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Well, it’s Sunday and the last day of Donna Hill’s Virtual Booktour here at Sable Lit Reviews. While I am sorry to see it end, I must say I have learned a lot from Ms. Hill and enjoyed her insights a great deal. 

As promised the following is the last of this weekend’s Donna Hill book excerpts. This passage is from ON THE LINE, which was published in January 2008. Enjoy it as much as I did…

There’s no special man in my life. But I keep my pipes well-tuned—like now. I wish I could tell you what his name is, but for the life of me I can’t remember.

“Hey, babe. Time to get up. Rock and roll.” I shake his bare shoulder. He groans and squints up at me. A slow smile moves across his mouth.

“Hey,” he says, his voice still thick with sleep.

We must have gotten in from the party about five this morning. Screwed until the sun came up then passed out. It was now almost three in the afternoon. Although I didn’t go on air until ten, I need my downtime to prepare—preferably alone. I use that time to go over the tons of letters and e-mails that come into the station to see which ones spark my interest, can cause the most eyebrows to be raised and still pass under the FCC radar.

“Come on, babe, I have things to do.” I call him babe so he won’t flip about me not knowing his name. Plus it sounds like I almost care.

Reluctantly he throws the sheet off and DAMN I remember why I picked him. The brother was hung and even at half-mast he looked lethal. He noticed me staring and grinned.

“Want some more?”

I think about it. “Maybe some other time. You wore a sistah out!” I grin then turn away and head to the kitchen before my carnal nature changes my mind. The sun is beaming in through the windows. I adjust the blinds, turn on the radio and listen to The Steve Harvey Morning Show. That man is a riot.

Compared to the rest of my apartment, which is pretty awesome, my kitchen would give Martha Stewart a run for her money. Stainless steel throughout, gray and white marble floors—real marble, not that stick-on stuff—double sinks and a cooking island complete with a hibachi grill. Trust me, it’s not that I like to cook or anything, I just love the look.

“Can I call you?” he asks, coming out into the kitchen while fastening his pants.

My eyes roll over him. “Why don’t you leave me your number and I’ll be in touch.” I give him my best I-promise-to-call-you smile.

“Yeah, sure.” He turns and walks away.

A few minutes later I hear the front door slam shut.

Suddenly I remember his name. Randy Temple. I shrug and sip my coffee. Don’t know why he should be offended—men do it all the time. Some man somewhere is telling a woman right now, “I’ll call you.” Yeah, right.

hm hm hm, if you haven’t already read it don’t you want to roll over to Amazon and claim your copy now?

Keep doing what you do, Ms. Hill. We thank you!

Sincerely,

Sable Lit Reviews

Happy Saturday, Tour Fans!! This weekend Sable Lit Reviews asked Donna to share a passage from one of her many books and tell us why she enjoyed writing the particular excerpt or what it means to her. We often ask authors how they come up with the scenes we love but this time let’s find out what passages are special to the authors…

You’ll find out soon enough. So I may as well say it now.  I slept with my best friend’s husband. There is no explanation. Not a real one, anyway, not one that people will accept, especially the people who know me. I don’t understand what happened. It just did . . .over time, I suppose.  I’ve been going over every detail in my head from the first time I met Ross Davis right up until the moment Lisa found out what went on between us.  If I ever wanted to die, it was at that moment.  But I didn’t die. I had to face what we’d done. What I’d done. I had to look my best friend in the face and try to explain.

They have names for women like me: tramp, whore, home wrecker, mistress, the other woman.  But in my mind, in my heart, I’m none of those, I’m just like you, like your sister, your aunt, or your mom . . . an ordinary woman.  I’m sure Lisa and maybe even Ross would have a different story to tell, but I want to tell my side. I want to try to explain.  Just hear me out . . .

This is Asha’s confession from the opening page of AN ORDINARY WOMAN.

I simply love this opening.  To me it is so painful, so raw.  On the surface the reader thinks they know the whole story but they don’t. It is all so totally unexpected even though you “think” you know what happened. I I think is so strong that the reader has no other choice but to turn the page and become drawn into this story.

Donna
Charade! is back same steamy story with a brand new sizzling cover
On The Line…Available Wherever Books Are Sold
Sex and Lies Available Wherever Books Are Sold… Book 1 of The Ladies Cartel series
http://donnahill.blogspot.com
Join my fanclub and become part of the movement http://dhfanclub.ning.com

In this last of a five-part interview series with Donna Hill, Donna reveals her experience with adapting three of her books for film.

