I haven’t been a writer my entire life. As a matter of fact, I used to H*A*T*E writing—thanks to my terrible penmanship and a list of drill sergeant teachers who just couldn’t get that the chicken scratch in front of them was the best they were going to get out of me.
Once I took my first keyboarding class in high school, I never looked at a pen the same way. I avoided them in favor of the musical clicking that lulls so many of us into sharing our thoughts, ideas, and stories.
Eventually, a real love for writing followed. Now, I can not quite imagine my life without being able to write.
The same goes for books, but unlike writing, I was able to develop a love for reading at an early age. I majored in literature in college, and my master’s thesis focuses on literature.
While in grad school, I started using my literary criticism skills to review books. I also became a contributor to my college’s student newsletter, which extended into a freelance gig with other online media, and I just published (indie, of course, duh) my first novel.
So much of my life is spent reading (entertainment, to my kids, to review, etc.) and writing (articles, short stories, books, and so on) that I can’t imagine compartmentalizing any of the three. I kind of glide along a continuum, where I may be doing one more than the other, but all are still there.
A Muslim woman who wears the hijab and is a romance author? Why can’t all those descriptions belong to the same woman, says Layla Poulos, whose debut novel, My Way to You, is climbing its way up some of Amazon’s Best Sellers charts. Layla, who has been writing for years and loves the romance genre, advocates for more openness and discussions about romance and sexuality from a faith-based perspective. When it comes to her fiction writing, however, she places no restrictions on how much heat she brings to her stories. I recently spoke with Layla, who writes under the pseudonym Lyndell Williams, about her career, writing romance stories as a hijabi Muslim woman, and if she will ever write romance with Muslim characters.
A covered Muslim woman is probably the last person readers would expect to write a romance. What made you want to write in the genre?
I’ve been an avid romance reader all of my adult life. When presented with the opportunity to study the genre during my graduate studies, I took it. I now explore romance as a reader and romance scholar.
The Brothers in Law romance series is about 6 diverse men who meet in law school and become lifetime friends. Their camaraderie plays a role in each quest for one of them to find and hold onto love.
In the first book, My Way to You, Simon Young falls for his best friend Marcus’s younger sister. Will he have to choose between them?
Enjoy an excerpt from the shorts story Brothers in Law that introduces all six of them and shows how they met.
Share a recipe for a food that comes from one of your books.
Yay! Food is so a part of my romances. I like to use some of what characters eat as symbolism.
For example, in My Way to You, I have Regina either making or eating eggs to represent the fragile but nourishing nature of the developing relationship between her and Simon. They are so good for each other, but things constantly threaten their ability to be together.
But, I’m not sharing an egg recipe. I’m picking something that Regina’s brother Marcus and his wife Toni eat.
Marcus Kent loves him some Toni. He calls her sweetness, and she is the main person to bring him to equilibrium. Basically, she got him on lock, and he goes out of his way to make her happy.
In one scene of My Way to You, Marcus treks from Harlem to the famous Abu’s Homestyle Bakery in Brooklyn. Abu’s is a historical landmark for New Yorkers, especially African American Muslims like me. They have some serious oven action going on, and whenever I get a chance to travel the 2 hours, I stock up, because the cakes and pies are everything.
Toni has a similar liking for the bakery, so Marcus picks up a box of assorted pies for her.
Week 1: Writing – Doing it for fun, profit or other?
For many authors, it may seem like questions like the one above are asked so frequently that they have become trite and answering them tedious and tiresome.
Before releasing my first novel—in my other life—I interviewed authors and heard them complain. So, I would try to avoid asking such questions. Now I realize my mistake.
I’ve been asking writers and authors to share their 2019 writing goals all last week.
I reached out to romance authors and ask them to tell readers some of their goals for this year, and I did the same for Muslim authors on the NbA Muslims blog on Patheos.
It was great reading what authors and writers had planned as well as including some of my goals. I also took a moment to take part in an Instagram author’s challenge post.
Being an author requires a lot of consideration, and many authors set writing goals for the coming year. I asked some fabulous romance authors what they have planned for 2019.
Bonus: The last slide is an exclusive cover reveal for author Tiya Rayne’s upcoming novel Where Love is Found. Don’t miss it.
The world offers so much, that thinking of what would be the ultimate vacation may be hard for some. Even when considering all of the prospective destinations, none of it means much if I can’t find what I’m looking for when traveling.
