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Hostage of Lies Digital Presentations

Hostage of Lies by Dr. Maxine E. Thompson -- How important is the past? For 40-year-old Titi, who’s always felt like an outsider in her own family, it’s vital. View the video postcard. Share it with your friends: http://www.audioacrobat.com/note/C4X7sBVQ 

Listen to a reading by the author. Download it or share it with a friend.

Titi has returned home for her father’s seventy-fifth birthday celebration, but she’s not there with well wishes for the man who sent her away many years ago. She’s come looking for answers—about the child she was forced to give up for adoption and about her family’s secretive history.

Her mother does not want her snooping into family affairs that are better left in the past, but Titi is determined. She knows there must be some truth to the strange stories her beloved great-grandmother told her as a child, and now she’s not leaving until she learns the truth—even if it destroys her family in the process.

Hostage of Lies is in stores now. It can also be purchased from Kensington Books or any of the online retailers.

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Intimate Conversation with Dr. Maxine E. Thompson

Dr. Maxine E. Thompson is a novelist, poet, columnist, short story writer, book reviewer, an editor, freelance writer, ghostwriter, Internet Radio Show Host, and a Literary Agent. She is the author of The Ebony Tree, No Pockets in a Shroud, A Place Called Home (A Short Story Collection), The Hush Hush Secrets of Writing Fiction That Sell, a contributor to bestselling anthologies Secret Lovers, All in The Family, and Never Knew Love Like This Before, (Also a Kindle Bestseller), Proverbs for the People. Hostage of Lies is her latest fiction novel, was voted a Best Book of 2009 by EDC Creations.

BPM: Tell us about your passion for writing. Why do you write? What drives you? What impact do you want your book to make on the readers?
I write to leave a record of all the untold stories of my ancestors. I like to talk about the things that the news don’t tell us about—such as the wholesale murder of young black men in our cities. (I address this in my upcoming novel, LA Blues.)

BPM: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer? Who are your mentors? 
I really hate to take credit for something that came from my parents and the speech of the people I grew up around. I'm only recording and giving witness to what I learned growing up, which has stayed with me. If I must give it a name, my power comes from my ear for dialogue. I can write down different A.A. speech patterns from Gullah, to street, to Ivy league sounding Black Speech. I am also a poet, so I often introduce poetry into my prose.

My power as a person is something I stumbled on after being a social worker for 23 years. It comes from my sphere of influence as an editor for many best selling A.A. authors. I act as a literary agent who is opening doors for underrepresented authors. Also, I was one of the first African Americans to host an Internet radio show in March 5, 2002, which opened doors for many self-published A.A. writers. My mentors are Toni Morrison (from afar), and Dr. Rosie Milligan.

BPM: Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers... 
My writing offers the following legacy to future readers... my novel, Hostage of Lies, offers a peek inside the lives of Black people in this country since slavery up until 1993. My writing  also offers the following legacy....the ability to visit worlds past that show another side of what Black people were like in slavery, what they really felt, and how Black people talk to each other, love each other, and fight with each other, behind closed doors.

BPM: Introduce us to your book Hostage of Lies. 
Nefertiti “Titi” Godbolt’s been a captive of her family’s secrets her whole life. Now, as she returns home after seven years, she’s ready to confront her family and finally get some answers. It’s her father’s seventy-fifth birthday celebration, but she’s not there to celebrate a man who always seemed to favor her siblings Josh and Cleo, while he, along with Titi’s mother, treated Titi as the black sheep in the family—even before she got pregnant and they forced her to give up her daughter. But when Titi’s father and his brother have it out during the party, some long-buried family secrets pop to the surface, and Titi realizes there may be some truth to the stories her great-grandmother told her when she was a child after all.

BPM: Introduce us to your book's main characters. 
Hostage of Lies has a host of characters. The protagonist, Nefertiti, the prodigal daughter of Reverend Godbolt, who has come home to Shallow’s Corner, Michigan after a 7 year absence. Her ex-husband, Isaac Thorne, is trying to woo her back. Her first lover, Pharaoh, who fathered her oldest child when Nefertiti was 15 years old, is trying to woo her back. She unknowingly is the center of a controversy, which started before she was born. Nefertiti is a modern, working Black woman who has just opened her own book store in Los Angeles . She is a foil to her mother, Miss Magg, who as First Lady, was always a housewife.