SLR: Three of your books became movie adaptations, what characteristics do you feel a book needs to catch the attention of movie producers?

DH: I can’t say specifically what is needed.  I know what I was told by the producers of my movies was the way I constructed my scenes were condusive to adaptation. There was not a lot of introspection. But direct action, moving dialogue and movement. All of which was not intentional on my part. It’s just the way I see things in my head.
 

SLR: That’s a great gift. It allows for nice pacing within a story.

How did you get the attention of the movie industry?

DH: This was during the time that BET had purchased Arabesque (the line of African American romances) and they were looking to create new programming. The books were a perfect fit. One little known fact was that five of my novels were originally chosen by the producers for the first slate of ten, but they felt it would not have been fair to all the other writers and neither did I. The other two were “Scandalous.” and “Deception.”

SLR: Wow, I love being privvy to behind the scenes tidbits few others know.

OK tour visitors, have you seen the movies based on Donna’s books? If so, we’d love to know what you think?

I know, I know…Friday is here and while we are glad to see the weekend insight, don’t think we’re done here.

No way. Stop by on Saturday and Sunday when Donna will share specific excerpts from some of her books and provide explains why there were so fun to write.

If you’re not a member already, I strongly urge you to join Donna’s Fan Club to stay abreast of all things Donna Hill… check out by clicking the banner below…

In this session, Donna reflects on her writing journey, her writing life and the response from her family and friends when she embarked on this endeavor.

SLR: When did you know the writing life would be the path you had to take?

DH: For as long as I can remember I was always either reading or writing.  I started writing love letters for my girlfriends in grammar school to give to their boyfriends! LOL.  I moved into poetry in my early teens, but it was not until I was in my late twenties that I had an ephiphany for lack of a better word, that I actually sat down with the intention of writing for publication. And that was after coming home from church one Sunday and really praying on it, and asking God what is it that I am meant to do? What can I do with this “thing” I’m so drawn to?

I came home from church, took out my typewriter (yes a typewriter) and began to type out my first short story, which was published in Black Romance, the confession magazine. From there, I kept writing, trying to get better and landed my first book deal in 1990 with Odyssey Books, with thanks to Nathasha Brooks Harris who was my editor at Black Romance. She was the one who encouraged me to write my first book “Rooms of the Heart.” And I haven’t stopped writing since!  LOL

SLR: And we’re certainly grateful for that! LOL! I always find it interesting to know how writers come to recognize their calling.

What did those close to you say at the beginning of your writing journey and what do they say about your stories?

DH:  I think by this question you mean family and friends?  My family is very proud and are my biggest cheerleaders.  My kids kinda take it in stride as they’ve been along for the ride for so long. But for the most part its like any other kind of job. I have doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers, designers, community leaders in my family and I happen to be the writer. LOL.

SLR: That is so great. I can imagine that your experience provides an unbelievably strong example to your children. So many get caught up in just getting any job, but you are living proof that one can sustain his or herself doing something that is creative and passion-driven.

Your turn readers, what are you doing everyday to drive your passions? We want to hear from you!

Yes, the week is drawing to a close, but you don’t want to miss the last part of our interview series tomorrow, when we get Donna’s take the movie industry.

I am sitting here writing this article amazed at how long it has been since I officially became a writer. It was eighteen years ago this past June. In this age of merging publishing houses, cut backs, new genres, new voices and the explosion of self-publishing, I consider myself blessed to still be around to tell my story.  I guess on the street I would be considered an O.G. (original gangsta LOL). Well, not quite, but you get my point. And because of my O.G. status, so many people have asked me what the secret is to being around for so long when there are many authors who have disappeared off the literary playing field.

                These are the things that come to mind:

·         You have to be in this business for the right reasons. If you got in just to make money, or to get your name on some list, your time in the game is limited.

·         You must build relationships within the publishing industry, i.e., with editors, agents, publishers.

·         You have to keep your finger on the pulse of the industry, be willing to expand your horizons, stretch your writing skills, i.e., teaching a class, hosting workshops, joining an anthology, presenting an out-of-the box proposal to your editor that includes other writers, take classes and read to enhance your skills.

·         Stay out of the fray. Don’t get dragged down by the crab-in-the barrel mentality. 

·         Be willing to do for others even if you aren’t getting something out of it. Share your information.

·         Build friendships with other writers.  Only another writer can understand your craziness.

·         Most of all respect your fans/readers. Respect their intelligence.  Give them the best you can every time and always give them thanks for supporting you. They could be supporting someone else.

All those things are so important to longevity.  In the long run, it’s about writing a damned good story, writing with integrity and be willing to stick it out when the going gets tough. That’s what a writer does. They write!

