December Interview with Author Deatri King-Bey

GB: Hi, Deatri! Welcome to my blog and thanks so much for agreeing to be my December author. I'm really excited to have you. I know you're a busy woman. So, let's start with that. You're a mom, a grandmother, a wife, a writer, an editor and I'm sure there are lots of things I have left out. Time management is such a huge factor for most writers who try to continue their craft while juggling family and day jobs. How do you do it all? What's your time-management secret?

DKB: Scheduling, prioritizing, and sometimes saying no.

I love being spontaneous, but with my workload, my spontaneity has suffered. When I first started writing, my children were much younger. I learned I must wake two hours before the household to have my writing time. Now don't get me wrong. I'm still spontaneous at times. I always have a notepad, and my hubby purchased a small recorder so when I'm out at my children's practice for this or that, if a scene comes to mind, I can whip out the recorder and dictate to my heart's content.

When organizing my never-ending to-do list, I prioritize and also consider how much time each task will take to complete. The time factor is a major problem many of us forget to compute into the equation. That's how we end up saying we will do 38 hours worth of work in 24 hours and don't even think about eating and sleeping in the allotted time.

Saying "no" is the hardest part for me, especially when it is something that will only take an hour or so, BUT those hours quickly multiply when you have soooooo many people asking.

GB: How long have you read romance novels? Did you always know that you wanted to write them?

DKB: I REFUSED to read romance novels until six years or so ago. I thought they were all mushy stuff. When I want to try an author I haven't read before, I usually ask my older sister to recommend a book. Well, she knew how I'd snubbed romance and recommended a romance book. I grumbled, yet read Indigo by Beverly Jenkins, then had to read all of her books. I was HOOOOOOOKED. In my novel Caught Up, I even reference Indigo by Beverly Jenkins.

I knew I wanted to write, but I'd never considered writing romance novels. But looking back over my old writings, I've always had romances buried within the plots.

GB: I absolutely adored your first novel, Caught Up. It had everything from suspense, intrigue, a little romance, and family drama. It kept me turning the pages and I was amazed at your story-telling capabilities. Do you see this as a continued signature in your work? Will you continue to mix and combine genres to give us such riveting reads?

DKB: Awwww thank you. Yes, my signature is mixing genres, and in romance I seemingly break the rules.

In romance, there is a strict structure you must adhere to, and the hero and heroine must "be" a certain way and "do" and/or "not do" certain things. In my romance novels, I go out of my way to break the mold people believe romance forms while remaining true to the ridged structure of romance. I may create characters you’ve never seen in a romance, such as in my version of Beauty and the Beast. Nefertiti, the heroine, will have everyone re-evaluating what true beauty is. Or I’ll put the characters in situations where authors believe the "rules of romance" say they can't be. In my novel Ebony Angel (Feb 2007), the heroine maintains a relationship with the drug-dealing father of her daughter. I won't lie, it was hard thinking of a way to put her in this situation and not taint her, but I did it to show that it can be done. I love a challenge. I don't break the rules, I just show areas not as explored as other areas (smile).

GB: I look at you and I see this sweet woman. And then I read your work and it's dealing with crime, drugs, the underworld. And I'm thinking, how did this nice Mid-western girl come up with all this! Your imagination is amazing. Give us a sense of what goes on in that head of yours that has you bringing lies, murder, and mayhem to the page in such stunning ways.

DKB: One of my cousins said she was calling America's Most Wanted on me because I must be up to something. I've always had a very active imagination. Then when we first moved to Chicago, we lived in a drug-ridden area for years. I learned a lot about the drug culture and world in those years. Mix that with my imagination and BAM! You have Caught Up. Ebony Angel is actually set in the neighborhood I lived in years ago.

GB: Your recent release, Beauty and the Beast just hit the stores this month. This is your second published novel. Congratulations! Can you tell us a little bit about this novel? Can we expect the same mix of romance and intrigue in this novel?

DKB: Thank you for the congratulations.

Oh yeah, you know how I love to mix things up, so I'll be laying on a dose of intrigue in every novel. Beauty and the Beast is my contemporary version of the fairy tale. In this novel, the heroine, Nefertiti Townes, was viciously attacked when she walked in during a robbery of her home. The hero, Bruce Maxwell, has always loved Nefertiti, but stayed away because he is considered a beast by most, including himself. He feared if he pursued Nefertiti, he'd drag her into his darkness. While Nefertiti is healing, she stays at Bruce's and the sparks fly between the two. Now you know I couldn’t do a straight romance. The robbery of Nefertiti's home wasn't just a crime gone seriously wrong. The closer to discovering the truth Nefertiti and Bruce become, the more dangerous their situation becomes.

GB: You also have two novels coming out in 2007, Ebony Angel and Whisper Something Sweet. You go girl! Whisper Something Sweet is your first erotic romance. How did you find making the switch from mainstream fiction to romance to erotic romance? What do readers have to look forward to with Deatri King-Bey bringing the spice and heat to romance? Tell us a little something about Whisper Something Sweet.

DKB: Thank you again (smile).

When I decided I wanted to be an author, I began studying several genres and writing in each one. So switching from genre to genre isn't difficult for me. Once I have the characters and basic plot created in my mind, the characters take over and write the story themselves. I'm just glad they understand what genre they belong in (smile). Now I can't write in all genres. I'd love to write some horror, but I can't even scare a mouse.

