FAQ

When did you start writing?

A: I started writing in elementary school. I wrote and produced a school play and I also started our first school newspaper. I dabbled a little over the years but it wasn’t until I graduated from college that I finally sat down and started to take my writing serious.

Q: What led you to begin writing romance novels?

A: I’m an avid romance reader—have been reading them since I was thirteen years old. I found it to be such a large market that it was the easiest way to get my foot in the door.

Q: How many books have you written?

A: So far I have sold eleven books: Intimate Intentions, Endless Enchantment, Hart & Soul, Time is of the Essence, When it Rains, Love Uncovered, A Will to Love, Destiny in Disguise, In the Company of My Sistahs, When I First Saw You, and a Delight Before Christmas. To be released in that order.

Q. Tell us about your road to publication.

A: I knew what I wanted and studied my favorite romance authors worked until I had grasped the formula for a good romance. It then took me six months to write my own. I was very fortunate. At the time there were only two houses that were releasing African American romance. I queried both and received a letter requesting the entire manuscript. Genesis Press signed me three months later.

Q: Was it a difficult decision to move from romance to mainstream Women’s fiction?

A: Not at all. I always wanted to write mainstream fiction because life does not always have a happy ending. When writing mainstream I am allowed to be myself and more of my personality is allowed to shine through my characters.

Q: What inspired you to write Intimate Intentions?

A: I was watching a movie about a serial killer and before I knew it I had an idea for a story. It wasn’t until I was half way complete that I decided to make it a love story instead.

Q: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

A: Don’t quit. If you truly believe in what you are writing and want it bad enough to do everything it takes to get there, it will eventually happen. It might take weeks, months or even years but in the meantime keep on writing. When you’re not writing, Read, Read, Read. Read books on the craft of writing. Study the works of the authors you enjoy most. You have to read to know what’s out there. Even now I read at least three books a month. It keeps my thoughts fresh and when I have writer’s block it helps get the juices flowing again.