Friday, March 29, 2013

Diamonds Are Forever! Interview & #Giveaway with Vogue - The Diamond Collection


Welcome to BK Walker Books Etc. I'm so happy you could join me today.

BK: Please tell us a little about yourself...
I’m a twenty-seven year old native of Greenville, SC, who currently lives in Rock Hill, SC. By day, I am a Patient Case Coordinator at a health consultant firm in Charlotte, NC and by night, I am an author with three published works under my belt. I enjoy writing urban fiction, but am looking to expand into romance, young adult, and Christian fiction novels. I also enjoy watching reality TV, cooking, eating out, and social media.

BK: Please tell us a little about your book....
Famous for its glitz and glamour, the city of Brookstone is also known as being the home of one of New York’s most notorious drug lords, Jay Santiago. The son of a famed politician and socialite, he spent the last seventeen years of his life in federal prison only to return to the city that took him captive. In true underdog fashion, Jay rises from the bottom and rebuilds an empire and cartel that is as powerful as its leader. After linking up with an old comrade, Jay believes he has found the one material object that will allow him to leave his criminal enterprise for good. However, his most prized possession could lead to his biggest downfall yet.

BK: What inspired you to pen this particular novel? I was inspired to write this book after receiving an enormous response to the character of Jay Santiago in two of my previous releases, Diamonds in the Rough and Diamonds Are Forever. Several readers had requested to know more about Jay’s background and I decided to write a novel that was focused more on his character than in the previous releases. In addition, I wanted to show his character’s transition from a notorious drug lord to a legit businessman.

BK: When did you first consider yourself a writer? I considered myself a writer starting in high school when I transitioned from poetry to fan fiction. My love for the art form led me to start writing full-length novels and since then, I haven’t looked back!

BK: How do you keep your story flowing? With my third book, I decided to write the book in real time. Readers are given the chance to experience almost a day in the life of the characters. Since the book is written this way, the story naturally flows and events occur in a more natural timeframe. I have decided to continue this with the rest of the series.

BK: Do you ever run into writer's block, and if so, what do you do to get past it? I have run into writer’s block several times. Whenever I am struggling to write, I take a break or I may reread what I have written to see if it can help me draw inspiration on where the story should go.

BK: What is your writing process like? Do you have any quirks, or must-haves to write? I love to watch action movie trailers or movie clips before I start writing. Car chases, fight scenes, and a good drama helps rev up my creative process. In addition once I’ve started writing, I like to have complete silence. My favorite time to write is actually early morning or late at night.

BK: Where do you hope your books/writing will be in the future? In the near future, I hope to have the entire series published and hopefully have national bestseller by my name. I look forward to branching out into different genres and increasing my readership.

BK: What do you hope readers will take away from your books? I want each one of my readers to have a character that they can relate to or a situation that they can identify with and hopefully learn from. It could be a situation such as witnessing your parents’ divorce, domestic violence, fertility issues, or being involved in that good old fashion love triangle.

BK: What is one piece of advice you received that you carry with you in your writing? Write first, edit later. Sometimes, I try to edit and write at the same time and I hardly progress with a story. I decided now to simply write without focusing on grammar or spelling.

BK: What is one piece of advice you would give to new and aspiring writers? The one quote that I use constantly is that no one can stop you, but you. In addition, someone reminded me that writing was my outlet. Sometimes, I get severely frustrated during the marketing and promotion of a book when I’m not reaping certain rewards and instead of venting verbally, I was told to vent through writing. I would like to share this with other authors, new and aspiring. Writing is our outlet, so let’s use it!

BK: Are you currently working on any new projects? I am currently working on Black Diamonds, which will be my fourth novel and am expounding on ideas for several short stories. I am also outlining my first Young Adult Christian Fiction novel, which will be written under a different alias. What can we expect from you in the future? I am hoping to release a short story sometime during the spring or summer and Black Diamonds in December of 2013 or January of 2014.

BK: Where can readers find you? Readers can find me at simplyvogue.net, on Twitter @SimplyVogue_B, on Facebook as Author April Blanding and on Instagram as marilymonRHO_1922.

Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. It's been a pleasure having you and I wish you much success in the future.


Ace of Diamonds
Book III in The Diamond Collection
by Vogue



About The Author:

Vogue is the author of Diamonds in the Rough and Diamonds Are Forever. A native of Greenville, South Carolina, she is a graduate of Winthrop University, possessing a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and is a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Vogue currently resides in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Website | Facebook | Twitter Publisher 

Instagram - MarilynMonRHO_1922







The Ace of Diamonds
Book III of The Diamond Collection

Genre: Urban Fiction
Publisher: Crown Jewel Publishing
Release Date: February 11, 2013
Amazon Kindle | Paperback

Book Description:

Since his release from prison, Brookstone’s most notorious drug lord, Jay Santiago, has been hard at work rebuilding his life and empire. With two businesses under his belt and one in the making, Jay is readily known as one of New York’s elite men.

