you think the book carries a universal theme, or is it designed for one particular audience?

A. I write about what I like and what I know.  And if I don’t know about it, I research it and try to get smart about it.  I feel there is a lack of stories about everyday black family life, and I believe our stories need to be told from a multitude of perspectives.  My perspective is just one of millions.  I don’t write with a particular reader in mind, necessarily.  I write the kind of things I like to read.  I believe that universal themes such as forgiveness and acceptance are themes that all readers can relate to.  Hopefully, that’s what will make them interested in what I have to say.

Q. Why did you decide to go the Self-Publishing/Print-on-Demand route?

A. I sent query after query to tons of agents with little success. I wasn’t even aware initially that self-publishing was so popular. Once I did some research, I realized that self-publishing gave me the most control and it was more profitable in the long run, even though I had to make an initial investment. It also gave me a quality product to present to agents and publishers. I was able to learn a lot about the “business” of writing by self-publishing because I had my hand in every stage of the process. There is something very gratifying about publishing your novel, your way.

Q. Where do you get your ideas?

A. I get ideas from living. Life is so full of colorful experiences. My friends, past and present, and family provide fodder for some of the more comical aspects of my writing. Sometimes I may overhear a conversation standing in line at a grocery store and the next thing you know it’s the basis for a chapter in one of my books. Sometimes, when I’m trying to re-create a painful event, I reach inward and try to convey my feelings as if I had truly experienced that event.

Q. What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

A. Write as much and as often as possible. Keep a journal to jot down your ideas and revisit your journal periodically. Invest in a good editor once your manuscript is complete and don’t take their comments personally. Editing is a business and that’s what you’re paying them to do. Do your research and learn as much about the “business” of writing as you can. Keep track of your expenses and write your own checks. Realize that self-publishing also means self-marketing. You can’t lose when you invest in yourself.

Q. What motivates you to write (i.e., financial gain, creative expression, or something different)?

A. I have been blessed in that my “day job” is something that I enjoy and am well-paid for. I don’t have to live on what I make writing. So, I am free to write what I feel, when I feel like it. I am motivated by the sheer love of writing.

Q. What writers have influenced your work?

A. I like the historical emphasis in books by authors like Anita Richmond Bunkley and J. California Cooper. I also like Valerie Wilson Wesley’s mysteries and the passion of Diane McKinney-Whetstone. I think Walter Mosley is brilliant. I also like some lesser known self-published authors like Maxine Thompson, who is one of the most compelling writers I’ve ever met.

Q. What do you do when you aren't writing?

A. Writing takes up a lot of my time, but I like to spend time with my family and friends. I go to the movies and I also read a lot.

Q. What are your future goals?

A. To continue to develop as a writer, and hone my skills. I do feel there are more books in me. I just need to take the time to let them out.

Q. Are you going to keep writing novels, or do you want to try another type of writing?

A. I’m definitely going to keep writing novels. However, there has been some interest expressed in developing a screenplay for Quiet As It’s Kept. I’d like to branch into writing screenplays even though I’ve never done that before. But, hey, I’d never written a book before this one either.

Q. Have you started working on a new novel? If so, what's it about?

A. Yes, I’ve outlined my next novel. It’s a sequel to Quiet As It’s Kept.

Q. When readers complete Quiet As It’s Kept, what would you like them to feel?

A. I want them to feel that it’s ok to accept the consequences of our own behavior, that’s the first step in making things right with family and friends. We would also do well to realize that we can’t control other people’s behavior. People have the capacity to do wrong and to do right. Forgive them when they don’t behave in the way we want or expect. Forgiveness is more for the forgiver than the person being forgiven. It frees you from the stronghold that resentment and disappointment can have on you. I want them to feel as though they’ve spent some time with their own families and with all their faults and short-comings, they’re still family and nothing can take that away. Everyone has redeeming qualities; sometimes we just have to look harder to find those qualities in some people than in others. Trouble don’t last always!