Black Pearl Intimate Conversations

Intimate Conversation with Nanette M. Buchanan

Nanette M. Buchanan was born, raised and educated in Newark , New Jersey. After graduating from Arts High School in Newark she attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick , New Jersey . It was then that she first set her pen to pad, written expressions of her love for poetry.  She is a proud mother, wife and grandmother, now residing in Somerset , New Jersey . Nanette is employed with the State of New Jersey within the Department of Corrections. This dynamic author is looking forward to making writing a full time career after retiring from her current position with the State of New Jersey .

Nanette’s first published work and debut novel was “Family Secrets…Lies & Alibis.”  Since then the publication of the sequel, “A Different Kind of Love” and the release of her first volume of poetry, “Thoughts” an e-book hit the market.  In October of 2009, Nanette’s murder mystery, “Bruised Love” was released.  It is her goal to become a successful author without limits.  Writing and producing plays that feature her poems as well as adaptations of her novels on the “big screen.”   

Nanette is a member of Shared Thoughts Book Club and Authors Supporting Authors.  She is the hostess of ASA’s Blog Talk Internet Radio Show which broadcasts each month interviewing authors, discussing literary events, publications and book promotions.  The author is available for personal appearances, chats and signings.

Ella: Nanette, introduce us to your new book, Bruised Love.
Cassandra Smith, Mary Smith, Trevor Black, Lamont Dearling and the others, take the reader through pages of a riveting story of love, betrayal and murder. 

Bruised Love Introduction:  “When love leaves a bruise, does it ever heal?”  The answer is show in the lives of the characters introduced in this dramatic novel.  

Cassandra Smith, who left home for love, finds herself accepting abuse.  She has returned home to find her internal strength.  Mary Smith realizes her love for her daughter, Cassandra, has been smothered by her hatred for Trevor Black, the lover her daughter chose.  She must rekindle their severed relationship before it’s too late.  Lamont Dearling has been warned, “A woman who has been abused, can never understand real love.”, but nothing including Trevor Black will keep him from pursuing his childhood sweetheart, Cassandra Smith.  Trevor Back, the abusive love and part time father of Cassandra’s four children, has found he is no longer on top of his “game”.  His abusive dealings on the street, other women and now Cassandra has caused problems that bring deadly consequences.  

Ella: What inspired you to write this story, Bruised Love?
A.  I believe I wrote this story to rid a part of my feelings that I experienced off and on throughout my life.  Love is a confusing emotion.  We love openly seeking love in return and sometimes those who should love us don’t and those who we cling to as we fall tend to knock us down further.  I can relate to Cassandra, her pain and her emotional turmoil.  The character is not me at all but I can relate.

Ella: What impact will Bruised Love have on the community?
A.  Our society has become one that holds embedded hurt a life time.  We have angered homes, schools, jobs, and communities.  Our relationships and how we treat others has an effect on everyone we meet.  We need to recognize, without healing we can’t just walk away from severed relationships.  Our solution has become one of avoidance.  We will avoid our families, friends and lovers only to be confronted with building the same type of relationships with another.  “Bruised Love” defines these relationships, the novel shows how fragile they become, the hurt and pain; it gives the reader insight on what can happen.  There will be those who see themselves in these relationships. It asks the question, “When love leaves a bruise, can it ever heal?”  

Ella: Tell us a little about your main characters. Who was your favorite?  
A.  “Bruised Love” is Cassandra Smith’s story.  As a young girl seeking love, after the death of her father, she falls for the high school bad boy Trevor Black.  Despite her mother’s warnings she dates the ‘playa’ and is told by her mother to leave home.  The tension builds between her and her mother, Brenda Smith, who is battling cancer.  The strained relationship and the need for unconditional love, has a guilty effect on the widow.  Brenda realizes she should have loved her child regardless to her choices. 

Seeking to gain what she lost, she wants to heal the relationship before it’s too late.  After talking with the family, she is convinced that Cassandra will come home if she believes her mother is close to death.  Cassandra returns home, leaving the abusive cheating father of her children to care for her mother.  Now faced with four children, a sick mother and no choice but to focus on her life, reality sets in. She finds the real definition for friendship, responsibility and commitment.  All of which she’ll need to heal the bruised relationships she has been living with.

