Interview with A.H. WASHINGTON

Q1.  Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

I am a 41 year old female American of African descent who writes fantasy and science fiction. I have been married to my husband for 20 years and we have six children, and a dog. My parents died when I was very young so I was raised by my grandparents (father’s parents). I have a half-sister by way of my mother. She and I were separated after our mother’s death.
I have three degrees (Associate of Science in Funeral Services, Bachelor of Science in Human Services Management, Masters of Elementary Education). Now you may be wondering, “What in the world?” I promise I will get to the how and why of my educational journey.
My story began in inner city New Orleans. You see, I was raised in those red line segregated neighbourhoods. “What do you mean segregated? Segregation ended in the 1960s, correct? You are partly correct. Yes segregation ended in the 60s but many of its practices did not.
At one point, my grandparents lived in a wonderful neighbourhood, but as many Americans of African descent moved in, many Americans of European descent were sold falsehoods. They were told having “Blacks” in the communities would bring down property value and bring in extraordinary levels of crime. They were told they would not be safe in their homes.
Redlining would see many Americans of European descent vacate cities and head for the suburbs. Those lines drawn would keep Americans of African descent out of certain areas. Those very lines caused property values in those communities to plummet. My grandfather’s dream would not come to pass. He had worked hard all his life (only a third grade education) to now see his property worth nothing.
Life was hard. Due to my grandmother’s many illness, she was unable to work so I did in her stead. My grandfather restarted his landscaping business so by age ten I was working. Not only was I working, but I had to be my grandparent’s eyes and ears because neither of them could read.
“I made decisions that I thought would matter. I made a mistake. Get your education. No man can take away what lies in your mind.” Those were my grandfather’s words. I took them to heart and tried my best in school. Sometimes my best was good enough and other times, it wasn’t.
As I grew, I realized I would one day have to leave my grandparents in order to make a better life for myself. The thought of it was excruciating. Who would help take care of them? Who would read for them? My grandmother did not want me to go, but my grandfather pushed me. Even in my darkest hours, he pushed me to try again. “As many times as you wake up. You have a chance to start over.” He would always say.
Soon, I began to write about my doubts, fears, and frustrations. After a while, I began to use my imagination to help me turns my doubts, fears, and frustrations into fantasy stories.
Before long I would become fascinated with the might of dragons. My grandfather would take me to the library to research dragons. What I found would later lead me down a path to discovery.
Of all the dragon myths, none were related to Africans. As my writings developed, so did my reading. I got to a point where all I wanted was to read fantasy.  I dived into the world of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien. Again leaving me to wonder where were the people who looked like me in those stories?
By the time I was 17, I decided I wanted to work with disadvantaged children.  I wanted them to learn to use their imagination to escape worlds of pain.

Reaching college by the age of 19, I was able to leave New Orleans.  Many different majors later, including funeral services after a book I had written about the dead rising, I found my way back to my love for children. 

By 2007, nine years after graduating high school and four years after my Associates and Bachelor’s degrees, I entered a Masters of Elementary Education program at The University of Phoenix. 

By 2010 I found myself with three degrees and no job.

Continuing to write but never publishing, I began to take my writings to small presses. I was never picked up but I had finally become a special education teacher.

I began to wonder if what a college teacher back in Beaufort, South Carolina said of my writings might be true. “Your story is good. Your editing sucks but your story is good. I’m going to spare you future regret by telling you the truth. No one is going accept extraordinary black characters. They’re just not ready. Fantasy is not your realm.”

I remember telling myself, “You can’t just ignore the fact that you were not represented in fantasy. You and young people who look like you deserve to be represented in a realm of strength, magic, power, and rule. You’re a dragon!”

I sat down and had a conversation with my husband and older daughters about my desire to return to writing. This time, I would self-publish if I had to. With their blessing, I would write again.

Q2.  Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Dawn Of The Dragon’?

The cover was actually designed before the book was completed. The creative design took around four weeks to complete. My cover designer is Fiona Jayde @fionajaydemedia. The progress began with me completing a form that asked varies questions about the structure of the book. Then, I chose a series of images to send to Fiona. Next, Fiona designed different graphics based on the three act structure of my story including the setting, characters, and important plot points.  After another round of questions based on my vision, Fiona developed three sample designs. I chose the design then her creative process took over to develop the final product.

Q3. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I use Wattpad, Reedsy Discovery, and my blog Realm of Writes to communicate with my readers. They are willing to offers suggestions, participate in polls, and read drafts.
Research is also important. I research historical places, past, and current events.

