Category Archives: african american author

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Toyi Ward, author of Par for the Curse

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Toyi Ward, author of Par for the Curse
(Naphtali Books)


toyi ward par for the curse on amazondotcom

Toyi Ward is a freelance writer, author and media host who likes to tackle the tough issues that affect contemporary women. As the host of Blog Talk Radio’s “TOYi Talk”, she does just that. Her debut novel, Par for the Curse (Naphtali Books, 2009) examines the influence of voodoo and the impact of generational secrets on family, life and love.

After ten years as a Fortune 100 sales and marketing executive, Toyi decided to pursue her passion for writing full-time by moving forward with the completion of her first novel. She is very social and says it can sometimes be a hindrance to her writing. She expresses a desire to write projects that will in some way help people to think about their own lives and make a change.

She wants to make people think and laugh, even cry. She describes herself as a happy person. It’s easy for her to be happy for others when they pursue their dreams. It’s very rewarding when she can help someone along that journey. Toyi is married with two children. She resides in Central New Jersey.

If readers want to catch the “Don’t recycle that!” Speaking Tour or host a Par for the Curse reading go to http://www.toyiward.com/events.html

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Par for the Curse?

Toyi Ward: There are so many families dealing with generational curses. I run into so many broken women who can’t figure out why they can’t get out of the rut that their mothers and grandmothers lived. So, they end up just accepting their fate. I was raised in a matriarchal family that was very close and not without it’s drama. We loved and supported each other through a lot of tough times.

I think most families are that way so the Briggs girls are no different. The backdrop of voodoo came from my great grandmother, who was a palm reader. I knew a little about the lines, so I put it in the book.

JP: What sets Par for the Curse apart from other novels in its genre?

TW: Par for the Curse is unpredictable and not easily put into a box. All genres have their rules i.e. romances have to have happy endings, mysteries need to be solved. Breaking the rules of genre, this story is based in life’s reality…there are no rules. It will give readers lots to discuss at the conclusion because there are not right or wrong answers in Par for the Curse.

If a reader was to ask me, “Was Stormy the good girl?” I don’t have an answer for that. It’s up to the reader to decide. How you feel about the Briggs girls will be ultimately determined by who you are as a person. No different than in real life.

JP: The concept of a generational curse is a pervasive topic among African-Americans, particularly Christians. What does this book have in terms of themes that makes it more than African-American literature?

TW: One of the things I love about this story is that it is universal. The women in the story are African-American, but the story doesn’t center around their ethnicity. This story was written to shed light on how we often hurt our family members with the best of intentions. Family secrets are most often meant to protect loved ones but instead end up being painful baggage carried for generations. One of the biggest themes is that of the complexity of family love.

From a Christian point-of-view, the story is peppered with the notion that saying you are Christian is not enough to have a victorious life. It takes more than that. It takes an active pursuit of the good things God has for us. There is a line in the story where Nona says, “Honey, going to church every Sunday doesn’t make you Christian any more than standing in that driveway will make you a car.” I guess the closest scriptural context for this would be that faith without works is nothing.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Par for the Curse?

TW: Par for the Curse took me 5 years from start to finish, but I was working full time. I started with a short story about a grandmother telling her grandchildren that they were cursed. Then I became intrigued with how and why they were cursed.

My writing process starts with an issue. I tack it up on my board and let it sit there until I get a “what if” story comes to mind. A “what if” is a list of possible stories that fit the issue. For example if I were to tackle abortion, I would stick a card that says “abortion” on my office board. So, then I go from there.

What if it were someone who was contemplating an abortion? What if it were someone who had an abortion and is pregnant again? What if it’s a baby that was aborted, lived, and now grown facing abortion? I “what if” it until something sticks with me. Once I get the premise of the story then I start taking various dramatic turns. I’m very methodical. I use story forming software, index cards, and good old fashion notebook paper before I even begin to type the first draft.

JP: What’s next for Toyi Ward?

TW: Whatever God has for Toyi Ward, I want it. I’m in a very uncomfortable place because I have no idea what is going to happen in my life from one day to the next. With the radio show, the book, my company and my civic involvement, God could take me anywhere. As far as writing, I have started my next project. Hopefully, since I write full time, I’ll finish it in 2010. It tackles the secrecy of incest in Black families.

http://www.toyiward.com/
http://www.myspace.com/toyiward
http://www.twitter.com/toyiward
http://parforthecurse.toyiward.com/

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LIMITED OFFER: Free Shipping and Handling on Nazirah Mottenon’s Another Part of Me

Between now and May 31, 2009 you can purchase an autographed copy of Narirah Mottenon’s Another Part of Me with free shipping and handling.

