JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
K.L. Brady, author of Got a Right to Be Wrong
(Simon & Schuster/Gallery)
The sequel to the award-winning book club favorite The Bum Magnet features the return of the smart, quick-witted, loveable real estate agent with a long memory and a short fuse. Sassy and successful real estate agent Charisse Tyson is about to tie the knot with the man of her dreams, but the wedding has everyone, including Charisse, under a lot of pressure.
As Charisse and the love of her life march toward matrimony,his hidden past is revealed, Charisse’s missing-in-action father resurfaces, and things heat up with Charisse’s best guy friend. Suddenly Charisse is faced with many new questions regarding her life decisions, and she must figure out just how right or wrong she was all along.
Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Got a Right to Be Wrong?
K.L. Brady: It’s the follow-up to my debut novel The Bum Magnet in which the main character Charisse attempted to overcome her penchant for getting into relationships with players. In that book, she experienced a great deal of emotional growth which brought her to the man of her dreams–or so she thought.
In Got a Right to Be Wrong, we explore what happens when women find out their “Mr. Right” isn’t Mr. Perfect. He’s made huge mistake, about 8 pounds 5 ounces worth, and now she has to decide whether she can get past his failings and dishonesty to make a life with him.
Another important issue it covers is her relationship with her missing-in-action father, who hasn’t played a role in her life but tries to make amends during the wedding the might not happen. So many women have grown up without their fathers and have had dysfunctional relationships as a result. Got a Right to Be Wrong explores what can happen when the daughter doesn’t welcome her father with open arms.
JP: What sets Got a Right to Be Wrong apart from other books in the same genre?
KLB: My books are always have deep messages that are interwoven with lots of hilarity and laughs, but also plenty of drama and suspense. Plus, the characters are very relatable.
JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to Got a Right to Be Wrong getting out to the public?
KLB: I work very hard. I write day and night, night and day. I put a lot of effort into ensuring that I write great stories using good craftsmanship, and I’m continuously pushing myself to learn and try different genres. When you care about your craft and you work hard, it’s usually a pretty good combination.
JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish Got a Right to Be Wrong?
KLB: This book took me about four months to write, just like it’s predecessor. The difference between this in the first is that I got to a cleaner draft in fewer tries, which I hope means I’m learning from my mistakes and using my lessons to make my work better.
JP: What’s next for K.L. Brady?
KLB: I’m working on a series featuring black female FBI agent, J.J. McCall. She’s a human lie-detector who catches spies. I think people are really going to enjoy this character because she’s got the humor that one would expect to find in my books, but it’s also got a lot more mystery, suspense…and of course no book by me would be complete without romance.
I’ve also finished my second young adult novel Soul of the Band about a black girl who through some strange twists of circumstance becomes the only black member of an all white marching band. She faces all the challenges that African-American teens in similar situations face, including some racism, but the question is whether she can overcome her challenges in the face of adversity. Again, a very funny character but the book has romance, a little mystery, and certainly brings the drama.
http://www.facebook.com/kl-brady
http://www.thebummagnet.blogspot.com
Got a Right to Be Wrong will be release on January 31, 2012 and will be available at bookstores and online retailers nationwide!!
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