Let me be the first to say Welcome to Arlena's Blog Page for My Interviews with Various Authors
Happy Holidays to all.....and let's welcome this Sunday, December 18, 2016 Author A. D......
A.D. would you please tell
us about yourself... such as what would you like for your readers to know about you? ex. Your
hobbies....family...likes/dislikes... You can do a
biography of yourself here if you would like... which may
include many of the questions below. I think you have several occupations….a
teacher and something with the airlines? Any pets?
I notice you use your
initials A. D. instead of Anita Davis. Is that a little confusing at
times for your readers?
Hello! My name is Anita Davis, but when thinking about
establishing my brand as an author, I wanted a name that would also sound good if
I branched out into singing as well. I thought simply using my initials would
cover me well in both fields, so I go by A.D. People mainly communicate with me
on Facebook via my personal, but I do have an author page, @theauthorad, that I
would love to use as my main author platform on Facebook. People who know me as
an author, generally refer to me as A.D. I am 33 years old and currently
single. Being single affords me plenty of time to follow my dreams and not have
to consider someone else’s desires at the moment. I am a woman of many trades.
I am a licensed cosmetologist and worked in a salon in my early twenties for a
while before I decided I wanted to do something different. I went to Northern
Illinois University and ultimately earned my Bachelors of Science in Elementary
Education with an emphasis on teaching middle school language arts and social
science. I worked at an elementary school for seven years as a writing teacher.
Being in that position helped me to hone my already critical eye to view
writing from a different lense. I loved teaching writing and would often have
to write examples on demand for the students to show them the process that a
writer goes through to come up with ideas, first draft, etc. Although I had
always been an avid reader and always wrote, whether it was short stories or in
a journal, constantly having the discipline of writing in my face as a teacher
reminded me of how much I actually loved writing. Five years into teaching, I
decided to pursue a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Upon completion
of the degree, I knew in my heart that writing is what I absolutely wanted to
do. My passion shifted from being a classroom teacher to writing on a more
full-time basis that I resigned from teaching. I went headfirst into writing
and thought my first book, “Underneath It All” would make me millions
overnight, thus providing me with no need to get a 9-5. I was wrong. When it
hit me that I would still need additional income to sustain me until my books
“put me on top” (LOL), my friend suggested that I become a flight attendant. I
was opposed to the idea at first. Flying is not a passion of mine, but the more
I thought about all of the benefits of being a flight attendant, the more I
realized it could be the best fit for me at this juncture of my life. I applied
and was hired at a regional carrier and after my first year, I settled into
loving it. It truly affords me a lot of time to do what I love, write. So yes,
I am a flying, teaching, (I still sub in a few school districts), writer. =)
· As far as my day to day life outside of writing,
teaching, and flying, my hobbies include reading, working out, doing arts and
crafts, singing, and SKATING (not roller blades, but quads.) I do tricks and
all on my skates. I don’t have any pets.
Where are you from? Where are you living now? Where would you like
to visit in the near future and why?
I am from Chicago; born and raised here. While my city
gets a lot of flak for the violence that occurs in it, it really is a great
city. I mean it has to be, it helped to make me! LOL
There are so many places I want to and will visit in
the near future, but my top places are: Italy, Paris, Dubai (I have a story
that I am eager to write that will be based here), Greece, and Thailand. I want
to visit those places because I’ve seen pics that showcase how beautiful they
are and know they hold a lot of history and rich cultural/tourist experiences
worth partaking in.
What did you want to
be when you grew up besides being a writer? When did Anita know when
she wanted to be a writer/author?
· I grew up thinking I would be a cosmetologist. Being a
writer or a teacher never crossed my mind all the way through high school.
· As I mentioned earlier, my time spent in the
classroom made me realize I wanted to write, but the exact moment that it
really became tangible that I had to pursue it was while teaching a narrative
unit one year. My eighth grade students were not interested in the unit per the
district samples provided. I knew I needed to get their attention and nurture
it so I sat down in front of them and typed and talked my thoughts out
(pretending to struggle with thoughts to show them that was okay for writers)
on the laptop and they saw my words on the projector. I brought the characters
and the plot to life right in front of them. I enjoyed it because it eased them
into working on their own stories. The next day, they bombarded me to continue
writing my story because they just needed to know what happened next with the
plot and characters. Moments like that were euphoric and confirmed to me that
there were people who would actually want to read all of the stories I had in
my head.