BPM: Who were your favorites in Hostage of Lies?
My favorite characters are Nefertiti and Calissa, who left her husband, Deacon Thorne, back when it was a disgrace to leave your child with the father. She was a woman ahead of her times.

BPM: Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
No, they are composites of people I’ve met and known through the years.

BPM: What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your book?
I gave each character a major quest. Nefertiti’s quest was to find her daughter she gave up for adoption. Pharaoh and Isaac’s quest was to get back Nefertiti.

BPM: Take us inside the book, Hostage of Lies. What are two major events taking place? 
The two major events are some of the family secrets, which unfold while Nefertiti is on her adoption search for her daughter. The climax where a big family secret about the question as to Nefertiti’s parentage comes out. 

BPM: Who do you want to reach with your book and the message within?
I’d like to reach women who like to read about family dynamics and one coming into their own, meaning overthrowing the tyranny of family. The message is that the truth will set you free. There is no gain in hiding the truth. Family secrets can be devastating.

BPM: How will reading your book shape the readers lives? 
They will learn about slavery, about the Vietnam War and Blacks, about the LA and Detroit riots. They will learn about the dynamics of family and the Black church’s system. They will learn of the power of a mother’s love.

BPM: What are some of their specific issues, needs or problems addressed in this book?
Teen pregnancy, family secrets and lies, historical information that is often not passed down. In our quest to move up, many upwardly mobile African Americans failed to hand down history, which could prevent the younger generation from making the same mistakes.

BPM: What was the most powerful chapter in Hostage of Lies? 
I think when Nefertiti recalls her daughter’s birth, which she had repressed, since she was forced to give the child up for adoption.

BPM: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book.
I want them to realize how complex our love is, yet feel good about being a human being.

BPM: What do you think makes your book different from others on the same subject?
It’s more insightful as to how a birth mother feels about giving up a child for adoption. It also shows the different world view that A.A. have regarding adoption, since we are the descendants of people who had our children forcefully taken from us.

BPM: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases. 
Hostage of Lies was a bestselling book on www.Bookspan.com in December, 2009. In January 2010, it was voted a Best Book of 2009 by EDC Creations. 

BPM: How can our readers reach you online? 
Share with us your online contact information only. They can find me at twitter @safari61751 or www.maxinethompsonbooks.com 

Contact Dr. Maxine E. Thompson 
Website: http://www.maxinethompsonbooks.com  
Maxine Email: maxtho@aol.com 

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Dr. Thompson on African American Family & Women's Issues
Hosted by Writers in the Sky Podcast and Blog 
Listen to the interview here: http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WNnhcMxT 

Yvonne Perry interviewed Dr. Maxine E. Thompson on Writers in the Sky Podcast. During the interview, Maxine talked about her12-year self-publishing process, and discussed African-American issues, family secrets, and women's societal roles that her book, Hostage of Lies, brings to light. 

During the sexual revolution of the 1960s, having a child and not being married was frowned upon in society in general, and among working class Blacks in particular. The main character in Maxine's book is an African American named Nefertiti, who, at age 15 gave her child away. We will touch on closed adoption, slavery, and being the black sheep in a family.

Dr. Maxine E. Thompson is an author of eleven titles, the latest being, Hostage of Lies, a contemporary/historical novel. She is an editor, a literary agent, a ghostwriter, a columnist, a freelance writer, a workshop conductor, and an Internet radio show host since 2002. She has been in business on-line since 1999. She has edited or ghostwritten hundreds of African American titles, some of which have made the Essence bestseller’s list, the Amazon bestseller’s list, and the New York Times Bestseller’s list. She first self-published her novel, The Ebony Tree, in 1995.

Purchase Hostage of Lies on Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Hostage-Lies-Urban-Soul-Presents/dp/1599830957  


National best-selling author Dr. Maxine Thompson offers an array of services for writers.