 As Cassandra’s life demands immediate decisions, her emotions are torn and her relationships are forever changed. Lamont Dearling, an old friend, is her constant support as she goes through a pivotal transformation. Lamont is that real friend who has always been in the shadows.  

Cassandra is my favorite character.  She literally transforms in the novel.  She carries an emotional load, baggage that is not hers to bear.  Through it all she grows, she learns, and she loves.  Healing is ridding oneself of the discomfort we take on as we pick at the layers of others mistreatment toward us.  Cassandra’s lost of her father leaves an emotional void.  Filling it with the façade created by Trevor Black stripped her of the beauty of love. Cassandra returns home depressed and emotionally drained until Lamont gives her a reason to look beyond her troubles.  I believe there are women who can connect with her and recognize her path to self love.   

Ella: Is there a message in your book that you want readers to share?
A.  Yes, love thyself.  Love thyself more than any other being that God has created or blessed you to know.  Without self love you have nothing.  Know what makes love important to you.  It’s not about settling no matter who the love comes from.  There are parents and other family members who know nothing about loving their offspring or each other.  We have to build and keep building ourselves to be successful and it begins with self love.  I won’t let you hurt me because I love me should be the outcry.  It would diminish domestic violence, neglect, and child abuse.  If the victims spoke out because they loved themselves more than they loved the abusers.  They loved themselves more than accepting this painful love and returning to “Bruised Love.” 

A bruise becomes tender, although the outer skin looks well the skin, the tissue below takes a longer time to heal…..sometimes it remains tender, easy to bruise again.  We must learn to care for ourselves enough to heal.  Love is beautiful and shouldn’t be feared.  We shouldn’t have relationships after relationships scar us, or our children, who watch this dysfunctional love. The message is we must learn to love ourselves.

Ella: What sets your book, Bruised Love,  apart from other books in your genre?
A.  I think we’ve have so many genres that touch the surface of what reality is. What sells as entertainment sometimes limits or sets the standard for most of the published works.  “Bruised Love” has it all.  The drama, love, sex, drugs, deceit, betrayal and murder, there is no exploitation, just reality.  The way it happens, what could happen, and why.  The story brings reality to the forefront, the bling for the reader is at the end.  They will not be disappointed. 

Ella: Why did you decide to pick the mystery/suspense genre for your book?
A.  The book has a little of it all.  I love a good suspenseful murder mystery.  This novel deals with the emotions that when pushed will cause you to take it over the edge.  The psyche of those who kill has also held my attention and in “Bruised Love” I wanted the reader to be stirred by both the psyche and the emotional connection of the characters.  It’s a who-done-it murder mystery.

Ella: Share with us your latest news  or upcoming book releases.
A.  I’m really excited about the upcoming year.  Last year held many rewarding experiences, plenty of researching, and learning.  My plans are to incorporate it all into this year’s projects.  I am looking to publish children stories as well as putting my poems in book format.  My next novel is entitled “Skeletons…Beyond Closed Doors” to be released in June or July 2010.

Website: www.ipendesigns.net        
Myspace: www.myspace.com/ipendesigns
Bruised Love Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N1uL43qBSc  

Intimate Conversation with Vernadine Merrick

Vernadine Merrick lives in Atlanta. She grew up in Cincinnati. Ms. Merrick is a writer and a marketing consultant. Writing has been her passion since college days, where she wrote a book of poetry while at Miami University (in Ohio) and Carnegie Mellon University. Ms. Merrick’s motto is “a story is only as gripping and rich as its characters.”

Meet Vernadine Merrick author of  “And the Walls Came Tumbling Down: The Secret of Senator Jack”

Ella: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer? 
I believe what makes me powerful as a person and a writer is my ability to read human nature and to see all sides of just about anything. I am also compassionate, like Suzanne, because of many not-so-apparent life struggles. I get in the ‘head’ of my characters. You see their dilemma; you understand how they got there; you know them well enough that you sympathize and cheer for them in spite of their shortcomings.