While the root of his financial status lies in the newly rebuilt Santiago cartel, Jay is determined to expand his wealth. After reconnecting with an old comrade, he believes that he has found the one thing that could increase his fortune and allow him to leave behind the dangers of his criminal enterprise for good.

However, as Jay’s new business venture begins to come to fruition, he quickly learns that the one material object that he loves the most could lead to his biggest downfall yet. 

Excerpt from The Ace of Diamonds

Excerpt #1

Carmen stared out the window as Kane’s Jeep backed out of the driveway. She wanted to call him to come back, but she knew that he wouldn’t. While they had cleared the air on one issue, another one had surfaced. This one, though, she couldn’t fix. She was nine months pregnant and Nyla was coming regardless of how Kane felt. He might not have liked the idea, but he knew when they renewed their vows that she was pregnant. He seemed okay with it then, but obviously the whole thing was an act.

When his car disappeared out of the gates, Carmen began to think that her marriage wasn’t going to survive. If Kane was running out now then she knew it would be worse when Nyla came. Jay would be around more than ever and she would be forced to communicate with him. There might even be times when he had to come to the house. The distance between her and Kane would only grow.

Carmen pulled the curtains closed as she made her way back to the bed. She sat down, and tried to fight back her tears. She and Kane had been fine until Jay’s lawsuit, which sent them spiraling back into a place that neither one of them wanted to be. Carmen wanted to come up with an answer to fix everything, but she couldn’t. Softly crying, she did the only thing she knew how; she prayed to God for guidance and strength. She told herself that this would be the last time she would allow Kane to leave. After tonight, she would put her foot down. If she wanted to
save her marriage, she had to act like it, now or never. 

Diamonds Are Forever
Book II of The Diamond Collection

Genre: Urban Fiction
Publisher: Passionate Writer Publishing
Release Date: October 25, 2010

Book Description:

Eight months pregnant, Carmen Davenport is unsure of what is waiting for her outside of the Metropolitan Correctional Facility. For six grueling months, she sat in a cold cell with only the thought of her unborn son, keeping her sane. Now, she has returned to Brookstone to discover that Flame is now a multi-million dollar enterprise, all thanks to her best friend, Tiara. Diamonds Are Forever is a reunion with familiar characters and another look into the dramatic lives of Brookstone’s finest.


Diamonds in the Rough
Book I of The Diamond Collection

Genre: Urban Fiction
Publisher: Passionate Writers Publishing
Release Date: June 1, 2010

Book Description:

Carmen Davenport is living the American dream. Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she has anything that a twenty-one year old college student would want: supportive parents, a set of fly friends, and an inheritance to one of the most lucrative clothing companies in New York: Flame, Inc. The only thing missing is love, but that doesn’t seem to faze her until she lays eyes on Jay Santiago, a Puerto Rican drug lord who is destined to make Carmen his at any cost. Instantly, Carmen begins to fall for him despite his reign as the head of a multi-million dollar drug cartel.
After securing the rights to her inheritance, Carmen soon learns that Flame, Inc. is headed towards a downward spiral. Too ambitious to allow her dream to go down the drain, Carmen begins pulling at all lifelines to save her company. Putting aside everything she’s ever believed in, Carmen soon finds herself entangled in a web of lies, betrayal, and crime. However, Carmen knows that in order to achieve her goal, she must remain focused no matter how dangerous the road to success may get.


Giveaway:

One Signed Copy of Ace of Diamonds
Open to US/Canada 
International Winners will receive an E-Book






7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for the interview and for hosting today!

BrandiKae said...

You're very welcome Vogue - you were great :)

Unknown said...

Great interview! She is awesome!

Michelle Cornwell-Jordan said...

Very Cool interview! I also liked the part of the interview, when it was said, that what is important to the author is having a character for the reader to identify with, each reader. That is awesome, and I wish you best on the rest of your tour!:O)

Unknown said...

Good point about the editing later. I have a friend that edits as she goes. It seems to work for her but takes forever to get a book done.

Teddy Rose said...

I hope you are enjoying your tour!

Anonymous said...

Thank you to everyone who is following the tour! I am enjoying meeting readers and networking in addition to seeing the number of entries for the giveaway!