•Editorial services – Under Maxine Thompson’s Literary Services, she has personally story or copy edited, formatted, or ghostwritten numerous books in the past 8 years for other authors. She has edited books which have made the New York Times Bestseller’s list, as well as Essence Bestseller’s List.

•Ghostwriter – She’s been a ghostwriter on books that have made the New York Times and other best sellers lists.

•Internet Radio Show Host – Since March 5, 2002, Dr. Thompson has conducted over 1,000 hours of live Internet radio interviews. She has been a host with Artistfirst.com for almost six years (since March 2004). She launched her own Internet Radio network on March 1, 2005 at www.maxineshow.com .

•Literary Agent – Maxine Thompson has sold over 55 books to New York Publishers for both herself and other writers.

If you are interested in any of the services Dr. Thompson offers, contact her directly at maxtho@aol.com  or maxtho@sbcglobal.net.  Source: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/2010/02/maxine-thompson-literary-agent.html 

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The Importance of the Black Book Clubs 
by Dr. Maxine E. Thompson 

Twice this week, on 2-13-10 and 2-18-10, I met with Book Clubs, once at the Inglewood Library, where I did a writer’s workshop and the other day at my book club, Seniors on The Move. I was happy for the feedback, the reminiscing and the discussions. It started me to thinking about how important the Black Book Clubs have been in this Literary Renaissance.

In fact, I know one writer who is self-published and who makes a good living doing 2-4 book clubs per month. So the Black Book Clubs are definitely important. It made me want to revisit an article I wrote 2 years ago that is still apropos. Sometimes God sends an angel into our lives and we don’t even know it. When God has a plan for our lives, He will make a provision.

In 1999, I had been off my job approximately two years when I re-issued my debut novel, The Ebony Tree. Looking back, The Special Thoughts Book Club was the first Los Angeles book club–in fact the first book club–to host me as a writer. Since then I’ve had the pleasure of being hosted at many book clubs, known and some even unknown.

In 1999, when I met with the founder, Janel Stephenson, and she paid me my first check (which was sizable,) for my books, I thought, “Wow! Someone will actually pay you for your dreams.”  Somehow, in chatting, I told Janel of my dilemma. I had just received a letter offering me to return to work as a supervisor, (which was a promotion) at the Los Angeles County Department of Children’s Family and Services, or I could stay on the unknown rocky path of living the writer’s life. I had no idea what the future held, and financially, it didn’t look like I’d be able to make it. After two years, I had run through my savings, my sick leave, and my vacation time. At the time, I had two mortgages, my youngest son in college, and grandchildren, a dog, etc. etc.

At any rate, Janel encouraged me to pursue my dreams. “You’ll never know if you don’t try.” With that check and Janel’s words of encouragement, I took one day at a time, and that one day has led into almost eleven years since I was last an employee. 

Looking back, when I attended the Special Thoughts’ book club meeting, I was impressed by the number of members–almost thirty readers and 50 percent of them men. They were articulate and challenged my thinking. Last year, in celebrating the Special Thoughts Reading group’s tenth anniversary, I congratulated them.


As for the journey, I am happy to report the following:

Since my first book club meeting, I’ve either published or been published in 11 books, (2 novels, 1 short story collection, 3 self-help e-books/manuals, and five anthologies,) one that I published under my company, Black Butterfly Press, Saturday Morning, (and two pending novel deals and one pending nonfiction book deal). I’ve edited, formatted or ghostwritten numerous books for other writers or companies. Many of these books have made bestseller’s lists, some even have made the New York Times’ bestseller’s list.

I am the agent for books for other African American writers and we are now pursuing film or independent deals for some of these deals. As another business, I’ve hosted Internet radio shows for writers since March 2002 to promote writers’ works. I currently host on Artistfirst.com.

So I’d like to give special thanks to Janel Stephenson for acting as an angel and for her encouragement and continued support of Black writers. I also want to thank the Special Thoughts’ book club members for pulling me through a dark hour. Congratulations on their upcoming eleventh anniversary in November 2008.

