Please give a warm welcome to newly published author Vogue. She has written "Diamonds In The Rough" , her first installment in The Diamond Collection. Welcome Vogue and thank you so much for stopping in :).
1. What is needed for a story to be good?
In order for a story to be deemed as good, it must have a memorable character (s). A memorable character is one who has distinctive characteristics that allows the reader to relate to them. The character may remind the reader of someone they know. This makes the reader more drawn to the novel.
Just as important as the characters, there must be a plot that will generate the reader's attention. Twists in the plot help keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Most readers already have an idea of how they want the book to end. It seems as if the majority of the time, the book never ends the way the reader presumes. Some people like this, others don't. It depends on the reader.
In addition, a story must be able to teach a lesson. At the end of the book, the reader should be able to take something from the novel that they can apply to their own lives.
Also, originality is always a plus. There will always be books with similar storylines, but each book has something different about it. It is what makes the book stand out amongst the others on the shelf.
2. Till now how many books have you written?
In terms of books that have been published, there are only two. Diamonds in the Rough is available for pre-order through www.passionatewriterpublishing.com, while Diamonds are Forever, the sequel, has been accepted by my publisher. As far as unpublished works, I have written approximately twenty-one books.
Diamonds in the Rough and Diamonds are Forever are a part of a ten book series, collectively known as The Diamond Collection.
In high school, I wrote a series of five books entitled Urban Drama. Then, there were a few novellas: The Fair Fight, Backstage Love, The Caretaker, Sebastian, Black Reggae, and Enamorado. Unfortunately, I no longer have copies of these. I can remember what the books are about, but that is about it. Most of the books were lost when I made the transition from Greenville to Rock Hill, SC in 2003.
3. How much time do you take to finish a book?
When I am feeling comfortable with a story, I try to devote as much time to it as I can. A lot of times, I multitask. I spend, on average, between eight to nine hours a day working on a book. Even when I am at work, I carry around a notebook, which will allow me to write down ideas. Typically, it takes me four to five months to finish a book. Even when it's fully written, I may take a few weeks to edit it. This allows me to see discrepancies in the storyline and it also sparks new ideas.
4. Where do you get ideas for your writing?
For Diamonds in the Rough, the story idea came from a dream. In the dream, I visualized a girl whose whole mindset was controlled by her lover's hazel eyes. He had a certain power over her just from the way he would look at her. Wanting to incorporate that into a novel, I began putting several ideas together to form an urban fiction novel. Thus from the dream, Diamonds in the Rough was born.
5. Tell about your first book?
Here's a synopsis of Diamonds in the Rough:
“I see a woman who is just like the stars outside. She is shining as bright as she can with hope that someone sees her except this woman is far better than them. She's a diamond.”
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. Almost 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.
Diamonds In the Rough is the first of ten books known communally as “The Diamond Collection.”
6. What is the hardest part of writing?
The hardest part of writing is remaining dedicated to the craft. It is so easy to let life's everyday tasks distract you from your goals. Once you have the mindset that you are moving forward with a project, every little thing will try and stop you. Encouraging yourself is the only way to make it to the finish line.
Vogue is currently on virtual book tour with Authors Supporting Authors. You can view her schedule on her website at
http://simplyvogue.net Leave a comment here today for your chance to win a copy of book number 1 in this fantastic series!
Diamonds In The Rough is set to release on June 1, but you can pre-order a copy through her publisher at
http://passionatewriterpublishing.com
Thanks again for stopping in Vogue! It's been a pleasure.
She Serpent by Jim Woods
