10 Unique Ways to Market Your Book

Most of my readers know by now that my debut book, If I Had My Way, is being released on February 1, 2012. I have had to do a great bit of marketing in the last year to get to a place where hopefully readers other than my loved ones will buy my book. I will admit marketing can be difficult. I say difficult because there is always something else to do or that you could be doing. But I found out through lack of sleep, that I can't do everything because I have other priorities. So I learned to do what works and what is most beneficial to me in the long run. There are hundreds if not thousands of marketing strategies and tips available that can be useful to sell books, but today I will share only ten.


1. Get Actively Involved. 
Join associations and organizations geared toward networking, helping or supporting writers and authors. But don't just join and fade into the background. Get active, volunteer or sponsor events to get recognition. By doing so, you could meet potential publishers, editors and agents. Not to mention you can make lasting literary connections. Most associations and organization have a newsletter. When your book is being released, you can request to have it mentioned in the newsletter which is usually sent out to hundreds or more members. I am currently a member of several literary organizations. The one I'm most involved in is The Alabama Writers' Conclave. It's one of the oldest writers' organizations in continuous existence in the United States. I am also the Publicity Chair for the Alabama Writers' Conclave. The AWC holds an annual writers conference every year in different parts of Alabama. This year it will be held in Huntsville, Alabama. There you can network, attend workshops, and meet great people. If you are a member of the AWC, you can get a discount on the conference as well.

2. Attend Local Book Fairs and Festivals
By attending book fairs and festivals you have the opportunity to meet readers. People who attend book fairs and festival are there because they love books. Most book fairs and festivals have opportunities for authors to rent tables or booths to sell their books. But even if you can't afford to rent a booth or a table, you can mingle amongst the crowd with a large book bag filled with books ready to sell should you meet a potential reader or buyer. Or you could go fully stocked with bookmarks and business cards to hand to passersby. There are a few festivals and book fairs that are opened free to the public. Check out my list of book fairs and festivals page.

3. Get Noticed in the Community News
When you go to any public event to talk about your book such as a book signing, make sure the local newspapers list your event in the Event section of the newspaper. In my area, the local newspaper offers this service for free.

4. Attend Trade Shows and Conventions
Nearly every genre or literary market is represented at trade shows and conventions. There you have the possibility of meeting publishers, editors, agents, manufacturers, buyers, authors, suppliers, media and distributors. You can network, draw up leads and contacts in one weekend that would likely be more beneficial than attending in other event. To find trade shows visit Gale,  Expo Guide and Trade Show News Network.

5. Visit the Library
The library is an abundant source of information for any author. Libraries can give you feedback on what people are reading, what genres are being read the most, provide databases, information on publishers, websites, magazines or general information to help you find more resources and facts. The library can also help you find a list of directories for periodicals and associations for marketing purposes. And most libraries will let you use their facility for a book signing. Possibly for free, but some may charge a small fee. To find a library in your area, contact Public Libraries.

6. Virtual Book Tours
The person to person book tour is not as popular as it use to be. Mostly because some publishers don't want to foot the bill with so much competition going on with eBook publishing and one hit wonders. Virtual book tours have become popular with some authors because it's more economical; there's no need to get dressed, rent a car or buy an airplane ticket nor is it necessary reserve a hotel room for a days stay. Nope, with virtual book tours you contact a virtual book tour company, go over their fees or packages and they essentially do the rest for you. What a virtual book tour company does is contact several blogs that are already signed up with them to host authors or do book reviews on their blog. Once the virtual book tour company contacts its host, the host then receives a copy of your book, and they are asked whether they'd like to do an interview with the author, a book review or let the author do a guest post on their blog. Each day the author is hosted on a different blog. So lets say, I'm on tour, I would be hosted on 10 different blogs in say 10 days. Each day is an opportunity to meet new readers and make contact with bloggers that might like my book or that I could develop a future relationship with for future book releases. It also gives the blog recognition and page views because the virtual book tour owner would likely do some advertising to announce where the author will be each one of those 10 days. It's like a blog hop for authors. I am starting a virtual book tour company called Spotlight Virtual Book Tours and I'm in the process of accumulating potential hosts for virtual book tours. If you own a blog and would like to be a host, contact me at spotlight@lenasledge.com or read the Spotlight Virtual Book Tour info in the upper right hand corner of my sidebar.