How did you get started as a writer? What's the best thing about being a writer?
I would say being a writing teacher was my start at
writing as I do now and by the time I finished my masters, I knew beyond the
shadow of a doubt that’s what I wanted to do. In fact, my first two books were
two of the three stories I submitted for my thesis for the program. I was
hooked and ready to hit the ground running as a writer upon my completion of
the program. The best thing about being a writer is the freedom of thought. I
love being able to choose how I want the characters’ stories to be told, even
though they tend to take over and tell their own stories. LBS. There’s a saying
that a reader can easily live a thousand lives via books. I believe the same
can definitely be said for writers. Another thing I love about writing is that
when done carefully, it should cause one to have more empathy for humans. When
we write we have to create background stories for even the most unlovable
characters. In doing so, it temporarily causes us to identify with them, at
least to explain why they are who they are and why they do the things they do.
With the understanding that humans are complex, that same allotment should be
given to those we see daily. That’s not to say that any and all behavior is
acceptable because of one’s background, but a writer should be slower to judge
others because of the space we have to put ourselves in often to tell the
antagonists story. I know for me, being a writer has made me more down to earth
and compassionate than I once was. LBS
Where do you like to read? Can you name the readers a few books you have on your currently to read pile?
· I like to read any and everywhere, whether it be on the
plane or my comfy chaise lounge in my living room. The key for me to enjoy
reading, is to do it uninterrupted. I loathe when someone interrupts me while
reading. I get so annoyed. LOL.
I have a lot of books in my “to be read” list, but
those at the top are “Between A Rock And A Hot Mess” by Phyllis Bourne,
“Breaking All The Rules” by Rhonda McKnight, “Mr. Right Next Door” by Farrah
Rochon, “Passion Unlimited” by Delaney Diamond, and “The Wish” by Francis Ray.
By the way, that was tough to narrow down trying to read those ASAP because there are so many others downloaded on my
Kindle that I can’t wait to dig into.
How was life
growing up and how does it affect your writing at this point in your
life? How do you come up with your hero/heroine that you write about in
your novels? What do you think about 'Standalone Reads' and as compared
to 'Series - Book 1’ as you write your novels?
· My life was very interesting growing up. Blessed is the ultimate
way to describe it, but overall, it forced me to be more of an introvert and by
nine years old, reading became my ultimate escape from reality than it ever had
before that point. Being comfortable with isolation is a trait that kind of
works well for authors. With what we do, we can be in isolation a lot of times.
Some people cringe being left alone with their thoughts, but for me, I thrive
in those moments. I get to hear the characters and their plots and move forward
writing their stories. I recently realized that maybe because I haven’t had my
“happy ever after” just yet, that I guess I subconsciously don’t give my
characters a “happily ever after” by the end of the book. However, for some of
the characters, they eventually get in latter books if they are a part of
series.
· I get inspired by so much so I don’t necessarily pinpoint
people to say “oh, they inspired me for this character”. There may be a theme
or an ideology I want to convey, so I just build characters and a plot around
that most of the time.
In relation to what I think about, ‘Standalone Reads’,
I love them. I’m an impatient person and I always want to know what will happen
next as soon as possible, so to wait to find out something about a character
until the next book can be nerve wrecking for me. But at the same time, a good
series can make you feel at home with the characters. It gives you a chance to
go and grow with them over the course of several books rather than a thrilling
journey in just one book. Honestly, I set out to only write standalones because
I foresaw how much attention would need to be given to writing series, but, my
characters and their storylines said otherwise. LOL. They wanted some “to be
continued” moments. I do have a lot standalones already plotted out and eager
to write in the near future. I’m a proponent of both.
What motivated you to become a writer, what is your inspiration and what
is your resource process when you are preparing to write a novel? How
long does it generally take you to write and finish up your novels? What
should readers expect from your stories? Do you
do your own book covers or do you have help? They all are simply all
beautiful. [I plan to show each one in this interview down below with
your book covers].
· What motivated me to become an author was realizing that
I had the gift to write and I could actually make good on all of the stories I
had imagined and plotted out in my head ever since I was little girl. The desire to write taunted me
so until I knew that it’s what I wanted to do, what I’m supposed to be doing.
