Happy New Year

Join Francis Ray And Friends

Celebrate the New Year
with nationally bestselling author
Francis Ray and Friends

Donna Hill
Gwynne Forster
Evelyn Palfrey
Beverly Jenkins

Speak with the authors; ask the things you want to know about their characters; share how much you love their books; find out what each of the authors have coming out for 2008.


This very special New Years chat with 5 fantastic authors, is sure to be a treat for the Romance Lovers of the world!


Sunday, December 30, 2007

8pm CST / 9pm EST

Call in number (1-605-475-6000) enter the pin (942943)


Join us as we discuss a new author's journey, the publishing industry, book promotions, allow readers to ask questions about the books and celebrate the coming of 2008--the year of African-American Literary Excellence.


Authors on the Conference call Sunday Night


Francis Ray--Only You and Not Even If You Begged

Donna Hill--On The Line

Gwynne Forster--Getting Some of Her Own

Evelyn Palfrey--Price of Passion by Evelyn Palfrey

Beverly Jenkins--Deadly Sexy

Don't miss an evening with Francis Ray and Friends!

On The Line

Hey, everybody--just wanted to pop on and give a quick shout out to add my support to the project! It was a BLAST & working with Donna is always fun :) Y'all have a wonderful New Year and I hope everyone had a great holiday... much Philly Love, Leslie!

I was feeling creative this morning

I’m sitting in my library reading my copy of On The Line. I can’t stop reading it. In less than a day I’m almost at the end of the book. This book moves very quickly. As I read the stories I’m trying to figure out which author submitted what story. So far I believe I’ve identified Vincent’s story, Gwynne Forster’s story and TaRessa Stovall’s story. It’s kind of fun trying to determine who wrote what.

When Donna Hill informed me that I could write with complete freedom, I was like “Do you really want me to do that? And she said yes.

I had to change my submission because my original story went something like this.

Harry Potter’s Love for Medea

Ya’ll didn’t know? See what had happened was. Harry Potter wanted to get kinky with Madea. He was going all around Hollywood talking about how Madea helped him get over his break up with the Video Vixen. Apparently the Vixen had case a spell on Harry’s ass that made his glasses fog up. Madea showed up and slapped the fog out of Harry and now he believes he’s in love with Madea. But Martin Lawrence, who secretly have a thing for Madea as well, (something about a man dressing up as woman turns Martin on) ---got up set. So he called up Jerome, the Playa from the Himalayas and the crew from G-Unit Publishing to head up to Hogwarts School to set it off.

But then Harry came out acting like a wanna be gangster and started throwing spells and stuff around. But then the Playa from the Himalayas said ‘oh hell no’ and called up L.A. Banks and the entire Vampire Huntress crew. L.A. appeared out of nowhere sporting her black and purple full-length leather coat complete with a full armory of weapons cancelled on the inside.
“What’s up Jerome baby?” L.A. asked
“Oh, girl, damn you look good,” Jerome forgot all about the war going on around him and L.A. and to block a bolt of lighting that Harry shot his way.
“Oh, snap!” Jerome got his self in order. “L.A. baby. I need you to take care of this Harry Potter situation for me.”
“You got it Jerome. Just step aside,” L.A. said as she turned to her grew. “Let’s do this!” L.A. howled out. “I’ve been waiting to kick some Harry Potter ass for a long time.” Next thing that happened was Armageddon. Guns going off, spells being cast, explosions and all that stuff.

Then Francis Ray tried to step in to put a little in everyone’s heart but she accidentally turn one of Harry Potter’s flying brooms into Billy Dee Williams and said ‘oh boy, it’s Billy Dee. I’ve got to go ya’ll Billy and I are going on tour’----LOL I’m cracking myself up here.

Whew, sorry ya’ll I got a little carried away. But anyway, I’m so happy to be apart of this effort to bring so many diverse voices together between the pages of a grand novel. Thanks for all of your hard work Donna.

Teleconference Information

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO ENLARGE

One More Day! Oh my...

Twas the day before Christmas.... and I STILL have not finished shopping!!! Grrrrr. Each year it seems to get harder and harder. The lines get longer and the money shorter.

But we gotta do what we gotta do. Next year, however, I am going to do what a dear friend of mine (whose name also happens to be Donna) suggested. "Give Love."

Hey how simple and wonderful is that. It fits everyone, doesn't cost a thing and it doesn't need to be gift wrapped and hauled in the trunk of the car to the festivities.

But until next Xmas rolls around.... I gotta get busy.
Enjoy a wonderful holiday and ring in the new year safe and happy

Donna

On The Line Podcast!

Check out the Podcast for the upcoming ON THE LINE!

Wicked Ways Live!

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Intimate Mondays with Gwynne Forster

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Gwynne Forster many years ago and I am delighted and still proud to call her my dear friend. She is always there with sage advice and a good laugh. Truly, the grand dame of romance and women's fiction. And to those close to her she is affectionately called "Miss Gwynne." Welcome to Intimate Monday's with Gwynne Forster.

THE WRITING LIFE

1. What is a typical writing day like for you?

Hurried. I write about four hours in the morning, during which time I drink cups of green tea. Around noon, I read internet mail. I eat lunch around one o'clock, and that takes about forty minutes, unless I get an idea and rush back to the computer to write it down…a common occurrence. I write until four, go to the post office and grocery store. More green tea when I get back home around five or five thirty. I read snail mail and the newspaper, work until six-thirty, cook dinner, eat, and return to work around eight-forty-five, write until ten pm, and call it a day. If I have appointments during the day, my work day is far from satisfactory, and I get nothing done.

2. Do you need anything special to write? Quiet, music, a special place?

I need peace and quiet for high level writing, but I can force myself to shut out every sound and write. If I'm distracted by someone or some unwelcome thing, I will definitely have to rewrite whatever I wrote. When I'm writing, the only welcome sound is the music of Mozart.

3. What is the one thing about you that people would be surprised to know?

Probably that I can't begin my day until after I've said my prayers, but I'm sure there are others.

