Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
Authors frequently discuss notions of originality and fulfilling reader expectations. I have read posts all over social media and on blogs, all with writers seeking to draft texts that pristine from anything else written under the sun and that will satisfy a mass of readers worthy of their artistry. Both are exercises in futility.
Defeatist? No. A powerful storyteller resolves to the realities that neither is their story completely untold nor will it enchant every pair of eyes (ears hearing, fingertips touching) gracing it. At the crux of any good story is the distinctive style and voice of the weaver of the tale, which is the primary way an author can create something that is theirs to share for people to connect with and respond.
Lyndell Williams, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! We’re excited to find out more about your hero…
Know the Hero from Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit
It’s late, he’s bored. What does he do?
Marcus Kent is never bored. He has an intense schedule at work. When he gets a minute, he will chill with his boys Simon, Faisal, and Quinn and then head home to his wife Toni. For Marcus, twenty-four hours is not nearly enough, so he needs to be strategic about his time so he can fulfill all of the demands on him. He’s all about getting things done with efficiency.
What kind of food would he impulse buy if hungry?
Marcus is a carnivorous alpha. Red meat is his food of choice, especially burgers. He doesn’t eat just any meat. Although he is not Muslim, he prefers halal meat, so he will stop by his favorite halal spot or another one (NYC is packed with them) to grab a quick bite. Of course, he’ll have to go a little longer on his daily morning run but having some ground beef goodness is worth it.
Describe the kind of clothes he prefers to wear.
Marcus has a walk-in closet with a wall stacked with high-end sneakers. They are his award for working hard at the community center he directs, keeping wife, Toni happy and being there for family and friends. He sheds his business suits as soon as possible and slaps on a pair of those bad boys with some sweats and a tee-shirt to run through Harlem or have a game of basketball, completely elephant trunkin’ it.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
Ah, book reviews. They can send an author’s heart soaring or sink it like a stone into a deep abyss of despair. Because a writer is often intimately connected to their works, reviews can have a substantial impact on the creative process.
I have warned new authors to be mindful of the effects reviews have on them, particularly negative ones:
All authors get negative reviews. Reading is subjective. There will always be at least one reader who doesn’t like something about a book, and some will express it in reviews. A lot of new authors are simply not ready for people to express any level of dislike.
One of my first experiences publishing a story was “The Reluctant Alpha,” a paranormal contribution to the book Shades of BWWM by Love Journey. Blake has to go back to the life he didn’t want, but will he end up finding what he desires most by returning?
The Summoning
Blake’s white fur shone under the full moon. He lifted his muzzle to the autumn wind rustling through the pine trees and inhaled. Nothing. He sprinted on all fours to a large clearing, scanning the pitch. Where the hell are they? Two beacons flashed on the other side accompanied by a light dinging sound. The breeze carried the titillating scent of the person emerging from the car. He closed his eyes, filled his lungs with the wondrous essence and released a soulful howl. His heart and senses reeled. It was her.
“I’m here, come.” Her sultry tone drifted over the field and fueled his reignited passions.
What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?
I may (or may not—I admit to nothing) base a character on someone I respect or despise, so I will have to be salty and sweet with the response to this week’s OpenBook blog hop post. Let’s start with the people I like.
Sweet
I’ve explained in a Black Glue Podcast interview how the Prophet Muhammad served as inspiration for the male characters featured in the Brothers in Law series.
I reflected on the Prophet (Muhammad’s) life and how he was as a husband … lover … someone out in the community and how he transitioned between those things. What he did when his women were mad at him, and what he did when his women were acting out. [The brothers in law] don’t act exactly like the Prophet, but there are characteristics each one of them has.
Simon is the one who keeps things at a level where it doesn’t get too bad. He doesn’t allow things to get to him as much. Marcus is the alpha, alpha. He’s the leader. He expects things to happen the way he needs for them to happen because he’s progressing the nation. Adam is that inner reflection.
What are the best two or three books you've read this year?
This was supposed to be an easy question but not so much for me. I read a ton of different things over the course of the year. In addition to reading novels, I am always looking for books that will help me improve my writing skills as an author and writer.
I also am constantly gathering titles to read and analyze with my colleagues at the Muslim Anti-racism Collaborative. I am a strong proponent for life-long learning inside and outside of one’s professional spheres. My collection of books that help me develop as an anti-racism trainer, instructor, managing editor, and self-published author grew quite a bit this year. A few of them gripped me, so it is difficult not to mention any of them.
Aubreé Pynn is a writing demon. She pumps out books that capture readers with dynamic characters and plots that make one flip page after page. She already has readers loving main characters Indigo and Taj in her latest book, Indigo Haze. Check out the blurb.
Indigo Haze: Thug Love is the Best Love
Available at
Blurb:
Indigo Sims is fighting to break the curse of his environment and not be a product of the streets. Every time he pulls away, something goes array and sucks him back in. A natural-born leader and peacemaker, he gives himself two months to be free from the streets while saving every dollar he can to fulfill the promise he made to himself.
