JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Elissa Gabrielle, author of A Whisper to a Scream
(Peace In The Storm Publishing, LLC)

A Whisper to a Scream is essentially a love story; acceptance of true love. The book covers themes of racism, interracial relationships, mental health issues and the justice system to name a few.

The colors of love come in several shades for Queen Thomas, and has been prevalent on her canvas of life as she continues to paint by the numbers. Successful beyond measure, but flawed to a degree where bright hues tend to fade a bit, happiness should be much more than an illusion.

Queen is a young African-American defense attorney passionately advocating justice for her brown-skinned clients, despite being subjected by black and blue bruises from her ex-boyfriend. Then there are the shades of gray that matters most when trying to balance the memorable scales of a loving relationship with a father that raised her as a single parent.

Along with that are the dark clouds of uncertainty accentuating the need to suppress the void of missing the touches that only a mother can manifest. Is a successful but committed relationship so hard to fathom where integrity and faithfulness is not compromised? The whispers get louder with promises of primal screams as the colors take on a different tint as the plot thickens.

Enter Quincy Hughes, a handsome doctor easy on the eyes but with an underlying intrigue that allows curiosity to kill much more than the cat. Quincy is on a mission. He relentlessly pursues her despite his mystique and forces Queen to question the taboo concept of accepted love vs. forbidden fruit; and whether there’s a future in it for her.

Is she ready to tackle the relevancy of this different persuasion? And what about her ex-lover — will he settle for second best and allow Queen to pursue matters of the heart, albeit with someone else?

Sensual and brimming with sexuality, this heart-wrenching drama is groundbreaking fiction. A Whisper To a Scream is a sexy, moving and riveting tale that will pull you deep into an unforgettable erotic, socially conscious, and emotionally-charged ride.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write A Whisper to a Scream?

Elissa Gabrielle: Inspiration came from a few sources. One was I wanted to write a story that I hadn’t read. Another source of inspiration was to write an African-American woman who was strong, flawed, intelligent, beautiful, and above all, inspiring herself as she battled her own issues in life I wanted to expose racism from a different vantage point.

I also wanted to dedicate this book to my best friend Paula and to write a character as strong, and as fearless, as she is. Because I have a very close relationship with my own father, I wanted to highlight a wonderful father/daughter relationship.

Black men in our society, whether real or imagined, tend to get a very bad rap when it comes to the issue of fatherhood and responsibility. I’ve never encountered that because my own father was the best that ever did it. I also have a husband who is an outstanding father to our children.

JP: What sets A Whisper to a Scream apart from other books in the same genre?

EG: Great question. I believe the book is similar in ways that it is erotic in nature but paints a different picture on the whole boys meets girl scenario. A Whisper to a Scream ends each chapter as a cliffhanger, which forces the reader to yearn for more.

Also, because the book is so multi-layered and tackles so many relevant social issues, I do believe those factors set the book apart. Intertwining poetry scenes into the mix of the novel also assists with setting the book apart.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to A Whisper to a Scream getting out to the public?

EG: Steadfast determination and a will and drive to succeed. Success means many things to many different people, but for me, as long as one person reads my work, and gets something from that work, then I’m successful.

In the case of A Whisper to a Scream, many women who suffer or are currently suffering from domestic violence have reached out. Because I was able to help at least one person, I’m successful.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish A Whisper to a Scream?

EG: This book took some time. I’d say over a year to write. My process is to just get started. To simply start writing.

JP: What’s next for Elissa Gabrielle?

EG: Next up is Eye of the Beholder. Jerusalem “Jay” Jones has experienced the uglier side of life. As an Iraq war Veteran, he is a hero for bravely putting his life on the line to serve his country. But that unselfish act resulted in him lying in a Veteran’s hospital with injuries he sustained from the war.

His present circumstance should be a cakewalk for Jerusalem considering what he has witnessed both as a child and while in the heat of battle. The pleasantries of love, laughter and life have always seemed to elude him.

From his early days as a child growing up abused and terrorized on the tough streets of Newark, to being all that he could be in the military, Jerusalem’s life has been anything but pleasant and attractive when viewed from the surface.

Now, vulnerable and reclusive, he must face the world he joined the military to escape, armed with only dark secrets from his past, a bruised and burdened psyche and limits to him physically.

Jill Lopes longs to fix the wounded and broken, but before she can heal the sick, she must first mend her own battle scars of unhappiness and resistance, and find a way to push past the experiences that haunt her.

When fate boldly steps in and introduces itself into Jerusalem’s and Jill’s lives, they realize that the challenges we meet in life hold the power to open us to a higher, more meaningful existence.

Will they both be able to view the world for what it really is under the clear truth of who they are and what they are capable of becoming together? Does beauty really lie in the eye of the beholder?

Experience the power of love on this redemptive journey where the purpose of the tribulations in one’s life, will be empowered to reveal the gifts they bring.

Eye of the Beholder debuts Summer 2011.

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Thank you, Joey, for the opportunity to be featured. I appreciate your ongoing support.

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