A writer from the start, Stacey Covington-Lee knew that she had to share her gift of words with the world. She fell in love with literature from an early age, even pursuing a Communications degree from Savannah State University.
Through her novels, Stacey explores topics of love, friendship, and betrayal – things many of her loyal audience can relate to. She is passionate about and continues to raise social consciousness about sickle cell disease and domestic violence though her writing and speaking engagements.
Stacey is an Atlanta native, she is a blogger and loves music, the arts, and traveling. Be sure to visit her at www.staceycovingtonlee.com for additional information, books, and events.
BPM: Tell us about your most recent work. Is this book available on Nook and Kindle?
Stacey: When Love Ain’t Enough is a true thrill ride. This is the story of a couple that’s enjoyed a beautiful life built on love and mutual respect. However, when the main character, Rozalla, befriends the very single, Heather, everything begins to change. Rozalla becomes convinced that life would be better if her once beloved Vince was no longer here. But the life she envisioned without him quickly becomes a horrific nightmare.
BPM: Give us some insight into your main characters or speakers. What makes each one so special?
Stacey: The main character is Rozalla Harper. Right out of the box, she will likely be the character that people will love to hate. Her weak-minded behavior is maddening. It’s not until you delve deeper into the story that you learn of her good heart and the incredible love she has for her family.
Vincent, Rozalla’s husband is an amazing man that any woman would count herself lucky to have. The mistake that Rozalla makes is that she has taken his kindness for weakness.
Amanda and Heather also play pivotal roles in this story. Both are dear friends of Rozalla and she loves them for very different reasons. It won’t take long for the readers to discover that Heather is a friend that should be fed with a long-handled spoon and Amanda is and will always be a true friend that looks out for Rozalla’s best interest.
There is also the very handsome and charming Harrison. He knows just how to treat a woman, until he gets her where he wants her.
BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing this book? Why now?
Stacey: I knew of a couple, similar to Vince and Rozalla, that had a lovely marriage. But something changed for the woman and she began having an affair. I watched as she pushed her husband away. She had big dreams of a life with her lover and sadly, a misguided friend encouraged her behavior. In the end, all the woman wanted was to have her husband back, but turned his back on her and eventually she lost everything. The saddest part is that I’ve heard several stories that mirror this one. I wrote the book because it seems like infidelity (on the part of women) has become an epidemic. I wrote this book now to show that every man is not a dog, every woman is not a faithful little angel and the grass is usually not greener on the other side.
BPM: Can you share one topic or scene from your book that will touch most readers?
Stacey: In this story, Rozalla and Vince have two adult daughters. One of the daughters, Carmen, has been dating a young man that has gotten caught in the grips of drug addiction. In one scene, he physically attacks her. When her mother asks why she chose to stay, Carmen responds with, “Mama, I thought I could help him. I honestly thought I could get him over this new-found addiction. I know the kind of man he was before he started using drugs and I really wanted to be the one to help him return to his former self.”
I think that so many women can relate to this. As women, we are nurturers, we want to love our loved ones through their situations, we want to save them, but they are not ours to save. People must first recognize that they have a problem (whatever it may be) and want the change for themselves. This book is multi-faceted and relatable on many levels.
BPM: Where do your book ideas come from? Are your books plot-driven or character-driven?
Stacey: My books are definitely plot-driven. My ideas usually come from things I might overhear, or situations that friends or acquaintances might be going through. Some subject matter has even come from me (i.e. the characters dealing with sickle cell or those escaping domestic violence). My ears and eyes are always open for the next situation that speaks to my heart and are begging to be dramatized.
BPM: Is writing easy for you? Do you feel lonely being a writer?
Stacey: Yes, writing for me is easy because I find so much joy in it. It’s incredibly relaxing and I love the solitude, just me, my thoughts, and my laptop. I’ve always been one that treasured alone time, so it’s not lonely for me at all. The hardest part about writing is finding the time to disconnect from everyone and everything so that I can actually write.