Q4. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?

Yes! The main task is researching the market to find out what’s hot and what’s not. It is also important to be a reader. Writers must be readers. I enjoy reading some of my favorite authors to build my own stamina in order to prepare for the ginormous task of writing a book.

Q5. How long did it take you to write ‘Palera Dawn’ book?

It took some time because of losses that occurred during the process. I lost my grandfather at the beginning of writing Palera Dawn. By the middle of the writing process, my brother from another mother, as he was called died of a heart attack one week before his college graduation. He was only 22. He had played basketball and ran track. He kept up with his yearly physicals. This was a devastating blow. His name is Warren Xavier Sales.
The dragon in Palera Dawn, Xavgon was renamed for him.

Q6. Congratulations for the Book2 ‘Dawn Of The Dragon’. What do you think your readers take away from both of your books?

My hope is that they see the importance of having not only a female protagonist, but a female protagonist of color. I hope they see that people of African descent/culture should continue to rise in epic fantasy.

Q7. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Dawn Of The Dragon’ book?

Time. Time was the enemy. I am the mother of six children and a special education teacher. My schedule is often laid out before I know it.

Q8. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

Evan Winters (The Rage of Dragons), The Lord of The Rings (J.R. Tolkien), A Song of Wraths and Ruin (Roseanne A. Brown), and Children of Blood and Bone (Tomi Adeyemi).

Q9. Are there any secrets from the books (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

Well, secrets lead to spoilers. I don’t want to spoil the story, but I will say the relationship between Kalera, the main character, and Xavgon, her dragon, thrust the story forward.

Author’s Profile

Books are Available On Amazon

Palera Dawn

Dawn Of The Dragon

Codename: The Rift by Cassandra Featherstone and Gail Jericho

Book: Codename: The Rift

Authors: Cassandra Featherstone and Gail Jericho

Available On: Amazon

Language: English

Rating: 4.5/5

Codename: The Rift is a blend of dark romance and science fiction fantasy written by the authors Cassandra Featherstone and Gail Jericho. It is the first book in the Codename: The Rift series.

The protagonist of the story is Delilah (X1501). She is the leader of the offshoot of the Battle of Blood and Steel and she will capture our attention a lot.

The writing style of the author is amazing and the descriptions are so strong that it makes me feel like I am witnessing everything from my eyes, happening in front of me. The length of the book is much longer than my expectations. The world building is wide and there are so many characters to keep track of. This book is not for beginners.

Please be advised since book contains mature content, so this is only recommended for adult audience.

I like to recommend it to those readers who enjoy a blend of different genres like dark Fantasy, dark romance and scifi. Eagerly waiting to read next book “A New World Order Vol 1” in the series.

Authors: Cassandra Featherstone and Gail Jericho

Book Is Available On Amazon

Codename: The Rift

The View 2: Secrets, Lies, & Betrayal by Untamed

Book: The View 2: Secrets, Lies, & Betrayal

Author: Untamed

Available On: Amazon

Language: English

Rating: 4/5

The View 2: Secrets, Lies, & Betrayal by the Untamed is a story about secrets, lies and betrayal. It is the second book in the View series.

The protagonists of the story are Karli, Hudson and Michael. Karli was married to Michael but their marriage failed and they got divorced. Now Karli is married to Hudson. But Michael is still hung-up on his ex-wife. Even though he is in a relationship with Karli’s friend Catrina but he has kept it as a secret because deep inside him, he hope to get Karli back. Read the story yourself to unveil the suspense and to know what will happen ultimately.

Really appreciate author’s storytelling skills. The characters are well developed and the narration is clear and smooth. This is the first book that I have read from the author but I am definitely looking forward to read many more books written by her.

At the end of the book, one can enjoy poetry also. The story has mature content so this book is recommended for adults only. Writing style of the author is impressive.

Although this is a second part of the series but even if you read it as a standalone, you will be easily able to follow the story. Really excited to read The View 3: Reclamations.

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

The View 2: Secrets, Lies, & Betrayal

Life Crude by Uche Nnochiri

Book: Life Crude

Author: Uche Nnochiri

Available On: Amazon

Language: English

Rating: 4.5/5

Life Crude written by the author Uche Nnochiri is a dark fiction tale.

This is the story of Idris Chukwuma Offor who was born on 25th May 1986 with feet first from his mother’s womb. Not only this he also had teeth when he was born. Idris was different from other kids. He said his first word when he was three years old. He has kept a dark secret for most of his life and is a self proclaimed madman.