4. What is your writing process? How does a novel begin for you?

My novels always begin with an idea, which is usually a situation in which a specific character finds himself or herself. I figure out what the story would be about. Then, I spend a few days or weeks wondering if I can build an entire story around that idea, figuring out whether I'll get tired of the characters that keep hopping into my mind and into my mind's eye. (I have to see the characters.)Then I need at title. When I get that far, I'm good to go.

GETTING TO KNOW HER

5. Where did you grow up and do you think it has impacted/influenced your writing?

I grew up in Washington, D.C., but it hasn't had a distinctive influence on my writing. My parents were southerners, and their relatives lived in the south. In visiting them, I developed an appreciation for certain southern manners and behaviors. Most of my novels are set in the south.

6.Do you have siblings? And if so where do you fit into the mix?

I grew up the middle of three children with an older brother and a younger sister. I'm told that I have the 'middle child" syndrome, i.e., independent, comfortable being alone, competitive and an achiever. A lot of that is true.
7. If you could choose a profession other than writing, what would it be?

I've had a profession other than writing. Fiction writing is my second profession. I had an extremely successful career as a demographer, which involves research into the determinants and consequences of population conditions and trends. For seventeen years, I headed a research department on determinants of fertility levels and change at United Nations, New York. I've always had a secret yearning to be a jazz singer, but although I have the voice for it, I don't have the personality for it.

8. What is your definition of success?

I feel that I am successful when I accomplish what I set out to do and accomplish it to my personal satisfaction, and that isn't a simple matter. I set high standards for myself, and if I reach them, I'm satisfied. I don't let other people tell me who or what I am.

FUN FACTS

9. Who did you share your first kiss with and when?

This question brought a huge laugh from me, because after musing over it for about twenty minutes, I still don't remember. Must not have been a very tantalizing kiss.

10. If you could have dinner with someone living or dead, who would it be with and what would you want to know?

What a question! If I had only one choice, I'd ask to meet with Jesus Christ. I have no idea what I'd ask him. It would be enough if he just touched me with his little finger. Given two choices, I'd dine with my mother and ask her if she's pleased with what I've done with my life.

11. Your favorite past time?

Of the many pleasures that are my life, I don't know which I could do without; hence, I don't know which is my favorite. I love listening to music (opera, jazz, blues, symphonic, country, chamber music)… as long as it's top quality. But I also have to read. What can I say?

12. What is your greatest fear?

Extremely violent electric storms. Also, I wouldn't like to outlive my husband.

INFLUENCES THEN AND NOW

13. What writers have influenced you and in what way?

I suppose I've been most influenced as a writer by Langston Hughes, whose writings taught me that serious messages may be best communicated through humor and wit; by Barbara Taylor Bradford, whose first book brought it home to me that great drama occurs within the context of the family; Kathleen Woodiwiss, whose book, Shana, demonstrated that romance can be good literature; and by W. Somerset Maugham, whose fiction covers a variety of topics but whose fast paced stories are always unpredictable from scene to scene. In The Alexandria
Quartet, Lawrence Durrell gave me excellent examples of how to write a fictional account of a culture one didn't necessarily admire and of a teeming political situation with not particularly admirable heroes and heroines and make the work not only palatable but admirable.

14. What is one book that you would insist that everyone read? (other than your own) And why?

John Hope Franklin's book, From Slavery To Freedom. It may be the finest account yet written of this country's behavior, official and unofficial, in respect to its African American citizens, and The Bible, of course.

15. Your favorite fictional character from someone else's book.

Maddie in Linda Howard's book, Duncan's Bride.

16. Who is your favorite character from one of your novels?

To say which is my favorite among the characters that I have created, is like a parent forced to say which child she loves best. I'll put it this way. The only one of my thirty-some stories that I've read from cover to cover in back to back readings after the book was printed is GETTING SOME OF HER OWN. That's because I fell in love with Lucas Hamilton. He's everything a woman wants and needs in a man.

17. What do you want readers to take away from your work--other than being entertained?

There is a message in every book and every novella that I've written, and it is never the same. Nor, is it presented as a sermon. It's there somewhere if the reader is interested in getting it. Otherwise, it can swish right over one's head. I do want my readers to know that I respect and attempt writing of high quality that both entertains and enlightens.

DID YOU KNOW

18. Your favorite saying?

"I can do that".

19. Your favorite curse word?

Damn!

20 What is the best advice you've ever received?

Don't start it if you're not going to finish it to your best ability.

21. One thing that always pisses you off?

Inconsiderate behavior.

ON THE HORIZON

22. What are you currently working on and when can readers expect to see it?

I'm just finishing revisions on a mainstream novel for Kensington Publishing Corp. It's due out in October 2008.

23. Where do you see yourself in five years and how do you plan to get there?

Considering the precarious nature of the publishing business, I'm reluctant to stick my neck out on this one.

24. If there was only one thing in the world that you could change what would it be?

This one is easy. I'd get rid of the differences among people that cause us so much pain. We would all see each other as equals and treat each other that way. And if you gave me a second go at it, I would get the armed forces of the United States of America out of Iraq, Afghanistan and every place where there is fighting, and we would work for world peace.

25. If you had the chance to go back and do something over in your life, what would it be?

I can think of a few, but I suppose the most obvious has to do with education. I stopped with a second master's degree. In another year, I would have had the doctorate, but with a nice job at United Nations dangling in front of me, as Woody Allen might say, I took the masters and ran.

Now, tell us a bit about your current book on the shelves and why should readers buy it?

My current book is GETTING SOME OF HER OWN, mainstream women's fiction. In it, Susan Pettiford has just learned that she has a condition that will make it impossible for her to have children. And although the doctors assure her that her sexuality will not be affected, she doesn't believe them. Moreover, in her limited experience, the earth had never moved for her. Vowing that she will experience what is every woman's right, she invites Lucas Hamilton--who she has seen only once for five minutes--to her home for the express purpose of seducing him and achieving fulfillment with him

A true alpha male, Lucas knows what lovemaking is all about and leaves nothing to be desired. However, he is not a man with whom people play, and Susan soon discovers this. She intends for their tryst to be a one-night stand, but he wants more. He also wants to know why she did it, and she doesn't intend to tell. But she learns that he is as tenacious as a bull.

