As a child growing up in the ’60s, what I remember most is that our house was full of books. From Byron to Aristotle to the World Book Encyclopedia. Of course, with my father being an English teacher and my mother a librarian, how could I avoid books? I spent countless hours sitting on the upper staircase of the New Castle Public Library reading while I waited for my mother to get off work. I read kids’ books like the Dr. Seuss and the Madeline series, but I also read thought-provoking works like James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, which, believe it or not, was recommended to me by the library janitor.
Having a famous writer in the family didn’t hurt either. My cousin, Virginia Hamilton, was always the topic of conversation at the family reunion in Yellow Springs. When, at age 14, I showed her some of my early work, she told me to write what I know. How far back has that advice been given? Anyway, I was never discouraged, even though my writing career took off in a different direction.
By 1979, I was working full-time in a rubber factory, but I never gave up my dream. In 1981, I became a weekend clerk for the Dayton Daily News. That means I wrote obituaries and marriages. LOL. I even delivered newspapers to the executive offices. I eventually became a stringer, writing for the Neighborhood News section and Metro. I also took on a second part-time job at the Dayton Black Press, and thus began my career as a journalist.
In 1985, I moved to television, and for the next eight years, I reported on health, education, and family issues. Becoming an author was still in the back of my mind; I just never seemed to have time. Then, in 1996, I became the first DC-based Web producer for the newly created MSNBC.com. The Internet was brand-spanking new, and there was so much to learn! I stayed with NBC for four more years, then moved to the Discovery Channel, where I learned even more about online news and reporting. It was at Discovery Health that I resumed my creative writing career. I was working on a new section of the site called Love & Relationships, and we needed content. So I wrote many feature stories about women’s interests, which led to my first self-published, self-help book, Desperate Dating (OUT OF PRINT). I
It wasn’t until 2011 that I wrote my first middle grade fiction novel, Halle Harris & The Truth Seekers. I worked at my craft and got a few more manuscripts under my belt before submitting to literary agents. What a trial that was!
Seeking an agent is a long process, and I finally gave up, realizing that much of what they wanted was not what I wanted to write. So in 2019 I went indie, and now I publish my own books under my own imprint. I’m glad I made the decision and have found many like-minded writers to inspire me to keep going.
In 2013, I won the African American Literary Award for my next book, and in 2025, I was honored with the Runner-Up spot for the Indie Author Project Award in the historical fiction category. That contest is judged by librarians across the US and Canada.
If you want to be an author, don’t give up! Learn the craft, practice, and READ!