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
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