December Interview with Adrianne Byrd

This month I have the great pleasure of welcoming one of my favorite authors to my blog, national bestselling and multi-award winning author Adrianne Byrd. Anyone who has read my blog or my interviews knows that I have a tendency to gush over my sister authors. I can’t help it. I’m a fan of the written word and writers are like rock stars to me. Experienced authors, new authors, it doesn’t matter. And since I’m a huge fan of African American romance, sisters who write the African American romance novels I love are the ultimate rock stars. So if my gushing irritates you dear blog reader, I apologize ahead of time, because with Adrianne Byrd as my guest, I’m about to be a gushing fool.

GB: So, Adrianne, welcome and let me start off with the question I ask everyone, the question about time management. You have been able to be so prolific. You’ve steadily published several books a year from your first release Defenseless in 1997. What does your writing schedule look like? How do you manage your time in order to be so incredibly productive?

AB: I don’t. Family, friends, and now some times editors shake their heads at me. I absolutely can’t write a thing while the sun is out. So I tend to surf the net or read. My work day actually starts after I’ve read everything on the net and there’s nothing worth watching on TV. I usually go to bed around six a.m. and up by noon. Summertime is different. I usually sleep just two to three hours because I’m a heavy insomniac. My dogs keep the same hours. Bless their hearts. So don’t model your work habits after me.

GB: I’m a night owl too. I do most of my writing late night/early morning… hard with a day job though… So, are you a reader of romance novels? If so, have you read them for a long time? Did you read them before writing them? Do you think reading them helps you as a writer? If not, do you think that not reading the genre helps you craft better novels?

AB: Oh, yeah. I grew up on romance novels. I started with young adult novels then worked my way up. Sweet Valley High , anyone? But my first real romance novel was actually given to me by older brother. It was a historical western. The hero’s name was Lucas. I’m probably still a little bit in love with him. Reading other romance authors does help but not only in studying the craft i.e. what works, what doesn’t, but in terms of studying the market, but nowadays I read anything and everything—well, except for an instructional manual.

GB: I love your novels, in fact since I read your novel My Destiny , went back and found all of your backlist, and read every release since then, I can honestly say I haven’t read an Adrianne Byrd book I didn’t love. I have favorites among them, for sure, but that list is pretty long. So, my next question stems from the wonderful theme of enduring love I see in a lot of your work. In many of your novels you take readers through a couples’ journey to love and sometimes that journey can span several years. I love that because it shows that sometimes it takes people a minute to realize that love is right in front of them. Since I’ve seen this theme in many of my personal favorite Adrianne Byrd books, I thought I’d ask you what is it about this theme that is so appealing to you? What makes you pen those love stories that are slow building but oh so satisfying?



AB: Oh, that’s an easy one. I, uh, well, see… Hmm, maybe it’s not. Well, I think for me to convince not only the reader but myself that a couple truly has what it takes to make their love last, time has to be a factor. We’ve all heard that the first few months when you meet someone new, you’re not really meeting the real person. The person you first meet is generally putting his best foot forward, doing all the right things, but as time goes on, both parties tend to relax, let their guard down a bit. Let a few months to roll by, let that new love smell wear off a bit, and then tell me how you feel. Plus, personally, I’m so hard to impress. So brothers are going to have to work at it for a while. And when they do, that impresses me.

GB: As I read your novels, I get the sense that this woman must be a chick-flick/romantic comedy fan like me. My Destiny reminds me of a funny, sexy, black When Harry Met Sally . When Valentine’s Collide reminds me of a funny, sexy, way better, and more satisfying War of the Roses . And as I read your latest novel Feel the Fire I couldn’t help but think that you might be giving us a hip, updated, and cool interpretation of the film Sabrina in the future. So, am I right, are you also a fan of romantic comedy films? If so what are some of your favorites?

AB: Guilty. The cheesier the better. Soon as I figure out how to do a modern Grease 2 , I’m all over it. I loved some you’ve mentioned. Comfort of a Man had elements of An Affair to Remember . Unforgettable-had elements of the classic Cinderella . When You Were Mine elements of French Kiss and Measure of a Man - Three to Tango . Even my latest To Love a Stranger was inspired by the film Sommersby and the R&B song “Stranger in my house” by Tamia.

GB: And, a little bird told me that you have written screenplays and you recently took a trip to Hollywood for some talks about a television show. One of my great pet peeves about Hollywood is that I don’t get to see a lot of the romantic comedies I love with black leads. Can I hope that one day, you’ll be bringing some of the funny, sexy African American stories I’m dreaming of seeing onto the big screen or maybe the little screen? Enquiring minds want to know…

AB: That’s the dream. My first screenplay A Nation’s Defense (this title should be familiar to my fans.) had once piqued the attention of HBO, but nothing ever became of it. There was a little interest around Comfort of a Man some years ago. Angela Bassett and Queen Latifah read my book, but they passed on the project. *Sigh* But by then I seriously had the bug. The idea surrounding the television series was inspired by sister’s job in the hotel industry, so we developed it and are currently shopping it around. I’ve also formed a production company with another screenwriter and we recently completed production on our first short film. It’s now in post production. So yes, one day, I’ll branch out into films.