Now, once again, we are faced as a nation with that same dilemma that I had in 1999–except the economic climate is worse. Even so, many people have a dream of either being a writer, a magazine owner, a publicist, a book store owner, an agent, actor, artist, or you name it, but the economy looks so bleak. Wall Street crashed the week of 9-15-08 and banks failed. I mean how bad can it get during a recession?

Therefore, how do we make it as Black businesspersons during these trying times? What can we do?

Well, we can work together. We can build resources through one another. We can support one another’s dreams. We can barter. We can help each other. However, what we cannot do is to ever give up hope and faith. Remember, no good work goes unrewarded. In this vein, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many Black book clubs across the country that have supported Black books, thereby promoting literacy! I give a special thanks to Special Thoughts Book Club, Rawsistaz and Apooo.org.

In behalf of Black writers, I applaud and commend you, Black Book Club Leaders and Members. 

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How To Create Characters Who Leap Off The Page
by Dr. Maxine E. Thompson 

Dr. Maxine E. Thompson has published 2 novels, The Ebony Tree and No Pockets in a Shroud, and has had numerous short stories, articles and essays published in magazines, anthologies and e-zines. Recently Maxine began an on-line Internet column called On The Same Page, where she interviews other new and self-published authors. Website: http://www.maxinethompson.com 

Show me your friends, and I'll tell you who you are, a special co-worker once told me. First, let me explain what special means. In Ebonics, we'll say, ''She's a special case.'' Or if someone is not dealing with a full deck, but yet are loveable, we'll say, ''She's special.'' So as you see, this was a ''gem'' spoken out of a ''special'' person's mouth.

Although, at the time, I didn't quite understand what she meant, I now know what she was talking about is called ''character.'' In life, this could be a bad thing, but in fiction this is a good thing. Nothing works better for memorable fiction than strong characters with flaws. To get to the point, how does one create memorable characters? Sol Stein, in his book, Stein On Writing, points out that eccentricity is at the heart of all strong characterizations. In short, the most effective characters in fiction are twosome degree bizarre.

Character is an essential part of the best fiction. Think of all the memorable characters in fiction. When you think of the books whose characters resound in your head, you don't think about, well this happened and that happened, (plot), you generally think of who the protagonist was. Words such as ''Scrooge,'' ''Pollyanna,'' and even ''Uncle Tom'' developed in our culture to express a personality, an outlook, a character trait. And in spite of my dislike for the Antebellum South, from my first reading at fifteen, Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler stenciled a place in my memory as colorful characters. (Who can ever forget Rhett Butler's last sardonic words, ''My dear, I don't give a damn.''

As an African American, I grew up during the 50's with no role models in my fiction. No archetypes that had any relevancy to my life. But now, I--and readers from all races-- are blessed with a list of memorable Afrocentric characters. Now, I have Janie who left 3 husbands at the turn of the century, when all women, (particularly Black women,) were economically dependent on men. Janie is a mulatto with hair down to her hips. By the standards of the Black community, the first two husbands she married were rich. Her second husband was even the mayor of an all Black town in Florida. Janie's third and last husband, a poor migrant worker, was half her age. She actually left the last husband, whom she truly loved, through death. Just think.

This book was written 50 years before Terri McMillan's How Stella Got her Groove Back. That had to be 
( The French writer, Colette, said this was the perfect match.) So one could say that Zora Neale Hurston, considered one of the pre-eminent writers of twentieth- century African-American literature, the creator of Janie, in the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, was ahead of her time. Now I can call to mind another group of memorable characters, who heretofore was nonexistent for me as a Black reader/writer. Sula, Milkman. Pilate. Sethe (who cut her baby's throat rather than see her back in slavery). Creator, Toni Morrison. Nana Pouissant (who built bottle trees to protect her family), creator, Julie Dash/ Daughters of the Dust.

Likewise, I'm hoping that my fictional characters--Jewel, Big Mama Lily, Nefertiti, Solly, Pharaoh and Reverend--will one day also become household names in the literary corridors of my reader's mind. Jewel, I hope will come to stand for endurance with an "e." This character, loosely based upon my mother, is the personification of Mother's love. Her story proves that love can conquer all the evil forces of the ghetto and help safely shepherd children to success against the odds. Big Mama Lily, (related to one of the Seven Sisters out of New Orleans and the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter) is a two-headed woman (word for conjure woman). Nefertiti is the Black Scarlett O'Hara. Solly is the eternal, talented, happy-go-lucky drunk. Pharaoh is the Black male artist, destroyed by society. Reverend is unbending, yet straight and narrow principle.