7. Start a Blog
Blogging is beneficial for authors because it gives the author a way to connect to readers and fans in a more personal format. Also, search engines spider blogs more frequently than websites. Search engines look for new content, and websites usually don't have daily or weekly updated material like a blog. Once the blogger post the content, generally and hopefully readers will comment. Comments are new content/updates. The more comments, the more inbound and outbound links, the more search engines assume your blog is popular. Thus attracting more readers. More readers means increased potential to sell books. To find out other reasons why blogging is great for authors, check out my post, 5 Reasons Authors Should Blog.

8. Become active on Amazon
Amazon is a useful tool to use to get your name in front of readers. You can do this several ways. I will cover just a few. First, create lists using Listmania. Listmania is a list of books categorized by whatever title you give it. For instance, I could create a list titled Best Book for Self-Publishers. Once I have a title, I then add books that would fit into that category thus creating a list. Then people searching for books for self-publishers could choose to search using Listmania. Then viola, your list pops up along with your user name and author page info. You are now drawing attention to yourself as an expert or someone that is familiar with those types of books. Another way to get recognition on Amazon is do reviews of products or books. Trust me, people read reviews and they check the authority of the reviewer to see how many times the reviewer has reviewed something. Readers check for credibility. So don't just post one review, get in the habit of doing one a week. Plus, if your book is listed on Amazon, you'd likely hope someone would do the same for you when your book is released.

9. Be Prepared to Give Away Free Copies
I once read an article that said any author should be prepared to give away 10% of the books they expect to sell. So if you plan to sell 6,000 copies, be prepared to give away 600 copies for free. Why free? Free drums up publicity. Publicity generates sells. You can give copies away to doctor's offices for their waiting rooms or give them away as part of a contest or promotion. You can partner up with other authors or events to give away your books. Make sure when you give books away there is a way to contact you for future sales. You can create your own label and stick it on the back cover or in the inside jacket of the book. Also, as discussed above, you need reviews. You can get reviews easier when you give away copies. People are more inclined to do it considering they received the book for free. If you request a review, just be sure to ask for an honest review and once you receive the review, make sure and say thank you. Also, don't get upset if the review is not 5 stars. You want honest and fair reviews. Remember readers check the credibility of the reviewer.

10. Do a Radio Interview
There are so many radio blogs on the Internet. Some of them are searching for guest speakers to fill their time slots. Others would love to interview an author and talk about the author's recent work. It can be done by phone and pre-recorded for a later date or on air. And it's free. I was recently interviewed by bestselling authors, Reshonda Tate Billingsley and Pat Tucker for their literary radio talk show, From Cover to Cover on FM and Internet radio. It was my first radio interview, so I was extremely nervous. But it helps that both authors were welcoming and supportive so it eased some of the jitters and butterflies I had. I think I will do even better the next time I do a radio interview. But it's good to get your feet wet and get prepared to talk about your book and why you love doing what you do. No one can express the love and passion you have for your book better than you. So practice and be prepared to talk about yourself, your book and make that sell. You never know who may be listening.

Good Luck and Blessings!

Nikki Giovanni Poem Spotlight Poetry

Here is one of my favorite poems by Nikki Giovanni. It speaks to me in such a profound way. I hope you enjoy it.

Mothers by Nikki Giovanni

the last time i was home
to see my mother we kissed
exchanged pleasantries
and unpleasantries pulled a warm
comforting silence around
us and read separate books
i remember the first time
i consciously saw her
we were living in a three room
apartment on burns avenue
mommy always sat in the dark
i don’t know how i knew that but she did
that night i stumbled into the kitchen
maybe because i’ve always been
a night person or perhaps because i had wet
the bed
she was sitting on a chair
the room was bathed in moonlight diffused through
those thousands of panes landlords who rented
to people with children were prone to put in windows
she may have been smoking but maybe not
her hair was three-quarters her height
which made me a strong believer in the samson myth
and very black
i’m sure i just hung there by the door
i remember thinking: what a beautiful lady
she was very deliberately waiting
perhaps for my father to come home
from his night job or maybe for a dream
that had promised to come by
“come here” she said “i’ll teach you
a poem: i see the moon
the moon sees me
god bless the moon
and god bless me”
i taught it to my son
who recited it for her
just to say we must learn
to bear the pleasures
as we have borne the pains

