Interview with Kalah McLaughlin

This week, the author spotlight shines twice in one day. After my interview with author Tina Butler 13 hours earlier, I had a chance to speak with poet, blogger, and aspiring author Kalah McLaughlin. The New Jersey native shares what motivated her to embark on her writing journey, and what projects she's currently working on.

EA: What inspired you to become a writer? 

KL: I've always loved reading, so that's where it stemmed from. I remember writing song lyrics and stories as young as 7 years old. That said, I was always scared of pursuing it. I doubted myself a lot. A lot of things changed going into 2017 and I finally took a chance on myself. 

EA: What challenges have you faced so far in this journey?

KL: My blog has been my greatest challenge. I created it because I felt that I needed one if I was going to pursue writing. However, I didn't exactly have a plan for what I would write about. I'm taking it day by day. I've posted some reviews, chapter excerpts, and a "how to" post so far to try and get a feel for what to stick with. 

EA: What's the name of your project and would you give a preview of what it's about?

KL: Right now I'm working on my first young adult novel, tentatively titled The Stories of Silvia Silverman. The story follows protagonist Silvia, who's a ball of anxiety starting her junior year of high school in a new town. Her story begins with receiving an invitation in her locker for an initiation. Not sure what the initiation is for, she decides to go. Afterwards, everything changes. You can read chapter one here. 

EA: What motivated you to write this book?

KL: I was working a 9-5 in NYC, commuting 3 hours a day from NJ and it was absolutely draining. I was overworked, stressed out, underpaid and lost in the turmoil of a company losing money. In January, I was laid off, but I took it as a good sign. I started writing poetry the next day, and have been lucky enough to have two poems accepted for publishing in a literary journal. Becoming a published poet gave me the confidence to start my novel and finally go for my dreams.  

EA: Are they any authors or writers who inspire you?

KL: Stephen Chbosky created my favorite book of all time, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Chbosky made the protagonist, Charlie, have flaws so heartbreaking, real and defining. I hope to create characters as imperfect and beautiful. 

EA: Overall, what are your goals-- present and future-- you look to achieve as an author/writer?

KL: I hope to finish my book before the end of the year and self-publish. I also have ideas flowing for a poetry chapbook. Right now, I just want to put all my energy into submitting to journals and writing my novel.

Epilogue

I want to thank Kalah McLaughlin for taking the time to speak with me. You can check out her reviews, "how to" tutorials, and chapter excerpts from her upcoming novel on her blog website, writeatmidnight.com.

Interview with Author Tina Butler

A week after my Author Q & A session with author Shawn James, this week, the author spotlight shines on author and writer Tina Butler, whom I was fortunate to conduct an interview with this week, to talk about her novel, Out of the Frying Pan, Straight into the Fire.

EA: Were there any authors or writers who inspired you growing up?

TB: None that I particularly remember as a child, but as a young adult, I was inspired by Zane, Mary B. Morrison, and other authors along those lines.

EA: What's your approach as a writer?

TB: I come up with an idea. Write/type it and expand from there.

EA: Would you say that the writing process and character creation is easy?

TB: Heck no! You have to write and think in your character, I believe, in order to make your characters come to life.

EA: What inspired you to write Out of the Frying Pan, Straight into the Fire?

TB: Friendship! The many different types...cold-hearted, nice, or back-stabbing friends.

EA: If Out of the Frying Pan, Straight into the Fire makes the transition to a movie, who would you pick to play the characters?

TB: Kerry Washington, Morris Chestnutt, and Christian Keyes as the three main characters.

EA: How much of the content is the story taking it's course (i.e. the character's words, not yours) and in contrast, you speaking through the characters?

TB: 95%. While I can't be that type of person... I go by certain situations where I always say I should've, could've, but didn't. Plus, I like to create at least one quirky character to add laughter and charm.

EA: What's your aspiration as an author overall?

TB: To write even if I don't become famous. Sure I would like to make money, but I have all these stories, characters, and ideas in my head. Some stem from when I was a child.

EA: Finally, tell readers why Out of the Frying Pan, Straight into the Fire is a must read.

TB: It's a must read because it's about something everyone can relate to. You can leave a situation thinking it's better, but it's not.

Epilogue

On a side note, a former co-worker once told me that she was so impressed with the book, that she  read it nearly in one sitting. The only thing that prevented her from reading it entirely at the time was other obligations she had to attend to.  I sincerely thank Tina Butler for taking the time to answer my questions and share some of her thoughts with us. You can check out her novel, Out of the Frying Pan, Straight into the Fire here.

Interview with Author Shawn James

                                                                                                                                 

I learned of Shawn James while one day watching YouTuber David Carroll's social commentary. While watching the video, I saw some video thumbnails of Shawn's on the sidebar of the page and decided to check out a few. In the process, I found out that he's a fellow author and writer, and we have similar approaches and agendas when it comes to our vision as literary artists.

Recently, I was able to conduct an Author Q & A session with the author, writer, social critic, and publisher (SJS Direct). He is an author of fiction and non-fiction literature, as well as screenplays, and has been writing for over 20 years. During this span, he has written over a dozen paperbacks and over thirty e-books.

Some of his work includes his Stop Simpin' series, The Myth of  the Strong Black Woman, Why 70% of Black Women are Single, all of which are based on his social commentary that started as blogs, and has transitioned to YouTube videos. Some of his more popular works are his Isis and E'steem series.

On a side note, in case you're wondering, a "simp" is a man who puts himself in a submissive position under a woman in the hopes of winning their love, respect, and acceptance. In the YouTube video posted at the top of the blog, he answers the interview questions I presented to him via email.

Epilogue

I want to sent a special thanks to Shawn James for taking the time to do this interview. You can check out or purchase his books from his SJS Direct Catalog here.

The Essence of Ebony Taylor

Ebony Taylor. Art by Edward Anthony

In November 2014, I started writing a manuscript for a concept that I had in mind for my first novel. On April 2, 2015, I published my first novel, and Taylor Made was born. The e-book version was published first; the paperback was produced two months later. 

It was the introduction of the book’s main character, Ebony Taylor. Her story takes place in middle-class New Orleans, LA. It starts with her life as a high school senior; she will take you on a journey as she experiences the ebbs and flows of daily life while making the tough transition from adolescent to womanhood.

The essence of Ebony-- even as a teenager-- is that she’s mature and wise beyond her years. She’s intelligent, enterprising, and has a laser-focus that rivals with most adults. She comes from a strong family background with solid, supportive parents who laid the foundation for their children to not only be successful, but also smart, vigilant, and persevering.

 Aside from fulfilling a life-long goal of becoming an author/writer, one of the things that motivated me to write this book was to create a character that represented blacks in a positive light. As I explained in this YouTube video, too often, we are portrayed in a manner that is negative, demeaning, and stereo-typical. 

Overall, I believe this is a story that is a good, intellectual, and compelling read. Readers will absolutely love and embrace Ebony Taylor, once they get to know her. This book is strong enough for a man (to read), but it’s “Taylor Made” for a woman.