Eccentricity has frequently been at the heart of strong characterization for good reason. Ordinariness is what readers have enough of in life. The most effective characters have profound roots in human behavior. Their richest feelings may be similar to those held by many others. However, as characters their eccentricities dominate the readers first view of them. The first time I encountered this is through the character of Pilate, from Song of Solomon. She has no navel, yet has the ability to communicate with her dead father. I am still haunted by her dying words, "If Ida knowed more people, Ida loved more people."

Another reason character is so important in plotting your fiction is that people are different. The same tragic event can happen to two people and have different effects. One person can lose his job and never bounce back, and another will be galvanized by the same event. These are the types of points of departure you can examine in fiction through your characters.

These are the three major techniques I think will make the difference in creating memorable characters who leap off the page.

1)  Point of view. Even if the character is eccentric, you should make the reader understand his world view. A reader will begin to empathize with characters when they walk in their shoes. You do this through astral projection. You get your reader to sweating and having their heart pound through the use of the 5 senses. For example, after I had crawled (touch) through the woods on my belly, nine months pregnant, feet burst open from running barefoot, back torn open like a choke cherry tree, where they had "taken my milk," while they raped me, during my escape from slavery with Sethe, (this is astral projection), I could see how she snapped when Schoolteacher and the bounty hunters came to get her.

2)  Specificity in Details. Develop your character's quirks, habits, motivations, and hobbies. Again, I'll use Toni Morrison Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Beloved. Sethe is considered strange by the town when in fact she is very proud. For this reason, the town turns against her after she cut her baby's throat. They would have been there for her for the asking, after Sethe got out of jail, if she had only asked for help. Sethe's motivation is her pride. Sethe's mother, who was an African, who was hung for sedition. Sethe is a recluse until Paul D comes into her life. Sethe's hobbies are cooking and sewing. Toni Morrison shows this through how Sethe makes biscuits from scratch, (beating the dough as if to beat back the past,) threads a needle in the sunlight, spits on the griddle for the temperature, etc. I really learned Sethe through her habits.

3)  Fiction that takes risks and challenges our smug assumptions about life. Beloved challenged the writing community. A group of Black intellectuals headed by Alice Walker protested when Beloved wasn't chosen for a Pulitzer Prize, which later, it was selected. Beloved is the first book to look at slavery from a psycho-social viewpoint. The book challenged everything I knew and believed about fiction and about life.

Don't just write about normal situations. Examine the human hearts and the depths of what people will go when faced with moral dilemmas. What will a mother do when she is broke and hungry and has children to feed? I think Toni Morrison developed this quite well in Beloved.

To distinguish between plot-driven fiction and character-driven fiction is the same distinction you find between popular movies and serious movies. The former categories often satisfies you, but, like Chinese food, can leave you ravenous after a few hours. Character-driven fiction/movies will stick to your ribs like ''soul food.'' It will make you examine the human heart and condition. Most of all, it often disturbs you like the book and movie, Beloved, yet you will find yourself driven to read these same books over and over. 
( Source: http://www.pageonelit.com/WriteWay/MaxineT.html )

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What are the Seven R’s or Building Blocks of Fiction? 
by Dr. Maxine E. Thompson

Although there are no set rules for writing a novel, there are certain principles that will improve the execution of your story. If you were to bake a cake, wouldn’t you like to know the recipe? Just as there are certain ingredients needed to bake a cake, there are certain action steps, which are necessary for writing compelling fiction. Likewise, an architect would not try to build a house without a blueprint, or without the proper tools, so why try to write a novel without the building blocks? From my experiences of working with beginning writers, your chances of writing a good book are better when you improve your writing skills. These are some of the nuts and bolts for writing a good work of fiction.

