Romance Slam Jam 2008

To view the entire 320 image slide show, click the following link:Romance Slam Jam 2008

Interview with Barbara Keaton

Dyanne: Over the next few months and probably forever we’re going to give you a little info about some of the writers of African American romances. While it might seem that I’m playing favorites and beginning with friends, consider this: I was given a deadline to make the next edition and of the Romance Slam Jam newsletter and, of course, since I procrastinate I had to call on people that I actually call and talk to and beg them, come on, please. LOL. So authors, get ready to get an email from me. We’re going to try to feature every single author. Also if you have books that will be coming out, please let us know. We try to keep up but someone’s new release can get missed. We’re still looking for all debut authors of AA romance to present to the readers. So without further ado, I give you Barbara Keaton.

Barbara Keaton, a native of Chicago, who thinks it's the best in the world, also enjoys writing. Her first diary is dated December 1975! And since then, Barbara has written articles for Today's Black Woman Magazine, Chicago Reader, Chicago Crusader and True Confessions. In addition, Barbara is an accomplished romance author. Barbara credits her late grandfather, Thomas Hill, and the Oblate Sisters of Providence for instilling in her a love and passion for the written word.

Barb will have a new romance coming out with Parker Publishing in Oct of this year, One in A Million.

Dyanne: Barb, can you tell us a little about, One in a Million?

Barb: You know, Dyanne that story for me began more than seven years ago. It started off being a story that was in Homeland Hero. You know how it happens, the characters laid dormant for years. We as authors create many characters in our head who may sit on the shelves until It’s their time to come out. This was the time for the characters. I really enjoyed writing the story and hope the readers will enjoy it also.

Dyanne: I know that you partied with the queen of the vampire huntress series, Ms. L.A. Banks who just happens to be the keynote speaker of RSJ 09. I’m so sorry that I missed her and the rest of the team this year. For the second year you’ve been a member of the guardian team. Any thoughts on that?

Barb: It’s so heartwarming to watch a sister step out and create stories about people with flaws, yet they all have faith. Then you sit there and you go, ‘Wow’ I’m sitting here with the person who’s creating history.

Dyanne: I’m so in agreement with you Barb. It also doesn’t hurt that we both got a mention in her new book. YEAH! Okay last question. I happen to know that you’ve been working several years with women who’ve been in abusive relationships. Seeing as how the majority of the readership of this newsletter are women and many of us have known women in such relationships I think it would be nice to know what you’re doing with the organization next.
Barb: This Oct. 18th a core group of Chicago authors will come together to raise money to provide support services to women in abusive relationships. I believe spousal abuse still remains a part of America’s dirty little secret and doesn’t get the attention it deserves. We’re hoping to double the amount we raised last year. This year we’re honored to have Rochelle Allers as out guest speaker. Anyone in the Chicago area who’d like to be a part of this give me a holler at BNewell572@aol.com Readers can visit my site at www.Barbara Keaton.com


Dyanne: Thanks Barb.

www.dyannedavis.com

Interview with Kelley Nyrae

Dyanne: It’s my pleasure to introduce to the RSJ family one of the host authors of Romance Slam Jam 09 that you may not have had the chance to meet yet. I dare say this has been an exciting year for Kelly Nyrae.

Dyanne: Kelley, tell us a little about yourself. I know you have a beautiful new baby so don't leave her out.

Kelley: Thanks for interviewing me, Dyanne. I'm a happily married mother of two little girls, one four years old and the other is seven months old. I've loved writing since I was a child and always dreamed of being a writer one day. I'm an avid reader, like to scrap book, watch movies and hang out with my family.

Dyanne: Congratulations on your first book, Getting Lucky with Luciano? It's been getting rave reviews and since I read it I agree with all the good press. How does it feel to have your dream come to fruition?

Kelley: Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed Luciano. This whole experience is amazing to me. I still have trouble believing its true, lol. To me being a published author was always one of those dreams that you had but you didn't really expect to come true. I'm still riding the high of knowing that I did it! I'm so lucky to have the chance to do what I love.

Dyanne: Kelley, tell me since your baby is less than a year old and so is your book which birth was easier?

Kelly: Well I struggled more writing my book then making the baby, LOL. Both births were exciting, scary and so very worth it!

Dyanne: LOL. I’m VERY pleased to know making the baby wasn’t a struggle. Now that I’ve stopped laughing, what are your future plans?

Kelley: My plans are just to enjoy this ride that I feel privileged to be on. I have one novel, three novellas, and one short story all coming out in 2009. I just want to keep telling the stories in my head, to keep giving my characters their happily ever after. I can only hope readers enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Thank you so much for taking the time to interview me! I had a blast. If anyone would like to read more about me or my books my website is www.kelleynyrae.com. I have two blogs one at www.kelleynyrae.blogspot.com and a group author blog at www.threewickedwriters.blogspot.com

Dyanne, Before I let you go Kelley, as chair person on your committee is there anything you want to say concerning your plans for RSJ 2009?


Kelley: First let me say I'm so loving working on Slam Jam 2009. It's been such a blast for me so far! We have a few fun little activities up our sleeves for next year. We have games set up where readers and writers can act out the EMMA nominated books, a beach theme party, wonderful author workshops and intimate session with authors such as LA Banks and some sight seeing time thrown it too!

Kelley

Dyanne: Kelley it’s been fun getting to know you. Again, congrats on both births. I’m looking forward to all the wonderful things that you and Jackie and Miriam and all the other members of your committee have planned for us next year. This is one conference that the readers of this newsletter will not want to miss. It’s going to be, DA BOMB!!