My writing also has impact because it is visual. I love creating scenes and painting vivid pictures through everyday analogies (i.e. “It was as hot as a Louisiana summer”). I make sure I meticulously depict the body language of the person to reflect what they are experiencing at the moment. The reader’s mental and visual senses are working together to bring the character to life and make him or her memorable. Lastly, I like to keep things unpredictable. That is a lot of fun.

Ella: Who are your mentors?
My writing mentors are the former Bebe Moore Campbell, Connie Briscoe, former Sidney Sheldon, John Grisham and Benilde Little (author of Good Hair). Each of these authors write stories that are vivid, fast pace, unpredictable, and have substantive storylines with rich and complex characters. They leave you wanting more!

Ella: Introduce us to your book and the main characters. 
“And the Walls Came Tumbling Down: The Secret Life of Senator Jack” is a political, suspense romantic thriller. The book is about twin boys climb out of poverty into power and the choices they make to get there. One turns to a life of crime. The other obtains an academic scholarship to a prestigious prep school and enters the mainstream. Their worlds suddenly and dramatically collide and change both of their paths forever. 

It is a ‘Cain and Abel’ story of one man’s willingness to do just about anything to reach the most powerful office in the United States (the presidency) and the detective that’s equally determined to stop him. Love, the power of family and redemption are also strongly interwoven in the book. The novel has lots of twist and turns that will keep the reader spellbound! It is a definite page-turner.

There are seven major characters in the book. Each has his or her story to tell that when brought together, is a very powerful and robust tale.

Joe Baker is a tortured spirit, torn between truth and deception, self-awareness and self-deprivation…and many wrong choices. Joe's natural rebelliousness, charm and good looks successfully carry him from youthful mischief to adolescent street savvy to an adulthood filled with blind ambition, manipulation and dominance. 

Jack Baker is the mirror image of Joe and can only be described as his brother’s 'better half.' He is a person of deep conviction and lucid compassion. He is devoted to his father, fiercely protective of his brother and the voice of the unheard. 

Suzanne Montgomery, glamorous, gorgeous and rich. Her larger-than-life, Hollywood looks, mask the vulnerable woman still desperate for love. She is the daughter of one of the most powerful attorneys in the United States. Living in the southern city of Atlanta, her father has deep political ties to Washington. 

Nicola Patricks while enormously seductive, her intelligence, decency and achievements are her pride. She is now thrust into a web of lust, love and deceit. Caught in the fierce grip of the captivating Senator, Nicola asks herself, just how did I get here?

John Baker is the father of identical twin boys that he deeply loves, but begrudgingly admits to liking only one. Joe reminds him of the days of his youthful indiscretions, while Jack encapsulates the man he always wanted to be. John is a man of limited means, but is determined to carry out his deceased wife's dream of giving his sons a better life. 

Dirk Patterson is amongst the upper class African-American elite. Yet he is intricately connected to two brothers from the ‘other side of the tracks.’ They are each compassionate in their own right, brilliant, savvy, determined and, above all else, loyal to each other - no matter what.

Detective Ridder Jones smells blood and goes for the jugular. The case of the high-powered Senator is no exception. After years of accumulated resentment from a career gone awry, a failed marriage and only an adoring dog named Lily to keep him company, Ridder sees a final chance to recapture it all with one last professional conquest.

Ella: Who were your favorites? Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
All of the characters are rich and multi-dimensional. I believe this is like many of us. We have both redeeming qualities and human frailty. My favorite characters in the book are Suzanne and Joe. I love Suzanne for her vulnerability and capacity to love and forgive. Suzanne is a victim of her own beauty and social status. People are unable to relate to her. Yet, like most of us, appearances are only half the story. She has experienced enormous tragedy and loneliness in her life that is the source of much of her compassion for others. 

Joe, on the other hand, is probably the character that grows the most in the story. He makes terrible choices in life. Yet he is able to come through them with strength and depth of character that is admirable to most. His character makes one acutely aware of the consequences of decisions. His struggle to conquer his inner ‘demons’ becomes your struggle.  The character of Joe was based on a person I knew from school many years ago. The other characters are from the mixing of persons that I know and the different sides of me. The direction of the novel stems from my love of politics, suspense and romance.

