JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Niobia Bryant, editor from Message from a Mistress
(Dafina/Kensington)
Jaime Hall, Renee Clinton, and Aria Livewell all reside with their spouses in the affluent gated community, Richmond Hills, in New Jersey. The ladies are all best friends with their Richmond Hill neighbor, Jessa Bell–a sexy and single socialite.
Trouble is Jessa Bell has just sent them all a text message taunting that she has run away with one of their husbands. That message opens the door to each of the woman’s unspoken insecurities in their marriage as each recalls incidents that hint that their husband is the one.
And with the husbands away—and unreachable– on a chartered fishing boat all day and Jessa not answering her phone, they have all day to wonder…and to worry about scandalous secrets of their own.
Throughout the book–which takes place in one day–Jessa Bell also recalls her steamy relationship with her unidentified lover. Everything about their explicit romps are revealed from the day she first seduced him up until the day he agreed to leave his wife–her friend–for her.
Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Message from a Mistress?
Niobia Bryant: I loved, loved, loved the 1940’s movie “A Letter to Three Wivesâ€. I enjoyed the concept of three wives learning that their mutual friend has run off with one of their husbands and then have the entire day to ponder which one of them has been betrayed.
It’s really clever and it intrigued on so many levels. I wanted to modernize the story and give it some new perspectives– like adding the wives having secrets of their own. I really just wanted to see where I could go with it. Again the general premise is the same but the actual stories for each character are original, and I had a lot of fun bringing those characters to life in Message from a Mistress.
JP: With seventeen novels under your belt, how have you changed in terms of your growth in the book industry? Was Message from a Mistress easier to produce for you?
NB: I’ve learned so much in the past 10 years as an author. My first book took me a year to write, and now I can definitely complete a well written book in less time. Writing in multiple genres allows me to continuously work towards perfecting my craft as a storyteller, too.
I’ve grown in my business acumen. I am a knowledgeable author. I research the industry, who’s doing what, and I keep abreast of what sells, where and why… This all helps me stay fresh and relevant to what avid readers want from authors.
Writing Message from a Mistress was a smooth and timely process. I concentrated on keeping it entertaining since the entire story takes place in one day. There are many character flashbacks, but overall, writing the book was not difficult at all.
JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Message from a Mistress getting out to the public?
NB: The internet has been such a fun way of promoting the release of Message from a Mistress, and I’m sure will prove itself vital in the upcoming sales success as well. I have my Twitter pages, I have my Facebooks pages, MySpace and my personal blog http://www.niobiabryant.com/; I use them all to keep my fans updated and to invite new ones. Tweetdeck is a must for me. I simply love the way it works.
JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Message from a Mistress?
NB: Since I write in multiple genres it helps me stay organized by creating a synopsis and an outline for each of my books. I write a full synopsis of the entire story and the first chapter which I usually have to submit to the publisher. Afterward I begin writing with the use of an outline chapter breakdown. Message from a Mistress took a few months not including editing.
JP: What’s next for Niobia Bryant?
I am working on promoting my three 2010 book releases, Fabulous my first teen fiction/young adult novel on Kimani Tru, Message from a Mistress on Dafina/Kensington and in May I will release Give Me Fever on Dafina. I’m doing my first virtual book tour starting March 1st. Readers can keep up with the itinerary on my blog and by following me on Twitter and Facebook.
Facebook
Niobia Bryant| Meesha Mink
Twitter
@InfiniteInk
Book Trailer for Message from a Mistress
http://www.youtube.com/user/niobiabryant#p/u/2/bNv9llajroY
Niobia Bryant has been nominated for the 2010 Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best African American Romance for your 9th full length romance novel Make You Mine as well as the Best Steamy Romance in the 2010 Emma Award presented by Romance Slam Jam.
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