Dyanne Davis
www.dyannedavis.com

Interview with Deatri King-Bey

Dyanne: I’ll betcha you all thought you knew everything there was to know about Deatri didn’t you? Well I can assure you that you don’t and neither do I. But I do know that Deatri and her family steal babies and have done this for many years. They actually are proud of that fact. So Deatri, would you tell us how and why your family steals babies?

Deatri: LOL. Oh yeah, my family has been stealing babies for generations. Actually, I think quite a few in our culture “steal” babies and don’t even realize it. For me, it started with members of my family. I just didn’t like the way their parents were raising them, so we took them in to give their parents a “break” and just kept them. That’s how it usually happens. Next thing you know, you have six children and you only birthed two.

Dyanne: I’ll bet that question caught everyone’s attention. LOL. Deatri, I want you to think this over for a second (or two) and tell me if you were handed a million dollars what would you do other than buy a tank of gas?

Deatri: Awww heck, ,the million dollar question—literally SMILE. Actually, that’s pretty easy. I have a learning disability; I’m dyslexic. Learning to read and write in the small town I came from was not the easiest. I’ve always had a soft spot for children. Children and literacy are very important to me. I’d start a literacy organization for our youth. Yep, I know there are a million and one out there, but they aren’t done the way I’d do it. Mine would be another choice for them.

Dyanne: And I have no doubt that yours would be the best and the children would receive love as well as a love of reading. How about another question? You’ve just been granted three wishes. What will you wish for?

Deatri: Okay, I won’t cheat and make the first wish be unlimited wishes.

Wish One: People would chose to stop living in ignorance and actually take a serious interest in what is going on in the world and act accordingly.

Wow my life must be good, because I can’t think of two more wishes. Hmmm, y’all are lucky you don’t have to actually wait for the answer. Sheesh. Let me go write a book. I’ll be back LOL.

Wish Two: That people stop being petty. Life is too short.

Wish Three: That the future homes I live in are only one floor and have PLENTY of built in bookshelves. Life is hard for a read-a-holic.

Ha ha ha. Thought you had me stumped, didn’t ya!

Dyanne: To be honest Dee, I thought you were going to wish for unlimited wishes. I would have. LOL. I saved asking anything about RSJ for last because I wanted some fun facts that no one knew about you. Everyone knows by now that Romance Slam Jam is becoming incorporated. Can you tell us a little about how it’s coming and why that’s important?


Deatri: Our official name is now Romance Slam Jam Incorporated. The slogan is: Where love of literacy and Black romance meet. In another year, hopefully the Federal Government will see the benefit in officially making us a non-profit organization.

Check out our logo:



Every year a new batch of hosts literally had to start from scratch to organize the conference, and these new organizers didn’t know the how’s or who or even what. And I mean every aspect had to be recreated, contacts found and established, sponsors sought… Heck, we didn’t even have a consistent location for the website. We had to literally “find” each other every year.

Needless to say, it could become overwhelming, was a nightmare and didn’t make sense to me. I went to Miss Emma and Francis Ray and explained about turning RSJ into an organization and why, and they were in agreement. Thus the organization was created.

Presently, the RSJ Organization is the knowledge base that selects and works with the hosts to maintain consistency between conferences, gives guidance on the how to’s, has connections with potential sponsors and the publishing industry…I could go on and on, but I have to get back to writing my other two wishes SMILE. Now the hosts have a partner to help ensure their success.

But that’s not all! The RSJ is ever evolving and will become what we all make of it. Just like the conference, the organization will serve readers and authors. Eventually we’d like to have activities for readers and authors throughout the year.

Dyanne: You noticed I didn’t ask you about any of your new work. Your new work which I’m pleased to say that I’ve read and loved will be a total surprise when it hit the shelves. But until it’s ready for publication I didn’t think you’d want to talk about that. But your readers might still just want to hear that you’ve got some exciting things in store for them


Deatri: Yeah, I have a TOP SECRET baby in the works that won’t be ready to submit until around September. I’m working with another author on that project and I REAAAALLLLY wish I could tell you all about that novel. We have a penname and aren’t even releasing that. Man I can hardly WAIT. It’s not a romance, it’s a thriller—of sorts. Y’all know I have to mix genre’s LOL.

My last book came out in May 07, and though I had other manuscripts I could have submitted, I was planning the Slam Jam and moving across the country, so didn’t even think about submitting until after Slam Jam 08. Well, I FINALLY sent out three manuscripts a month ago, so it will be a while before I have more novels hit the shelves.

I’m in the process of writing a historical romance—which I’ll be ready to submit this winter, an erotic romance, which I’ll finish late winter, two contemporaries I’ll finish in the spring, and I just came up with a fantastic idea for a young adult novel that I’ll start writing on in a month or two. For those of you who don’t know, I have a short attention span and work on several books at once.

Dyanne: You know I want to do like the little kids and stick my tongue out and go, nana nana nana, I read the book and the rest of you haven’t. LOL. But I won’t. I will say I can’t wait for it to hit the shelf. Good luck with all the other projects you have out and the ones you’re working on. And for the folks that don’t know. Congratulations on winning the Emmy for Steamiest Romance at the 08 RSJ. Thanks Deatri for giving the RSJ family some new info. Now just give your contact info.


Deatri: Sure thing. But first I’d like to thank you, Dyanne, for the fantastic questions and opportunity to speak about the RSJ Organization. Oh man, I need to go back and answer my other two wishes. LOL.

deatri@deewrites.com or deatri@romanceslamjam.org
Or you can always view my website at: http://www.deewrites.com