Ella: Who do you want to reach with your book and the message within?
I want to reach everyone with my book. The struggles and lessons drawn from my book are universal. The characters are African-American, which adds an extra perspective and dimension to them, but they are human most of all. That is why I believe I’ve had an African-American male law professor, Caucasian sales and marketing person, a 70-year Southern, retired woman and my 18 year old nephew, all rave about the book! Again, the story is one of love, the consequences of choices, the power of family, standing strong through adversity, learning from one’s mistakes, forgiveness and ultimately, redemption. It is about the human struggles and rewards of life.

Ella: What do you think makes your book different from others on the same subject?
Many books are about love (romance), or politics, identical twins, or involve crime and detective storylines. This book has equal doses of all of them! They are blended together to tell a very full and captivating story. The reader will remember the characters. The reader will increase his or her understanding of human nature. The reader will most likely be further empowered to meet his or her own life challenges.

Ella: How can our readers reach you online? Share with us your online contact info. 
Readers can reach me online and learn more about “And the Walls Came Tumbling Down: The Secret Life of Senator Jack” by visiting my book’s website at http://vernadinemerrick.com  On the site, there are book reviews and a way to enter book reviews, an audio intro of the Prologue, and the capability to order the novel. Readers can email me directly at vm@vernadinemerrick.com  for additional questions or insights. I love to hear from readers! I’m also on Facebook. The novel can also be ordered on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com (ISBN: 978-1-60860-231-1).  Order the book today from the author.

Intimate Conversation with Katrina L. Burchett

Katrina L. Burchett was born and raised in the city of York, Pennsylvania. She is the third born of her parents’ six children; the shy, quiet one who always expressed herself better with the written word. As far back as she can remember it felt natural to have a piece of paper and a pen or pencil in hand.

In grade school she wrote a play or two that her classmates acted out for teachers and their students. However, during her middle and high school years creating poems was what she loved most, and a couple of them were printed in the local newspaper. Burchett didn’t take college prep courses in high school, but, following the footsteps of her two older sisters, she opted for the business curriculum. 

Although she excelled in Accounting and loved working with the packets that included cute little business checks, her favorite class was typing. After graduation she held various office positions until the day she departed York with her military husband and two sons. No longer wanting to leave her children in the hands of daycare providers, she made the choice to be a stay-at-home mom while her family resided in Washington state and then Texas.

The next stop was Florida, where she returned to the workplace for a few years. She held a position at a bank, went on to be a teacher’s assistant at an elementary school, and then she began a small book publishing company and named it after her niece, Kapri. Burchett is the publisher and author of  Choices; the first of a trilogy. She plans to publish the two remaining novels that will not only dig deeper into the lives of Shauntice, Angel, LaKeeta, Bridgette, and Hope, but will focus more on the guys in Choices. And then, Lord willing, Kapri Books will publish the works of other aspiring authors.

Ella: How did you start your writing journey? Tell us about your young adult book Choices.
I began writing in grade school. I still reflect on how classmates and I would take toy dishes and other props to different classrooms and act out plays I wrote.

Choices is a story about five girls making decisions about boyfriends and premarital sex...

Shauntice Johnston has faith in God but the world of domestic abuse she lives in has left her with very little faith in the male gender. Angel Nichols doesn’t know her earthly father, doesn’t care about the heavenly Father and feels neglected by her workaholic mother. She has had numerous sex partners since she was thirteen, trying to fill the void inside of her. LaKeeta Wilson is a Christian, but instead of doing it God’s way and waiting for marriage she purposefully becomes pregnant out of wedlock. Bridgette Anderson practices abstinence in obedience to God and no matter what she will not compromise her beliefs. Hope Patterson is a plain dressing, soft-spoken, timid Christian girl who’s living a very sheltered life because of mother’s strict rules. The word sex isn’t in her vocabulary until she suffers a loss.

I could write the domestic abuse scenes so well because I grew up in that same situation. I still remember that I had to get away from the story for a little while once I finished, because I was angry at Grant, tearing up for Elaine, and feeling so bad for Shauntice and Shannon. So with Shauntice’s situation and the issues Angel, LaKeeta, Bridgette and Hope are dealing with, Choices is a story that will evoke just about every emotion. And with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the mix there is a message of hope and new beginnings for the reader.