Seven Keys to Improving Your Writing
Regardless of your talent, I found there are seven keys, which will improve your writing. These action steps are reading, writing practice, (including journaling), research, right-brain thinking, reactions, reversals, which keeps a scene turning on its ear, and revisions (or rewriting.)

I. Reading
For a writer, reading is like inhaling oxygen. You need it to exhale the carbon dioxide of your writing. The two are inextricably intertwined. Reading is key to stimulating the mind and the imagination. In addition, it builds your vocabulary and flexes your creativity muscles. Most of all, it shows you the craft of writing fiction, as well as non-fiction, and the tricks a writer uses to evoke emotions, and to captivate an audience. Reading is a prerequisite to writing.

Make a goal to read as many of the classics as possible. Read the genre in which you would like to write, particularly if it’s romance, mystery, suspense, horror, fantasy, comedy, or magical realism. Set a goal to read at least one new book a week. All great writers are great readers. You need to be a voracious reader to be a good writer!

II. Writing
Writing, (including journaling) is equivalent to a musician’s form of piano practice. Writing takes more than talent; it involves craft. The craft of fiction includes all the skills that fiction writers must develop: characterization, dialogue, plotting, setting, plus many more techniques.

Journaling each morning is another way to become a better writer. In fact, it is crucial to courting the muse. By journaling, you will also learn to check in and check out with your feelings. Remember, Author Henry James said, “A writer is one on whom nothing is lost.” Writing is a spiritual undertaking. Pray before you write.

III. Research
The importance of research for writers can’t be stressed enough. Why is research important? It adds depth, credibility, and texture to a work of fiction. Personally, I like to read books, which shed light on some unknown subject. Tell me something new.

IV. Right-Brain Thinking
Tap into the right-brain, and you’ve hit the source of your creativity. This involves use of free association, free writing, mind mapping, and clustering, which are all functions of the right brain use. Dreams are the most important of all of these. You can use dreams to spark ideas.

V. Reactions
Newton’s Law says that for every action, there’s a reaction. In movies, the reactions are called “reaction shots.” This is just as important to character development in writing fiction. Reactions make for good writing. Reactions will also help with your characterization. Through the five character actions (thinking, speaking, acting, reacting, and interacting), reactions can be shown through thoughts, dialogue, and actions. Each one tells us something about the characters. One character will react to the same situation in a totally different manner than another character. You can look at the outcome of children in a large family and get an idea how people are so different who come up in the same environment.

VI. Reversals
A reversal is the scene’s climax, a turning point, a change. Not only does it add magic to a scene, a reversal enhances, invigorates, and amplifies a scene. Make sure there is at least one reversal in each major group of scenes. Reversals make your plot unpredictable and heighten the tension.

At the end of your novel, your main character should be changed from the person he was at the beginning. Make sure you take your scenes from positive to negative values, and vice-versa. A scene can start off peaceful and wind up in mayhem. Or the scene can start off chaotic and wind down to a tranquil one.
The biggest reversal in a scene can be from life to death. When you outline, label your scenes for the emotional value. Example: From pride to loss of respect.

VII. Revisions (or Rewriting)
After you have escaped from your draft and have distanced yourself as the writer, you will explore ways to troubleshoot your own and others’ writings for unfocused, incoherent drafts. When rewriting, finish the first draft. Put aside for one week up to a month. Then do your own self-edit.

In conclusion, it takes courage to write. Remember. “No guts, no story.”

© Copyright Dr. Maxine E. Thompson   ( Source: http://maxinethompsonbooks.com/blog/page/2 )


Author’s Bio:
Dr. Maxine E. Thompson is a novelist, poet, columnist, short story writer, book reviewer, an editor, ghostwriter, Internet Radio Show Host, and a Literary Agent. She is the author of The Ebony Tree, No Pockets in a Shroud, A Place Called Home (A Short Story Collection), The Hush Hush Secrets of Writing Fiction That Sell, a contributor to bestselling anthologies Secret Lovers, All in The Family, and Never Knew Love Like This Before, (Also a Kindle Bestseller), Proverbs for the People. Hostage of Lies is her latest fiction novel, was voted a Best Book of 2009 by EDC Creations.

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