Michelle checks in with author Brenda Stokes Lee
Join me every week as I share a few shout-outs on romance author goings-on, related events and recommended reads.
Mini spotlight on Brenda Stokes Lee
Michelle: Who is Brenda Stokes Lee?
Brenda: an Amazon best-selling author, screenwriter and a good old-fashioned storyteller who refuses to let a trivial little thing like the truth come between her and a good story. Brenda was born in North Carolina, but raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. She is a Morgan State University graduate who currently resides in Charlotte with her family.
Creative, funny and full of tall tales of love, mystery, fantasy, action, intrigue and grown folks' drama, Brenda is determined to make you laugh, to make you cry and most important to make you feel alive. To date Brenda has written a dozen books and two screenplays. Her current catalog includes such titles as GI Joe and Ebony, An American Love Story, Naked Truth About Love, All Mye Queen's Men, Chronicles of Love Series, Toy's Story and Pleasure Principle.
Michelle: What are some themes you use in your writing?
Brenda: I am a hopeless, old-fashioned romantic and I believe that love endures all, conquers all and never fails. So, most of my stories are rooted on this principle. I build my stories around this one quote: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy anyone or anything. Love never boasts and it's never proud. Love is not rude, it's not self-serving, self-absorbed or conceited. Love is not easily provoked to anger, it does not hold grudges nor does it keep records of who was right and who was wrong. Love does not consult with evil; instead it rejoices in the truth. Love always protects. Love always trusts. Love always hopes. Love always perseveres. And most importantly, Love never, ever, ever fails." These are the words of the Apostle Paul, paraphrased.
With this simple concept as my foundation my stories always involve a lot of challenges, twists, turns and Grown Folks' situations, drama and problems that ultimately lead to a happy ever after ending.
Michelle: Can you share a memorable fan moment?
Brenda: There was one funny thing that happened when I first published the AMQM series. A middle-aged Vietnamese co-worker discovered that I was an author. He asked me, "I heard you write nasty books. Can I buy them on iTunes?" Naturally, I laughed and fervently denied the fact that I wrote nasty books. I explained that I wrote contemporary romance novels for women. Long story short, he wasn't buying my story that they were not erotic in nature. So, he looked my books up on iTunes and he bought my entire catalog right there on the spot. Turns out he was a closet erotic-fiction fan. It's kind of surreal imagining a middle-aged Asian man reading AMQM and Toy's Story. I laugh every time I think about it. He loved the series, by the way.
Michelle: What's a perfect setting for writing?
Brenda: I wish I had some exotic, romantic location where I go to write and commune with nature and my thoughts, but sadly that's just not my reality. Basically, I write wherever and whenever my inspiration hits me. Usually it is in my bed or watching TV with my family. I'm a pretty low-key, unconventional writer. So, I don't really have any elaborate rituals or routines that dictate where and when I write. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to write a novel on a remote Caribbean island with a view overlooking the ocean. Maybe one day I will take a working vacation just to see if it makes a difference. I think I'll add that to my Bucket List.
Michelle: What's your current work in progress?
Brenda: Actually I'm finishing up an anthology of short but sweet erotic stories which should release the first week of November. I'm also in the process of adapting one of my screenplays, Georgia on My Mind, into an erotic romance novel to be released in early December. Finally, I'm ending the All Mye Queen's Men, Chronicles of Love series with one final, juicy installment which I hope to release in November as well.
Readers can connect with Brenda on Facebook and Twitter (@BrendaStokesLee).
What's going on
The online book club Building Relationships Around Books (B.R.A.B.) celebrated its first author awards ceremony on Saturday on Facebook.
Congratulations to all the winners, including:
Breakout author: S.W. Frank for the Alfonso series
Erotic author: Brenda Stokes Lee for All Mye Queen's Men
Interracial author: Sienna Mynx for Harmony
Steamy romance: SK for the Sin City series
Women's literature: Angelia Vernon Menchan for The Black series
Male author: Keith Thomas Walker for Harlot
Author of the Year: Iris Bolling for The Heart series
B.R.A.B. creator and President Sharon Blount is a former librarian and avid reader of African-American romance. She decided to start a book club on Facebook in 2009 to find other readers who shared the same passion in reading this genre. She wanted to have open discussion as well as interact with some of her favorite authors. By acknowledging authors with B.R.A.B. awards, she hopes to show that the group, as a whole, enjoys and appreciates the authors and their books.
About the Author of the Year
Iris Bolling was born in Richmond, Va., and provides management training and professional development for the Virginia workforce. She enjoys combining education, politics and romance in her writing. Her popular Heart series includes The Heart of Him, Look into My Heart, A Heart Divided, A Lost Heart and her latest release, The Heart.
About The Heart (from the author's website)
The heart is the most vital organ a person can use. It is the source of one's being, their flow in life. The heart controls — period.
JD and Tracy press forward in their quest to the White House, but is the price too high? Their dreams have come true, even down to the number of children they would have. Now, an assassin is determined to take it all away.
Al "Turk" Day was a kingpin who controlled the streets with intelligence and grace. After spending time in prison, he finds himself protecting the family of the man campaigning to become president of the United States. Looking forward to a calmer life did not include being attracted to a woman who lived by the same street code as he did.
When JD's love for his country and family become intertwined, who will be left victorious?
For more information on Iris Bolling, you can visit her website, IrisBolling.net.