Ella: Please finish the sentence: I am Powerful because…
I am powerful because I am a walking miracle with life-changing stories to tell. On August 3, 2007, a few days before Choices was released, I was admitted to the ICU suffering from severe dehydration, a staph infection in my bloodstream and failing kidneys. I was dying. Actually, I was feeling sick during the entire self-publishing process. By the grace of God I’m still here today and I will use my writing talent so that He can bless others through me.


Ella: Who are your two main characters and what do you like most about them? 
There are five protagonists in Choices; however, I consider Shauntice and Angel to be the two main characters. I like Shauntice’s name. I came up with her twin brother, Shannon’s, name first and when I was trying to figure out what hers would be there was a Shanice (remember the song I Love Your Smile?) cassette sitting on the stereo, so I added to her name. I also like Shauntice’s Christ-likeness in dealing with the domestic abuse situation she’s stuck in; the way she never ceases praying, the way she stands by her mom when she’d rather run away. And Angel – plain & simple, I love her spunk! She’s not afraid to speak her mind, she means what she says, and if anybody gets in her face she will not back down. She might not make the best choices when it comes to guys, but who am I to judge? Angel is my girl!

Ella: What makes your book stand out and would entice a reader to pick it up? 
I was searching for an image to use on the cover and I came across this guy and girl sitting on the couch talking. He looked like he was pleading his case, whatever it may have been, and it reminded me of the scene in Choices where Terry stops by Shauntice’s house and tries to get her to give him a chance. The book designer got creative and changed the image. She took away the background and made the girl the main focus. I’ve received quite a few compliments on the cover. I believe the unique image along with the earth tones catches a reader’s eye.

Ella: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book? 
I wrote the first draft of Choices many years ago. At that time, I was regretting choices I had made... Okay, I’m gonna tell a little bit of my personal business. I allowed myself to be used more than once because I didn’t know how to say no. It was good to know that God loved me, but still, I didn’t start making better choices until I learned to love myself. My story shows that consensual premarital sex isn’t always about the sex; life’s circumstances, low self-esteem, peer pressure – there are many reasons why teens make this choice. I hope that what I wrote will help young women to make better choices than I did. There are quite a few messages in Choices for parents as well as teens, but the main message is that when we girls mess up it’s never too late to begin again.

Ella: What is the most surprising thing you have learned in creating books? 
Well, I thought about self-publishing for a long time before I actually stepped out and did it. There was fear because I really didn’t know if I could do it. The surprising thing was that it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be. Dan Poynter’s The Self-Publishing Manual, Rob and Terry Adams’ Start Your Own Self-Publishing Business and The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing by Tom & Marilyn Ross were all very helpful. And there are plenty of talented book designers and professional editing services out there. All it took was a little research to find the ones I felt at peace about.

Ella: What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer? 
There was a reader -a teen reviewer, actually - who said something like ‘I appreciate life more after reading Choices’. I knew immediately what she had read to make her feel that way. I don’t think I should elaborate, because my answer would contain a spoiler, so I’ll just say that through me God sent an important message to this teen. Glory to God! How did you do it? I wrote the story and then found the courage to make it available for this girl and others to read. 

Ella: What advice would you give a new writer? 
I’d like to advise new writers to be open to “constructive” criticism. We can be so close to our work that we don’t want to change anything, but flaws that we can’t see seem to jump out at others. A writer needs a few pairs of fresh eyes to read their work. Once the manuscript has been written and then rewritten as many times as need be, let others read it, get feedback and then there may be more rewriting. After that, it’s best to pass the manuscript on to a professional editor. Would you change anything about your journey? I sure would. I was trying so hard to make Choices perfect that I was making changes during the interior design process. A manuscript should be ready when it gets to that point, but I always found something I just wasn’t satisfied with. I ended up paying a bit more for the service because of the changes.

Ella: Name 3 things that it takes to make a successful author, in your opinion? 
If an author writes a story with a message that can change a person’s life for the better in some way, whether big or small, that’s a success story. God wants us to use our gifts to serve others (1Peter 4:10). Entertaining the reader is great and necessary to gain a readership, but, in my opinion, there should be more. A lesson to be learned, some kind of knowledge to be gained, something meaningful. Sorry, that’s the only thing that comes to mind.