He often hear some voices in his head which he referred to as black vocal. Nothing has been normal in his life. Another character is an eighteen years old girl Lisa Spalding. When she was working on the story, Idris’s dark secrets came out. Grab a copy of this book and read it yourself to know the further story.

The story is written well with clear and smooth narration. Cover page of the book is totally related to the story and looks eye catchy.

I like to recommend it to dark fiction readers.

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Life Crude

Interview with Priyanka Baranwal

Q1.  Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

Hello, Parveen!
I am Priyanka Baranwal, an author, blogger, poet and a guitarist. Writing and music both are my passion. I primarily write novels and have written two – It’s Never Too Late… (to win the battle against your biggest enemy: fear) and “The Shadow of Darkness’. Third is a contribution in an anthology – Navratna – with a short story in Hindi named Sarla Pradhan.
Quite recently, I have started a series titled as ‘One-cup stories, please!’ In this series, I am writing short stories. The idea behind this series is to evoke love for reading over a cup of tea (or, coffee).
I am also fond of travelling, reading, watching (good) movies and a big fan of good conversations. To know more about me, try this link: https://linktr.ee/PriyankaBaranwal

Q2.  What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Nakedness’ book?

First of all, it’s a short story, second in the series – One-cup stories, please! The series started with ‘The Girl Who Could Not Sleep’ released this year in June.
As I mentioned above, I am a novel writer. Writing in expanse is in my nature. So, when I began working on short stories, the first challenge was to convey more in less. A story has many aspects and tuning them aptly, in a short story, does not come easy.
Writing ‘Nakedness’ was more difficult than its predecessor, The Girl Who Could Not Sleep. ‘Nakedness’ deals with sensitive topics such as body shaming, sexual abuse, blackmailing, body image, societal views on women and more. I had little courage before beginning to draw Garima’s life but as it progressed, I became more and more confident. You can say I too evolved alongside Garima.
I am delighted and humbled to see that many readers can connect with her story. They do not only feel Garima’s pain and courage but they also see real life breathing into fiction. That’s one of the biggest compliments for my work.

Q3. Who inspires you the most in life?

I am my biggest inspiration.

Q4. Where do you see yourself in the next few years?

Given the current situation of Covid_19, anxiety shows up in more than one way. Therefore, I am trying to take one day at a time. Living in the present, I feel, is more important than planning the future.

Q5. How do you select the names of your characters?

It’s a good question, not often asked in interviews.
I pay a quite lot of attention to the names of my characters. I can’t just pick any and label them with it. The name has to be specific.
For example, for ‘The Girl Who Could Not Sleep’, I picked my female protagonist’s name Sonia Seth. She is suffering with Insomnia. I picked Sonia because it matches with her issue and I could use this tally to add a strong aspect to the story.
For Nakedness, do notice the meaning of the names of my protagonist and antagonist respectively – Garima and Manav. Does it make any sense? If yes then know that it is a deliberate move. It aligns with the story while presenting contrast to their personalities as well.
In short, I am careful and selective towards picking names.

Q6. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?

Of course! Even a two-line poem needs a lot of effort and here we are talking about writing a book.
You can begin with a story if you have an idea but then comes a lot of work. Kind of another mountain to carve into the shape you have envisioned. You do it not for the others but for yourself, and to justify with the story. As a writer, you have to be hungry for the details.

Q7. How long did it take you to write ‘The Girl Who Could Not Sleep’ book?

About a week. It is editing that is the stubborn guest of honour but worth paying time and attention to.

Q8. As an author, what does success means to you. What do you think your readers take away from your latest book ’Nakedness’?

Hey, that’s two questions at once.
For me, true success is to enjoy the process of writing and to touch the reader’s heart.
From my latest book – Nakedness – you can take many lessons. I will give my purview of the subject.
I believe that our body is our ally. The way you look at it, the same way it will respond. You feel proud of it, your body will be happy. You feel ashamed of it, your body will fell prickly and hateful to you.
Second message you can take away from the book is to never stop believing in love.
Third is, to have a faith into yourself. No matter how this world sees you and your actions, your own thoughts define the strength inside you.
Fourth would be, to have faith in humanity too. With evil lies good as well.
Last but not the least, do good things. Karma catches up eventually.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I don’t think about keeping the plot fresh. Such things are last in my list. I only write what the story demands and if it demands something unconventional then well, there goes the story. You cannot make the story work for you or the reader. It has to speak itself.

