1) When did you know that writing is what you were called to do? What is it about being a writer that you love the most? What about being a writer frustrates you the most?
I’ve been writing since I was in middle school. It started off as poetry, and I graduated to short stories, and now, full novels. I don’t know if I ever had the epiphany that writing was what I was called to do. I just knew I loved to do it. There was a sense of freedom and release when I created something through my writing. That’s the part that I love, the process of creating. Putting the outline together of how the story will flow, and then getting in the middle of it, and going in another direction. It’s truly a liberating experience. Sometimes I get frustrated by not being as good of a writer as I want to be. I know the story I want to tell, and I worry that I am not eloquent enough to tell it. I struggle to get past my own insecurities.
2) Can you tell us a little about your book(s) and where our readers can find out more about them and you?
I’ve written three books and one novella. The first book I ever wrote was Infinite Possibilities, which is the first book in the Infinite Series. It started off as a short story, and each short story I wrote afterwards was just another piece to that story. I realized, hey, you’re writing a book. So, I decided to tell the whole story and write the book.
Book 1, in the Infinite series, Infinite Possibilities, starts off with Agatha wanting her boss, Sean. She holds herself back because she’s so inexperienced with relationships and intimacy. Her best friend, Melissa, has no such hangups. Melissa is living her life, and warming her bed with any man she wants. Melissa is also frequenting a private club named Club Infinite. Somehow, Melissa convinces Agatha to go to the club, and have a fantastic experience. After one night, Agatha breaks out of her shell and decides to pursue Sean. One would think that Agatha’s best friend would be excited for her. But Melissa is struck blind with jealousy, which leads to assault and the ultimate betrayal.
Book 2 in the Infinite series, Infinite Transgressions, tells Melissa’s story. Melissa’s reaction to her best friend’s happiness opens some unhealed wounds. Book 2 digs into Melissa’s past, while she tries to put her life back together. After what she did to Agatha, she ends up jobless, friendless, and almost homeless. She’s desperate, and her options are few. So, she goes back to the scene of her crime, Club Infinite. The act that used to give pleasure and joy was now her source of income and livelihood. Despite her desolate situation, Melissa finds comfort in the lead security guard, who can’t keep his mind off of her. Melissa ends up finding love and peace, all while mending broken bridges, fighting demons, and escaping the clutches of a psycho co-worker and a shady boss.
Book 3 in the Infinite series, Infinite Beginnings, circles back to Agatha and Sean, and pulls back the curtain on their relationship and how well they’re doing or not doing after Melissa’s betrayal. Agatha’s newfound confidence is shattered. She feels less than as if Sean is only with her out of pity. To feel better about herself, she pulls Sean into a life he hates. He only agrees out of his desire to have the girl he fell in love with back in his life. Still, it doesn’t seem to be working. The rift between them is getting bigger, and their attention turned from each other. This book also checks in with Melissa and Josh to see how their settling into their new life together. Of course, drama is always near. Agatha has developed a new friendship with a patron who visits the library. He makes her smile, something Sean has done in a while. Sean is smitten with his Regional Manager. She’s sexy, she’s single, and she just wants him. Melissa misses Josh and considers going back to the life she once knew. It doesn’t help that her past comes to visit, and lays an opportunity right at her feet.
My fourth book is A Lie Don’t Care follows Darnell as he tries to complete a promise he made to his parents on their dying beds to become a Pastor and follow in his family’s footsteps. He’s not a true believer, but he’s a great actor, and everyone is fooled. Even his wife and children are blind to his ingenuity. Only his young love truly knows him, and she is pushing him to leave his wife for her. He considers the possibility, of leaving all he’s ever known and all he’s created to just be himself and be with his young lover. Only his pride gets in the way. He is so close to fulfilling his promise, that he can taste it. But as the scripture says, pride comes before the fall. His fall would be great and have a rippling effect, ruining everything he’s accomplished. He can’t let that happen. Darnell is cunning and smart, and lies come easily to him. He convinces everyone that he was a victim of circumstance, fallen to a woman’s prowess; protecting himself and his young lover, all while ruining the woman he blames. The woman, an evangelist in the church, though not with clean hands, screams her innocence. Yet, no one believes her because, simply, they don’t like her. She’s judgemental, holier than thou, and puts others down more than she uplifts. It’s easy for church folk to hate her, and Darnell knows this. Besides, what she stands to lose, her respect, dignity, friendships, and even her sobriety, are nothing compared to what he stands to lose…. his good name.