Taj Ali Adams has a bright future ahead of her and an undeniable light that everyone around her wants to protect, especially her older brother. With tragedy lingering around her, the light that shined so bright goes dim. Continue reading “LWL Interview: Aubree Pynn Keeps Her Keyboard Lit”→
Ego is an often vilified human characteristic. Regarding one’s self-image, confidence, and esteem, we all need some ego. Without a healthy ego, a person can become easily manipulated and hesitant to take the risks needed to put herself out there and achieve life’s goals. Self-published authors especially need that last one in spades.
Authors take big risks by releasing their work into a world that may be unkind. Writing something that readers may arbitrarily skewer for a plethora of substantial and tedious reasons is damn scary. I once had someone give my book a lower review because they thought I didn’t show how the main character was Muslim (the character wasn’t) and another because they didn’t like “all of the racism” in an interracial romance.
The challenges that present when writing a scene vary from one writing project to another. A manuscript can have multiple difficult scenes taxing authors, making time drag as the cursor flashes or notebook page sits untouched, leaving them all kinds of frustrated.
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
I will have to split my answer to this week’s prompt into two categories: 1)writer and 2) author. It may seem like an exercise in semantics, but the distinction is important. In addition to my short stories and books, I do a TON of writing in different spheres that have required me to spend money in varying amounts and capacities.
Sometimes, awesomeness prevails no matter what life throws your way. I am so happy that the cover reveal for the soon-to-be-released novel, Sweet Love-Bitter Fruit [Brothers in Law Book 2] went so well despite some hectic stuff thrown my way.
I had planned ahead and arranged for some fantastic posts and lives with authors and reviewers. Unfortunately, Papa Bear and his cubs had their demands for me, and I found myself rushing around Long Island while authors and readers had a blast with the event. I made sure to let everyone know early in the day about what my beloved husband sprung on me.
Review by Lyndell Williams THAT KIND OF GUY
By Talia Hibbert
$12.99, 272 pp, paper
$3.03, 238 pp, Kindle
We all knew it would be like this. I was all excited last week about interviewing romance author Talia Hibbert. So, of course, this week I’m ready to review her new novel That Kind of Guy [Ravenswood Book 3]—Duh.
Okay, so, what do you do when you’re a forty-year-old introvert recently out of a marriage with emotional and physical scars? Why you splurge using that big fat settlement you got—and deservedly so because homeboy was a jackass of the ultimate kind.
You also settle back in your cozy little hometown and do a little of that musing about life and stuff. Oh, yeah, you also hit one your hot younger friend and make…stuff all kinds of awkward.
That’s how Hibbert sets up some marvelous sexual tension between Rae and Zach. The two are simpatico friend wise, but when it comes to the hot and heavy stuff, they’re a mess. Rae is feeling all tingly for muscular Zach. I mean, he’s sensitive and fine as hell. Unfortunately for her, the hunky blacksmith—that’s right, blacksmith—is not putting down what she’s picking up.
I first started reading Talia Hibbert a year ago. As soon as I read her book Damaged Goods, book 1.5 in her Ravenswood series, I was hooked and had to backtrack to catch up on the series. I was quickly caught up in all of the steam and drama. Really, she has some serious don’t miss reading.
Talia writes smart and relatable characters who are wonderfully imperfect, which I love. I am looking forward to the release of That Kind of Guy [Ravenswood book three] tomorrow, May 2! Check out the blurb:
My way to you has been selected for the All Author April cover contest.
Designer Taria Reed created a beautiful depiction of main characters Simon Young and Regina Kent, who want to shut out an intolerant world and love each other.
I had the great opportunity to read from the soon-to-be-published Sweet Love∼Bitter Fruit, book two in the Brothers in Law series.
The story features Marcus and Toni Kent from book one, My Way to You.
Marcus is a lawyer directing a non-profit and Toni a psychologist with an established practice. The couple is deeply in love, but infertility and a life full of distractions threaten to tear them apart.
I was thrilled to be able to share part of their story with readers and authors at the Black Muslim Authors event. I read from the chapter “Bedlam.” Marcus usually has everything together, but the women in his personal and professional life seem determined to drive him crazy.
In this scene, they all converge on him either in his office or on the phone to drive him nuts.
**Note: I edited the video due to spoilers about My Way to You.**
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
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.
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.
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.
#openbook
#OpenBook
#MFRWHooks
#open book
#openbook
Aubreé Pynn is a writing demon. She pumps out books that capture readers with dynamic characters and plots that make one flip page after page. She already has readers loving main characters Indigo and Taj in her latest book, Indigo Haze. Check out the blurb.![Indigo Haze: Thug Love is the Best Love by [Pynn, Aubreé]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516N3bGCV7L.jpg)
#openbook
Review by Lyndell Williams
#OpenBook
![That Kind of Guy (Ravenswood Book 3) by [Hibbert, Talia]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/515bct8wWJL.jpg)
I first started reading Talia Hibbert a year ago. As soon as I read her 
Lyndell Williams 