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Legacies by Nikki Giovanni

her grandmother called her from the playground  

       “yes, ma’am”

       “i want chu to learn how to make rolls” said the old   

woman proudly

but the little girl didn’t want

to learn how because she knew

even if she couldn’t say it that

that would mean when the old one died she would be less   

dependent on her spirit so

she said

       “i don’t want to know how to make no rolls”

with her lips poked out

and the old woman wiped her hands on

her apron saying “lord

       these children”

and neither of them ever

said what they meant

and i guess nobody ever does

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What poem makes you think about your mother or grandmother?

Spotlight Poetry Contest Day 3

Good day everyone. It's day 3 of the Spotlight Poetry Contest and we have two more poets debuting today. I think they are wonderful additions to the contest. So please leave a comment and show them some love and support. Don't forget to check out their websites, blogs, etc. Also, there is still time to participate, just go the Spotlight Poetry Contest tab for more details.

Did you read this week's Part 2 interview with acclaimed poet, Nikki Giovanni? If you haven't, please go check it out, she had some really interesting things to say. I think you will enjoy it or at the very least go hmmm?

Have a safe and happy week. Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the next set of poets in the contest, they need your love and support too. And don't forget last week's poets as well. And feel free to share this poetry contest with your friends and followers; it's free exposure and another added notch on their networking resume they can add.

Enjoy!

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A former corporate attorney and government relations/health policy executive, Jill-Elizabeth walked away from that world (well, skipped actually) and toward a more literary life (equally challenging, but infinitely more enjoyable).  If you enjoyed this poem, please visit her at Jill-Elizabeth.com, the official home of All Things Jill-Elizabeth – that is, all of the teehees, musings, rants, book reviews, poems, writing exercises, and witticisms of her burgeoning writing career.

Jill Elizabeth Website
Jill Elizabeth Goodreads
Jill Elizabeth Facebook
Jill Elizabeth Linkedin

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 In An Instant by Jill Elizabeth

What does it mean, to truly love –
To find the person you are meant to find?
The one whose life fits yours like a glove,
Who turns two ones into a matched set, a two of a kind.

Suddenly a rosy-red sunset, a flash of lightning in brilliant blue-white,
The grace of a soaring flight of birds –  
These things take on new meaning when you know it’s right;
Clichés are magically no longer just banal words.

They represent the wonder and amazement, the awe, the bliss
Of all that you feel.  The words themselves are no longer the point –
All that matters is the hope, the spark, the kiss,
The touch of the divine, whose spirit deigned to anoint.

It happens in an instant; the Other suddenly is the central part.
From just a piece they have become the very fabric of your heart.
 

*****************************************

Charron Monaye never dreamed of being an acclaimed writer, but when she connected with 912 James Street Production, from Douglasville, Georgia in the winter of 2009, her words were heard. Under this independent label, she wrote soulful ballads such as Better with Me, Lonely Days and Just Friends. In 2010, she connected with ML the Truth of 100 Drums Productions, LLC and wrote some of her favorite ballads, "I Apologize" and "Commitment", which appear on his latest CD entitled, "The Truth". In October of 2010, she networked with Londa B. of Purposeful Publishing and Media Services and decided to publish her thoughts, feelings, and emotions in her 1st proclaimed book of poetry entitled, "My Side of the Story". Charron discusses her experiences and emotions regarding relationships, love, heartbreak, parenthood, family, African - American heritage, and overcoming life's trials. This book is not just her testimony, but it is her own advice manual for all.