· My inspiration for my stories comes from everywhere: a
song, the sun shining, hearing laughter, wind rustling through a tree. I’ve
just learned to be observant and attentive to everyday life.
· My process of writing starts with visuals. I’m the type
that likes to see charts and list out what I need to accomplish. That crosses
over to writing when it comes to me using outlines for my books. When I
initially get the vision for a book, it is very detailed and lengthy as I write
it down. When it comes time to write said book, I generally turn most of the
sentences from that initial synopsis into chapters and the fill in the rest of
the plot from there.
· The time it takes to write my novels varies. I talked out
“Catch Me If You Can” in like a week, but then it took me about three months to
read through and make sense of what my voice program thought I had said. LOL.
Because I love to write and being a flight attendant affords me so much time to
write, if I stick to writing daily, I can finish the first draft of a book in a
month if I finish a chapter a day.
· As I mentioned earlier about me not having my happily
ever after just yet, readers should expect not to necessarily experience such
for my characters in one book. What the characters go through generally expands
over the course of a year and so they may need more time, or another book, to
get to their happily ever after, if they ever do. I tend to model my
characters’ lives to mirror reality for many people. Problems we experience in life may not get
solved in one year, so I make that same allotment for my stories. Outside of
not necessarily getting happy endings in the book, they can expect for it to be
told in such a humorous and emotional way that they’ll look forward to reading
the next book in the series to see if the characters will get to the their
happily ever after.
· Yes, I do my own book covers. It is a part of my writing
process. I honestly don’t feel right with starting the book until I have
completed the cover. As I mentioned as one of my hobbies, I love art. Creating
my book covers gives me that release.
Now, could I get you to list all of
your books you are author of.... in order that you wrote them and the year that each one was published and also may I have the
genres? Are they on Kindle format or paperbacks?
1. Underneath It All
(Sisterhood Chronicles Book 1) Feb 16, 2014 (Christian Fiction/Contemporary
Women’s Fiction)
2. After All Is Said & Done Sep 20, 2014
(Contemporary Women’s Fiction)
3. Catch Me If You Can (Forever Friends Book 1) Jun 11,
2015 (Contemporary Women’s Fiction)
4. Discovery (The Sisterhood Chronicles Book 2) Mar 26,
2016 (Christian Fiction/Contemporary Women’s Fiction)
5. It's Complicated (Forever Friends Book 2) May 12, 2016
(Contemporary Women’s Fiction)
6. Untold (Sisterhood Chronicles Book 3) Nov 4, 2016 also
Paperback (Christian Fiction/Contemporary
Women’s Fiction) All are in both Kindle and Paperback
By the way I have had the privilege of reading all of your novels that are so very well written and my reviews can be found on my blog page:
Arlena's Book Reviews at https://arlenasbookreviews-arlenadean.blogspot.com
moving on...
A. D. Are you working on your next novel?
I just finished the fourth and final novel in the Sisterhood
Chronicles Series, “When It Happens To You”, about two weeks ago. It will be
released by March of 2017. I’ve already started on a new one in which I’ll give
the characters a happily ever after by the end of the book.
Now, which of your novels would you say were your favorite and why?
Honestly, when asked which of my books is my favorite, I
always say it’s the one I’m working on because I see my growth as a writer in
it. But if I were to pick from those readily available to readers, I would say
“After All Is Said & Done” and “It’s Complicated”, because of the
complexity of the characters and the subject matter presented in them. But then
again, I’m quite fond of my latest release, “Untold”, because of how quirky and
intriguing to me the main character Renee is.
Have you ever tried writing any Poetry if not
would you ever consider it? If you have would you care to share with us
some of them?
I do write poems from time to time, but I wouldn’t
compile them into a book of poetry. When I write poetry, it’s simply just a
personal release for me. There are poems that I wrote in “Underneath It All”
that you can check out if one reads the book.
Do you have a Blog page if so what will we find on it?
I don’t have a blog page at this time.
Are you a
self-publisher? Is so what is that process like? If not who is your
publisher? Would you ever consider co-authoring with another
author?
Yes, I’m self-published. I enjoy it other than having to
do all of the marketing for myself. If possible, I would love to just focus on
the creative aspect of writing and maturing my craft as a writer, but being
self-published calls for so much more than that.