Lucas Hamilton has problems of his own. An award winning architect, his one goal has been to exceed the achievements of the father he has never seen and who did not marry his mother. But Fate takes a hand, and his father falls ill and needs Lucas. Should he go to the aid of the wealthy father who has never so much as telephoned him? Lucas begins a journey during which he learns what love is. He learns it from the father who he

thought cared nothing from him, from his mother who denied his father paternal rights, and from the woman who took him into her body for selfish reasons and couldn't forget the experience.

Both Susan and Lucas learn lessons about the true meaning of parental love, for it is brought home to Lucas and, through him, to Susan that parental love is boundless.

Thanks so much for the interview.

Gwynne Forster

Visit Gwynne on her Website and on Mypace

Happy Holidays!!

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Intimate Mondays with Francis Ray

INTIMATE MONDAYS WITH FRANCIS RAY

THE WRITING LIFE

1. What is a typical writing day like for you?

Since I have a full-time job as a School Nurse Practitioner, my writing "day" doesn't begin until around 7:30-8pm...if I'm lucky. However, before writing I try to answer email and if a book is coming out within three months, usually work on promotion. Now that I have a MySpace page I have to work that in my schedule as well.

2. Do you need anything special to write? Quiet, music, a special place?

I don't need anything special to write. I have an actual office now instead of the dining room table. My husband is pretty self-sufficient so he gives me the time and space to write. Sometimes the radio is on the Country & Western station or it can be off. If I'm in the story, it really doesn't matter. It's when the story is not coming is when the slightest things will distract me.

3. What is the one thing about you that people would be surprised to know?

I think people would be surprised to know that I struggle to write each book. And the struggle seems to be intensifying. I long for the day that I will just sit down and the story flow. However, I think I have resigned myself to the fact that writing will always offer challenges, but the rewards, and I don't mean monetary, far outweigh the doubts while writing. You can't put a price on a letter from a reader saying she's gotten out of an abusive relationship or decided to go back to get her degree after reading one of your books.

4. What is your writing process? How does a novel begin for you?

I start out with a character, usually a woman, who has been slapped down hard and now has to figure out a way to go on. I like dealing with real life situations - adultery, abuse, being downsizes, unsavory reputation - because readers can relate. Life offers challenges, it is how we respond to them that will determine our quality of life.

GETTING TO KNOW HER

5. Where did you grow up and do you think it has impacted/influenced your writing?

I grew up in a small town in Texas. I don't think it impacted/influenced my writing. My influence came from my parents who prized education, and taught me that I could be whatever I wanted - if I worked hard enough.

6. Do you have siblings? And if so where do you fit into the mix?

I have two older sisters and an older brother. I'm the youngest. They still can't believe I write. I was always the quiet one.

7. If you could choose a profession other than writing, what would it be?

I wanted to be a dancer when I was in high school. In college while studying nursing I became fascinated with Anthropology. If I had to choose, I'd go with Anthropology. Like building a character chart, anthropology lets you discover the how and why of people.

8. What is your definition of success?

My definition of success would be a minimum of 100,000 print run with each book,
consistently hitting the New York Time's bestseller's list, consistently hitting #1 on the Essence bestseller's list, publisher's support with marketing dollars in your contract, and earning very high six figures yearly.

9. Who did you share your first kiss with and when?

I shared my first kiss with Willie Brown, who lives across the street from me. He dumped me for a friend of mine. Since they're now married and happy, and I'm now married and happy, it turned out well for everyone.

10. If you could have dinner with someone living or dead, who would it be with and what would you want to know?

I'd like to have dinner with Octavia Butler. I'd like to know how she stayed strong and true to her craft. She walked a different path and did it well. I met her once. She was a gifted writer who was humble, unpretentious. Many of us are still struggling to be recognized for the craft and not sanctioned for the color of our skin.

11. Your favorite past time?

My favorite pastime is working in my flower garden. We added a couple of new flower beds this year. The downside is that even with the sprinkler system I have to hand water the flowers a great deal, but it's worth it. I enjoy flowers for the beauty they bring, Even with temperature dropping my begonias are still beautiful.

12. What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear where writing is concerned is that one day the words just won't come. Since I write so slow, I'm faced with my fears with almost every book. I don't relax until I reach the middle of the book.

BEHIND THE BOOKS

13. What writers have influenced you and in what way?

Since I started out in romance the writers who influenced me were Katherine Woodiwiss, and Elizabeth Lowell. Both writers have excellent characterization. You care about the characters long after the last page is turned. I wanted to create the same memorable people in my books.

14. What is one book that you would insist that everyone read? (other than your own) And why?

Besides the Bible, I would suggest Joel Olsteen's Your Best Life Now. Life is difficult at time, when you add being an author, the challenges are many as you try to navigate the unpredictable world of publishing and be successful. You'll need strength to stay the course, to not compare yourself to others, to find joy in what you do.

15. Your favorite fictional character from someone else's book.

Wulfgar in Katherine Woodiwiss' The Wolf and The Dove, the second romance book that I read. His strength of character, his keen intelligence, his unwavering love for his people and his lady love made him memorable. He fought for those he loved and always did so honorably.

16. Who is your favorite character from one of your novels?

Lily Crawford from THE TURNING POINT retitled TROUBLE DON'T LAST ALWAYS. Lily stayed with an abusive husband to take care of his mother, the only woman in Lily's small hometown who believed she wouldn't turn out like her amoral mother. She put her love for her mother-in-law above her own safety.

17. What do you want readers to take away from your work--other than being entertained?

I want to remind readers that life comes at us hard sometimes. When it does don't give up. Fight and fight honorably.

FRANCIS RAY TRIVIA

18. Your favorite saying?

I don't have one. At least I don't think I have.

