JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
T. Benson Glover, author of Sister
(Amaiya Entertainment)
In Sister, T. Benson Glover takes you on a journey to “The Badlandsâ€, a notorious North Philadelphia ghetto plagued by drugs and violence. It’s a place where love doesn’t exist inside The City of Brotherly Love. This is the neighborhood that the character Sister calls home.
Follow Sister as she winds her way into the depths of a world shrouded in darkness, clouded by murder, riddled by lust, consumed by greed and overrun by envy and betrayal. In Sister, Glover makes it clear that beneath every inner city there’s a place where’s there’s no love lost, even The City of Brotherly Love .
Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Sister?
T. Benson Glover: I got the inspiration to write the novel Sister out of necessity. I felt that there was need to assess how drastic and violent the situation has become for our young black women to grow up in the inner city minus their fathers. And the character Sister is just an example of what can happen to a young sister growing up in urban America.
JP: What sets Sister apart from other urban fiction novels set in Philly?
TBG: What sets Sister apart, is that it is not only set in Philly, but also Pittsburgh, PA, and Fayetteville, NC.
JP: As a debut author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Sister appearing on the Essence Best Seller’s List?
TBG: I would say that it’s the constant grind: going to the book signings, the Harlem Book Fairs, communicating with your readers online, etc.
All of those things, on top of having a good product that’s both credible and real, are keys to gaining that position. Key Number 1 has got to be that your readers have to feel where you’re coming from. Shout out to Essence for recognizing my hard work.
JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Sister?
TBG: Actually, I start by developing my lead character and his or her voice. Once I nail that down, I finish the storyline. It took me maybe nine months, off and on, to finish Sister.
JP: What’s next for T. Benson Glover?
TBG: Next up for me is the sequel to Sister. Cash should be in stores by December 2008. Thanks for your time.
Facebook: T. Benson Glover
http://www.amiayaentertainment.com/
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