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!
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.
At 8:00 this morning, I wondered if I was going to be late. I had to drop the kids off, traffic was heavy and all things Monday were happening. But sure enough at 8:40 a.m., I pulled up on time to Channel 3 Drive, checked my lipstick and hair and ran into the building.
Once called back, I was greeted by the warm handshakes and hugs and sat down with Marybeth Conley and Alex Coleman, two of the city’s best reporters to talk about my book, The World in Reverse.
Countdown…action…
They start off by saying this…
Author Latriva Nelson has topped several of Amazon’s Best Seller lists with her new novel “World in Reverse”.
She spins a nail-biting tale set right here in Memphis. As her hero, a Memphis cop, has to go against everything he stands for to solve a grisly murder case.
Wow. Okay, I’m officially flattered.
I can’t help but smile. I love Memphis, love the idea that Memphians love the book and I’m ready to talk.
You can see the rest by simply clicking the link and checking it out.
I can’t thank WREG-TV enough for their hospitality and highlighting my newest work. 15 books down and 150 to go.
Wow. It has been a long time since I was on WordPress talking to my girls. I miss you so much. As I’m sure that you’ve heard through the grape vine or just through my Twitter page where someone was awesome enough to put all my business, I am going through a very hairy divorce. For those who don’t know, you may read this with a hand over your mouth and the words, “no!” or “what?” on your lips. But it’s the truth and there is no point in hiding it anymore. I’ll still be Ms. Nelson after the divorce, as I am keeping my name, but the rest as they say is the rest.
With all the new changes that have occurred in my life – new house, new car, new employment and new attitude – I had to take a serious pause in my writing. It’s not because I wanted to, but because I had serious writer’s block. Talk about a mine screw, trying to write under serious duress is like writing on hot coals.
God has been good, as he always is, however, and my recovery back to a state of actual bliss was a short trip. I am now feeling much better. In fact, I am hopeful that the stories that I write for you will have even more depth and maybe more real experiences that we can all lean on and learn from.
It’s going to be hard to get back to RiverHouse as it was. I had to let my staff go and start a new. So, if you call there will be new voices. I have some orders that have not gone out and about 5,000 emails that I have not returned. I plan to get to all of that ASAP.
So, you see my world was in a bit of reverse itself. I had to learn some hard lessons about the people (person) that I loved and was forced to face that love in one person’s eyes isn’t always the same as in another’s. The great news is that I didn’t end up in the looney bin or bankruptcy court. I just ended up realizing that I’m so much stronger that I ever knew that I was. Plus, I had a few awesome angels on my side day and night.
I know that you’re waiting on Dmitry to emerge with a new volume of The Chronicles and The World in Reverse. I’m getting over my block and taking some time to explore some things that I had long pushed back in the closet. The real Dmitry even visited to remind me that there is still a lot of joy in lifeJ Thanks for everything, Mark.
You ladies are wonderful. You have been patient, prayerful for me and uplifting. I love you all, and I promise not to disappoint. We are going to have fun, going to go to the depths with our favorite men and we will conquer.
It’s always awesome to be highlighted at home. The Tri-State Defender did an excellent story on me. I just wanted to share it with you. Thanks so much to the TSD for this.
Special to the Tri-State Defender
Native Memphian Latrivia S. Nelson sat down in front of her computer in 2008 and wrote her first novel, “Ivy’s Twisted Vine.”
Latrivia S. Nelson writes interracial romance novels that “women from all walks of life can identify with and enjoy.” (Courtesy photo)
Today, “Ivy’s Twisted Vine” is recognized as the largest interracial romance novel in the black woman/white man (bw/wm) genre to date, with many readers referring to it as the “bible of IR.”
“I write interracial romance novels that women from all walks of life can identify with and enjoy,” said Nelson. “The heroines are strong, beautiful, curvaceous and smart. They know what they want out of life, and they go for it. What man, black or white, wouldn’t want them?”
Sales didn’t soar with her first book, but her dreams did. Since then, Nelson’s following has gone from 500 readers to over 50,000. She has fans in over 38 countries and across the U.S. In 2011, she wrote the number one bestselling novel on Amazon’s Multicultural bestseller’s list, “The Grunt,” from her Lonely Heart Series and stayed on the list for over four months. During that time, she also had a second book on the top twenty list for multicultural romance, “The Ugly Girlfriend” (2011).
Nelson’s love for books surfaced as a child. She wrote stories and regularly recited them to her families. In high school, she once sought her mother’s “true feedback” about one of her books by telling her mother that she’d copied pages from a reference book for a class project.