Website: www.charronmonaye.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorcharronmonaye

Watch Youtube interview
Youtube Book Trailer
Email: charron.monaye@gmail.com
Purchase Book: submissions@purposefulpubandmedia.info


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Survival by Charron Monaye

My strength shows my struggle

My bloodshed shows my battles

My broken bones show my determination

My smile shows my pleasure in spite of

My pain shows that I am still human

My broken heart shows that every one isn’t true

My imperfections show that I am not perfect

My drive shows that I keep it moving no matter what

My corns show there is no stopping me now

My determination shows that I “Can’t stop, Won’t stop”

My testimony shows that my life isn’t much different from yours

My beauty shows that I come from a line of elegance

My sexiness shows that I am a woman

My timberlands show that I am not ghetto, but straight hood

My divorce papers show that I did give love a try

My pot belly shows that I am a great mother

But

The mere fact that my life hasn't stop

Shows that I have Survived!!!!!! 

**********************************************

What did you think of the poets today? Could you relate to what they were speaking about?

Nikki Giovanni Poetry Spotlight, Day 1 of Contest

What a glorious day. I hope you are all feeling as wonderful as I am today. I was giddy with excitement all yesterday because I had to go through all the submissions for the Poetry Spotlight and Contest and I had to choose another one of my favorite Nikki Giovanni poems as well. Also, if you haven't checked out Part 1 of my interview with Nikki Giovanni, please feel free to do so.


One of my favorite Nikki Giovanni poems is entitled, "A Poem for Flora." I like this poem because it rememinds me of how as children, we find people we want to be like because they inspire us or because they are familiar to us. I remember growing up, I wanted to be a mother, but I wanted to be the kind of mother Clair Huxtable was on the Cosby Show. However, you realize once you're grown, you can never be like anyone else but yourself. But when you're a child, anything that looks like you, sounds like you and is in the company of greatness, you don't mind aspiring to and that's why I chose this poem.


Also, we have our first two new poets to spotlight today. I was so pleased to choose them today. So after reading my favorite poem, scroll and keep reading and show these two new poets some love and attention, welcome Laura Williams and Gary Moon.


It is not too late to enter your own poetry submission, just go to the tab at the top of the page that says Spotlight Poetry Submission for more details on how to enter.
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Poem for Flora by Nikki Giovanni


when she was little
and colored and ugly with short
straightened hair
and a very pretty smile
she went to Sunday school to hear
'bout nebuchadnezzar the king
of the jews


and she would listen

shadrach, meshach and abednego in the fire


and she would learn
how god was neither north
nor south east or west
with no color but all
she remembered was that
Sheba was Black and comely


and she would think


i want to be
like that.
-------------------------------------------------------------


Laura Williams is from Neath in the United Kingdom, she is a writer, trapped in an English teacher’s body. She is also a blogger, a reader, book reviewer, a coffee-drinker and compulsive notebook buyer. Seriously, she says, "it’s bordering on a fetish at this point… I have lots of poems tucked away in these notebooks, but I’ve never shown any to anyone or entered one into a competition before. Poetry is a personal thing. Bad poetry is both personal and embarrassing! I’m hoping this isn’t bad poetry. I’m hoping lots. If you’re interested in hearing more of my babble, check out my shiny blog, "Scattered Figments."


Laura's Twitter
Laura's Blog, Scattered Figments

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Sun Melted By Laura Williams 

Fat and creamy she melts, 
Like delicious butter
In the heat. 

A stubborn protest,
A placard of freckles,
She’s happy only in the sun. 

She wants to bottle 
A perfume of pollen
And sun baked skin.

Life is best when 
Crisp, yellow grass moves
In. Slow. Motion.



*************************************

Gary Moon also hails from the United Kingdom. He is a poet and writer. He says, "a glass of Ardbeg, a book and some music constitute a great evening for me." Gary also has his own poetry blog called, The Parrish Lantern, where he displays his poetry and writes book reviews.

Gary's Blog, The Parrish Lantern
Parrish Lantern on Twitter

****************************
Sunstruck by Gary Moon

you gave me my wings
Tho clipped & torn,
crow tattered rags, where
bright peacock feathers
had been. All gaudy display
now muted distrust,
of a world which I'd hid from
with thee

I shook doubt from these stumps
like clay from my boot, with
foolish pride this icarus flew
Do I need to go on, you
knew the tale.....
You were the sun
I fell
________________________________


Thank you for joining us for the Poetry Spotlight. Give a warm welcome and tons of support to our two poets today. They deserve it for their lovely poems. I enjoyed reading them and I hope you did too. Since these two poems are being spotlighted, that means they are automatically entered into the Spotlight Poetry Contest and can win the prize available of $50.00. But it's up to "YOU" the reader to vote for the winner at the end of the month. I will not be choosing the winner, I am leaving that up to the followers of this blog, YOU! So stay tuned and keep up with the poets being displayed the entire month of July. It's also not to late to submit your poems so please do that today. It's free exposure and a chance to win a great prize.


