This blog was such a fun idea. Thanks, Deatri, for coming up with it. Since it is a blog you all know you can leave comments, right? (Grin)
Dyanne: Evelyn, somehow I’ve decided to ask at least one crazy question of the interviewees. I have t
he perfect one for you. Living in Texas you really do strike me as a for real cow-girl, something I always wanted to be. So were you? And if so did two six shooters complete your outfit?
Ev: Hahaha, Dyanne. I’m a Texan, born and bred. I travel as often as I can and I’ve been all over the country, but I’ve never lived anywhere except Texas. I grew up in a small town in the beautiful piney woods of East Texas, so I’m a country girl at heart, but not a cowgirl. I do, however, have two six-shooters, and about to buy a five-shooter. I don’t have any cattle, but I did drive a pick-up truck for 10 years, then settled into a sedate SUV when I turned 50.
Dyanne: See I knew it. I just knew you had guns. (LOL) I remember the speech you gave i
n 2004 at RSJ. You advised the writers to become involved in the YA market. You were right it’s exploding. Did you take your own advice?
Ev: Not yet. I am having such a good time writing the stories of ‘marvelously mature,’ and I have more of those stories to tell. However, I am excited to see the increase in titles where our children can see themselves in the heroines and heroes.
At Romance Slam Jam I urged romance writers to tap into the YA market for two reasons. For writers, it is a way to develop their careers by growing their readership. The teens who read their YA romance novels now will be the adults who read their adult romances in the future. Secondly, writers have the opportunity to counteract the negative cultural teachings in popular music and videos by showing Black people in loving and respectful relationships. For some teens, that reinforces what they see at home. For others, it shows the possible. (Thank you, Barack and Michelle)
Dyanne: What is your secret to getting the ladies in your yahoo group so involved in current issues? I love your group.
Ev: I love the group too, Dyanne, and can’t take any credit. I feel truly blessed to be associated with these women, and a couple of men, from all over the country who came together because of a love of reading. But reading is only one aspect of our lives. I don’t get the members involved in current issues. They already are. What I do, is allow expression of those other aspects of our lives. We can discuss anything a member wants to talk about, including other writers’ books, and touchy subjects like politics, religion, and family. The only rules are that we remain respectful of each other in our discourse, understand that another intelligent person can come to a different conclusion, not take or send anything personally, and ignore any subject you aren’t interested in. Violators will be deleted. It works well. I’ve had occasion to question my own long-held beliefs and I’ve learned a lot. I’m glad you joined and we enjoy your participation. (evelynpalfrey@yahoogroups.com)
Dyanne: Will you tell us about your future writing plans and the title of the book you have coming out?
Ev: I’m working on a story, Against Her Better Judgment, for an anthology with two fabulous writers. Doing the research for it has been a gas. All I’ll say about that is gun ranges, dog kennels and young hard-bodied police officers. The working title of my next full novel is How Could You Leave Me. It’s the story of a woman who shocks her friends and family by taking in a homeless man.
Dyanne: Thanks Evelyn. How can the readers reach you?
Thank you, Dyanne.
Evelyn@EvelynPalfrey.com
Dyanne: Evelyn, somehow I’ve decided to ask at least one crazy question of the interviewees. I have t
he perfect one for you. Living in Texas you really do strike me as a for real cow-girl, something I always wanted to be. So were you? And if so did two six shooters complete your outfit?Ev: Hahaha, Dyanne. I’m a Texan, born and bred. I travel as often as I can and I’ve been all over the country, but I’ve never lived anywhere except Texas. I grew up in a small town in the beautiful piney woods of East Texas, so I’m a country girl at heart, but not a cowgirl. I do, however, have two six-shooters, and about to buy a five-shooter. I don’t have any cattle, but I did drive a pick-up truck for 10 years, then settled into a sedate SUV when I turned 50.
Dyanne: See I knew it. I just knew you had guns. (LOL) I remember the speech you gave i
n 2004 at RSJ. You advised the writers to become involved in the YA market. You were right it’s exploding. Did you take your own advice?Ev: Not yet. I am having such a good time writing the stories of ‘marvelously mature,’ and I have more of those stories to tell. However, I am excited to see the increase in titles where our children can see themselves in the heroines and heroes.
At Romance Slam Jam I urged romance writers to tap into the YA market for two reasons. For writers, it is a way to develop their careers by growing their readership. The teens who read their YA romance novels now will be the adults who read their adult romances in the future. Secondly, writers have the opportunity to counteract the negative cultural teachings in popular music and videos by showing Black people in loving and respectful relationships. For some teens, that reinforces what they see at home. For others, it shows the possible. (Thank you, Barack and Michelle)
Dyanne: What is your secret to getting the ladies in your yahoo group so involved in current issues? I love your group.
Ev: I love the group too, Dyanne, and can’t take any credit. I feel truly blessed to be associated with these women, and a couple of men, from all over the country who came together because of a love of reading. But reading is only one aspect of our lives. I don’t get the members involved in current issues. They already are. What I do, is allow expression of those other aspects of our lives. We can discuss anything a member wants to talk about, including other writers’ books, and touchy subjects like politics, religion, and family. The only rules are that we remain respectful of each other in our discourse, understand that another intelligent person can come to a different conclusion, not take or send anything personally, and ignore any subject you aren’t interested in. Violators will be deleted. It works well. I’ve had occasion to question my own long-held beliefs and I’ve learned a lot. I’m glad you joined and we enjoy your participation. (evelynpalfrey@yahoogroups.com)
Dyanne: Will you tell us about your future writing plans and the title of the book you have coming out?
Ev: I’m working on a story, Against Her Better Judgment, for an anthology with two fabulous writers. Doing the research for it has been a gas. All I’ll say about that is gun ranges, dog kennels and young hard-bodied police officers. The working title of my next full novel is How Could You Leave Me. It’s the story of a woman who shocks her friends and family by taking in a homeless man.
Dyanne: Thanks Evelyn. How can the readers reach you?
Thank you, Dyanne.
Evelyn@EvelynPalfrey.com
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