At The LeMoyne-Owen College, Nelson’s alma mater, she wrote for the “Magician” newspaper. She also served as vice president of the Student Government Association and as president of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., before she went on to be Ms. LeMoyne-Owen College in 2001 and graduate with honors in 2003. Later, she received her MBA from Strayer University.
With a long history in public relations and development, she has worked for nationally recognized companies such as The Carter Malone Group and Trust Marketing, and for the non-profits ALSAC/ St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, The Memphis Redbirds and the National Civil Rights Museum. And while she was afforded the opportunity to write, her passion was unfulfilled.
Trace Nelson’s inspiration for interracial romance and it leads to family roots.
“As one half of an interracial marriage, I wanted to dispel certain myths and give women and men in those types of relationships something to read that positively highlighted them,” she said.
Nelson married Adam Nelson, a decorated United States Marine in 2005, and the couple has two children.
Highlighted in hundreds of reviews and interviews, Nelson visits readers in myriad places throughout the nation. Her last stop was at the “Beautiful Trouble Eat and Greet” in Winston-Salem, N.Car., and her next appearance will be at the Romance Slam Jam in Little Rock, Ark., where she will be a guest speaker on the interracial romance genre.
“I surround myself with positive people. New York Times bestselling author, Brenda Jackson, is a dear friend of mine, and I look up to her and what she has done for the romance genre as a whole,” said Nelson. “On the home front, I have mentors like Beverly Robertson and Deidre Malone, who have groomed me for years. These women have also taught me to be vigilant in my desire to be the best and do the best that I can.”
In the last four years, Nelson has written 12 novels and novelettes. Five of those titles have been national bestsellers. From the popular romantic suspense series, “The Medlov Crime Family,” her next book will be out on March 28, 2011, entitled “Saving Anya.”
Nelson has ensured a way to get her work out to the world as well as help other aspiring authors. She founded RiverHouse Publishing in 2010 and has offices in the Clarke Tower in Memphis and on Broad in Manhattan, NYC.
“I wanted to give bold authors a chance to let their voices be heard on their own terms,” Nelson said about her publishing company.
And she’s done just that with five authors signed to RiverHouse Publishing, LLC and five new authors set to be introduced this year.
(For more information on Latrivia S. Nelson, visit http://www.latrivianelson.info or http://www.riverhousepublishingllc.com. You can also reach her at 901-322-6191.)
Everyone is looking to save a dollar this summer. With gas prices climbing and a hundred things on the to-buy list, authors have to be very mindful of their price points for their work. This is why I have made it very simple for readers who want a lot of bang for their buck. On my official site (www.latrivianelson.info), you can purchase all nine of my books including: Ivy’s Twisted Vine (2008), Dmitry’s Closet (2010), Dmitry’s Royal Flush (2010), Anatoly Medlov: Complete Reign (2011, all three volumes of The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov, The Ugly Girlfriend (2010 and Finding Opa! (2011) for only ten dollars.
I guarantee that you’re not going to find a deal like that on any other site. Why do I price them so cheap? Well, I want more than anything to provide you with an enjoyable reading experience. I also want to build a base of life-time readers. So, considering I’m not going anywhere for a very long time, and you ladies will continue to read for a long, long time. Then, we might as well build a great relationship.
Also, I love to hear from my readers. You can always send me an email (Latrivia@LatriviaNelson.com) or participate on the blogs. We normally break down the entire story and ask questions about the characters and the plot line.
I hope as you look for things to read this summer you will consider my novels. Interracial romance is not only about race but also about unique and genuine relationships between men and women. Each and every one of my books focuses on that core compatibility while hopefully making you laugh, cry and maybe even scream for the characters.
Stop by my website today and purchase the $10 combo pack today!
So everyone has been wondering where I have been. Thanks to everyone who has sent emails to check and make sure that I’m still alive. I am. It’s just that this has been the busiest last six weeks of my professional existence. Many of you know that I am the President and CEO of RiverHouse Publishing. This is my baby. In an effort to try to open the doors for more authors like myself who have something to say and not really sure who will listen, I started RiverHouse to provide an opportunity. As of now, we have five authors and counting, but we’re only just over a year old.
This year, we plan to go after even more authors. Bold Authors with Bold Statements to be exact.
This last month, we opened our new office in the swank Clark Tower in Memphis, TN. It’s the tallest building in the city and from my 27th floor executive suite, I can see half of Memphis. When I first looked down from my windows, I thought to myself that the world is so small and that we as people are so tiny, but we are also capable of amazing things. Pyramids, the Parthenon, cures for diseases, going to the moon…who knows maybe even world peace one day. And while, I have created nor done any of the above mentioned, I still felt accomplished that day.