BPM: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Stacey: I most enjoyed the drama of it all. I would get into the groove of writing and the book would head in a direction that I didn’t even anticipate. The drama and suspense of it was very exciting to me.
BPM: How long does it take to complete one of your books?
Stacey: It typically takes me four to five months. I could finish a book faster, but I have found that it benefits both me and the reader when I take my time and really pour my heart into the story.
BPM: Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Stacey: My suggestion would be to stay true to your voice, your stories. There are a lot of trends in writing, however, the best stories come from those that don’t necessarily follow the trends, but opt to stay true to the stories that mean something to them. The one’s that they know will touch lives.
BPM: What period of life do you find you write about most often? (child, teenager, young adult)
Stacey: I mainly choose to write about characters in the young adult stage of life.
BPM: How do you feel when someone disagrees with something you have written?
Stacey: I would like to think that every reader is going love and agree with everything I write. The reality is that everything is not for everybody. I understand that some people simply won’t enjoy or agree with everything that I pen. It’s my hope that even though they may not have agreed or enjoyed one particular book, they will give one of my other novels a try. But regardless, I respect the readers and their right to disagree.
BPM: Are there under-represented groups or ideas featured in your book? If so, discuss them.
Stacey: When I choose a topic and sub-topic to write about, I try very hard to fully represent everyone and all ideas connected with the topic.
BPM: Share one specific point in your book that resonated with your present situation or journey.
Stacey: At one point in the book, Rozalla began to reflect on everything that was good between she and Vince. The realization of how good a man he was and having to face life without him hit her like a ton of bricks. I’ve been married for nearly twenty-one years and at one point in time I was giving my husband the business. This passage just about made me cry. My husband is a great man that loves his family with his whole heart. This story reminded me that the two of us need not ever take each other for granted again.
BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing your book?
Stacey: I was reminded that there are a multitude of situations and crazy people waiting to tear apart the good in our lives. It’s our job to love, respect, and raise our family and ourselves above it all.
BPM: Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
Stacey: Actually, the main subject matter of this book came from people that I knew. The one’s that took love for granted, the one struggling with addiction, the one obsessed with what she can’t have. It’s amazing the subject matter you can find if you just stand still, look, and listen.
BPM: How has writing this book impacted your life as a published author?
Stacey: This book is my lucky number five. It represents me taking more control of my publishing and it’s my hope that the subject matter shows my continued growth as a writer.
BPM: What does literary success look like to you?
Stacey: I think every writer would count it a blessing to win awards and top the NY Times Best Sellers List. I am no different, however, the greatest success I can experience as a writer is when my words touch the lives of the readers. I’ve had readers to email me and send social media messages telling me that they experienced an array of emotions while reading my stories. I’ve had associates to contact me in tears telling me that it was as if I had a ringside seat to their dysfunctional or abusive life. Those messages, the tears, the emotions, that all equals great success to me.
BPM: What are the 3 most effective tools for sharing your book with the world?
Stacey: My number one tool would have to be social media. Everyone is connected via social media and it’s the quickest way to share news and events. My second would be literary outlets such as Black Pearls and other online magazines and e-blast services with large followings. The third would be word of mouth. Taking the time to reach out to book clubs, speaking at events, building a real connection with the reading audience.
BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
Stacey: I’m currently working on a book that shines a light on one of America’s most shameful issues, human trafficking/sex slavery.
BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
Stacey: I love chatting with readers and invite everyone to follow me on IG @ https://www.instagram.com/scovingtonlee/ Twitter @ https://twitter.com/covingtonlee and Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/StaceyCovingtonLee.
I also contribute to Caramel Lattes and Stilettos blog and the posts can be found @ https://caramellattesandstilettos.com/.
Blog posts and other information about new releases and events can be found at www.staceycovingtonlee.com.
Connect with Stacey Covington-Lee, Author
www.staceycovingtonlee.com
www.caramellattesandstilettos.com
www.amazon.com/author/staceycovingtonlee
Purchase When Love Ain’t Enough by Stacey Covington-Lee
Genre: Women’s Fiction/Suspense/Romance/Mystery/Thriller
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYHA3KP
