About A Book Mondays

Is No Not Clear Enough For You? , Angelia Vernon Menchan



Angelia Vernon Menchan’s latest release Is No Not Clear Enough For You? proves that sometimes it’s about more than a book. It’s about a mission, a calling and a passion. She pens a novel for young women advocating the power of saying no to others and yes to themselves. An in doing so she brings her passion for working with young women and her passion for creating dynamic and engaging stories together. I wanted to highlight, Angelia’s latest book because I think it’s amazing and encouraging that she has found away to bring her passions together in what she calls “ageless fiction.” I interviewed Angelia back in August, and I’m very pleased to have her back to chat about her latest book.

So Angelia, can you tell us a little bit about what sparked your desire to bring the wonderful work with young women that you’re doing in the community together with your fiction writing?

AVM: It was time and very necessary, young women are being cultured to say yes to everything. They are often not allowed voices. I see many successful adult women who feel they must do it all, because they were never taught to say no to anyone. As young adults they are taught that no matter how smart they are they must take care of everyone and everything and often to their own detriment. Looking back I think most women will find they wished they had said no more often. No doesn’t have to be a negative if it is about not being pressured, manipulated or shamed into doing something that isn’t good for you, or that leaves you unable to care for yourself.

GB: Malaaka Green is a teen facing pressures that many young women face and many succumb to. The teenage pregnancy rates and growing HIV/AIDs rates for young women of color show that many young women are having a hard time when faced with having sex before they are really mentally ready. What is your biggest dream for the impact that sharing Malaaka’s journey might have?

AVM: My biggest prayer and dream is that through Malaaka, young women will see that there are choices. My experience has taught me that mostly teenage girls are becoming sexual before they are ready, simply to please someone else, oftentimes a boyfriend. Or more frighteningly they are using their bodies to get material things. Not realizing that no amount of ‘stuff’ is worth giving away their very essence. Through Malaaka and my own experiences I want them to know they can say NO, while having fun, going to church, parties, dating and all the really cool things that are out there. Most, importantly they can get educated and have empowered lives and great family relationships. The most compelling part of Malaaka’s story is how much she learned from her elders mistakes.

GB: I think we can all relate to Malaaka’s struggles, and perhaps some of us wish we could go back in time and hold what was precious to us by saying no at that critical time in our lives. Are there any other issues that teens face that you plan to deal with in future books? What do you think is most pressing issue for us to be concerned with as far as teens today are concerned?

AVM: Actually, in the African-American community there is an issue that astounds me and that is the one about not allowing people to know you are smart. I saw a bit of that with my youngest son, he had awesome grades and won scholarships but most of his friends thought of him as this real, hip-hop kid, as though it weren’t important to be as smart as you are hip. He never disclosed his grades or how well he was doing academically. Fortunately, for him he had parents who didn’t fool around when it came to grades and responsibility, but we are going to have to kill this idea that proper speech patterns and good grades aren’t “Black” enough. So, I will definitely be writing about that!

GB: What’s next for you? Do you plan to write another Young Adult novel?

AVM: I will, but I am actually writing Schae’s Story right now. Schae is a woman at a spiritual crossroads. She has used her beauty to get what she wanted from men since a very young age. At forty-five she knows she should be on a higher spiritual path. What people, particularly the men in her life will discover is under all that makeup and behind those curves lives a spiritual, smart woman who is on the road to transformation. There are components of her young life, however, that will explain why she became who she was perceived to be which ties into my young adult messages.

GB: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us about this important project, Angelia!

Thank you Gwyneth for always supporting authors and allowing us to talk about our work, bless you!