Again, congrats to Laura and Gary and thank you for your contribution. Wishing you the very best of luck in winning.

Renowned Poet Nikki Giovanni Interview Part 1

Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Her legacy spans over thirty years as she is one of the most widely-read American poets. Giovanni remains as determined and committed as ever to the fight for civil rights and equality. Ms. Giovanni reflects on African American identity and culture in her collections of work, such as Black Feeling, Black Talk and Black Feeling, Black Talk, Black Judgement. Always insisting on presenting the truth as she sees it, she has maintained a prominent place as a strong voice on social issues and experiences. Her emphasis is on the empowerment of the individual, on how one can make a difference not just in oneself but through others, through love and not hate, through touch and feeling.


On June 7, 1943, Yolanda Cornelia "Nikki" GIOVANNI was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. She grew up in Lincoln Heights, an all-black suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. She and her sister spent their summers with their grandparents in Knoxville, and she graduated with honors from Fisk University, her grandfather's alma mater, in 1968. She published her first book of poetry, Black Feeling Black Talk, in 1968, and within the next year published a second book, thus launching her career as a writer.


Giovanni's honors and awards have been abundant throughout her career. The recipient of some twenty-five honorary degrees and over thirty awards. She is an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and has received Life Membership and Scroll from The National Council of Negro Women. She has received the keys to more than two dozen cities. A scientist who admires her work even named a new species of bat he discovered for her! She is the author of some 30 books for both adults and children, Nikki Giovanni is a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
___________________________________________

Interview

Good Afternoon Ms. Giovanni. Thank you for participating in this interview today. It is an honor and a privilege. 

Ms. Giovanni: Thank you.

Well, I’m a southern girl in Alabama, what has growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee taught you that no other place has?

Ms. Giovanni: Well, you only grow up in one place. (laughs) Being a Tennessean by birth, I think that, especially from the hills, I think that it would have been a different experience had I been born, for example in Memphis instead of Knoxville. Because Memphis is on the Mississippi river and Knoxville is in the Appalachian hills. So I come from a storytelling tradition instead of a blues tradition for example.

One of my favorite collections of yours is the 100 Best African American Poems with cd.


Ms. Giovanni: Thank you.


Can you tell me how this project came about? And how was it working with such talented artists as Sonia Sanchez, Ruby Dee and Novella Nelson to name a few?

Ms. Giovanni: Ruby Dee and Novella Nelson are my sorority sisters which you may or may not know.  I have known them forever, so I invited them down to do a reading with me, and they agreed to come. Which was very nice. The book came to me. Every twenty years or so, the publishers do a book on the best African American short stories, best African American poems;  so I was invited to do it.

Was there a live audience during recording?

Ms. Giovanni: No, no we did it in the studio, so there were just about 20 people in the studio.

Since you combine music with poetry, does music stem from poetry or poetry from music? 


Ms. Giovanni: Well, they probably, (laughs) that the chicken or the egg, they probably both came out, humans probably  imitated the sounds that they heard, which came out of  music and it got refined into words. And that’s what you get.

Is there a distinct difference between being a spoken word artist and a poet?

Ms. Giovanni: I think that spoken word is the next step. Because you frequently cannot read spoken word and get what the author intended. The way that you have to hear it, so I think it’s just another step.

What has influenced your poetry the most? 


Ms. Giovanni: I love, I’m a big fan of history, I think that a lot of the history has influenced me.

Being a poet is not always financially rewarding, what do you say to those poets as a successful business woman and owner of your own publishing company to poets who are trying to get published in today’s market?

Ms. Giovanni: You have the internet, you can do a lot on your own, you can blog, you can set up publishing in a way that was a lot easier than when we were coming up.  I would say if you’re interested in writing, you should write.

