A little about Lae'Zriah. Black Pearl Magazine Interview:
BPM:
Tell us about your journey in becoming a successfully published author. Do you
have anyone in your life that was heavily influential in your deciding to
become an author?
My journey started when
I was very young. I would write about anything and everything that came to
mind. As a child, I experienced many obstacles, and used writing as my way out
of situations. As I got older, the desire to write continued, and I could not
do anything without writing. I had never wrote much of anything as far as a
story itself, I mainly wrote about things that were going on in my life. After
I became open about my childhood situations people kept saying, “You need to
write a book about your life.” I did not have a desire to write a book about
anything, let alone my life.
My first influence of
actually considering writing was from an English instructor. In the class, we
were to write a short story. I procrastinated until an hour before class. I sat down and the ideas started to flow.
Once my instructor read the story she cried. She said it was very vivid and
that you could imagine everything. She thought it was actually a true story and
asked me to consider writing.
The constant suggestions of my
family and friends pushed me to pursue writing. Once I started Dilemmas, I
became ecstatic. I realized then that I had a deep desire to become an author,
even more than I had ever imagined.
BPM:
How has your writing style evolved over the years? What stimulated your growth
the most?
My creative mind bounces around a lot which has
me constantly jumping from one situation to the next. I was in middle school and
my Home Economics teacher pointed that out to me in a recipe I had written. I
did not fully explain how I got from a cracked egg to it being scrambled. She
wanted details; did I stir it, was it in a bowl, etc. After that class, I was
reading one of my old writings and it struck me, I had no idea how I got from
point A to point Z. Her words inspired me and I then began to be more detailed
in my descriptions. For instance, were the tree leaves green or orange-brown,
did I walk across cobblestones or a flat surface, things like that.
BPM:
What have you realized about yourself since becoming a published author?
I realized that I worry too much about what everyone else
thinks. In the middle of writing Dilemmas, I felt like, “What if no one likes
it, what if people talk bad about me, what if this and what if that.” Then I
realized, it’s about me.
I sat do to write this book because I have found something I truly enjoy doing. Of course I would
love for others to enjoy my books, but whether one person or ten people like
it, I am happy with knowing that I have made it this far doing something I
truly love.
BPM:
Do you have any advice for people seeking to publish a book?
The only advice I can give is to make sure you
are doing it because you are passionate about it not because you want to make
big bucks. Once you realize you want to do it because it is deeply rooted in
your heart then DO IT! Put all you have into your work. You will always have
the naysayers but keep pushing forward with your goal of becoming a published
author. Trust me, you will feel great knowing you accomplished something you
really wanted to accomplish.
BPM:
Share with our readers the “behind-the-scenes” dish! Introduce us to your
book and the main characters. Do you have any favorites? What genre
is the book? On Kindle or Nook?
My book is called Dilemmas (Part 1). It’s the
first of a 3 part series. It’s genre is Fiction/African American/Erotica.
The main characters are Maurice, Nedia, Aiden, and Bevelyn.
The book is about a man named Maurice who is
sent on an extended mission to retrieve missing information from his
rival organization’s former employee, he finds himself falling in love with
her. She tries to keep her relationship with Maurice completely sexual, but she
finds herself drawn to him as well, not knowing he was actually sent to kill
her. Maurice is married to Bevelyn and does not really care for his wife, but
because they have children, he has a hard time leaving her. Bevelyn has a slew
of secrets she is trying to keep quiet as well. Maurice begins to lose focus on
his mission because of his love for his target. After the death of one of their
rival organization’s members, things begin to change. Secrets are revealed,
things turn upside down. Maurice finds himself caught between his job, his
hatred for his wife, his love for his children, his love of sex with all his
women, and his love for his mistress. Faced with the reality he is still on a
mission to kill his mistress, he finds himself in a…Dilemma.
My
favorite character is Aiden. She is sneaky, and fierce. She may seem like she
is clueless but she is far from it.
It
is available on Amazon, in both paperback and kindle version, as well Barnes
and Noble website.
BPM:
What compelled or inspired you to write this book? Why now? Ever
experience writers block?
My friends and family motivated me to write
while my wild imagination about certain situations motivated me to share my
thoughts with others. I was curious to know, “Am I the only one, besides my
weird friends, who think about intimacy the way I do? Are there others who
experience some of the same things, thoughts or ideas?” I wanted to write
something juicy and fun.
I chose to start now because after the first
night of me sitting down throwing ideas together, it became addictive to me.
I did experience a little writers block with
Dilemmas. I had no clue what was going on with me. I kept saying “Why aren’t
the thoughts and ideas not flowing anymore? Why can’t I concentrate? What’s
wrong with me?” I went online and researched what was happening to me and realized
it was and I am actually experiencing writers block. I couldn’t believe it! I
thought only tenured writers experienced it.
BPM:
What has been your most difficult hurdle to leap? Marketing, promotions or
gaining media exposure, etc. How can EDC Creations and our readers help
you?
I would have to say marketing, gaining exposure
and marketing in that order. Writing, getting it edited and publishing were the
easy parts. Marketing and getting your name out there is a beast, especially
when you have absolutely no clue where to start, or who to go to. I constantly
search online day in and day out for information on how to market and gain
exposure. I’m talking until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning sometimes. I am open to
any and every thought and idea from EDC and all the readers.
BPM: We are here to shine the spotlight on
your new book, but what's next? Share with us your latest news, awards or
upcoming book releases. How may our readers follow you online?
I
am currently working on a book called Tangled. It’s about a woman who has some
psychological issues and creates situations that are not actually
occurring. However, the real situations
she is somewhat clueless about. She has the ideal marriage, and a conniving
best friend. Her past begins to catch up with her when she feels betrayed and
commits some unthinkable acts. Lots of twists and turn in this book, much like
Dilemmas. This books should be out by the spring.
Readers can find me at:
Purchase or download your copy of Dilemmas (Part 1) today at
amazon:
BPM: Thank you,
Lae’Zriah, for sharing a little bit about yourself, your journey and your
book with our readers!
No, Thank you for having
me! It has been my pleasure
