An Author Interview

The following is an interview I came across for 

Born To Return The Gift.

Due to the lapse of time in responding,
the interviewer’s publication is not cited, but I will gladly acknowledge them upon request.

Today I made time to answer each question for the benefit of inquiring minds.

1)      Judging from the reviews of your debut novel,  Born To Return The Gift,  it seems that some people who “loved your book” may have took points away for grammatical, and formatting errors. How can you expect anyone to be interested, much less purchase flawed work?

I understand that I rushed this book to publication before it was ready, but the 23 reviews generated an overall rating of 4.5 on Amazon so even those who didn’t “love” it found it interesting, despite the flaws. Since then, as depicted by a change in the cover, the content has undergone revisions.

2)      Some people are turned off by faith based novels. What is your reaction to that?

We are all free to enjoy what our mind craves. There are plenty of genres (i.e., mystery/ romance/murder/horror) to intrigue their varied interests

3)      So why did you use sexual content and profanity in your novel?

The sexual content and profanity was pertinent to my characters’ profiles.  I did not set out to write Christian Literature which is the only genre, besides children’s books, which bans such content.

4)      Your novel obviously deals with moral/societal issues.  Isn’t that best left to self-help books?

Why?? ? - Moral/societal issues are inherent in all good fiction. From The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Scrooge to Catcher in the Rye  and Lord of the Flies; From Uncle Tom’s Cabin and The Help to the Harry Potter Trilogies, moral/societal issues come into play.  Many people are entertained by stories that potentially provoke self awareness. Self-help books, (non-fiction) promote solutions to perceivable problems and are in a league of their own.  

5)      Your worst review reads as if you are illiterately Ebonic. It further insinuates that you used profanity unnecessarily. Also, you lacked imagination in naming your characters. How can you address that?

To love it or hate it is always the reader’s prerogative, but it is also my prerogative to tell a story the way I choose to tell it. As a new author, I have not established a readership so although those who hate it may not give me an opportunity to change their mind about my writing skill, there are millions of other readers out there who don’t even know about my book.

It was not for a lack of imagination that my main character and her best friend share the same name. It was meant to show that despite their eight year age difference, they mirrored each other in ways the reviewer obviously didn’t comprehend. One speaks properly, and the other has a potty mouth. A potential lover and an ex-husband also share the same name. One is charismatic and projects a positive attitude while the other is abusive and symbolizes a negative past. This conflicting characterization was used to further dramatize that it isn’t all about one’s name, but in the character of the person. The book itself is an imaginative demonstration of skillful story crafting.  

The ‘The Pampered Lamb’ (on Amazon) was on a mission as a ravenous wolf to write a ‘scathing review’ and it exemplifies the persona of a few negligible characters in Born To Return The Gift.  I suspect that in recognizing herself, she deliberately ‘coded’ this review to deter those who might otherwise be interested in reading the book.   

I’m obviously not illiterate or Ebonic. Although her opinion (also posted on Goodreads under the name of 'Melissa') is significantly her own,  if she possessed a real ‘thinking’ mind, she would have done a better job of hiding her own ignorance while denigrating my work.

6)      Another reviewer said your character’s life made her weary.

The novel IS about a character suffering with depression.  What disposition in life could be wearier?  The character’s predicament and reflections are testament to her condition, and the revealed nightmare outlines how it happened.  Evidently, the character portrayal is realistically on point.  In accentuating the positive I would like to point out that this same reviewer also acknowledged the book as ‘well written’.

7)      In my research for this interview, I came across an Amazon discussion – “Looking for Reviewers” dated Dec. 6, 2009 and extending through Mar. 26, 2010.   It appears that you were subjected to some rather harsh criticism personally, as a result of a review posted on ‘The Boogle.’ What are your thoughts about that? Did it discourage you from writing?