_____________________________________________

Please stay tuned for the continuation of my interviews with Nikki Giovanni for the entire month of July. Check back to see what she has to say about President Obama, Fredrick Douglass, parental loss, Tupac Shakur and more. 


We will discuss Ms. Giovanni's poems tomorrow along with the debut of one of our up and coming poets. The poet appearing tomorrow will automatically be entered into the Spotlight Poetry contest. So please stop by to offer he or she some poet love and support, plus you the reader will have to vote on which poet receives the prize and becomes our July Spotlight Poet of the Month. There is still time to enter the poetry contest, just click on the Spotlight Poetry Contest tab at the top of the page.


So stay tuned. And please leave a comment, question or thought about a particular poem or experience. You never know who may be reading them (*wink, wink*) 


Stay tuned.
Blessings!


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One of My Favorite Nikki Giovanni Poems

Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why)

I was born in the congo
I walked to the fertile crescent and built
    the sphinx
I designed a pyramid so tough that a star
    that only glows every one hundred years falls
    into the center giving divine perfect light
I am bad
I sat on the throne
    drinking nectar with allah
I got hot and sent an ice age to europe
    to cool my thirst
My oldest daughter is nefertiti
    the tears from my birth pains
    created the nile
I am a beautiful woman
I gazed on the forest and burned
    out the sahara desert
    with a packet of goat's meat
    and a change of clothes
I crossed it in two hours
I am a gazelle so swift
    so swift you can't catch me
    For a birthday present when he was three
I gave my son hannibal an elephant
    He gave me rome for mother's day
My strength flows ever on
My son noah built new/ark and
I stood proudly at the helm
    as we sailed on a soft summer day
I turned myself into myself and was
    jesus
    men intone my loving name
    All praises All praises
I am the one who would save
I sowed diamonds in my back yard
My bowels deliver uranium
    the filings from my fingernails are
    semi-precious jewels
    On a trip north
I caught a cold and blew
My nose giving oil to the arab world
I am so hip even my errors are correct
I sailed west to reach east and had to round off
    the earth as I went
    The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid
    across three continents
I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal
I cannot be comprehended except by my permission
I mean...I...can fly
    like a bird in the sky...


~ Nikki Giovanni

_____________________________________________

Do you have a favorite Nikki Giovanni poem? What is it and why is it your favorite?

Poetry Spotlight and Contest

It's July! Time for fireworks, grilling and fun in the sun. I don't know if you remember a few weeks back, I said I would spotlight poetry for the entire month of July in honor of one of my favorite poets, the talented and gifted, Nikki Giovanni. I did an interview with Ms. Giovanni a few weeks ago, but decided to wait and post it and just dedicate the entire month to her and all the poets in the world. So beginning on July 5th, I will post one segment of my interview with Nikki Giovanni once a week. The rest of the week, I will highlight my favorite Nikki Giovanni poems as well as spotlight some new rising and upcoming poets. 

Submission and Contest


If you would like to be considered in the spotlight, please go to The Spotlight Poetry Contest and follow the guidelines. At the end of the spotlight, I will ask my readers, (yes that's you) to vote on your favorite poem highlighted during the month. The winner will receive $50. This contest is open internationally. However, if the winner lives within the U.S, they will receive $50, if the winner lives internationally, they will receive $50 towards purchases at The Book Depository. 


So I hope you will stay tuned to the upcoming interview with the renowned Nikki Giovanni, our featured poets and check back frequently to see who the lucky winner will be. Plus, I need your help voting for the winner come July 30th, July 31st and August 1st. So please spread the word and enter today. 


Poetry submissions begin July 1, 2011 and end July 24, 2011. Voting begins July 30, 2011 and ends August 1, 2011 at midnight.


Have a blessed, safe and happy Fourth of July!

Interview with Bestselling Author Rosalyn McMillan

It's day two of the sisterhood spotlight. We have bestselling author Rosalyn McMillan. Most memorable moment of her at the Sisterhood Showcase was her passionate response about having a career and being a mother at the same time. How she is fortunate she was able to work, have a career and still be a good mom. She didn't hesitate when I asked to take a picture with her. And she had a relaxed, friendly and easy demeanor.