19. Your favorite curse word?

I try not to curse. It might slip out while I'm at work. If I did it would probably be d---n.

20 What is the best advice you've ever received?

My parents telling me that I could be whatever I wanted. Of course, I didn't always believe them. Life would have been much easier if I would have.

21. One thing that always pisses you off?

People who say anyone can write a book. I wish. The craft of writing is different for every person, but it requires discipline and hard work for most of us to finish a book. If it were that easy then everyone would have a book on the shelf.

22. What are you currently working on and when can readers expect to see it?

I just finished the revisions for THE WAY YOU LOVE ME, a romance for St. Martin's Press. The release date is late 2008. Now it's back to CAMERON'S DESTINY, my NASCAR book. I had the
awesome privilege of going behind the scenes at the Texas Motor Speedway. It really gets wild with 250,000 fans screaming for or booing a driver.

23. Where do you see yourself in five years and how do you plan to get there?

Hopefully, a reasonably successful author. I wish I knew with certainty how to get there. I don't. However, I do know it will take publisher's support with a larger print run, more marketing dollars. I'm trying to do my part to raise reader awareness with my web site, MySpace, book trailers, and touring. I have no idea if any of it will help, but I feel I have to do something.

24. If there was only one thing in the world that you could change what would it be?

Man's inhumanity to man. Life has little value to some. Respect is too often forgotten.

25. If you had the chance to go back and do something over in your life, what would it be?
I would have kept writing when I received those earlier rejection letters instead of feeling sorry for myself and doing nothing for 4-5 months. I wasted time, time I can never regain.

SAVING THE BEST FOR RIGHT NOW

Now, tell us a bit about your current book on the shelves and why should readers buy it?

My current book is ONLY YOU, the 5th book in the Graysons of New Mexico series. ONLY YOU is a sexy romance that will delight readers. Sierra Grayson doesn't have time for a man, until Blade Navarone wins her at a charity auction. Sierra learns that the right man can change the rules.

www.francisray.com
readersoffrancisray@yahoogroups.com
IN ANOTHER MAN'S BED - Feb. 07
IRRESISTIBLE YOU - Mar. 07 - A Grayson Romance
ONLY YOU - Oct. 07 - A Grayson Romance

On The Line

Reply | Get This

Getting Intimate with Victor McGlothin

THE WRITING LIFE
1. What is a typical writing day like for you?
I generally write three to four days a week, starting with a workout while I read over the previous chapter written to stay in the zone. Then, I’ll lock onto the computer from 3-5 solid hours until either my head pops or I finish a chapter. If there is any time left, I catch a movie.
2. Do you need anything special to write? Quiet, music, a special place?
I write to music, usually soundtracks or female vocalists because their pain and growth comes in crystal clear.
3. What is the one thing about you that people would be surprised to know?
Uh… that I get up at 6:30, fix breakfast and get the boys off to school, no matter what time I got to bed the night before.
4. What is your writing process? How does a novel begin for you?
I bang out a one page storyline (what it’s about and how it should affect the reader), then I bang out an outline which usually takes about an hour. Before I write the first word, I know how it begins and ends (in between, things tend to move around a bit).

THE MAKING OF VICTOR MCGLOTHIN
5. Where did you grow up and do you think it has impacted/influenced your writing?
I grew up in Oak Cliff, Dallas… very humble beginnings. It did allow me to see several layers of life from too much illegal money to boosting chickens from the grocer. Also, it taught me too respect people despite their hard times or mine.
6. Do you have siblings? And if so where do you fit into the mix?
I have two sisters, one older and one younger. They really dig my work and hype it every chance they get but both of them are terrified that their personal business will end up in my novels. Never happen… I can lie too good on my own without heisting second-hand dirt.

7. If you could choose a profession other than writing, what would it be?
I’m looking forward to teaching creative writing on the college level. 8. What is your definition of success?
It used to be getting a book deal and keeping the lights on. Ten books later, it’s staying in the game without missing a beat… and keeping the lights on.

SECRETS NO MORE
9. Who did you share your first kiss with and when?
Ooh, for real… first kiss? Fifth grade behind the elementary school with Bobbi Eatman… it lasted 2 minutes. I was timed by my best friends who both wanted next up. Yeah, Bobbi was a hottie.
10. If you could have dinner with someone living or dead, who would it be with and what would you want to know?
I would love to sit down with Jesus, break bread and ask him how hard it was knowing that Judas would dime him out to the Roman soldiers.
11. Your favorite past time?
I really dig old movies… good movies.12. What is your greatest fear?
My greatest fear is not being able to look out for and provide for my children.

INFLUENCES AND STUFF
13. What writers have influenced you and in what way?
Valerie Wesley Wilson, Walter Mosley and John Grisham because of the way they tell a story by making you walk in the character’s shoes. Regardless of the characters status or lack thereof, readers get something from each of them. No wasted words. No fluff.
14. What is one book that you would insist that everyone read? (other than your own) And why?
Every reader should read Walter Mosley’s “Little Yellow Dog” because it’s a masterpiece and the best of his ‘Easy Rawlings’ series.
15. Your favorite fictional character from someone else's book.
Easy Rawlins.
16. Who is your favorite character from one of your novels?
Baltimore Floyd for “Borrow Trouble” and “Ms. Etta’s Fast House.”
17. What do you want readers to take away from your work--other than being entertained?

I’m a teacher at heart so I want my readers to be enlighten while entertained.
18. Your favorite saying?
When a man is ready to marry, no one can stop him including his mama. If he isn’t ready to marry, no one can make him including his mama.
19. Your favorite curse word?
Ass: as in big and dumb.
20 What is the best advice you've ever received?
Be significant and success will follow.
21. One thing that always pisses you off?
Somebody lying on me. If I didn’t hit it, don’t go around saying I did!

THE PAST AND THE FUTURE
22. What are you currently working on and when can readers expect to see it?
“Women of Newberry” is the current name. It’s my eleventh book and the prequel to my very first. I know, that’s a trip that my career has come full circle. I’ll be finished with this novel by Christmas but it won’t hit the shelves until some time in ‘09. Look out for “Sinful Too” in Oct. 08.
23. Where do you see yourself in five years and how do you plan to get there?