It was only after I got home that and settled into my bed for the evening that I thought about all the work I’d just signed up for. So, I’ve been working on authors, traveling, attending speaking engagements, participating in book club meetings, writing books, meeting with like twenty people a day at the office, still trying to be a good mom and wife and occasionally cracking open the books to work on my dissertation. It may sound like I’m complaining, but I’m totally not. I think this is great, but I know that I have to get back to the things that I enjoy like this blog and my radio show.
Many of you also want to know what is going on with the writing. Well, I’m happy to report that The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 3 will be out this month finally. This was a hard project this time around, because the fun part about this series is that the stories are short. However, every time that I worked on Volume 3, it kept getting longer and longer. So, I had to cut some stuff and leave others while still trying to keep you entertained. I’m also working on an awesome video with the RiverHouse team to put on youtube for your visual stimulation.
There are also two additional awesome projects that I’m working on for the Lonely Hearts Series. Filling His Seat will be out in April and Gracie’s Dirty Little Secret will be out in April or May.
You guys know how I hate giving real drop dates, because they always seem to change. So, I’ll just leave it at that.
Also, in 2011, I have received more fan mail than in the last year combined. 2,000 emails, letters, phone calls and texts. You guys are amazing. Your feedback literally is like fuel for this entire thing.
You know my goal is to always entertain you. We all work every day and need something to pull us away from our lovely lives. When I’m writing, I’m always thinking of you. I try to include the things that will make you laugh, make you cry, make you wonder. That is the great part of being an author. You get to evoke feelings in people. For me, the joy of it is evoking happiness. Everytime one of you guys sends me a note saying how happy you were with the book, my days brightens up. And I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true.
Okay, so we have three books on the horizon. We have a new office to push out more work and on better timelines.
On another note, equally as awesome may I add, Joyfully reviewed did a great review on Dmitry’s Closet. Joyfully Reviewed is one of the top romance review sites. Everyone goes there to see what’s new and what’s hot. So it was a real honor for Nakita Steele to do a review on our favorite Dmitry Medlov. Also, for those who love Beautiful Trouble Publishing as much as I do, they did a great article on them too. So congrats, Jayha!
Suburban mom Latrivia S. Nelson spends time in a fictional place where the Russian Mafia has a Memphis branch.
Nelson’s world has given her a growing fan base as a romance novel writer. She says she has sold more than 7,000 copies of her latest book, “Dmitry’s Closet,” released in early 2010.
Nelson’s novels are books of interracial suspense and romance, involving black women and white men. They’re books she wrote when she couldn’t find interracial romance novels that made race a secondary concern.
“All the interracial romance novels were so based on race,” she said. “Once they got past that one (character) was black and the other was white, it was over.”
After a short, unsuccessful marriage to her college sweetheart, Nelson met her husband, Adam Nelson, a retired U.S. Marine. The Cordova couple have two children, Jordan, 7, from her first marriage, and Tierra, 4.
The Nelsons married in 2005, and he encouraged her to write. Her first novel, the self-published “Ivy’s Twisted Vine,” came out in 2008.
Other books followed and while he was in Iraq, Adam Nelson’s fellow Marines were curious.
“They said, ‘Is this really about you and her?’ I said, ‘No, it’s not. We don’t have any Russian Mafia friends,'” he said laughing.
Nelson said she tried and failed to find an agent for her first novel. “It just wasn’t happening for me,” she said.
So she started RiverHouse Publishing, defined on its website as a place for “male and female, Caucasian and African-American, affluent and starving writers.”
“Our diversity allows us to explore new frontiers in writing and focus on cutting-edge situational relationships that speak to the inner desires of many fiction readers,” the RiverHouse description says.
“I wanted to be able to give people a voice to be able to get what they feel is important to them out there,” she said.
La-Tessa Montgomery, vice president of the River City Romance Writers Association, knows Nelson’s frustrations.
A publisher Montgomery met with liked the storyline in her interracial romance novel, but passed on the book because she didn’t know how to sell it.
“Meaning she didn’t know how to sell a book by an African-American or with African-American characters,” Montgomery said. “And to further segment that, she didn’t know how to sell a book with an African-American heroine and a Caucasian (male) lead.”
Interracial contemporary romance is a sub-genre in the romance novel world, and big publishers shy away from sub-genres, said Debra Dixon, head of publisher Belle Books, dedicated to “Southern Fried Fiction,” and a co-founder of River City Romance Writers.
Publishers look for broad markets, limiting the opportunities for the “cowboy interracial Christmas time-travel romance,” she joked. But those books still will have fans.
“We have companies that publish black romance, Latino romance, Asian romance,” said Dixon. “So there’s something out there for everybody. You need to find a publisher who can sell that.”
Author Latrivia Welch Official Blog 