I think venturing out into the world is more than it’s cracked up to be. Basically, I don’t find stuffing of my life into some suitcases and my person into some mode of transport to traverse the earth particularly thrilling, especially considering my traveling track record.
I spent most of my life in one spot, acquiring my knowledge of the world through books and documentaries. It wasn’t until I was older, that my marriage to a wonderful husband who loves to explore the world that I started to travel, and I did not take extremely well to it.
Basically, I like seeing the world, I just don’t like doing the packing, driving, flying, etc. to see it.
Therefore, the perfect vacation for me would be an empty house with the world coming to me, well the part that would do the cooking and cleaning while I get to eat and read in bliss. The rest of the world will be shut out, except for Papa Bear. It’s been too long since either one of us has truly enjoyed domestic quietude with each other.
So, cleaner, chef, hubby make up my dream vacation.
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I loved how the relationship between the two characters, despite their instant attraction, still moved rather slowly from that point. Both of them were reluctant to get in an actual relationship, and they each had their own reasons, which made a lot of sense for me. The cultural clash between Regina and Simon’s cultures was also very interesting and added additional challenges for their relationship.
Okay, we are going to have to slip into a few things before I explain why I find the term true love oxymoronic and somewhat hegemonic. That’s right, my other life is about to come through on this one.
Simon braced himself on the balcony and released a gust of air from his burning lungs into the Harlem landscape. Marcus’s warning reached him loud and clear. Hands off his baby sister. Except, it was too late; Simon’s hands and everything else had already been all over every inch of Regina’s voluptuous brown body, and he didn’t have any intention of keeping them to himself and ending their torrid lovemaking. The only reason he wasn’t in her bed at that moment—touching and tasting every wondrous curve—was because she was way out on Long Island with her parents. Otherwise, he would be busy flouting his best friend’s veiled warning. Another night of passion was definitely worth the risk.
Simon crossed his arms and kicked the top of his shoe at imaginary rocks on the ground. Look, idiot. Marcus has been a great friend, and you’re going destroy your friendship because you like rolling around in the sheets with Regina? He’s going to kick your ass for touching his sister. Marcus was capable of taking a man down in seconds. Although no slouch in the fighting department, the last thing he wanted was to brawl with his best friend. “What am I going to do,” He asked the sky.
“About what?” Marcus appeared holding a plate full of raw meat.
“Nothing. Just thinking about a case.”
“You wanna run it by me?
“Nah, thanks though, man. I really don’t want to talk shop right now.”
“I can dig that.” Smoke billowed from the grill as Marcus laid the steaks on the grate. “I just checked out the score. Knicks down by 10.” He poked at the meat.
“Of course, they are. I don’t know why you constantly hope they have a chance in hell of winning.”
“Hey, what’s wrong with having faith in people?” Marcus stabbed at the meat sizzling on the hot grill.
The two laughed and the tension dissipated. As fool hearty as it was, he couldn’t give up what he started with Regina or his friendship with Marcus. If things become more serious with Regina, I’ll let Marcus know about us. Preferably when he isn’t brandishing a pitchfork.
Lawyer Simon Young is smart, confident, and adept at keeping things with women casual—until he meets his best friend Marcus’s sister, Regina. Immediately intrigued by Regina’s beauty, Simon becomes increasingly enthralled and ultimately risks his friendship to have her for himself.
Social justice writer and activist Regina Kent is usually cautious and savvy. Yet, unable to resist her attraction to the handsome Simon, she plunges into a torrid affair, knowing that she chances angering big brother and her less tolerant followers, many of whom will not accept that one of their most popular pro-Black bloggers is dating an Asian man.
As their clandestine romance evolves, Simon and Regina fall deeper in love. Making sure that things stay between them becomes progressively impossible, and neither knows how much longer they can keep Marcus in the dark and the world at bay.
Hello, fellow book dragons! It’s time for my last Interview with the Author for 2018. Today I want you to meet Lyndell Williams, a superb author. She rocks the alphabet, y’all. I met Lyndell through K. Williams as part of the #OpenBook blog I participate in on Mondays. I really enjoy her comments on the topics, and when she offered an ARC of her new book, My Way To You, I tried very hard not to jump up and down and squeal when I got one. Just kidding. I totes celebrated. I mean, look at it! It’s gorgeous, and I already knew she was a solid writer.