I plan on sitting on at least 5 movies sold by then. Starting this January, I will start writing screenplays.
24. If there was only one thing in the world that you could change what would it be?
Laws about men walking out on their children. There aren’t any.
25. If you had the chance to go back and do something over in your life, what would it be?
I would have taken the movie role offered in “Any Given Sunday” rather than the management position with AT&T that happened to be a joke (that’s why they bombed). Yes, I landed a speaking role with one month of guaranteed pay to shoot on location.

HOT ON THE SHELVES!!!
26. Now, tell us a bit about your current book on the shelves and why should readers buy it?
“Ms. Etta’s Fast House” is my current book, out this October. It was my contribution to the memory of our ancestors (when we were great as a culture). The story is set in St. Louis, 1947. It explores the lives of young black doctors, the women who loved them and what happens when you introduce a handsome stranger to shake things up. Baltimore Floyd changed the city of St. Louis and is sure to do likewise to those who read about him.

Victor McGlothin lives in the Dallas area with his wife and kids. He left a Vice President position with a bank to pursue writing. So far, so good.

http://www.victormcglothin.com

http://www.myspace.com/thewritebrother

Intimate Mondays with Linda Hudson Smith

1. What is a typical writing day like for you?

I am an early riser, between 4:30 am-5:30 am. Although I
work at home, I shower and dress comfortably so that I
put myself in a work mode. However, there are times
when I work in my jammies, mostly when I'm not
feeling up to snuff. I edit prior writings first.
Then I continue on with writing on the novel due. I
edit my reader e-mails and respond to them before I
take a break around 1:00. I start back up at 1:30 or
2:00 pm and I go at it until around 6:30-7:00. I
recheck e-mail accounts at that time.

2. Do you need anything special to write? Quiet,
music, a special place?

I like it pretty quiet. When I want to evoke a special mood
when writing a romantic scene, I sometimes put on the CD
player and listen to some Luther or Toni Braxton, among

several other artists, especially those from the 70s era.

3. What is the one thing about you that people would
be surprised to know?

My fear of big and small cats.

4. What is your writing process? How does a novel
begin for you?

I first come up with a specific subject
I desire to address. Then I write a synopsis naming my
characters and writing a character sketch in the
process, though I do go back and change names at
times. There are times when I come up with a title for
the novel first and then build the story around the
title.

5. Where did you grow up and do you think it has
impacted/influenced your writing?

I am an east coast kid. I grew up in the small town of
Washington, PA, which is about 36 miles from Pittsburgh,
home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, my favorite NFL team.
The area of my upbringing mostly sparks ideas for settings.
I love the fall months, where the trees change colors.
I also love the snow, when I look outside at it, though I
played in it as a child. I left the area when I was
nineteen and moved to Los Angeles with my parents,
where many of my stories play out.

6. Do you have siblings? And if so where do you fit
into the mix?

I have four sisters and two brothers, a
total of seven when you count me in. My two brothers
are deceased. I am the youngest in the family, often
introduced by the others as their "baby sister."

7. If you could choose a profession other than writing,
what would it be?

Marketing and public relations, the field I worked in before

I began writing.

8. What is your definition of success?

Being genuinely happy with what I do. I believe when we
love what we do we will do our very best at it. Success is pure joy.

9. Who did you share your first kiss with and when?
Robert Keene. He was my husband in a mock wedding at
the church I grew up in. We were around five years old
at the time.

10. If you could have dinner with someone living or
dead, who would it be with and what would you want to
know?

Jesus. Why so many tests, trials, and tribulations?

11. Your favorite past time?

Reading

12. What is your greatest fear?

Heights and cats.

13. What writers have influenced you and in what
way?

I read a lot of Daniel Steele and Sydney Sheldon
before African-American writers burst onto the
literary scene. I did read Nikki Giovanni and Mayou
Angelou before then. I didn't develop a desire to
write until I was 43. It was more of a calling for me,

after praying for something to do at home to help me
through a debilitating disease. I read all the early
Pinnacle writers when the Arabesque line first came
out by Kensington Publishing. I was more influenced
by the AA romance writers because I loved to read
romance and it was so nice to read about people who
looked like me and the kinds of stories I could
personally relate to.

14. What is one book that you would insist that
everyone read? (other than your own) And why?

The Bible. Because all the kinds of stories we write about
are actally found in the Bible. I've had people write
to me and ask about the things some of us AA writers
write about, asking me how can we consider ourselves
Christians and write about certain things. (lust and
fornication). My answer is simply this: All these
subject matters are in the Bible: murder, lying,
cheating, mayhem, adultery, fornication, homosexuality,
etc.

15. Your favorite fictional character from someone
else's book.

I loved the female heroine in The Other Side Of
Midnight by Sidney Sheldon.

16. Who is your favorite character from one of your
novels?

I would have to say Om'Unique Philyaw. The
novel she was in was my first published, Ice Under
Fire . She was also in the sequel that followed soon
afterward, Fire Beneath The Ice. I love figure skating
and that was her profession. My granddaughter's name
is also Om' Unique, though the novel was written
before she was born.

17. What do you want readers to take away from your
work--other than being entertained?
I try to always convey a positive message of some kind,
one that sparks hope and encouragement.

18. Your favorite saying?

No rain, no rainbow. (a title of one of my future novels).
Today is not the day! (When I'm not in a great mood).

19. Your favorite curse word?

I have my own pronunciation for a couple of words: sheite and
he-double hockey sticks.

20. What is the best advice you've ever received?
The only person you can change is yourself. To thine
ownself be true.

21. One thing that always pisses you off?
Assumptions. When people assume I'm this way or that
way before they ever get to know me sparks anger
within me.

22. What are you currently working on and when can
readers expect to see it?

I'm currently working on Beyond Tomorrow, the sequel
to Tomorrow May Never Come, one of my best sellers and
most requested to write a sequel. Beyond Tomorrow should

be released in early 2009.