· Yes, I’ve been really thinking about co-authoring with
another author(s). Perhaps a Christmas anthology.
·
What would you like the readers to take from your novels?
· I would like readers to take away from my books the
belief that they can overcome any adversity they face and give life a chance to
be enjoyed.
What is the best thing about being a writer? Have you ever been bothered
with ‘Writer's Block?’
The best thing about being a writer is never being alone.
LOL. My characters are always talking to me.
No, I don’t get writer's block. I have the opposite good
problem, blocking out new book ideas to complete existing ones.
What is your favorite word and why and your
least favorite word and why?
· Apparently, for a while, my favorite word must have been
“purse”. I had my characters “pursing” their lips as a means to show they
weren’t convinced by what others around them were saying. But once I recognized
my over usage of the word, I retired it. LOL.
In response to my least favorite word would probably be “I can’t”. I
hate to hear people say that because I believe that all things are possible.
What was your very first book you ever read that you truly
loved?
· I’ve been reading for as long as I can remember so I
would say that the very first Babysitters Club book I read was my favorite, but
in my latter years, I would say that I treasure is the first Vanessa Davis
Griggs. The book reignited my passion to read since it had waned amidst all of
the academia I was dealing with. (Forgive me for not remembering the particular
title at the moment).
Do you have a favorite sentence from any of your books? If so, what is it? What
would you say are your 5 favorite words?
· My favorite sentence that
I can think of now would have to be from “It’s Complicated: Forever Friends 2” at
a point where the main character Melanie has to address a woman meddling with
her at a sip and paint outing. “…You’re
talking about me not loving myself, but you and I are the same color and yet
you have on foundation that’s three shades lighter than what you are. Really,
who’s fooling who?” I like how Melanie points out the irony of what the woman
had been saying to her that night.
· In relation to my
favorite words, when people ask me what I’m doing, my running response is,
“Getting my life together.” LOL
Do you have a pen name? I notice you also go by A. D.
· A.D. is my pen name. Again, I would like to go by A.D. in
the literary world.
What genres
do you write and why?
· I enjoy writing Christian fiction because of my personal
beliefs. But my books also fit under the women’s contemporary fiction category of
literature and I enjoy writing in that genre because I Iike writing
contemporary stories that I can relate to and would want to read. I do plan to
release romance novels in 2017.
How much of
what you write is based on personal/real life experiences. When writing
do you use paper and pen or computer?
· What I write is based on my imaginings of what could
possibly happen in life, but they are not my personal stories. When I write, I
definitely do so on my computer unless I’m on the plane, and then I’m writing
on my phone. My thoughts come too fast to bother trying to capture them with a
pen and paper.
Please share
with us of your writing process...ex. Do you write while listening
to music ...if so....who may we find you listening to?
· When it comes to my writing process, as I stated before,
after I have written down the synopsis for the story, I either interchange
doing the cover first or the in-depth outline and then I begin to write the
story. If I’m on the plane, I can’t listen to music while I write, but if not
on the plane, I love to sit in a café-like restaurant called Panera Bread and
write. The atmosphere just breeds creativity for me. If I choose not to go
there or am not on the plane or in a hotel room, I’m in one of my writing rooms
in my house listening to some neo soul or Dusties in the background while I
write. I find that if I don’t have music playing in the background, the silence
of my thoughts can get too loud for me. It’s deafening not writing to music for
me. Weird hunh?
What genres
do you love to read and what five books would I find stacked on your bookshelf
that you have read?
· As of late, I really fancy reading romance novels. For a
long while I borrowed books from the library, so there wasn’t an immediate need
to purchase books. Once I caught a hold of the e-book craze, I started
downloading books, so I don’t have many paperbacks, but I love to hold a book
as I read it. As a flight attendant, it’s more convenient to have my books stored
on an electronic device. But then again, as an author, I feel I should have an
impressive paperback collection. LOL. On
my shelf, you would see all of the books by Sherelle Green, my books of course,
Janelle Smith Toussant’s “Ninth Ward Blues” and three of E N Joy’s books.
Again, I’m working on building my paperback library.