At the end, thank you so much for this opportunity. I am grateful to connect with you and your readers.
They can get in touch here: https://linktr.ee/PriyankaBaranwal

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Nakedness

Where is Baby K? by K.S. Daniels

Book: Where is Baby K?

Author: K.S. Daniels

Illustrated By: Anna Muriasova

Available On: Amazon

Language: English

Rating: 5/5

“Where is Baby K?” is a Children’s Book written by the author K.S. Daniels and Illustrated by Anna Muriasova. This is the story of Baby K who loves to go on trips and adventures.

Baby K travels from China to USA. In USA, she visited the capital of the country i.e. Washington DC. There are amazing landmarks to witness there. She enjoyed a metro ride and has already travelled on planes, trains, cars and small ships.

Being a traveller, Baby K’s trips made me excited to go for my next adventure. The book is written well with beautiful illustrations. But I was looking for more content to enjoy. It was a short and quick read that kids will enjoy. While reading this book, they will get motivated to travel different places and will also get to know about some places mentioned in the book.

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Where Is Baby K?

I Am by Travis Perry

Book: I Am

Author: Travis Perry

Available On: Amazon

Language: English

Rating: 4.5/5

“I Am” is a Children’s Book written by the author Travis Perry and Illustrated by Garth Von Ahnen. This is the story of Triston, a young dinosaur. Triston is very excited for his first day at school but he was a bit nervous also.

When Triston entered the class, he saw all other students making fun of one girl. Triston thought that he is brave, kind and helpful. He went to Ryann to help her. As a result, both Trison and Ryann felt happy.

This book is for kids to explore affirmations and have positive thinking. The story is written well and the Illustrations are mind blowing. Kids should read this story. They will feel positive and confident about themselves.

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

I Am

Becoming Buddha by Corey Croft

Book: Becoming Buddha

Author: Corey Croft

Available On: Amazon

Language: English

Rating: 4/5

When I picked this book, I thought this is a self help book that will help us to transform ourselves through the Buddhist values. But there is much more for us in this book. This is the story narrated by an anonymous narrator (which might be the author) who is living a painfully average life. But his best friend Alex believes in his capabilities. Alex is cool, mysterious, attractive and an average personality person. He loves his best friend a lot and he knows that narrator has capability to do much more.

Alex’s friendship with the narrator is different. Author has explored the philosophy of life and brought it to the readers.

The narrative is slow but clear. The story is full of dark humor with characters trapped in a lie circle. The title of the story is nice but the cover page of the book looks really simple.

This is an insightful novel that I recommend it to literary fiction and self-help readers. This is the first novel that I have read from the author. Will read more work of the author.

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Becoming Buddha

Tough Love at Mystic Bay by Elizabeth Sowden

Book: Tough Love at Mystic Bay

Author: Elizabeth Sowden

Available On: Amazon

Language: English

Rating: 4/5

Tough Love at Mystic Bay is a story about self discovery written by the author Elizabeth Sowden. The protagonist of the story is Grace Haddonfield who is a four star chef with a bad past. When Grace was a teenager, she was sent to Epiphany Lake Academy where troubled teens are rehabilitated.

After few months at Epiphany Lake Academy, she escaped from there but landed in the next trouble at Mystic Bay.

As an adult, Grave has a good career as a four star chef. She met Jess in Jiu-Jitsu class and has a chance of friendship. Grab a copy of this book and read the story to know what all happens next.

The story is written well with simple language and clear narrative. The storyline is amazing. Cover is nice. Please be advised that this book contains mature content so it is only recommended to adults.

Author: Elizabeth Sowden

Book Is Available On Amazon

Tough Love at Mystic Bay

Black Sheep by Brant Menswar

Book: Black Sheep

Author: Brant Menswar

Available On: Amazon

Language: English

Rating: 4.5/5

It’s time to wake up…..

Black Sheep by the author Brant Menswar is a Self Help book. In this book author has given analogies of a black sheep to motivate and empower us. We all have the power to activate core values or black sheep values and we can use these values to achieve our goals in life.

We only have to determine our core values and our purpose. Once we determine this, we can move closer to our mission.

We all have something extraordinary in us and we can make our unique contribution to the world. This book has motivated me to start working towards my purpose. The book is written well. Writing style of the author is amazing. Cover page of the book is decent and eye catchy. It may make you wonder what the black sheep is. But one could actually understood the title after reading this book.

This book will help in transforming your life, thoughts and beliefs. Give a try to this book and thank me later for recommending.

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Black Sheep

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started