The easiest way to find out more information about me and my books is to visit my website at www.jcawrites.weebly.com/#/. All of my books are in ebook and/or paperback for purchase through Amazon.
3) Where do you draw your inspiration from for the stories that you manage to weave together and the characters that you create?
My inspiration comes from many places: personal experiences, experiences of others such as my family or my friends, through reading, or watching movies. Most times, my inspiration comes from the what-if question. What if this happened? Then I go from there.
4) Do you have a schedule for when you write? Do you outline your novels? How long does it generally take you to finish a novel? What projects are you currently working on?
I wish I did have a schedule. I’m married with two kids, one being a four-year. So, my days change by the hour, it seems. I write when time permits and mostly at night and on the weekends. I do outline my novels because it helps to know where I’m going with the story ahead of time. Sometimes the outline changes and that’s okay. It generally takes me two to three months to finish a novel, with edits included. I am currently promoting the infinite series, and working on a new book. It’s about a housewife whose husband abandons the intimacy in their relationship. He doesn’t want a divorce, but he encourages her to seek intimacy outside of their marriage, to both their emotional detriment. I’m also done writing, and I can’t wait to start editing.
5) What’s the first book you ever read that really moved you emotionally? Who is your favorite author to read? What book are you currently reading?
Gosh, I don’t remember. However, I would say that any book where the heroine is plus size and she finds love in herself and in her man moves me. I can identify personally, and reading stories I can identify with. I don’t have a favorite author, really. There are so many great authors out there, and I find pleasure in reading many of their works. I am currently reading Hide by Lisa Gardner. It’s an old one, but I was sucked in from page one. Lisa knows how to weave a good mystery.
6) What has been your most significant achievement as a writer thus far? Where do you see yourself within your career in the next five years?
Outside of writing, publishing, and selling the books I have thus far, I am still waiting for that significant achievement or the achievement that makes me feel like I’m being taken seriously as an author. In the next five years, I will hope to have written more books, and be more known as an author. I am also hoping for that significant achievement to have found me by then.
7) How have you dealt with rejection within your writing career? What is your advice for other writers to better be able to cope or navigate their way through the publishing process, be it traditional or self-publishing?
There hasn’t been a lot of rejection unless you include bad reviews, which I’ve had a few. I don’t read reviews anymore. If I can implement it, I try to take the feedback and make the changes. If not, I let it go, and keep the mindset that I have room to grow and improve. My only advice would be to just keep writing. The more you write, the better you get. The better you get, the more doors will open. The more doors that open, the more opportunities will present themselves. It all starts with writing. Take the hit, but don’t take it personally. There’s no need. Use the advice if you can, and let it go if you can’t. It’s hard enough to be a writer without holding onto every negative review or rejection that comes your way, and it’ll stunt your growth if you don’t.
8) Do you find it hard to juggle the creative side of being a writer against the business side of being a writer, in terms of marketing and promotion and things of that nature? How hard has it been (or easy) for you to build up your author platform?
It’s extremely difficult, first, because I’m not a full-time writer. I work full-time and I have a family. There just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to do everything that’s needed outside of writing the story. Secondly, marketing and promotion take money to make any leeway. I try to keep my business and my home separate. So, I only invest what I make from sales back into my business. It’s not nearly enough. Therefore, I’m limited to social media content and ads. Not that it hasn’t been helpful, but it’s not on a grand scale. So, it’s definitely been a challenge to get my name and brand out there.
9) What unique quality is there about you, about your art, that you feel represents your authenticity? How does writing help you to be more empowered in your purpose?
I had to ask someone to help me with this one. In my mind, there is nothing unique about me or my work. Ha! But, as I’ve been told, I have a special ability to transport the reader to a new world. I take that to mean I write in a way that most can identify with. You can feel the emotions of my characters. You can see yourself in the situation because maybe it happened to you or you know someone it happened to. You can feel each descriptive moment as if you were there. My purpose is to entertain, to motivate, and to inspire. I believe that there is something in each of my stories that does just that.
10) How can readers find you and your books?
The easiest way to find out more information about me and my books is to visit my website at www.jcawrites.weebly.com/#/. All of my books are in ebook and/or paperback for purchase through Amazon.
Queenie's BookTalk and Reviews 