What authors
do you admire and why? Do you belong to any 'Book Clubs beside
Arlena’s Reading with Friends? [Smile] on Facebook. If so would you like to share it with us?
· One of my favorite authors I admire is Vanessa Davis
Griggs. I love how she can have multiple books portraying some of the same
characters and yet each one adds different layers to the character’s stories. I
think she is absolutely great at writing engaging and fresh books in a series.
The authors I currently have a close eye on are Farrah Rochon because her
romances are so endearing and plausible. I actually feel like I’m in the
fictitious towns that her series are based in. I also admire Delaney Diamond.
Her first work I read featured a mechanic as the heroine. She had me hooked
from there with the woman having such an unconventional occupation. I love how
she gives fresh takes on descriptions and avoids using clichés when writing. I
also love Sherelle Green’s books. I pay attention to her writing because it is
concise and yet so vivid. I can really see her characters in the way in which
she describes them as if I were watching a movie. Their storylines are
believable and not so falsified in an attempt to give the reader a happily ever
after.
· No, I’m not a part of a book club at the time because I
know that I wouldn’t be able to give it the attention it deserves since I
honestly spend a lot of time writing, and plus, I’m generally out of town for
work all the time and would miss many of the meetings. But I am a part of a
group of writers in Chicago known as Book Euphoria where we meet as often as we
can and write together and we also came together to create more literary events
in Chicago. We host a book fair twice a year, in March and November, called
Book It. We just wanted to provide a platform for authors to showcase their
books and connects with local readers.
What would you like
your readers to know that they may not know about you?
· I’m very passionate about anything in relation to
teaching and academics. And on the
contrast, I love to joke and smile. When they see me, they will generally see a
wide grin plastered on my face. I truly believe life is meant to be enjoyed.
What may the reader find you
doing when you are not writing and working on your novels?
· When not working on a novel, I’m mainly reading other’s
works or binge watching a series on Netflix.
What advice
would you give other aspiring writers about your writing in
general?
·
I would tell aspiring authors not to let anyone dictate
what they should write and to not let anyone hinder them from accomplishing
what they hope to gain with their books whether it be the theme or even just
publishing them.
What advice and motivation would
you give a reader who would like to become a writer/author?
· I would tell a readers who wants to transition into a
writer/author to always stay a reader. Meaning, never become that author who
feels they never have time to read. I think it’s crazy to be an author and yet
never read or barely make time for it. In doing that, one leaves out the
possibility to really mature their craft.
Please share with us what you are working on at this time and can we expect a release date soon/or any other thing(s) you would
like for your readers to know about you and your books.
· As I said, I just finished writing “When It Happens To
You: Sisterhood Chronicles 4” a few weeks ago and it will be released in March
2017. I’m starting a book in January called “Lights, Camera, Action” and it will
be released in July 2017. Definitely be on the lookout for that one because
there’s a special add on to it that I’m certain readers will be pleased with.
·
As far as what I want readers to know about my books is
that, although I wrote them and may have a bias towards them, I just want
people to know that my books are entertaining and not to be afraid to give them
a chance.
Please
tell us about your latest novel and how you think people are
responding to it?
· In relation to how I think people are responding to my
latest novel, “Untold: Sisterhood Chronicles 3”, it just came out November 5
and it seems to be going under the radar. Hopefully, people will get into my
books and see my growth as a writer and really enjoy “Untold” by the time they
get to it in its series. The main character Renee and her storyline is
definitely read worthy.
How do you relate
to how your readers respond to reviews of your novels?
·
In response to how I react to reviews of my novels, I’m
just grateful to anyone who buys my books, let alone read them and then take
the time to leave a review. So when possible, I sometimes reach out to the
person with sincere gratitude thanking them for reading my work and leaving a
review, especially if they enjoyed it. =)
Do you prefer
paperbacks or ebooks or both for your novels deliverance?
·
In reference to how I deliver my books to the public, paperbacks
are a must have for me because I travel a lot promoting myself and my books and
people love to see and hold the product I’m asking them to take a chance on. I
make it my business to always have physical copies of my books, but I
definitely make sure the e-book versions are readily available in this
technologically advanced era.
Have you ever thought about doing audio?
·
Making my books available on audio is not an immediate
concern of mine because I know that the cost for quality recording, etc. is
significant. I’d like to tap into that media form when my budget will allow for
it one day.