My Way to You is a strong, sexy book. Lyndell already does an excellent job of telling you about it below, so I won’t hit you with it twice. (I have reviewed it on Goodreads and Amazon, so you’ll see my review when you go to review it!) My favorite parts of the book (other than when I was reading this book in the dentist office waiting for my kids and I was having a hard time keeping my face from turning into fire) is the honesty of interracial relationships, a gorgeous, curvy MC, and the play between the strong personalities.
I’ve gotten to know Lyndell a little more online. I enjoy her sense of humor and honesty, and she’s talented with the gifs.
Ready to get to know Lyndell Williams better? Let’s get right down to it!
Review by Lyndell Williams THE WOLF’S CONCUBINE
By Erin St. Charles
$3.99, pp 330, Kindle
Imagine, you’re this hot wolf shifter detective taking care of business when you run dead smack into your fated mate. You know, the one person to whom you are intrinsically linked and hot and bothered about on sight.
On top of all of that, she’s smokin’! You immediately want her, but the problem is that she’s not feeling you at the same level. Well, she may be feeling something, but it’s not the whole “sealed to each other forever” thing. What’s a man-wolf to do?
That’s Phelan’s dilemma in Erin St. Charles’s paranormal romance The Wolf’s Concubine. From the time he rescues the damsel in distress, Lola, the wolf-shifter-detective wants her—forever.
Well, this was a story and a half. If you’re expecting your bog standard, basic romance, then that isn’t what you are going to get, but even so, I don’t think that you’ll be disappointed in this one. In many ways, the events of this book could have filled a whole series. That’s not to say that the book is either overly long, or rushed, it isn’t, but there’s an awful lot going on.
There isn’t just romance to deal with here, but race, prejudice and what happens when love runs into that.
What are some of your favorite lines from your books?
I love reading authors’ favorite lines from their books. Many authors take a lot of time and energy to draft particularly poignant prose (that alliteration is not an example), to grab readers’ attention and offer some inspiration, humor, humanity—a bunch of stuff.
I’m a little daunted to find some of my favorite lines from my book—singular…as in only one written so far—because I’ve spent so much time with my words. It’s difficult to step back and look at something I took so long to make cohesive and fluid as layers of individual components.
Failure, or fear of it, is very effective at making both the timid and bold hesitant. Even just the thought that success won’t be achieved is enough to keep one stagnant. So, having the barrier produced by a fear of failure is refreshing and makes the mind run rampant. Mine has, and I shall now have at it.
As I went through school as a kid and during my college years, I encountered one disturbing constant. My education was always tainted by implicit and explicit bias and racism from either my fellow students, faculty or administration. Continue reading “Failsafe from Failing Students”→
Lyndell Williams, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m KayelleAllen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here!
Why did you write this book?
I had a few reasons for writing My Way to You, the primary one being that I wanted to write a romance centering what I gleaned as the increasing lines of solidarity between Blacks and Asians in the country. I also wanted to highlight the growing Black Woman-Asian Man (BWAM) subculture, where members of two social groups deemed less desirable are learning to appreciate each other as love matches.
Black women and Asian men have to tackle with a contrived lack of appeal stemming from stereotypes masculinizing one and feminizing the other. My Way to You and other romances centering BWAM love interests pushes back against that and offers representation for couples in similar relationships as well as interracial couples in general.
Christmas is coming, and there are holiday parties to attend or shopping to do. But if you want to get away from it all and curl up with a good book, I’ve got an author you’ll want to meet. I had a chance to interview Lyndell Williams. She is a cultural critic with a background in literary criticism specializing in romance. She is the managing editor of the NbA Muslims blog on Patheos and a cultural contributor for Radio Islam USA. Her novel, My Way To You, is an interracial romance that takes on controversial topics head-on. I had a chance to talk with her about her writing routine, what future subjects and projects she will tackle, and what writing romance means to her.
Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.
Lyndell Williams: I have two must-haves when I’m writing. I make myself a huge…
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I recently published my first novel, but I have numerous short stories published in a couple of collections.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is My Way to You. I wrote it to show some of the struggles interracial couples face when beginning a relationship and trying to keep it strong.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
One writing habit people may find strange is that when I’m deep in my creative zone, I like to pull my hair into a big hug afro puff. Not one of those cool Angela Davis ones, a mess of coils and coconut oil. I feel like it allows creative energy to flow into my head. It is also a good signal to the husband and kids that mom is deep in her writing and disturbing her would be a hazardous venture. Continue reading “Awesome Gang Interview with Lyndell Williams (Layla Abdullah-Poulos) —”→