Check out Nazirah Mottenon’s “5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…” interview about Another Part of Me by clicking on the picture below.

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Another Part of Me is normally $16.95. You pay only $12.95!

In order to take advantage of this special offer please email nmottenon@comcast.net. Copy and paste “Send me an invoice (joeypinkney.com sent me)” in the subject line. You will be emailed a Paypal invoice reflecting the new discounted price. Paypal accepts all Major Credit Cards. It’s safe, easy and convenient. All orders will be shipped immediately after payment is received.

Don’t shop online? No problem. You can also pay via check or money order. (For orders placed by mail the free shipping will be extended to June 2, 2009.)

Send all checks or money orders to:

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P.O. Box 174
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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Elaine Flowers, author of It’s Morning: Torn Lovers and Other Stories

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Elaine Flowers, author of It’s Morning: Torn Lovers and Other Stories
(Hollygrove Publishing)


elaine flowers its morning on amazondotcom

It’s Morning: Torn Lovers and Their Stories is a compilation of two novellas and one short story, each having a love triangle involving two men and one woman. “Never As Good As The First Time” is a novella with high school sweethearts Germaine and Melinda who rekindled their relationship after reuniting at their ten-year reunion.

In the short story “The Letter,” silently admiring his beautiful neighbor, Mahogany for months, this brotha discovers a love letter under his door from her. In “Daddy’s Maybe”, the two candidates for fatherhood, Calvin (Kendra’s husband) and Brad (Kendra’s white lover), give us the sordid details of this love triangle while they are both hoping to be the father of her baby.

It’s Morning: Torn Lovers and Their Stories (2008) is a Dallas Morning News Bestseller, garnering a 5 star rating on Amazon.com. Elaine Flowers’ Black Beauty (2004) is also a Dallas Morning News Bestseller.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write It’s Morning: Torn Lovers and Their Stories?

Elaine Flowers: Since there are three different stories in It’s Morning there are really three different detailed answers. But, for everything I write, real life experiences (for me and people I know) inspire my writing. Also, music is a great inspiration.

JP: What sets It’s Morning: Torn Lovers and Their Stories apart from other novels in its genre?

EF: There are a lot of books with two women at odds over one man. One thing that sets It’s Morning apart from other novels is each story involves a love triangle with one woman and two men.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to It’s Morning: Torn Lovers and Their Stories getting out to the public?

EF: Like anything else, word of mouth is greatly beneficial. Nothing is comparable to reader to reader interaction. Of course, that means having a book that is well written and well put together as a quality product that readers can love and respect is of prime importance. Also, being accessible to the targeted audience through public events, such as book signings and book club meetings is another key. The Internet is a great tool, which I utilize more with It’s Morning than I was able to with my first book.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish It’s Morning: Torn Lover and Their Stories?

EF: My writing process is slightly different with each project. One thing that remains the same is that I write/work everyday on something. I don’t beat myself up when a project is not coming together at the pace that I expected. I have a lot of quiet time that I take advantage of. Also, I only write about things that excite me.

The two novellas and short story were all finished at different times and at different speeds. In fact, there was no original plan to put the three of them together until I was deciding what I would do with “Never As Good As the First Time.” This is pretty much how the book came together.

JP: What’s next for Elaine Flowers?

EF: I’m not especially big on mentioning what’s next because an author can sometimes talk a book out of coming to fruition by going on and on about it. However, I will say that I am a full-time writer, and my first love is fiction even though I have been working on a couple of non-fiction projects.

http://www.myspace.com/elaineflowers
elaine_flowers@yahoo.com

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P.S.S. If you want to be feature in a 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… series, email me at joey.pinkney@gmail.com or myspace.com/joeyreviews

Please click on the banners to learn more about each JoeyPinkney.com sponsor:

Order The Soul of a Man Anthology from JoeyIsInIt.com
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Aaron Ashford, author of Closure
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Teresa Patterson's Official Website
til debt do us part banner

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