Everyone should recognize where their strengths and weaknesses are. It makes you a better person. I have a lot of strengths but my weakness is that I want so badly to give readers a book until sometimes, I forget to give myself breathing room for life. Simply put, I look at a calendar, say Oh, I can get a book out by then,” without ever really taking into account things like root canals, kiddie homework, crazy office work and Trivi’s occasional writing block.
When I started V6, I knew exactly what I wanted, but after I got more than half way done, I hated it. It didn’t capture me at all. In fact, it didn’t capture Dmitry. So I threw out the entire story and started again. Now, I’m feeling it. I like the story and I like where it’s going, but when am I going to be done? Hell if I know. It won’t be a long story. It’s not designed to be. V6 is all about outlining that pivotal point of no turning back for Dmitry and Ivan (and all the bystanders around them).
So, I wanted to let you know that I’m working on it, but it’s not there yet. It will be soon. However, please bare in mind that the synopsis is still the same.
How soon? Well, that’s how I get into this the first time. I’ll never give a date again (PROMISE). I’ll just let you know when it’s done and ready for you to order or download.
But I promise to keep you updated. In fact, I will put up the prologue in a couple of days for you to read and see where it’s all headed. Of course, it’s a rough, rough draft, but it will still be fun!
Some of my readers have expressed to me that forging documents and getting out of a maximum facility prison (in Russia) seems highly unlikely. And as you remember, Dmitry did just that to get his freedom when he was barely 18 with the help of outside Vory v Zakone members. I had actually gotten the information after researching bribes that had been made in Russian right before the fall of the USSR. Well, today in reading some Internet news, I found an article that supports my story (in America) that I’d love to share with you.
Check this out…
Authorities are searching for two men who they say were mistakenly released from a Florida prison earlier this year.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Authorities say two men convicted on murder charges were mistakenly released from a Florida prison with forged documents.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office says Joseph Jenkins and Charles Walker were released separately from a prison in the Florida Panhandle in late September and early October. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement learned about the mistake Tuesday.
Walker was serving a life sentence on a second-degree murder conviction. Jenkins was serving a prison sentence for a 1998 first-degree murder conviction. According to the sheriff’s office, both convictions stemmed from crimes committed in Orange County.
The Florida Department of Corrections says the men were released based on forged documents filed with the court to alter their sentences.
State and local authorities are searching for the men and investigating how they got released.
I’m a pretty laid back person. What you see is what you get. I love my family, my friends, my professional career and my hobbies.
2. What do you do outside of writing?
I’m the President and CEO of RiverHouse Publishing. I am a partner in a national cleaning service. And from 9-5, I represent some of the nation’s most promising businesses, political figures, non-profits and initiatives at a world-class public relations firm.
3. What made you start to write interracial romance?
I’ve been writing since I was four. I had my first poem published when I was five. I started to write interracial romance in high school and finally committed to my first novel in undergrad. I have always been drawn to the genre and felt like the only way to truly share my vision of IR was to write it.
4. How did you grow such a large readership?
I started out with 50 people whom I had to beg to write my book. Then I developed a small grassroots marketing plan and started to reach out to IR readers. My base went from 50 to 500 overnight and now it is at 50,000 readers globally. Three of my basic tenets is to respond to emails, encourage open and honest dialogue and write to entertain. I always want my readers to know that I appreciate them and their opinions and their support. So, I do what I can to show that through my communications.
It’s true that I’ve dated a Russian. The rest is funny fiction. I don’t know where the rumor started, but it was shortly after a post that my ex put on my page who also happened to be a 6’8”, blue-eyed Russian. He was the muse for the book, but the rest is just an overactive imagination.
6. With over 10,000 reviews online on combined sites, most people seem to either love you or hate you. How do you handle bad reviews?
I read the reviews to gather input, but I have learned to only take the good from even the worst review. One of the things that I remind myself of constantly is that after I’ve done my best, I just need to walk away from the project and move on to something else. It keeps it fun and light and allows me to keep writing. Plus, you can’t please everyone. So, I don’t try. If I can please the majority, then I’m a happy camper.
7. What is the process for you writing a novel, whether short or long?
I ask myself if I’d fantasize about the scenario. And if I would, then I write it. If I get bored with even the thought of the storyline, then I dump it. There are so many half-finished manuscripts on my desk, until it’s not even funny. But if I don’t think its good enough, I don’t give it to my readers, because they deserve my best. I normally start out with an outline, cut out pictures, develop a soundtrack and then depending on the mood of the book, I carve out time during certain parts of the day to write it.
8. Your divorce was pretty public? How did you handle it and are you dating now?
I encourage all women and men going through a tough divorce to pray hard and know that this is just a season in your life. Wake up every day and look forward. Visualize where you want to be and get there through hard work, prayer and healthy living. It was hard at first. I lost a lot of weight, was sick, got out of my normal schedule and really had to find out who I was without the “Mrs.” on the front of my name. But in searching for the new me, I discovered that there was a better me around the corner.
Yes, I am dating now. I’m in a happy relationship with a real “Southern Gentleman”. LOL. He’s funny and smart, but I think that outside of what he brings to the table, I’m a whole person, so we can mutually complement each other. You can’t do that when you don’t have it together yourself. There will always be one step forward and two steps back. But Trivi is okay now.
Plus, I like that every day with him is exciting. We are both parents, both divorced and both anxious to see what life has in store for us. Hopefully, what is in store will be something that we can enjoy together.
9. Do readers have new characters to look forward to in 2014?
The Medlov Men will be out in January. The Nine Lives of Kat Steele will be out in 2014. And there will be new characters will completely different stories for The Lonely Heart Series.
10. What’s next for you? You’ve accomplished so much in a short time. What else are you looking to achieve?
In 2014, I will be trying my hand at merchandising through a new company that I’m launching. Trivi’s Treasure Chest. There will be more to come on that, but I hope that the ladies like it.
The next set of questions are meant strictly for entertainment. So have fun with it.
Tennessee has the dubious distinction of having the worst violent crime rate in the country. The state was among the top 10 in the country for murders and robberies and was first for aggravated assaults, with an estimated 479.6 for every 100,000 residents. Tennessee’s 41,550 violent crimes in 2012 were up 6.8% from 2011 but down 10% from 2007, when there were 46,380 violent crimes. There were 388 murders in the state in 2012, up for a second straight year. To be fair, Tennessee’s violent streak is concentrated in some of the major metropolitan areas. Memphis‘s violent crime rate was the nation’s fifth worst, while Nashville’s was the 18th worst. Like many states with high violent crime, poverty in Tennessee is acute, and high school and college graduation rates are lower than most of the country.
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