WELCOME TO BLACK AUTHORS MATTER ~ INTERVIEW!!!
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| I'm Stella and I write Flirty & Feisty Romance Novels. Follow me on Amazon. |
Hello Romance Lovers,
In the coming months, I'm going to showcase one black romance author after another and their great books.
Relax, grab a drink because you are about to meet the number 16th Black Romance Author on my list. Her name is Author Sara Allen! Sara was born and raised in London but she is originally from the sunny island of Jamaica, Caribbean.
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AUTHOR: Sara Allen
BOOK TITLE: Man In Chains
GENRE: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
RELEASE DATE: 19/05/2020
WORD COUNT: 78K
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We want
to know a bit about your family life.
My family
means everything to me. I came from a large family, youngest child of 8, and I
have 6 children of my own. As my children came first, my own needs came last. It
meant that if I worked, it would be when they were at school or creche, and I
would finish before they ended for the day. They’re lovely individuals, and I’m
happy I invested my time into them.
What
drives you to write romance stories?
I think
what drives me is the need to find that romance in my own life, over and over
again. We seek the perfect companion, a relationship that will enable us to
grow and be ourselves, and that’s the romance stories that I like to write about.
The redemption after everything.
Do you
have hidden messages woven into your stories?
Oh, yes. Always!
What’s
the best thing about your writing and publishing routine?
That I
take my time. When I first started writing, I thought I needed to write fast,
publish fast, keep up with everyone else to be successful. I failed, miserably.
That’s not how I write or how my life situation is set up.
Then I
found a book by Patty Jensen, Self-Publishing Unboxed. She advised to make a
plan, a 5-year plan, and set it at 4 books per year. Since I began with that
mindset, my writing is more focused, more productive. I’m into my second book
for the year, with the other 2 written and covers made. So, I’m on track.
What
steps did you take to publish your first book?
I went
with an Indie Publisher, and I appreciate the chance she gave me, a ‘woefully
green author’ who had no clue what she was doing. I saw that success in those first
books, and it gave me the courage to continue and experiment.
How did
you come up with the idea for your recent book/Who’s your favourite character
and why?
The book
came about from a song I remember from way back in the 1980’s. Woman In Chains
by Tears for Fears. The song is so moving and soulful. When I first started penning
my outline, I was looking at it from a woman’s point of view, but it wasn’t enough.
I switched, giving the male character his chance to speak, and everything fell
into place.
Gianni is
my everything. The character portrait came from a picture I saw, and it just
fit my idea of ‘who’ he was. Dark, brooding, determined, sometimes angry, yet always
fair. He loved, but only enough to get by. Until he realised it wasn’t how you
loved a person, but that the person you loved, you would do anything for. It
took him a long time and a lot of heartache, to realise that lesson.
What’s
the hardest thing about the publishing process?
Self-Publishing
is the hardest because you’re accountable to yourself and the people who read
your stories. That’s a heavy weight to carry. Especially when you’re meticulous
and critical. Everything takes twice as long, because you’re constantly second
guessing, constantly pushing yourself to be perfect, and make no mistakes. You’re
no longer the faceless author that might be able to hide behind the publisher;
you are the publisher!
Why
should a new reader buy your book(s)?
I love to
share my stories, not because I want to be a famous, wealthy author, but
because I want to share a story that may be a little different from what they’re
used to. I want a reader to find something of themselves in the stories I
write, no matter what the genre is. I want to pull a reader in, change their
idea of what they thought the character was set to do, but I also want a reader
to be satisfied at the end of one of my stories.
Toni
Morrison said, “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been
written yet, you must be the one to write it.”
I think
this is what drives me, and why I would recommend my books to new readers.
Working
on a new book/project?
Yes. Man
In Chains 2. The story centres around Gianni’s brother, Vincent, who was
introduced briefly in book one. I’m also working on book 3 which centres on
another brother, Giorgio. All three books have their own premise and struggles,
loves, losses and redemptions.
Brag
about any awards or badges.
Well, I haven’t
been writing long enough to achieve this yet. But I would say that an award I
would brag about is the readers who come into my inbox and thank me for the
story I wrote. That to me is more rewarding than any accolade or prize given by
a Writer’s organisation.