In part three, Sable Lit Reviews finds out what Donna thinks about critique groups and how she defines difference between romance and women’s fiction.

SLR: Many authors swear by them and some prefer to go it alone. How do you feel about critique groups?

DH:  I think critique groups have their place.  I also think that when you get involved in one you need to take into account who is reading your work, and what is their background and agenda. And that you have to be prepared for criticism.

SLR: That’s great advice Donna. As writers we can respect the opinion of others but we cannot lose our initial vision of the story in an attempt to please everyone.

Your writing career spans more than one genre, in terms of your work, what do you feel is the difference between Women’s Fiction and Romance?

DH: There is a major difference.  Women’s fiction spans the gamut of issues with a focus and target market being women.  It can be about politics, health, relationships, friendships, family, all manner of things, with the primary characters being women and the audience geared toward women. It can have an open ending. There does not have to be a “happily ever after.”

If it is about a relationship, the couple does not have to be together in the end.  Romance is very specific and many get it confused with “relationship stories.” Simply because there is sex and a man and woman in a book does not make it a romance.  A romance is structured around one man and one woman working through whatever their issue is so that they can be together in the end.  A romance is specific in language. In a romance you can’t have  your hero and heroine sleep with anyone other than each other. The focus is on them no matter what else you may include in the story. It must end happily with the two characters together. Sex is in the book for a reason: to draw the characters closer together. It can’t be in the book for shock value or “just because.” And trust me, true romance readers know a romance when they see one and will call you on it when it doesn’t meet the criteria.  LOL.

SLR: I have no doubt. <SMILE> I really appreciate your explanation. I’ve heard it described by different people in similar terms but your definition is really clear. Thanks so much.

OK readers, don’t name names, <Smile> but can you think of a time you were dupped and didn’t get what you were expecting in a romance or women’s fiction novel?

To chat with Donna more about the various issues she is passionate about, check out her blog at:

I am really learning about Donna, her books and the industry, but we are just getting warmed-up. Check in tomorrow to read about how Donna’s family and friends feel about her work and career.

In the second part of this five-part sequence, Sable Lit Reviews gets Donna to share how she comes up with so many story ideas and what stories surprised her the most.

SLR: With over 50 books to your credit, your idea well appears to run very deep. What are some of your favorite resources for story ideas?

DH: My ideas come from so many places.  I read extensively, watch movies, new and old, listen to conversations and pay attention to issues that effect me, things that I feel passionate about.  Ideas can be sparked by a song title and its message or a news story. The world is so big with things happening every day so there is always something that one can zero in on and make it your own. Although there are no true original ideas, as a writer you can take something old and make it your own with a new spin, which is what I did with Getting Hers, which was based on an Alfred Hitchcock movie, “Strangers on a Train.”  I used the mood of New York City during the rash of murders of black men by the police in A Scandalous Affair.  In “Diva’s Inc.,” it was a spoof on the whole Cinderella story and a wink and a nod to “divas” and how we all have a true diva in all of us.  With “In My Bedroom,” I explored the impact of incest. In “An Ordinary Woman” I attempted to give a new perspective on a “mistress” and the aftermath of an affair. With “Rhythms” the story line is about dreams and dreams deferred and the impact of family secrets. With “If I Could” and the sequel “Say Yes,” I tried to show the impact of one woman taking charge of her life no matter what the naysayers said, including her friends and family and how her resolve forced all those around her to examine their own lives. Those are just a few examples.  I hope that answered your question.

SLR: That was a great run-down. It is really amazing how ideas can build upon themselves and lead you an entirely new direction yet still be closely related to the initial idea.

Is there a book you’ve written that completely took you by surprise either during the writing process or in how it was received by editors or readers?

DH: I think it was actually several. The first being “If I Could” the response from readers was humbling to say the least.  I got a letter from a reader that said because of that book, she finally found the courage to leave her abusive husband! With “In My Bedroom,” I was told during a signing that it was being used by a psychology teacher in her class because the issues and the medical information that was woven into it was so much more accessible to her students than the text books. And there were so, so many women who came to me after a signing and wrote to me to tell me that “it had happened to them and now they were ready to talk about it.”

SLR: That is so rewarding as an author. Sometimes we get caught up in entertaining our readers we forget that what we do, if done well, can do so much more.

Tour takers: Care to share a book you’ve read that motivated you toward change?

Check out some of the books Donna has referred to in her great responses on the right.

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow to see what Donna has to say about critique groups and genres. 