23. Where do you see yourself in five years?
And how to
you plan to get there?

I try to live in the moment. When we look to the future, we
often miss out on the present. Expectations can often
fuel disappointments. However, I see myself continuing

to write, though I want to breakout into other genres.
I also plan to get myself knee deep into screenplay
writing. The only way to get wherever I'm going is by
hard work and determination.

24. If there was only one thing in the world that you
could change what would it be?

An end to poverty and human suffering.

25. If you had the chance to go back and do something
over in your life, what would it be?

I feel that I'm right where I'm supposed to be,

that I've done all those things God destined me for
so far. Looking back does no good because in reality
you really can't go back there. Looking back may
cause us to miss out on enjoying the present.

Now, tell us a bit about your current book on the
shelves and why should readers buy it?

Forsaking All Others is my Dec 2007 romance release,
Arabesque/Kimani Press. I'm Back!!!! This is the first
steamy novel I've written in several years. My readers
have often asked me if I was ever going to go back to
writing the steamy stories. While my readers say they
love my inspirational writings, many of them admit to
desperately missing my traditional, hot romance
novels. One of my readers pre-ordered the novel
Forsaking All Others and read it. The first line said:
"You are back with a bang!!!"
You should buy Forsaking All Others because this book
is an enjoyable read, a lovely holiday story set in
Aspen, Colorado. FAL has a lot love, steamy romance,
surprises, and delightful twists and turns. For those
of you who have missed my early style of writing
romance, you will be thrilled with this story and
pleasantly surprised.

Intimate Mondays With Gloria Mallette

1. What is a typical writing day like for you?

I don't know if I would call my writing day typical, but now that I must start my day at 5:30 a.m. to get my son ready for school and by 6:50 drive him to the school bus stop, I find that I have to exercise to get my mental energy pumping. When the weather is good, I go for a walk. Once I'm in my office, my work day begins by answering email which I don't like piling up on me. If I'm lucky, I can begin writing, but in this past year since I self-published my last book, Living, Breathing Lies, I spend more time dealing with the promotion and marketing aspect of publishing. There are days where I literarily spend hours on the internet registering with websites or responding to websites I am registered with that promote my book. By the end of the day, I usually have not gotten any writing done, but I am trying to refocus and get back to beginning my work day by writing, which is when I am most creative.

2. Do you need anything special to write? Quiet, music, a special place?

Actually, I do need something special to write---quiet. I have always had my own home office so I have a private space, but if my son or husband distracts me, I can't write a single word. In order to give myself over to my characters, I can't have disturbances around me. So I close my office door. Oh, and before I can write, I have to have a clean, organized office. To me, a cluttered work space is akin to a cluttered, uncreative mind.

3. What is the one thing about you that people would be surprised to know?

Oh, good one. I believe people, readers in particular, would be surprised to know that I never took a writing course in my life and that I dropped out of college. I am not proud that I dropped out of college because I am sure that many more opportunities might have come my way if I had a degree, but I am humbly proud that I have gotten as far as I have with God's blessing.

4. What is your writing process? How does a novel begin for you?

My writing process is simple at best. With each and every chapter, I sit in front of my computer staring at a blank page waiting for the first word to come. Once the first word comes, I am on my way. The chapter literarily writes itself.

A novel, for me, begins the second I hear something interesting. It could be something said on television, something I said, or something I overhear. From that comes the idea for a novel, but I must have a specific issue to address or the story won't flow. Therefore, I ask myself, "Why am I writing this story or what is it I want to say?"

5. Where did you grow up and do you think it has impacted/influenced your writing?

I was born in Alabama but I grew up in St. Albans, Queens, New York. My four siblings and I were raised by a paternal aunt who was by far not the nicest of people. The beauty of the outside of our house did not reveal the abuse that was going on on the inside of the house. I believe my childhood most definitely impact my writing. I have written a lot of family driven drama and have focused on older women who are strong and domineering as my aunt was.

Specifically, Esther in The Honey Well, Nola in Promises to Keep, and Stephanie in Living, Breathing Lies.

6. Do you have siblings? And if so where do you fit into the mix?

Fortuitously or maybe I should say unfortunately, I am the middle child of five. I fall smack dab in the middle. It is said that the middle child is never the spoiled child and I'm here to tell you, this is so true I have an older brother and sister, and I have a younger brother and sister. My older brother and sister were both born in the month of November a day apart, although they are two years apart in age. My younger brother and sister are both born in the month of July, a year apart---ten days separate their birthdays. Me? I was born in the month of May which I can't complain about, but even stranger, my two brothers have rhyming names and so do my two sisters. Me? I'm Gloria. And no, I don't think my southern parents planned our births or our names.

7. If you could choose a profession other than writing, what would it be?

Don't laugh here, but when I was younger my dream was to be either a singer or a fashion designed. Any spare moment I got, I was either singing or sketching. Along with my siblings, we sang as a group in church---I was the lead and soloist, and when I was around twenty-one, for a very brief period until I got sick, I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology. I no longer sketch, but I sing like a "pro" in my car every day. lol.

8. What is your definition of success?

I should preface here that I believe success is relative. For many, success has to do with how many zeros one have in his/her bank account, or where one lives, or what kind of car one drives. For me, I define success as living one's life comfortably---wherever that is, with plenty of food on the table, a dry roof overhead, clothes on one's back, a comfortable bed to lie in every night, and the blessing of good health to enjoy it all. By my definition, I am blessed each and every day I open my eyes.

9. Who did you share your first kiss with and when?

Oh, boy. First kiss. H'm. Keep in mind that I was a church girl, so I wasn't "fast." I guess I had to be around sixteen when I had my first serious kiss and I must say, I was barfed out. I liked this boy but when he stuck him tongue in my mouth, I was too through. I pushed him away and to this day, I wonder if Will remembers me. lol

10. If you could have dinner with someone living or dead, who would it be with and what would you want to know?

If I could, I would have dinner with James Baldwin. When I was but a teenager, I read Go Tell It on the Mountain and If Beale Street Could Talk. Both books had an impact on me, but Go Tell It on the Mountain moreso because of my own childhood. Even back then, I wondered if these two books were autobiographical. I've since read about Baldwin's life so I know he had a rough childhood because of his abusive step-father, but I would like to know about his inner struggle as he wrote about the social and psychological pressures he felt as he wrote about being black and homosexual at a time when society denigrated both groups.