I believe premeditated personal attitudes deterred reading comprehension to initiate that attack.  Since it was my very first review, the experience was a wake up call to how critical reader/writer/reviewers can be. (not only critical of the work, but the author as well.)  It was hostile enough to aggravate me to take a breather and absorb that so called lesson in industry ‘etiquette’.  I was uncomfortable at the time, but I laugh about it now because it fuels my fire.  I printed the discussion and the essence of it will one day be addressed in a book of nonfiction.  

8)      So, there is another novel in the pipeline. What’s it about?

End All To Be All was released in 2011.  It’s a parallel sequel named for the alcohol and drug facility introduced in Born To Return The Gift.  The focal character is Michael.  Defeated by grief, pain, and frustration, he ends up on skid row.  Circumstances eventually force him into recovery and in no time he is invited to join the expanding entrepreneurial venture. Later, as ‘Director’ he realizes he has been tricked with empty promises, as his title only entitles him to be the puppet master of a den of drama. Clients are only interested in food/shelter, and very few are interested in recovery. Disgruntled but optimistic, when Nyima arrives as a ‘resident’, he engages her to assist him in legitimizing the facility which is eventually named End All To Be All.  Just when it looks as if things are looking up, he uncovers the founder’s true agenda. The death of his estranged father soon follows and catapults him into a drinking binge that has the potential of destroying his existence.  

9)      Sounds interesting.  Is this novel faith driven as well?

Yes, but from a different perspective. Besides the transition from female to male in leading characters, Nyima believes in God and Michael is an agnostic.

10)  Do you have any advice for other aspiring writers?

Let your imagination and life insights lead the way in your writing and don’t let anyone discourage your efforts.   If you can afford it, hire a professional editor.  If not, enlist someone who is willing and capable of giving constructive criticism to read each finished chapter.  If you have to depend upon yourself, ask God to cosign as your editor. The most important thing is to keep writing and follow through to publication. You might not receive recognition or make any money, but the accomplishment is its own reward; and it might prove entertaining or reach deeper to inspire someone in some way.

I would like to add that I’m working on my third novel, titled Sienna. I expect it will be ready for publication by Fall 2014.

In closure, I add the following commentary.  

According to Wikipedia  and the American Heritage Dictionary of theEnglish Language, 4th Ed. (2000):
The word  ‘motherfucker’ is a noun or adjective (ing) and the ‘literal’ sense is not implied in its use. It is vulgar slang that refers to a mean, despicable or vicious person; or any particularly difficult or frustrating situation.

According to Jim Dawson, the author of The Compleat Motherfucker: A History of the Mother of All Dirty Words (2009): Possibly the earliest use of the term was in the Ionic (i.e., Greek) poetry of Hipponax; and British and American Whites likely have used the term for several hundreds of years. The term was usually used in reference to African Americans.

Therefore, its use did not originate with African Americans so therefore cannot be cited as stereotypical of African Americans as implied by ‘The Pampered Lamb’ in her review. Despite that fact, I will add that even before Richard Prior used the terms on stage, African Americans had changed its vernacular meaning and impact to negate its negative connotations.   

Today it is graffiti on many urban and rural terrains, whether on a wall or a rock. Right or wrong, the words spew from children’s mouths when they’re with their peers; rapped in music; scripted in movies, and is understood throughout the world whenever someone expresses that single word as vocal frustration or exclamation – whatever the case might be.

I send a shout out to all those who find profanity offensive. It is toxic poison. Reserved kudos to those who refrain from using the word(s) with a ‘holier than thou attitude’ which depicts you as maybe a better person, albeit judgmental.  Just remember that when you think no one is listening or watching… when you catch a case of road rage or get fired from a job… keep that middle finger down and hush your mouth because there is no hiding from God.

As for those who think it’s a motherfucking shame that some self righteous motherfuckers want to fuck with your freedom of speech…just exclaim “fuck it” and calm down. We All have rights and evidently different opinions about it.

* Despite peer pressure, the word is not obliterated from view, but the  ‘uc’ part of this word and its derivatives has been censored in Born To Return The Gift based on freedom of choice.

Feel free to express your thoughts about this interview or commentary.  Your feedback/comment, whether positive or negative, is welcomed.