EDC: Introduce us to your new book.
EDC: Where are you from?
TBM:
EDC: Who are your two main characters and what do you like most about them?
Randy Clark, her husband, has no problem taking all the things his wife doled out to him but deep down inside he resented her success. Instead of admitting his
EDC: What makes your book stand out and would make a reader pick it up?
TBM:
EDC: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book?
TBM: Wow, unlike my other books, I didn’t have this deep underlying message to portray, but since you’ve got me thinking about it, there is a message in it and it’s still the same one that I’ve been preaching all along. Learning to love you enough to say no, I don’t think so. Some woman will do anything just to keep a man—sometimes to their own detriment. It is only when we wake up and say enough is enough that things start to change. The hard lesson is that sometimes we have to give up the people we love the most.
EDC: What is the one most surprising thing you have learned in creating novels?
TBM: I wish I had some great witticism to share with you but I don’t. The most surprising thing has come from me. I continually battle with low self esteem and writing allows me to escape into a world that has no boundaries. Most times, I walk away feeling good about myself.
EDC: What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?
TBM: Through my stories, I’ve been able to touch and tell the stories of many women who were afraid to stand up for themselves. From what my readers tell me, I’ve taught them that it’s okay to make a mistake, just don’t dwell on it, and move on. How did you do it? By creating characters and situations that we all can relate to. I also did it with the help of Zane. Without her believing in me from the beginning, none of this would have happened.
EDC: What advice would you give a new writer?
TBM:
EDC: What can we expect from you in the future?
TBM: I just finished a new novel entitled The Set Up scheduled for a May 2009 release date. Once again I have stretched my boundaries. It’s about a Chinese family that ultimately got duped by this black woman.
Tina Brooks McKinney is the author of All That Drama, Lawd, Mo’ Drama, Fool Stop Tripping, and The Set Up (May 2009). She is also the editor of Taboo Publishing.
To learn more about Tina visit her website at
http://www.tinamckinney.com/ or visit http://www.taboopublishing.com/. Contact: tybrooks2@yahoo.com or editor@taboopublishing.