BLM: Where do you get your inspiration for your stories?
Sometimes ideas pop into my head or I’ll listen to the news or some TV talk show that’ll cause me to wonder what would happen if . . . or perhaps I’ll hear a song title. I remember when I heard the song Hot Boyz by Missy Elliot while driving through an upscale area in Los Angeles called Ladera Heights. I wondered what it would be like to write about a wealthy family – kind of a more-money more-problems angle. Also, I’d decided upon the song title Something He Can Feel after hearing about an NBA player who accused his wife of spousal abuse. The songs Dr. Feelgood and Erotic City ended up being titles as well.
BLM: You also write some steaming hot erotica under the pen name, Pynk. What inspired you to want to create this alter ego? Where does the name “Pynk” come from?
I was asked to contribute an erotic short story to a book called Morning, Noon and Night. It was challenging, but I enjoyed the no-limits aspect and decided to write a full-length erotica book under a pen name. I wanted a short, sexy name, and chose Pink because I was called Pink by someone (who and why shall remain a mystery). Due to a conflict with audio rights owned by the singer Pink, I decided to use a Y versus changing the name altogether. My editor and the legal department at Hachette approved it. And so, Pynk was born. Otherwise, I might have been writing under the name Purple, lol.
BLM: Of all of the wonderful books you have penned, which one of them is your favorite and why?
Oh wow, that’s like asking which of my three children I love most! I love them all the equally, but they’re all so individual and different. I love my first book, May December Souls, because it’s my freshman baby and it garnered the attention of Harper Collins in 2001. And I love my most recent book, Sexaholics, because even though it’s controversial and raw, I receive emails from many people who’ve lived a life very similar. As far as Hot Boyz, my best-seller to date, readers have asked for more shenanigans from the Wilson family. That’s prompted me to write a sequel for the first time in my career, and it’s called Hot Girlz.
BLM: You are very active with your fans and readers on your Facebook page. My personal favorite is relationship Tuesday. Where you get the scenarios for them? Are they sent in to you or do you create them on your own?
Thank you! I love my Relationship Tuesday scenarios on FB. Back in the day I hosted a talk show called The Opposite Sex, so relationship discussions are near and dear to my heart. Sometimes FB friends send me some really great questions, and I also use angles from my books. Other times, I admit, a few of those scenarios are straight from the pages of my life, like the question about your man’s baby’s mama sending her dirty clothes for him to wash. Snarl!! But overall, getting such a variance of feedback helps me in figuring the human psyche when “fiction friction” is tossed into the lives of my characters.
BLM: How important do you think it is for authors to stay connected to their fans?
I haven’t wrapped my brain around the word “fans,” but I’ll say our “readers” are the reason we do what we do. They are our audience and their dollars put food on our tables, bottom line. We must stay visible, make sure to schedule signings (even if one person shows up), post blogs, be active in social networks, keep readers abreast of what’s next (a good avenue is posting a chapter excerpt of our next book in the back of our current novels), offer giveaways, include a guestbook and tour page on our websites, publish regular newsletters, and most importantly, read other authors works and continually study the craft so that we can offer readers the best stories possible.
BLM: What in your opinion is one of the biggest mistakes new authors make when stepping into the literary scene?
One of the biggest mistakes new authors make is paying people to do the very things they could do themselves, like schedule signings and plan events. So many authors are overly anxious and don’t do the research. If they did they’d realize there’s a lot they could do themselves. Bottom line advice is, do the homework – ask questions – create a quality product – be patient – be humble – and be open to constructive criticism.
BLM: Not many authors get the chance to both self publish and write under a major publishing house. Having experienced both, which one would you say is the best?
Both have their advantages. I’d say the ability of a traditional house to garner a wider range of distribution can outweigh the efforts of some self-published authors. Even with that being said, I do prefer having complete control over my sales, as opposed to always wondering about the numbers and whether or not a check will accompany a royalty statement. A plus regarding a traditional publisher is that they handle editing, typesetting, cover design, sales, distribution, shipping, accounting, etc., so you have more focused time to write your next book. It makes sense that with all the work they’re doing, in most cases they make money on that title, while many authors are left to wonder if they’ll ever earn their advance back. I’d say, if you’re good at getting the word-of-mouth going yourself, then go the self-publishing route, especially with the popularity of e-books nowadays.
BLM: Tell us about your upcoming projects. What can we look forward to?
As far as Pynk, Sixty-Nine, about three sexually repressed women born in 1969, hits the shelves March 25, 2011, and right now I’m finishing up the March 2012 novel called Politics Escorts Blackmail, about the call-girl industry in New York City. Under Marissa Monteilh, the sequel to Hot Boyz, called Hot Girlz, is scheduled for September 2011, and a novel about the ultimate best friend deceit, called Turnabout is Fair Play, will debut in September 2012.
BLM: Are you planning any signing tours in the new year?
My tour schedule has not been set yet, possibly New York and definitely a launch party and dating game event in Atlanta in the spring of 2011, but my complete schedule will be posted on my website early next year.
BLM: How can your fans and readers find you online?
www.authorpynk.com or www.marissamonteilh.com, where readers will find my Facebook and other links.