Any thoughts
on Black Lives Matter Movement?
Plenty!
As an author of colour, I knew there were biases… growing up black in London
opened my eyes to the biases and glass-ceilings that I faced. However, I would
hope that with the highlighting of the disparities, we can work towards a
measure of equality. We can’t possibly go backwards; our backs are already
against the wall. But to step forwards, however slowly, is an improvement on
where we are. The publishing industry needs to give BIPOC authors more access
to the platforms, and not because we open a vein and bleed all over the page
for their pleasure, either.
Now to
the Rapid Questions:
Your ideal
Partner?
An
Understanding man.
Favourite
place to write?
In peace
and quiet.
Choice
trope to read?
Fairy
tale tropes.
Preferred
genre to read?
Fantasy.
Best time
of the day to write?
Night time.
One food you
can’t do without?
Crunchy
snacks.
Favourite
Drink Award goes to?
Coffee!
Best Dessert
in the world?
Strawberry
Cheesecake.
Best Movie,
or TV series Award go to?
Avatar.
Beautiful
Song Award go to?
Rear View
by Zayn Malik.
Amazing
Band Award go to?
One
Republic.
Best Actor/Actress
Award go to?
Morgan
Freeman.
Your #1
Colour?
Green.
Perfect
gift you hope to get someday?
Everything
I ever lost.
One fun
thing you do?
Calligraphy.
Never
Have I…?
Been on a
jet ski, but I wanna!
Give readers
your final thoughts about anything?
I would like
to say, thank you. Thank you for getting this far, thank you for the continued support,
and thank you for taking a chance on a writer you’ve never heard of before. My
motto since I began writing has always been to create something new, something
different, but always with a character who with a character that a reader can
relate to.
‘Changing
my world, one story at a time!’
I hope you enjoyed getting to know Author Sara Allen.
Read the blurb of Sara's book below:
Don't also forget to grab a copy of any of her other books!
Gianni ‘The Diamond’
Marcello has one goal; to be the boxing champion of the world. It will take
commitment, sacrifice, discipline and hard work, the biggest being love and a
meaningful relationship. They won’t co-exist; responsibility for one’s family
takes precedence. He’s prepared to leave one to achieve the other. In Shelley, he’s found the perfect girl. She understands his objectives. Until they’re married and every action proves him wrong. Disappointed, Gianni struggles to accommodate a situation he wasn’t expecting. Having one’s back against a wall makes freedom all the sweeter. But with love comes sacrifice, one that sends everything tumbling at their feet.
Shelley is over the moon to wear his ring. However, living in the shadow of Gianni’s dream is more than she can bear. She must give up everything, but is unaware of how much it may cost them both.
Francis; scarred, scared, and damaged, erupts into Gianni’s life when he’s least expecting. The serious, strangely appealing woman, whose disfigured face and body hide a passion he never expected. She quickly becomes the rock he needs.
Loyalty, love and a dream held close to his heart, will be harder to fight for than anything he’d ever faced in the ring. But more than that, Gianni will have to break the chains to find himself, and discover what matters most.
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A BIT MORE ABOUT ~ Sara Allen
Born in
London to Jamaican parents, she studied History of Art and Archaeology, at the
School of Oriental & African Studies, a branch of the University of London.
Writing
is a passion that took years, and courage to realise. She currently has a
number of novels in publication, but always strives to stretch herself that
little bit further. Each completed project is a labor of love that stretches
her imagination to dig deeper. She says, “If there are ten projects half
written, there are more that float away in my dreams.”
If you would also love to get to know the previous author, click here.
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I'm Stella Eromonsere- Ajanaku, the initiator of
#BlackAuthorsMatter. To get to know me more, click here.
Before you go, please take a quick look at my Bestselling New Release; Longing for You and some of my other hot books.
#BlackAuthorsMatter. To get to know me more, click here.
Before you go, please take a quick look at my Bestselling New Release; Longing for You and some of my other hot books.
For sure, you will laugh, cry, get an emotional thrill and drool with suspense.
If you have read any of my 32 hot romance books, please leave a review. because I love reading your comments.
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Thank you for visiting my blog today. Please leave comments, so I know you dropped by.
I wish you a romantic week.
Love
Stella
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Flirty & Feisty Romance
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