11. Your favorite past time?

I love sitting on my enclosed deck looking across my backyard into the woods. It is so relaxing, it is surreal. It's like going on a retreat. My husband and I don't get any work done when we're sitting on the deck, but we certainly enjoy each other's company during this time.

12. What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is not living long enough to see my son into adulthood. I pray the pray that most parents pray, and that is asking God to grant me the years to raise my son.

13. What writers have influenced you and in what way?

Of course James Baldwin because his writings were so real. His writings taught me to shoot straight and not dance around issues I'm addressing in my books. Then there is Stephen King whose writings taught me to use my imagination and to let my characters write their stories, not mine. There is Barbara Cartland whose writings taught me to let my characters experience emotions that readers can identify with and feel through my writings. There are others, but at this moment, these three stand out.

14. What is one book that you would insist that everyone read? (other than your own) And why?

I would insist that everyone read Roots by Alex Haley because until we all have an understanding of the African American beginnings on this continent, we all can't possibly understand why racism is unjust, why the civil rights movement had to be born, and why our black men have a legacy of hate and shame.

15. Your favorite fictional character from someone else's book.

Not so much my favorite fictional character from someone else's book, but my more memorable character from someone else's book has to be Bigger Thomas from Native Son by Richard Wright. I have read Native Son three times from when I was a teenager. Bigger Thomas so disturbed me, I cried for him because of his innocence, his ignorance, and his fear, all of which drove him to make a crucial error which cost him his life.

16. Who is your favorite character from one of your novels?

My favorite character, who in fact was real, was Mozelle from Weeping Willows Dance. Mozelle was my grandmother, and until I sat down and talked to her about her life, I had no idea how strong, in body, in mind, and in faith she was. Mozelle, one of twelve children of a sharecropper, was an incredible woman who never learned to read in all of her 86 years, yet she built a house with her own two hands to put a roof over her childrens' heads. Her faith in God was unshakeable and until her dying day praised God for all the blessings he heaped upon her. I'll never forget her saying to me, "I never learned to read, but I have a granddaughter who is a writer."

17. What do you want readers to take away from your work--other than being entertained?

If it is but one reader out of thousands, I like for that reader to fully understand what I was saying. Each reader interprets different things from a single novel, but there are those who really get the message.

18. Your favorite saying?

You had to ask. I find myself saying all the time now, "Sometimes we're so smart, we're stupid." In other words, smart people sometimes do stupid things because they, at times, outsmart themselves.

19. Your favorite curse word?

Would you believe for years I didn't curse at all? Now I find myself saying, "S--t" all the time. Not good.

20 What is the best advice you've ever received?

For years when I couldn't get published by anyone, my husband told me to self-publish when I had no idea what self-publishing entailed. He said, no one was going to make my dreams come true but me. He was right. In 2000, I followed my husband's advice and voila, here I am today, in 2007, nine books later. I'm on my own again, but so much more enlightened by knowledge I've gained.

21. One thing that always pisses you off?

Let's not talk about crazy drivers who speed and tailgate, or grown women I see leaving public bathrooms without washing their hands. I could probably write a 300 page novel on these issues alone.

22. What are you currently working on and when can readers expect to see it?

I am currently working on my tenth novel, SASSY. Sassy is a romance writer who meets the man of her dreams. What Sassy doesn't realize, is that the man of her dreams may well be a serial killer of women. What Sassy comes to suspect and how she handles it is what this book is about. This book will have quite a bit of suspense and mystery. I am excited about Sassy because I will have my first symbolic cover since my self-published edition of Jades of Jade. I hope to publish Sassy in June of 2008.

23. Where do you see yourself in five years and how do you plan to get there?

Idealistically, I would like to still be writing but I'd like to be with a publisher who supports what I write with a promotion and marketing budget, something I've never had. However, if and until the winds shift in the publishing world for African American writers who are not writing what's "popular", there is nothing I can do but stay the course I've asked God to set my feet upon, and continue to self-publish to keep my name in front of the reading public.

24. If there was only one thing in the world that you could change what would it be?

If I could change one thing in this world, it would be to put an end to racism. Instead of becoming extinct, racism is alive and well and just as destructive socially as it was a hundred years ago. Although so much has changed, racism continues to rear its ugly head in every aspect of our lives including in the publishing world. Sometimes it's subtle, at times it's overt, but at all times it lurks just waiting to pounce.

25. If you had the chance to go back and do something over in your life, what would it be?

Other than finish college, if I could go back, I would publish myself much earlier than 2000, but I let editors who told me there was no market for my work dictate my path in life.

26. Now, tell us a bit about your current book on the shelves and why should readers buy it?

My ninth title, Living, Breathing Lies, recently placed as a winner in the USA Book News Best Book Award in African American Fiction. Living, Breathing Lies is the story of 29 year-old Nadirah Lewis who believes wholeheartedly that to breathe a lie is to live a lie. It was seventeen years before Nadirah uncovered the stunning lie she unwittingly live in her Aunt Stephanie's house, but it would take another vicious lie and a threat to Nadirah's career as a school teacher to infuse her with the energy to fight back. Yet, while the revelation of these lies give Nadirah the courage to find herself, she must also accept the fact that those same lies may well destroy the lives of those closest to her.

I am hoping that readers who are looking for a good story that will draw them in and hold them captive till the very last page will buy Living, Breathing Lies.

Sneak Peeks!

Hey All,

Thought I would give you a sneak peak look at two of my upcoming titles for 2008 January and February back to back. ON THE LINE, hits bookstores in January (which means a lucky few may get their hot little hands on it next month!).