Please share with us anything not covered above you would like to
share with your readers at this time.
·
One thing I would like to mention to readers is that
because I didn’t write the Sisterhood Chronicles books back to back, my Forever
Friends series interrupts it. So although Untold is book #3 in the Sisterhood
Chronicles, it’s technically book #5 in the timeline of the characters’ lives
between all five books. Please forgive me you all if this may be confusing,
however, my characters have minds of their own. Lol
Another thing that I would like to impress upon my
readers is that my writing journey is definitely about maturing my storytelling
with each book. I hope they see that too as they take this journey with me from
book to book.
Please leave us an excerpt from your any of your novels that you think the
readers would enjoy......
Discovery: Sisterhood
Chronicles 2 Excerpt....
.. “Hi Auntie Paula.” Pam
sang as she went to the dish rack to grab a cup.
“Hi Pammie. How are you doing today?”
“She would be doing a lot better if she used her head instead of her hormones.”
“Momma, please stop being so dramatic. I know I
made a mistake, but you don’t have to keep throwing it in my face.”
“Well, I ain’t gon’ do it behind your back. Open
rebuke is good for you.”
Pam stood silent brooding. She wanted to let her
mother have a good tongue lashing at times, but she knew better than that. She
took a big gulp of her water trying to calm herself down. “Don’t worry momma,
as soon as my place is done I’ll be out of your hair.”
“You’re not in my hair, you’re in my house. I
raised you better than being somebody’s fool. I don’t understand why you didn’t
do your homework on him. I don’t care how charming he may have been, you
shouldn’t have been his fool. Ain’t no man worth your salvation. Had you took
the time to get to know him, brought him here to meet us, I would have been
able to judge his character. That’s why your brothers’ marriages have lasted as
long as they have. I met their wives, assessed their characters, and confirmed
to both of my sons that each of their women were a great catch.”
“Eilene, be quiet. You aren’t always right.
Sometimes you have to let kids learn from their own mistakes.”
“Kids? She ain’t a kid. She’s thirty-two years
old.”
“I know that momma, you remind me of my age and
what I did every day.” Pam took a deep breath. “I wish you would be here to
comfort me while I’m learning from my mistakes instead of condemning me. You
make me feel like I’m not wanted here.” Pam stormed out, but her exit wasn’t as
productive as she would have liked it to be. She ended up in her room in her
parents’ house."
A.D. where can we follow you?
www.theauthorad.com
Amazon.com/author/theauthorad
Goodreads A.D.
Facebook @theauthorad
Twitter @theauthorad
Instagram @theauthorad
A.D. I want to thank you for this absolutely wonderful interview. I have learned so much about you that I know your readers will enjoy knowing. You are truly one super lady and I am so glad to have met you personally and know that you are a real 😊 person and truly a author of some wonderful novels. For all readers who haven't picked up one of Author A. D.'s novel please do ...you will not be disappointed at all. At the bottom of this review please feel free to leave A. D. a comment. Thanks!
Let me wish you a Merry Christmas 2016 and a Happy New Year 2017. A.D. please keep on doing what you do so well and that is writing well written novels for your readers.
.B
Growing up, I hit the trifecta of being
nerdy, chubby, and introverted. Add that in on top of my family’s frequent
moves, and you can see why books ended up being my best friends. I didn’t
really find my feet socially until college, where I was lucky enough to make
friends who didn’t live on shelves. I also spent a wonderful year living in
Spain, and—right at the last minute—met my husband. That was…well, let’s just
say that was a lot of years ago. Then, while he was in graduate school in Rhode
Island, I decided to get my Masters in Psychology and go to work in schools. I
loved being around kids all day, middle-schoolers in particular. But after I
had some pretty serious health issues and we moved to Oklahoma for my husband’s
job, I threw myself into raising our two amazing daughters. Once they were in
school, though, I decided to give myself a year to write a book. If it worked,
I’d focus on living my childhood dream of being an author. If it didn’t, I’d go
back to being a school psychologist. As it turned out, I did write that book. And while it never sold, finishing it gave me
the confidence to keep going and write another. Unfortunately, that one didn’t
sell either. But the third time was the charm; Little, Brown Books for Young
Readers published Scarlett Undercover,
and I’m still writing today.