GB: Queen Latifah passed?! Surely Dana Owen’s production company could have backed one of your wonderful novels instead of The Cookout . A damn shame… Anyway, you had a recent blog post titled “The Good Girl vs. The Promiscuous Girl (Ho).” Funny post by the way, I loved it. I recently did a post about bad girls in romance novels and if they could really work. I’m really interested in reading more novels where the heroines aren’t perfect goody-two-shoes. That’s why I really enjoyed your two latest releases Feel the Fire and To Love A Stranger . The heroines in those novels aren’t necessarily bad girls. But they do have a past. And they may have made some less than proper decisions in the past. But their past is what makes them who they are. And to me, who they are allows for these full and vibrant women to just jump off the page. So, what made you decide to break the good girl mold in romance? And can we expect more of these far more interesting to read ladies in the future?



AB: High drama is great entertainment-and women certainly know how to bring the drama. Books or even films with strong, flawed women are always remembered. Vivian Leigh’s Scarlet O’Hara, anything with Bette Davis, Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction and Dangerous Liaisons . Even Waiting to Exhale , though just a moderately okay film, who doesn’t remember Angela Bassett setting her husband’s clothes on fire? “It is trash.” Classic. I want characters that will stay with you a little while after you turned the last page. So, yes. You will definitely be reading more about such ladies for years to come.



GB: You also have a wonderful knack for writing funny, sexy and emotional stories. I’ll tell you, any writer that can make me laugh and say ahh, laugh and say ohhhh myyyy, laugh and maybe shed a tear or two, all in the space of one novel has a fan for life. My question is how do you do it? How do you manage to take readers through such a wonderful range of emotions? And how do you manage to write such funny novels? Comedy is hard to pull off, but you do it well.

AB: First, thank you. But I think it helps to be emotionally unstable. I don’t know. One book that was really hard was When You Were Mine only because I was writing it in Memphis and taking care of my grandmother who was dying of multiple myeloma and her blind and nearly deaf husband. Those months were pure hell, I was severely late with the book, fighting family members who were in denial of her condition and when I would finally sit down at night and try to write, I would cry because I didn’t feel like being funny. But I think it’s true what some comedians say, comedy comes from tragedy. You gotta laugh to keep from crying. Real love has the same effect. Love between family, friends and soul mates. There are days when you’re laughing together and days when you’re riding each other’s last nerve. I try to be honest with that.

GB: I heard that you are teaming up with another one of my favorite authors, Niobia Bryant to write urban fiction. The first release is due in February 2008, Desperate Hoodwives . How did this come about and what else can we expect from this writing duo?



AB: Desperate Hoodwives will actually hit the shelves in January. Niobia and I met because I loved her book Heavenly Match . I usually contact writers of books I’ve enjoyed. We bonded and would periodically gab on the phone about the biz. I’ve never met her in person. When we go on book tour next year, it will be the first time we’ll see each other face to face. Anyway, I’d gone to visit my sister in California and her husband was a big fan of Desperate Housewives (Probably because of Eva Longoria) so I sat down and watched the show with him. I just couldn’t relate to it. So when I came back to Georgia, I was talking to Niobia about the experience as well as talking to her about different things going on in the biz, I told her someone should do a story about real desperation-like what goes on the projects. We both had a little taste of what that life was like growing up. And she said yeah, they could call it Desperate Hoodwives . Almost immediately, a light bulb went off and we brainstormed the whole story right then and there. It was like a five hour phone call. Recently, we sold the third book in the series-so we’re excited.

GB: I loved Niobia’s Heavenly Match too. That was my first Niobia read and I’ve read everything since. I can’t wait to read Desperate Hoodwives and see how you two write together. Okay, so, what’s next in the works for Adrianne Byrd? Can you give us a hint about your upcoming projects?

AB: A lot. I have five new titles coming out with Harlequin in 2008 and two re-issues: Defenseless and Forget Me Not . One of those new titles will be with the young adult line-TRU. It’s called Chasing Romeo . Plus, of course the two Urban Street Lit books Desperate Hoodwives and Shameless Hoodwives . And believe it or not, I have other projects being shopped. God is good.

GB: Excellent! I’ll be looking for those titles. So, who are some of your favorite authors? What are you reading right now?

AB: Automatic buys are: Tananarive Due (which I discovered from your recommendation on your blog), Victoria Christopher Murray and Dennis Lehane. I’m not going to give a shout-out to the book I’m reading now because it’s not all that good and it’s hurting my head. But next up is Casanegra -I expect that one to be good.

GB: Do you have any advice for new authors like myself who aspire to have productive careers such as yours and aspiring writers dreaming of their first novel?

AB: Only stop talking and start writing. The hardest thing to do whether you’re just starting or have been doing this for a while is planting your butt in the chair, tuning out distractions and doing the work. Plus, learn the craft and the business while you’re at it. I’m amazed at what some people will sign their names to just so they can see their names on a book-or those who have great ideas for stories but can’t name one publisher who publishes a similar book. Know the difference between Mainstream/Women Fiction and Urban Fiction and Urban Street Lit. If you’re not good with grammar stick with simple sentences.

GB: What are the best ways for readers to contact you?

AB: Through my website: http://www.adriannebyrd.com

GB: Thanks so much for agreeing to this interview, Adrianne. I truly am a huge fan of your work. And I hope my gushing wasn’t too annoying. I look forward to your new releases!