Q: When did you decide you wanted to write?
A: Actually I was given a pencil an a pad and told
to get to work. At that time I was more interested in helping others critic their
works, however, my best friend saw
I could be very creative and pushed me until I actually started writing.
Q: How long did it take you to write your
first novel?
A: Due to the fact I had to take breaks from writing
to rehearse and learn lines for stage plays, I would say eleven months, I set a goal to finish my novel in twelve months and
I am proud even with all the interruptions and breaks from writing I still beat
my goal by two months. It makes me wonder how long it would have taken, had
I not had other endeavors.
Q: Where do you get your inspiration for
your stories?
A: To tell you the truth ,
it stemmed from a childhood story about myself . I
was the little girl dancing in front of the mirror in the nude cover in blood after opening
a dresser drawer. In the book that incident
caused her trauma at an early age. I thought I 'd take that
one incident and create a little girl that's all grown living an exotic lifestyle filled with
problems while showing the life of an exotic dancer as no easy task. I tried my best to make
the behind-the-scene drama as real as possible.
Q: Would you tell us a little about "Destiny"?
A: Destiny is about a little girl name Teresa Tucker
who doesn't want much in life except to become a wife. She wants nothing
more than to find her knight in shining armor,
but instead settles for the cheating game with her boyfriend Delvin
who rushes to her every beckon call . Even though he 's
dishonest with her, they find a way to be together. With
the constant deception she experiences from Delvin,
her innocence fades, she meets and hangs out with the wrong people
and decides to become an exotic dancer. Fighting her own convictions she also worries about the fear of losing her own life after she witnesses the
tail end of a murder scene. Teresa then runs to her mother's
for safety which leads her to
an all new experience in her life . She soon
discovers she has a spell placed on her and the person who's responsible walks around
with her name in their shoes. She starts accusing friends of doing this to
her but yet she holds the answer to her question in her very fingertips. In the
mist of all the mystery, Teresa meets Calvin Bleu, who sweeps her off her feet. She can do no wrong in Calvin's
eyes. Teresa is then faced with a very tough decision to make a choice between Calvin or Delvin. Destiny has an exciting twist at the end that will leave your mouth open. It's more than a novel about an exotic
dancer, it's a story about facing the person in the mirror, accepting who
you are, and becoming aware when bad decisions are made based on impulse.
When I think of Destiny I think about going through a dark tunnel with no light or guidance . In the end of all the turmoil you can see much clearer .
It all makes sense to you as you reminisce on all the clues that was placed before you. Nothing at all is
easy in life, usually destiny takes you through something to get something,
but if it's altered, what then?
Q: What inspired you to write a story like "Destiny"?
Are the characters based on real people?
A: I did borrow personalities from people I know. For instance Teresa 's mother
is the spitting image of my real life mother, very supportive and she save every item we ever brought home from school.
I have a very loving mother. Teresa 's Dad is like my father,
a big old grizzly bear with a big growl who won't hurt a flea. They all have
some similarities to people I know including
Teresa, but Destiny is not a true story, nor is it a fictional version of anyone
that I may have known or know now.
Q: After writing your first novel,
did you self-publish?? If so, how was that experience?
A: I self-published only because I had queried many
agents and publishers and was also offered a contract with one particular agency
whom I will not mention . I found out they were up for pending charges
for selling of others works, which sent me into a panic so I self-published.
I requested media kits/brochures from many self-publishing companies and prayed before making my choice. I 'm
please with my choice. I chose Bookman Publishers & Marketers,
they don't tie you into a contract agreement . They allow you to have
full power over layout, font, cover, and you can edit along the way if you notice errors in content long after print.
You are not limited to a certain amount of galley's and they have their own bookstores as well as marketing packages.
You are also not charged by page count and royalties are 50% regardless. After
two months of being published I signed a three book deal with Black Pearl Publishers.
There will be a
title and cover change. They feel Destiny is a best seller and deserves a best selling title...so I'm
excited about the coming change.
Q: What feedback have you received from fans?
A: My fans has truly loved Destiny and I did test
the waters. Destiny has been read by women and men from ages of 65 down to 18 including all
nationalities . The comments have made
me proud.
Q: What authors do you admire? Did one of
them inspire you?
A: Michael Baisden, he has a way of making you want the expected yet giving you the way it is and you find yourself
appreciating the way he ends his stories, just because it fiction or about relationships doesn't mean it should always end
happily ever after.
Q: Is writing your only passion?
A: My true passion is theater. I love being on stage
performing before a live audience, however I will not chose one over the other.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
A: I hope to have published at least 4 novels, and
maybe featured on a sitcom/motion picture, would also
be nice. I dream big.
Q: What advice would you give aspiring authors?
A: Follow your heart, don't be ashamed to write what
comes to mind. Never and I mean never stop working on your work. ( What I
mean by that is, when you have nothing to come to mind to write that is when you read and edit. ) I never went one day/week
without doing something to my current projects. Make time for your work and set an almost immediate deadline. If it means a lot to you two years is
to far-away. Remember to edit only when you have absolutely nothing you can think of to write, and then you will find
yourself writing again, before you know it. Please, stay away from negative people.
Q: What would you like readers to learn from your stories?
A: From Destiny, my intentions is to display love
at desperate measures and to show exotic dancing at its highs and lows. Exotic dancing is no easy task, it could
become a job at risk for a dangerous lifestyle.
Q: Are you working on another novel? If so,
what is it about?
A: I am currently working on Shame which is already
under contract with Black Pearl Publisher. I'm not sure at this time if I am permitted
to discuss the content yet, but stay tuned to my website
for details: www.fictionwriter.bravehost.com
Q: Where can people purchase your books?
Do you have a website?
A: Destiny can be purchased from my website, Amazon.com, Bookmanmarketing.com,
karubooks.com, and quite a few other websites
as well as actual stores . Again, please visit my website for more details: www.fictionwriter.bravehost.com and
while you're there, please sign my guestbook. I'd love to know you had visited.
Thanks so much for the interview Shay C, and I love your
review of Destiny. Looking forward to others.
Tangelika Bolen
Author of Destiny