Then right on its heels is SEX & LIES, right in time for Valentine's Day. It's the kick-off book for my new Harlequin series... titled TLC which really means "The Ladies Cartel." Be sure to get your copy early. Series books sell out fast and then . . . they're gone.

I'll be back soon with some excerpts. Until then happy reading

Intimate Mondays

Hey All,

It's been a while since I've posted. I do apologize. But I have some plans that I hope will keep you coming back each week. Beginning on the first Monday in December and every Monday thereafter, you will get to meet some of your favorite authors and be introduced to new ones in an up close and personal interview--with some out of the box questions just to make it interested. To date the line up includes:

L. A. Banks
Francis Ray
Gloria Mallette
Earl Sewell
Victor McGlothin
Linda Hudson Smith
Gwynne Forster
Suzetta Perkins
Taressa Stovall
Just to name a few

So stay tuned!

The sexy noir sequel to Getting Hers

The ladies are back, having gotten away with their ugly crimes in New York. Now they are living the high life on the island of Aruba. All is well until Tess receives a call from Vincent, her ex-lover and nemesis...he knows everything... he wants to meet her. The tables are suddenly turned...

read more | digg story

Coming to A Bookstore Near You

So many of us writers are struggling these days for a variety of reasons; lack of support from publishers, flooding of the market the list goes on. It's up to us to work even hard to get the word out to our readers about our book and try to maintain their support year after year.

I've been in the biz since 1990. I've had my share of successes and flops! LOL. But I have not thrown in the towel, at least not yet.

Most times, I'm so busy promoting and marketing other authors books that I've left my own books in the backseat and now it has finally caught up with me. I've slipped into the abyss of "midlist" author.

So, as much as I don't like being in the spotlight, or tooting my own horn, I've gotten pushed back out there kicking and screaming. Which brings me to the point of this post.

On Oct. 2, my latest hardcover novel from St. Martins Press, WICKED WAYS will hit bookstores nationwide. It should be a good thing, a time to rejoice. But I've discovered that I'm pretty much on my own with this one.

As we all know, the success of a book is the result of that first week of sales. So I want everyone who checks my blog to mark your calendars for OCT 2. and make it a point to go to your local bookstore and get a copy of WICKED WAYS. The early reviews from Publisher's Weekly are excellent. I do hope that the trend continues.

If you didn't read Getting Hers, it is now available in trade paper. But its not necessary to read GH in order to understand Wicked Ways (although it does help).

As a matter of fact it's not too early to put your order in now. The store will contact you when the book comes in.

I guarantee you will enjoy it!

So, run don't walk to your nearest bookstore and place your order for Wicked Ways. The supply is truly limited so don't miss out!!!

What's a Writer to Do?

With so many books on the shelves and so many authors fighting for shelf space, what do you do to move from mid-list to front list?

That is the question I have been pondering as my new contract is up for renegotiation. I am at a point in my career when I have to not only look at the current book I'm writing and the marketplace but five books down the road and what the marketplace will look like when book five is ready for publication.

Everyone talks about branding, nurturing your readers, building your fan base--and while you are at it, write a damned good book.

The writing life is not all roses, rather it is filled with sweet smelling blooms with hidden thorns. It is a business that can change at the drop of a hat. You are only as good as your last book.

These are all the thoughts that are running through my head. What to do, how to do it and when?

Sometimes, the writing life is a lonely life because there are so many decisions only the writer can make.

Soul Expressions Bus Tour

History was made when 19 African American Authors embarked on the first ever bus tour sponsored by Levy Home Entertainment.

The authors, all selected by their publishing houses to participate when on a whirlwind bus ride through Indiana and Chicago stopping at the Wal-Mart outlets.

The crowds were incredible. I was so thrilled to be a part of it all! We were treated like rock stars with cameras flashing and fans screaming our names.
The authors included:
Donna Hill
Francis Ray
Rochelle Alers
Brenda Jackson
Trisha Thomas
Naleighna Kai
Nikki Turner
Nina Fox
Terri Woods
Stephanie Perry Moore
Lori Woodbridge
Selena Montgomery
Traci Howard
Beverly Jenkins
Crystal Hubbard
Earl Sewell
Rashonda Tate Billingsly
Grace Akallo

To say that we were treated like royalty would be an understatement: receiving door to door pick up service, wonderful accommodations, more food than we could ever eat and the biggest treat of all was a private session with the one and only Billie Dee Williams.

I will be glowing from this trip for a long time. I made new friends and connected with old ones. I can never thank Pam Nelson of Levy for putting the wonderful project together and making it happen in stellar fashion!!!

Touring with author Meisha Camm

Meisha Camm is twenty seven and currently lives in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She began writing in the year 2003. She is working on her third novel.

About the Book

MISTRESS:

Mistress is a story about a woman named Alexis. She’s strong, feisty and has a good head on her shoulders. All throughout her childhood, her parents fought which at times got violent because of her father’s cheating ways. Her mother, Vivian accepted her father, Robert back almost every time.

When Alexis grows up, she meets a man named Jarrad Simmons, an executive producer who reluctantly fails to tell her that he is married. By the time, she does find out the devastating news Alexis is already in love with Jarrad. She has a choice to make stick it with Jarrad who claims to be in the process of getting a divorce or cut her losses short and find someone else who’s available one hundred percent.

You want to know what's funny? I truly believed in my heart and soul Jarrad was going to leave his wife for me. I watch Oprah and Maury daily. I should've known better. Each time he says, "Baby, I'm going to ask her for the divorce soon," I roll eyes and mumble to myself, "I'll believe that shit when I see it".

How to contact Meisha:

Mailing address is P.O. Box 41380

Norfolk VA 23541

skyhigh7911@juno.com (email)

http//www.actionmeanschange.com

http://www.urbanbooks.net (publisher's website address)

What would you like your readers to take away from your book?

I want my readers to take away from my book that whatever situations you may go through, you have the choice to stay or get out.

Summer is here, what fun activity do you do in the summer time?

I read a lot myself. It helps me to relax.

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