Ella: What can we expect from you in the future? 
Choices is the first of a trilogy, because this premarital sex thing isn’t the only issue I have in my heart to write about. The next book will focus on teen parenting and the third will focus on teens and drinking. 

I have started the second novel. I’m hoping for a release date at the end of this year, but I can’t say for sure right now. When I have a date, I’ll be sure to have it posted on my website.

Ella: How may our readers connect with you online?
Katrina L. Burchett, YA Fiction Author
Choices: Five teenage girls make decisions about boyfriends and premarital sex.

Website: http://www.kapribooks.com 
Email: klbchoices@aol.com  

Blog:  http://www.emotionalreads.blogspot.com 
Shelfari Bookshelf:  http://www.shelfari.com/kapribooks 
Shoutlife Profile:  http://www.shoutlife.com/kapribooks 

Intimate Conversation with Jean Alicia Elster

Formerly an attorney, Jean Alicia Elster is a multi-award winning writer with a focus on writing for children, middle graders, and young adults. She is also an editor, essayist, writing instructor, and grant writer. Says Elster, “While wearing each of these hats is fulfilling in its own way, I find my greatest joy in writing for youth and young adults.” 

Jean Alicia Elster, B.A., J.D., is the author of the novel Who’s Jim Hines?—for ages 8 and older—published by Wayne State University Press. Released in August 2008, it is now in its second printing. Who’s Jim Hines? was selected as one of the Library of Michigan’s 2009 Michigan Notable Books. In addition, the Michigan Reading Association has placed Who’s Jim Hines? on the Great Lakes Great Books Award 2009-2010 ballot for grades 4-5. Who’s Jim Hines? was also a ForeWord Magazine 2008 Book of the Year Award Finalist in the category of Juvenile Fiction.


Who’s Jim Hines? Introduction
Who’s Jim Hines? is a coming of age story about a twelve year old African American boy—Douglas Ford, Jr.—as he comes to terms with the racial realities of Detroit, Michigan in 1935. 

Doug’s father is the owner of the Douglas Ford Wood Company, and Doug usually helps his dad around the wood yard located in the side lot next to their house. But when Doug loses his textbooks on the way home from school one day, he’s got to earn the money to pay for more books. And he does it by joining his father in the backbreaking work of delivering wood to customers throughout Detroit and its suburbs. Doug, who knows all of his father’s other drivers, sees this as his chance to unravel the mystery that he’s never before been in a position to do anything about—discovering the identity of the only one of his father’s drivers whom he’s heard of but never seen: Mr. Jim Hines.

Based on a true story, the focus of the plot is on Douglas Ford, Jr. and the successful family-owned business, the Douglas Ford Wood Company—a scrap wood enterprise owned and operated by his father. Unique in the segregated Depression-era city of Detroit, the Ford family lives in a racially mixed community of blacks from the South and Eastern European immigrants. 

The book is rich in its descriptions of life at that time—the auto factories, the unions, Northern-style segregation, and the effect of color distinctions within the black community. But it also brings to light the unique way in which Doug’s father must conduct his business in order to support his family and contribute to the prosperity of his neighborhood. In an emotional climax, Doug must confront the how and why of the heartbreaking reality about the Douglas Ford Wood Company.

Elster is also the author of the children’s book series “Joe Joe in the City,” published by Judson Press. The first volume in that series, Just Call Me Joe Joe, was released in October 2001 and is now in its second printing. The remaining volumes are: I Have A Dream, Too! (May, 2002), I’ll Fly My Own Plane (September, 2002), and I’ll Do the Right Thing (January, 2003). She was awarded the 2002 Governors’ Emerging Artist Award by ArtServe Michigan in recognition of the series. I’ll Do the Right Thing was awarded the 2004 Atlanta Daily World Atlanta Choice Award in the category of children’s books.