Rosalyn McMillan is the author of six novels, Knowing, One Better, Blue Collar Blues, The Flip Side of Sin, This Side of Eternity and Midnight Pawn. Her latest book, We Ain’t the Brontës, is a fast read about sibling rivalry. Both protagonist and antagonist are published authors. One is successful and the other one isn’t.  Jealousy and envy create eons of tension between the two sisters. It has action, drama, passion, humor and cutting dialogue. The Brontës will have the reader wondering what is fact and what is fiction.

In We Ain't the Brontes, Charity Evans and Lynzee Lavender haven’t always had the best relationship—for the most part thanks to them being writers. But while Lynzee is the wealthy, successful New York Times bestselling author of science fiction books, Charity is just squeaking by. Why is success passing her by? And why is her publisher all of a sudden reluctant to renew her contract? Now Charity suspects the worst: That her own sister has had her blacklisted! With her savings dwindling, Charity struggles to pay her bills, and the pressure is putting an incredible strain on her marriage. The rivalry goes into overdrive when Lynzee reveals that the father of the child she gave up years ago is…Charity’s husband! Charity’s life goes into a tailspin as she struggles to decide if she should tell her husband about the child he never knew he had, or if that would be just the excuse he needs to abandon her for good. She knows she has to do something, but will the path she ultimately decides to take end up destroying them all.
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Interview

How did you began your writing career?

I began my writing career in 1992.  I wanted to tell my story about my medical disorder, alopecia.  There hadn't been any fiction books written about it. 

You have been on hiatus from the book world for ten years, what took you so long to come back?

I was blacklisted in the publishing industry and couldn't get a contract. I didn't stop writing, though. I have eight completed novels that I hope to publish one day.

What do you think about the current ebook trends? Have you embraced it and are you find it more difficult sell books among the masses of ebooks?

I like the idea. I published an ebook this year entitled "Midnight Pawn."  It's a psychological thriller about a female serial killer.  I think marketing and selling ebooks isn't as easy as it sounds.

 

I'm sure you get asked this often, but for my readers interest, can you tell us if your current novel, "We Ain't The Brontes" is based on any personal experiences between you and your sister Terry McMillan?

No, it's not. I think it would be refreshing to write a book about two Black female authors who struggle in their careers, and are oftentimes not very friendly towards each other.

Do you think you and Terry will ever collaborate on any work?

Not a work of fiction.  Our styles are too different. However, Terry and our two other sisters hope to publish a cookbook in the near future. I already have my recipes ready.

How is it different being a seasoned writer as opposed to being a newly published author?

Being seasoned, you know the tricks of the trade and know how important it is to know about the business of publishing and the politics that go along with it. Newly published authors have very high expectations.  They have got a lot to learn.

I asked this question during the panel/forum discussion at the Sisterhood Showcase, can you tell us your thoughts about the segregation of African American books in brick and mortar stores?


I like the idea.  You can find us easily and I'm not ashamed to be Black.  I'm very proud of my heritage.  My only hope is that I'll write quality fiction so that I feel worthy of being represented in the brick and mortar stores.

What are you currently working on? And where do you draw your inspiration from?

I'm currently working on the sequel to "Midnight Pawn." I get my inspiration from the newspaper, my friends, and family members. I'm never short on ideas. 


What would you like readers to know about you that they probably don't know?

That I've been designing and sewing clothes since I was sixteen years old. I can make men's suits and sew draperiers. I'm making draperies for my family room and dining room this fall.

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Rosalyn is the mother of four children and six grandchildren. She lives with her husband of over twenty-six years, J.D., in Memphis, Tennessee. She loves speaking to book clubs and she always puts the Lord first in her life.

You can purchase her books at Amazon or Barnes and Noble or any retail bookstore in your area.

To contact Rosalyn McMillan visit her site: www.rosalynmcmillan.com

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Don't forget to enter for this week's literary giveaway. 8 books in the giveaway this week, two winners, four books each. If you comment on any of the interviews this weeks with Jae Henderson, Rosalyn McMillan or Victoria Christopher Murray and you win the giveaway, you will also win a free beaded book thong.

Literary Book Giveaway