On the ‘Net with Author Connie Briscoe
By APOOO • Jul 15th, 2011 • Category: Author of the Week •
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1) In 140 words or less, tell us a little about yourself.
I have had seven novels, one novella, and one nonfiction book published. My first novel, Sisters and Lovers, sold more than 100,000 hardcover copies and about 500,000 copies in paperback. I still pinch myself about that.
My work has appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly. A Long Way From Home, the story of my ancestors, was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.
My nonfiction title Jewels, a photo-essay book featuring luminaries such as actress Ruby Dee and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, was coauthored with photographer Michael Cunningham. The collection of novellas was coauthored with Lolita Files and Anita Bunkley. Both of these were welcome changes from what I usually write.
2) In 140 words or less, tell us why Money Can’t Buy Love would make a great addition to our personal library.
Well, the book jacket is stunning! I love the woman’s pose, the lighting, the jewelry. It’s sexy and sophisticated. It’s like a work of art.
The novel is also a great story and very fitting for the difficult economic times we’re living in. Many readers will be able to relate to the main character Lenora Stone and her money and man troubles and also her poor way of managing them both when she lucks out and wins a lot of money and meets the man of her dreams. We’ve all been there. We’ve all messed things up in our lives. We’ve squandered money. We’ve acted stupid with some guy. What’s important is whether we learn from our mistakes.
3) How did you come up with the storyline for Money Can’t Buy Love?
I asked myself what an insecure woman might do if she suddenly won millions of dollars and met the man of her dreams. Would she smarten up and gain more confidence? Or would she blow it all?
4) What makes Money Can’t Buy Love different from other books in the marketplace?
Lenora Stone isn’t perfect, especially physically. She struggles with her weight. She’s not beautiful in the traditional sense. She’s lacking in poise and confidence. In short, she’s like many of us. Authors tend to create perfect or near-perfect main characters. The gorgeous heroine. The hunk of a hero. I’m guilty of it myself. This time I decided to try something different and make my main character obviously flawed.
5) You’ve been in the literary arena for a few years now (dare I say longer than a decade), what have been the keys to your success?
Hopefully without sounding too full-headed, I think I’m a darn good storyteller. But there are lots of darn good story tellers out there who haven’t been as fortunate as I have in landing book contracts, so it’s more than that. I think getting established and building a good reputation before the publishing industry changed helps. I have a loyal following for which I’m truly grateful. I also have a fantastic agent. I’ve been with her since the very beginning, and she’s smart, creative, tough. She knows how to get things done.
6) What advice do you recommend to young writers who are trying to break into the writing scene?
It’s tough now, much tougher than it was when I started more than 15 years ago because the market has changed so much. Still, it is possible. You have to really want it. You have to make it a top priority in your life, to the point of putting almost everything else aside, at least until that first sale or you achieve some measure of success. I have a blog, Writer Revealed, that’s full of advice for aspiring authors. The articles are written by myself and other established authors. I haven’t been posting as much recently due to other things taking up my time but I plan to get back to it soon. You can find it at www.writerrevealed.com.
For more information regarding Money Can’t Buy Love, check out Sharel’s review.
Purchase the Book Online at:
For More Information
Visit the author online at http://conniebriscoe.com.
Visit blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/MoneyCantBuyLoveBlogTour
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APOOO is a book club and an online author and reader community dedicated to advancing African American literature. Our mission is to expose readers of all ages to a good book in any genre; to support African American authors, books, literary events and bookclubs; to provide marketing resources, tools and tips to authors; and, to promote literacy within the African American community.
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