In the first of a five-part interview series, Sable Lit Reviews asks Donna Hill about finding her literary voice…

Sable Lit Reviews(SLR): How many books into your career were you when you found your literary voice?

Donna Hill (DH): Wow, that’s a great question.  I’m not sure if it was a specific time or book.  I do believe that my “voice” evolved over time. And to be honest it was not until about two years ago when I read an article that posed the question to an author(whose name I can’t remember) “what do you write about?” It really made me think. What do I write about?

In looking over my body of work what I realized was that I didn’t write about “romance” or “suspense” or “women’s fiction” or “erotica” I wrote about man/woman’s connection to others. In other words, the underlying theme in all of my stories reflect how one person’s actions impact others. I found this to be true no matter what genre I wrote in. I think it was then that my “voice” was defined. No man/woman is an island. What we do no matter how small or large impacts someone else. There is a connection, the ripple effect.

SLR:  Great point, I think focusing on the impact of people’s actions and the innumberable outcomes that could result makes writing more interesting for writers and more entertaining for readers.

Tour guests, we’d love to know your thoughts, please comment…. 

SLR: Many authors create a tagline or theme that describes their literary voice. For instance, mine is Cultural, Comedic Romance with Comeback. What is your tagline?

DH: My tag line I believe would be Sophisticated, Savvy and Sexy stories that entertain and enlighten.
SLR: You can’t go wrong with Sophisticated, Sexy or Savvy. That combo makes for an exciting read for sure. 

If you have a question for Donna, feel free to post a comment.

Check out Donna’s website:

Come on back tomorrow to see what Donna has to say about story ideas and story surprises.

Donna Hill began her career in 1987 writing short stories for the confession magazines. Since that time she has more than fifty published titles to her credit since her first novel was released in 1990. Three of her novels have been adapted for television. She has been featured in Essence, the New York Daily News, USA Today, Today’s Black Woman, and Black Enterprise among many others. She has appeared on numerous radio and television stations across the country and her work has appeared on several bestseller lists, including Essence, Emerge and The Dallas Morning News among others. She has received numerous awards for her body of work including The Career Achievement Award, the first recipient of The Trailblazer Award, The Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award, The Gold Pen Award among others, as well as commendations for her community service. Donna co-wrote the screenplay Fire, which enjoyed limited theater release before going to DVD. As an editor she has packaged several highly successful novels, two of which were nominated for awards. She organizes author-centered events and workshops through her editorial and promotions company Donna Hill Promotions and provides publicity and marketing services for authors. She is also a writing instructor at The Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center in New York. Donna currently writes full-time and lives in Brooklyn with her family. Donna is represented by the Steele-Perkins Literary Agency.

Be sure to check back at noon Pacific or 3pm Est for the first part of the “Donna…” Interview!

Won’t be available to check back today? Subscribe to the feed at the upper right so you don’t miss a beat!

Despite the growing popularity of ebooks and multicultural fiction, there are still only a had full of review sites available.

Introducing Sable Lit Reviews -The Destination for All Things Multicultural.

Not just a book review site, stop by to read the articles that explore current events from a multicultural perspective, but don’t just read about it–comment on it!

Check out the Multicultural Events calendar that features multicultural events around the country and eventually around the world. Know of a cool multicultural event? Submit it and get it posted for more exposure!

September 1st, marked the beginning of our multicultural fiction reviews. First up?  Greg Cochran’s Saving Grace published by Amira Press.

Read the review here:  http://www.sablelitreviews.com/saving-grace/

Reviews are open to all genres that possess a multicultural theme and/or a cast of multicultural characters. The book, whether in print or electronic format, can be a current release or past release. Yes, nonfiction, LGBT, Erotic and Inspirational themes will have a home here as well. Sable Lit Reviews wants to put a flood light on all multicultural books no matter the persuasion.

Authors and publishers, if you’d like to have your book reviewed and showcased on Sable Lit Reviews, visit Sable Lit Reviews. com/reviews for more information.

Coming up? A week with Award-winning Kimani Press author of over 50 titles, Donna Hill. Visiting Sable Lit Reviews during her virtual book tour, Donna will take the reigns from Sept. 8 through Sept. 14. Stop by and check out her answers to some very interesting review questions and read some excerpts. Please stop by and say hello or ask her your burning publishing question.

Want to know more about Donna before she arrives?

See Donnahill.com.

Multicultural Literary addicts, please watch it all unfold at Sable Lit Reviews!

Sincerely,

Laura Major

Blog Mistress

LauraMajor.com

SableLitReviews.com