An Interview with Stacy-Deanne: Author

Sylvia: Welcome author. Please give our readers an introduction of yourself and a little about your book.

Stacy Deanne

Photo Credit: Stacy Deanne

Stacy-Deanne:  Hello Sylvia.My name is Stacy-Deanne (pronounced Dee-Anne) and I write crime fiction, mysteries and interracial romantic suspense. I started writing professionally in 1997 when I was nineteen years old. I grew up loving suspense and my idols are Edgar Allan Poe and Alfred Hitchcock. I’ve been nominated for various awards including two African-American Literary Awards. I was profiled in the 2006 NAACP-nominated book, Literary Divas: The Top 100+ African-American Women in Writing. I was born, raised and resides in Houston, Texas.

My current release, The Season of Sin is the second installment in my current Interracial Suspense Series. It focuses on Albany Detectives Brianna “Bree” Morris and her partner and ex-lover Steven Kemp. She is black and he’s white so that’s the interracial background. There are also many interracial pairings within the series.

 

Sylvia: Congratulations on your success. You’ve received some amazing accolades.  What inspired you to write your first book?

Stacy-Deanne: It’s funny but I never intended to be a writer professionally. I always loved literature but it wasn’t until I was 19 when I got my first computer that the writing bug hit me. I began writing a story and I got so much fulfillment and happiness from it that I knew then it was my calling. My first book never saw the light of day but I never gave up and a few years later, I’d gotten my first deal.

 

Sylvia: Isn’t life funny that we kind of fall into our destiny? For me, I never thought about being a business owner… yet I was intrigued by a friend who started a business in 1999 and thus, started my first business in 2000. And then… I never thought about being a business consultant and for the past 9 or so years I’ve been helping people start and expand their business.  Here I am today, just as you are, living my passion. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Stacy-Deanne: I just want people to be entertained. My vision is to take people away from any issues they have in their lives and bring them joy at least for a little while. I want people to put one of my novels down and actually reflect if only for a minute on what they read and how it affected them.

 

Sylvia: And hopefully they are doing just that! Do you have any advice for other writers?

Stacy-Deanne: Writing is a very serious business and you should be sure that it’s what you want to do before you commit. It’s fun and challenging but there is a lot of heartache and rejection that comes along with it. People forget that writing is a job. It might be a passion but if you want to be published and make a name for yourself, you must treat it with the same gravity and hard work you would any job.

 

Sylvia: What marketing techniques have you used to sell your books and which ones have been most successful?

Stacy-Deanne: Overall being able to promote online through social networking and blogs has been very effective. I find that reviews from book clubs and bloggers are a great word of mouth and I find this the best form of promotion for me.

 

Sylvia: Why should we buy your book?

Stacy-Deanne: You should buy my book because I am one of few black mystery writers in the industry today. We do not get the recognition we deserve in this genre. Black writers have so much to offer and we write many different things. I want you to buy my work so that you can see that you can’t put me in a box. I want to show you that I have the chops and I can write books that knock readers’ socks off. I want you not to dismiss my work based on my color but give me a chance and realize that I am more than a woman and a color.  I am talented, sincere, fierce, and determined. I want you to buy my book because I know you will enjoy it.

 

Sylvia: Well you GO GIRL!  Is there a special place that you prefer when you write?

Stacy-Deanne: I used to write primarily in the den at my desktop computer but I enjoy curling up in my bedroom with my laptop and writing. It’s so relaxing writing in the bedroom and my ideas pour out better than they ever have.

Stacy Deanne Author of Giving Up Ghost

Image Credit: Stacy Deanne

 

Sylvia: What made you write mysteries and interracial romance?

Stacy-Deanne: I have loved mysteries since I was a kid. It wasn’t until I saw Dial M for Murder that something clicked, and I knew mysteries was what I wanted to write. I adore Hitchcock and he is the reason I decided to write in the genre. I write interracial romance because I’ve always been a fan of interracial romances and I believe that color should not dictate love.

 

Sylvia: What projects are you currently working on?

Stacy-Deanne: I have released two stories in my current interracial suspense series and the third will be out this July. I also have a standalone novel due out in early 2014, and the fourth installment in my series will be released late 2014.

 

Sylvia: Wow, you are a writing machine! Love it! What is your POWER WORD? Why this word?

Stacy-Deanne: My power word is determination. I embrace challenges.

 

Sylvia: Thank you Stacy-Deanne for sharing your story with us. Please share your social media and book contact information.

Stacy-Deanne: You are welcome, I appreciate it as well. Below is my contact information.  

  • Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Season-Peace-Publishing-Presents ebook/dp/B006YZDI1S/ref=tmm_kin_title_0  

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   Stacy Deanne Author of The Wild Life

Image Credit: Stacy Deanne

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