1. What do you like to do in your free time?
Absolutely nothing. But that’s because I seldom have any free time. I do enjoy hanging out with friends, though. We usually get together at someone’s house to eat, laugh and just to enjoy each other’s company. I have some friends in a band called Soul School, and a bunch of us come together sometimes wherever they’re playing to party hearty with them.
2. What kind of music do you like to listen to? Why?
I’m an “old head” when it comes to music; Al Green, Chaka Khan, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, etc. But I also adore India.Arie, Jill Scott, and anybody else who has a “message” to their music that involves more then booty shaking, sex, and fancy cars. I use music a lot to help set the vibe for my stories. It helps to set the stage. For example, in my novel One Day I Saw a Black King, Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke help to set the tone throughout the story. In Don’t Want No Sugar I went all the way back to Bessie Smith to set the mood. In my next life, I’m gonna sing the blues!
3. What's your all time favorite movie? Why?
I’m a Sci-Fi/Action Adventure/Fantasy buff when it comes to movies. At the top of my list are: The Lord of the Rings trilogy; The Matrix trilogy; anything with vampires in it such as Blade (all of them) and Interview with a Vampire to name a few. I’m not much of a chick flick fan, but if I had to name one that was my favorite, it would have to be Beaches with Bette Midler, oh and The Rose with Bette. She’s probably my favorite actress.
4. What's your all time favorite novel and/or writer? Why?
I’m a HUGE fan of Sandra Jackson-Opoku’s work; The River Where Blood Was Born and Hot Johnny and the Women Who Loved Him. Her work is so creative and so magical. It just sweeps me up and makes me forget that I write books too. I love books and writers that make me forget to read from a writer’s perspective, which tends to be so critical and takes away the enjoyment of reading. Other books that have affected me this way are: A Woman’s Worth by Tracy Price-Thompson and The Unburnable by Marie Elena-John.
5. What do you like best about being a writer?
I absolutely love the creative aspect of writing. I hate the writing part. I loathe the editing part, but I love the making-stuff-up part. There’s something powerful in creating something from nothing, and for me, it’s that element that makes live all the more interesting. Imagination is as important as intellect or having a sense of humor. Without it, I feel incomplete. And I love it when someone else reads one of my stories and loved it. There’s nothing more gratifying than doing something you love and having other people love what you do.