Whisper Something Sweet is my first erotic romance. When I was first asked to write an erotic romance, I was reluctant. I worried I couldn't make it HOT enough. I went through the catalogue of characters in my mind and didn't have one who would work as an erotic romance hero or heroine. Then my acquisitions editor gave me a treatment for Whisper Something Sweet. A treatment is a basic idea for the plot. I digested her idea and built on it. The next thing I knew, I had Sweetie—the main character. My characters speak to me, and she wanted her story told. According to pre-release reviews, it's definitely hot enough.

Now you know I ALWAYS have to be different. Along with high sensuality, is drama and danger, and Sweetie isn't your everyday erotica romance heroine. She is a plus sized, natural-haired, black beauty. For some reason the publishing industry has a habit of placing caricatures on covers instead of real voluptuous women when the heroine is heavy-set. Authors don't usually get much say so in their covers, but before I wrote word one of the manuscript, I insisted a big beautiful black woman be on the cover, not some cartoon, not just her hand, not a hint of her. I wasn't given any grief and am very pleased with the cover.

GB: It is a really great cover with a big beautiful sister representing for the plus-sized girl! I love it!

Okay, since I know you as an author I love to read and as an editor who scares me to death--the editor of my first novel who I fondly like to tell folks took me through new writer’s boot camp (smile)--you know I have to ask you an editor question. I've always thought that being an editor must be one of the best jobs in the world to have. You get to read all kind of things before everyone else, shape new talent, and discover new voices. And you're also getting to shape and build a new company that should prove to be a force in the literary industry. So cool! That’s my idealized view of what you do… Can you tell us a little bit about what you do as an editor and the things you love about your job?

DKB: Awww man! The MILLION-dollar question!

I do love being an editor. I'm an objective eye who helps the author shape his/her manuscript into the best novel it can be, taking into consideration plot, pacing, characterization, consistency, showing vs.: telling, voice, point of view… Many times during editing, I know the authors want to kill me because it's not easy when someone starts pointing out flaws in your baby. Even when I receive edits from my editor, my feelings are hurt for a quick second. That's the part of the job I hate. Who wants to hurt anyone's feelings? But I also love to teach. When I can teach an author a new concept or we rework a plot point…whew howdy! Or when they've finished their edits and months later they receive their book for the final read through and LOVE the finished product, that's great, too. And don't get me started on reviews. I love, Love, LOVE when authors come back to me with their good reviews.

GB: How long have you been writing and what was your journey to publication like?

DKB: I started writing when I was in Junior High, but didn't get serious about being an author until about 15 years ago when I left the military. Wow, I can't believe it's been fifteen years. Sheeesh. Where did the time go?

I was in no hurry to be published. I'd been studying the craft for years, working as an editor and was perfectly happy allowing just my family, friends and critique group to read my work. Well, the folks reading my novels were just about ready to revolt. At the time I had six, maybe seven manuscripts completed but stood my ground. I just wasn't ready to be published yet. I was working in the industry and understood the work that goes along with being an author, and I didn’t want my fun hobby to become "work." Well, time passed, the children got a little older, I had more free time, and I was like, okay, let’s do this. I submitted to two agents, just to test the water. A month or so later, both agents contacted me. I decided not to go with an agent and submitted Caught Up on my own. The rest is history.

GB: What's next for Deatri King-Bey novelist and editor extraordinaire?

DKB: There's no telling. I just love to write. I have so many characters in my mind that want their stories told, I can't write fast enough. I'm presently outlining a thriller with author Curtis Alcutt we plan on co-authoring. We are having a BALL. I also want to start working with children. I'm dyslexic and wasn't expected to learn how to read, let alone write and edit novels. When my children were teens, I'd look at their friends' papers and be AMAZED at how awful these children's writing skills were. Yet they were still making passing grades in school. Totally outraged, you know I took my happy butt to the schools and pitched fits and corrected the papers properly and jumped on the teachers' cases for not doing their job. I want to start with junior high children and mentor a few. Helping them learn the boring stuff like the rules of grammar (but in a fun way of course). I'd also like to teach them how to write non-fiction such as research papers to fiction such as short stories and novels. Whew that's a lot of stuff. I think I need to increase the hours in the day. SMILE.

GB: Who are some of your favorite authors and what are you reading right now?

DKB: Beverly Jenkins, Sharon Shinn, Brandon Massey, Isaac Asimov (yeah, I know he passed years ago). I'm presently reading Mama by Terry McMillan.

GB: Oh, I loved Terry McMillan's Mama. Mama and Disappearing Acts tie for my favorite Terry McMillan novels.

But anyway, if you could say anything to aspiring writers to aid in their journey toward publication, what would that be?

DKB: Learn the craft. Get a mentor. Sign up for my newsletter (smile) or at least read through the workshops on my website. Read novels in the genres you wish to write in and study their form, structure, voice…as you go along. Learn as much about the industry as you can before your novel is published. Enjoy writing.

GB: What's the best way for folks to get in contact with you and find out more about your work?

DKB: My website is http://www.deewrites.com or my email deatri@deewrites.com.

Thanks for interviewing me Gwen. This was fun!!!

Thanks for sharing, Deatri!