Author Q & A

Interview by Shemya Taylor, freelance writer for Sororitysister.net.

1. What inspired you to write Be My Sorority Sister Under Pressure?
Well, I had an idea to write a series of book that would interest teens and college age students after the surprise success of Sparkledoll-Always Into Something. Be My is actually part of a 3 book serious. The first book, Almost 18 focuses on one of the supporting characters in Be My named Ashley Weber. Book 2 also is an Ashley book and it is named She's Out There Bad. Be My Sorority Sister-Under Pressure was intended to be the third book in the series. The main character in Be My is named Eva Perkins. I had so much fun writing Be My and I just felt like it would be a popular book so I decided to release it first.

I have been writing for so very long I just have many manuscripts waiting to see the light of day. I started work on all of these titles in the 90's I guess, at least the preliminary ideas. I am always writing, I think I have written 3 or 4 books since 2001.

2. Some people may feel like you are capitalizing off the sacred tradition of sororities. How do you feel about that?
It's not like I invented the wheel. There was School Daze, MTV has a series named Sorority Life and there are other books about sororities and fraternities. As an African-American woman, in college Greeks were a topic of conversation, even as an adult the Greek system is a part of our culture.

3.Are you Greek?
Those who know me know the answer. If I said, yes, I am Greek people would think it was based on an experience I had. If I said that I am not Greek, people would say, well why the hell is she writing a book about something she doesn't know about. I would rather people to just read the book and not think about me. I am an author, a storyteller. I would like to think I tell good stories. I have a very active imagination, and I always have. I'm sure that someone will put me on blast somewhere....there is bound to be backlash no matter what you write.

4. Why did you put a woman with a paddle on the cover, especially since no one in the book is paddled? Do you think this is a negative image?
No. I think that paddles are a part of Greek paraphanalie and they are identified with being Greek. I can't take all of the credit for putting a paddle on the cover. I was talking to a good friend of mine brainstorming on how to design a book cover that would make people think "sorority" and she mentioned the paddle idea, I had been thinking it, but since she thought it too, I figured it was a cool idea.


5. The made up sorority in the books colors are purple and teal? That looks like purple and turquoise on the book cover, area you color blind? LOL
No, I'm not color blind. When the cover with the teal printed it looked greenish and I went to extreme measures in the book and within the cover to not have anything that would associate the fictional sorority with an actual African-American sorority so for the book I switched the teal to turquoise.

6. Do you and the character Eva have anything in common?
A few things, not much. Both of my parents are Greek but I would like to think they didn't put any pressure on me, but sometimes they inadvertently did. When both of your parents are Greek, you kind of feel obligated to carry on the tradition, you don't want to have a "the buck stops here" thing going on, but it happens sometimes. I have met people in my lifetime who felt pressure from their parents to go Greek. I always had my own bedroom growing up, like Eva. Eva didn't do the roommate thing well, me neither, and Eva likes tall guys, so I guess those are a few things we have in common.

I have never really written a character like Eva. People who are familiar with my writing know that I specialize in drama, debauchery, tragedy and angst, and Eva really doesn't have too many complaints, except wanting to become a member of Beta Gamma Psi. I so much like writing character who have to deal with difficult situations, drugs, gang banger boyfriends, death, illness, just mad crazy stuff, heck even characters who flip out and go crazy, or their friends flip out, Eva was kinda normal. But that's it---after this book, it's back to my old ways. But don't worry, Eva and the cast of Be My Sorority Sister-Under Pressure have their fare share of drama.

7. What are your writing plans for 2004?
In early 2004, the hardcover version of Be My Sorority Sister-Under Pressure will be released. I'm thinking March or April. Prior to that, Sparkledoll Always Into Something-2004 Edition will be released on my own publishing imprint Sparkledoll Productions. I will then spend most of the year promoting those titles. Then just maybe I will release She's Out There Bad by the end of the year. I would like to release Almost 18 and another book I wrote named The Edge of Insanity too, but I can't flood the market. I guess those titles will have to wait until 2005.

Visit Sororitysister.net to continue reading this interview. Sororitysister.net is "your on-line guide to sororities for women of color." This interview originally appeared on their site and is being used with permission.