1. How old were you when you discovered writing would be a part of your life?

 

The earliest of my childhood memories consists of me reading and writing in my journals. So, I knew that writing, in and of itself, would be a part of my life. Beyond journal writing, I started off writing poetry. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I started writing fiction. I published my first book in 2012, and instantly knew that writing was how I wanted to make a living for myself.

 

1. If you could change anything about your first novel, what would it be?

 

I wouldn’t change anything about the novel itself. However, I would change the route that I took to self-publish it. I spent so much money, unnecessarily. Like they say, you live and learn. Now, I make it my business to ensure that new writers don’t make the same mistake.

 

1. What are your thoughts on labels and how they affect writing LGBTQ characters?

 

I despise labels, period. Regarding writing LGBTQ characters, labels tend to put these characters into a box. As writers, I feel that it is our duty to abandon these labels and the stereotypes that go along with them. I love writing characters that will shock even the most colorful of the rainbow.

 

1. Do you have a hard time choosing endings for bisexual characters knowing that either sex they end up with will have someone outraged?

 

I do have a hard time, but I have fun in doing so. Like I said, I like to surprise my readers. You have to open my books with an open mind. Otherwise, you’ll be outraged far before the ending of the story.

 

1. What is your take on gays and Jesus?

 

Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, meaning that Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God are One. With that being said, I refuse to believe that God would create someone, knowing what lifestyle they would ultimately choose, and still send them to hell. Plus, I’m a strong believer that God is far too big and powerful to be limited to one religion, and especially to be limited by something as mortal as gender.

 

1. Your writing space catches on fire, what are the first three things you try to save?

 

My box of journals, my laptop, and my stash of notes

 

1. Who is one person in the writing community that you admire and why?

 

Since I have to choose one, then I’ll go with Terry McMillan. She is, hands down, my favorite author. My mother owned every single one of her books, and I read all of them. She introduced me to characters and settings that I could identify with. Her books initiated my love for black literature.

 

1. What is one book that you’ve read more than once?

 

All of Terry McMillan’s books. Originally, I’d read most of them as a child. Now an adult, I recently reread them all, and would do it again. That’s how much I loved them.

 

1. Do you have a stash of snacks reserved only for those long hours of writing?

 

I actually don’t eat while I write. Once I get into my zone, I shut everything else out. It’s not until I’ve put my pen down that I realize that I’m starving, dehydrated, and about to pee on myself.

 

1. Who is one character, that you’ve written, that is the closest to your personality in real life?

 

None is more close to me than the others. All of them are pieces of me in some form or fashion.

 

1. What was your reaction to your first bad review?

 

I was crushed, not enough to want to quit writing, but it definitely hurt.

 

1. How do you deal with bad reviews?

 

I take note of what the reviewer’s complaints are, and aim to adjust. Not all bad reviews are relevant, however. For example, if a reader doesn’t care for LGBTQ, then of course they won’t care for an erotic story that is based on a lesbian character.

 

1. What is your creative process when preparing to start a new novel?

 

I don’t know if I have one. I allow characters to live in my mind until they present their whole selves. I have to know exactly who they are: their past, preferences, fears, dreams, habits, etc. After that, as Stephen King best said, I put them in a tree and throw rocks at them.

 

1. What is your writing space like?

 

I don’t have any one writing space. I write everywhere: in the bedroom, the living room, the bathroom, restaurants, etc. Wherever inspiration hits me (or where deadlines alarm me) is where the words get written.

 

1. What genre or writing best suits you and would you think about trying one that is completely left field from what you write?

 

I prefer women’s fiction and love to dabble in other eras. I’ve done contemporary women’s fiction, Christian fiction, and lesbian erotica with a hint of paranormal romance. It’s scary how ready and willing I am to try something that is “completely left field.”

 

1. I don’t know many children that dream of being writers, so what did you want to be when you grew up?

 

In elementary school, I wanted to be a veterinarian. In junior high, I wanted to be a computer software engineer. From high school up until my first year of graduate school, I planned to be an attorney. I took the LSAT, applied and was accepted to law school and everything.

 

1. What are your top five must reads whether they are lesbian or not?

 

1. Terry McMillan’s Mama

2. Stephen King’s On Writing

3. Bernice McFadden’s The Warmest December

4. Akilah S. Richard’s The Execumama’s Survival Guide

5. Any of Anais’ Nin diaries

 

1. To whom was your first book dedicated to?

 

I actually didn’t dedicate it to anyone. God has blessed me with so many awesome people that, for one, the acknowledgements would have been pages long. Even more, I feared leaving someone out. I will, however, be dedicating my next novel to my stepfather. He recently passed, but was one of my biggest pushers and promoters.

 

1. What can we look forward to in the future from your writing? (books, articles, anthologies, etc.)

 

My debut novel, What the Devil Meant for Bad, is about Shantelle, a broken woman that makes a triumphant turnaround. However, her life and family structure was so effed up that I was moved to go backwards and show what went wrong in the family tree. My next novel, Getting Across, is Shantelle’s grandmother’s story. Then, the subsequent novel will tell Shantelle’s mother’s and aunt’s story.

 

1.  Last hurrah: If you ever lost the ability to write physically, how would you complete a novel?

 

I would either use speech recognition software, my husband, my children, or a paid intern. Regardless, the story will get written.