About the Joe Joe in the City Series for young readers—
Just Call Me Joe Joe
I Have a Dream, Too!
I’ll Fly My Own Plane
I’ll Do the Right Thing

Ella:  What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write the Joe Joe in the City Series?
The impetus for this four volume series emerged while considering the very real concerns my husband and I shared as parents raising two children in an urban environment. In particular, I felt it was incumbent upon us to prepare our children to respond appropriately to negative peer pressure, racial stereotypes, and the pervasive drug and gang cultures. I was well aware that other parents of every ethnic background shared these same concerns — I wanted to address those concerns in a set of books for young readers that would be entertaining and edifying for the youngsters and a source of support and reinforcement for parents and other caregivers.

Ella:  Introduce us to your books and the main characters in the Joe Joe in the City Series.
The series is populated by the main character, ten-year-old Joseph Rawlings, Jr., also known as Joe Joe. Recurring characters include his mother, father, baby brother, and grandmother, all who live in the same household. Other recurring characters are his friends Kalia and Tyrone. Tyrone is the series antagonist—he is the primary character who instigates confrontations and causes Joe Joe to question his values. Kalia sways between following Tyrone and Joe Joe. At the beginning of each of the four volumes, another recurring character is Mrs. Morgan, a librarian in the local library. She serves as an “omniscient” character, suggesting that Joe Joe check out a book about a hero of African American history – the very one he needs to read to solve the focus issue of that particular book in the series.

Ella:  Why did you create this particular cast of characters for the series?
I took several things into consideration when creating the characters in the series. First, I wanted to promote literacy and encourage young readers to use the library. So I created an intriguing – yet inviting – character in the librarian, Mrs. Morgan. Also, I felt it was important that Joe Joe be part of an intact family with mom, dad, and sibling all in one household. Yet, I am very well aware that many readers are being raised by single parents or other caregivers. So Joe Joe’s grandmother is a central figure in raising him and in his interactions at home. With two male characters as the protagonist and the antagonist, I wanted young female readers to have a character they could particularly connect with, so I created Kalia. She is affected by Tyrone’s negative influence even though she usually ends up siding with Joe Joe.

Ella:  What makes your books different from others on the same subject?
In each volume of this series, Joe Joe learns life lessons when he reads about heroes from African American history. In Just Call Me Joe Joe, he reads the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues; in I Have a Dream, Too! Joe Joe reads about Mary McLeod Bethune; in I’ll Fly My Own Plane he learns about the Tuskegee Airmen; and in I’ll Do the Right Thing, he discovers the legacy of Ralph Bunche. I, in fact, researched and wrote the book passages that Joe Joe reads throughout the series.

Ella:  Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your books?
By following the stories of these heroes of African American history, the series offers crucial lessons for youth, particularly urban youth, of all backgrounds: Joe Joe summons up the courage to return and face a local shopkeeper who accuses him of being a part of a gang that has just trashed his store in Just Call Me Joe Joe. In I Have a Dream, Too!, Joe Joe realizes that with hard work, dreams can come true. I’ll Fly My Own Plane finds Joe Joe turning away from an opportunity to make “quick, easy money.” And, Joe Joe learns the value of being a peacemaker in I’ll Do the Right Thing.

Ella:  How can our readers reach you online?
Readers can contact me as well as see updates about my books and appearances via my website www.jeanaliciaelster.com  They can also find information at my publishers’ websites www.judsonpress.com  and wsupress.wayne.edu  

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The Black Pearls Magazine family wants to take the time to thank each of you for joining us monthly in celebrating the best in literature and the arts.  Our team of writers, bookclubs and authors are so humbled that you have allowed us entrance into your life. It amazes me each month as I check our subscribers how many of  you deem us worthy of your time and support.  We appreciate each of you for telling 10 people about the magazine and for driving people to this site. YOU make Black Pearls the magnificent publication that it is, by sharing the gift of knowledge!

Please know, as we prepare each issue for you, we look for those stimulating conversations, the most thought provoking articles and most of all the best books on the shelves. We want each page of this magazine to add value to your lives!  Your comments and feedback are welcomed. Join our blog and share your news, advice and wisdom with the other readers. Tell us what you want to read too!

As we take off in this new decade we hope to bring you more provocative topics and life empowering books to shape your lives. We have contest for the readers and more interactive sections added to the magazine. Let us know what you think of the fresh new content by emailing us here.  Thank you!

Ella Curry, President of EDC Creations
Founder & Editor In Chief Black Pearls Magazine

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