Hello,
I was speaking to someone yesterday and he asked me why I titled my first novel under my real name "Broken Wings." The truth is, I didn't have a choice. Many of you authors get your ideas by seriously thinking, but I got my idea in church. Sundays when I am not in university and away from home, I spend it in Church with my mom. That's our time together. I was sitting there the day and I think the pastor was speaking about women in abusive relationships and how that wasn't where God wanted them. He was saying that sometimes these women stay in these horrible situations because of something that happened in their childhood--their father beat them and said "I love you that's why I do this--" which later gets carried over into their adult life when their men beat them and say the say thing they believe it's for real and don't leave (this was just one of the examples he gave).
The idea smacked me and I remembered I must have cringed for my mom turned and asked if I was alright. For the rest of the day this story was inside my head and I just couldn't get it out. After church my mom and I make supper and we all have dinner at the table since Sundays is the only day of the week when both my parents and myself are at home - I make sure I make no plans for Sundays. During the week everyone is working, baseball, friends everything just get in the way so Sunday is our family day. Anyways that night after dinner and my parents were chilling watching television - my dad was probably watching CNN and my mom stealing the remote to watch something else lol --I went up to my room and started writing. It was only a couple of weeks later the whole thing was finished and I started editing.
By the time it was finished, I couldn't get it accepted anywhere. I one publisher (which shall remain nameless) told me to change the main male into a white guy and move the story fromt he location that it takes place in. I told them to go suck a lemon (and this is me being polite here). I was given many excuses in rejection letters from the typical "it's not for us," to "It is too dark" to "add more sex." But I didn't set out to write something that was written every day and I sure as hell didn't set out to write an erotica. I set out to write something that was placed in my heart and to kinda of get some Therapy in the process - I guess.
Therapy? You must be asking WTF? Well it simple -- When I was a child I didn't have the best of childhoods (until I was adopted at 13). My new parents are amazing and I would do anything for them but my real mother was somewhat of a tyrant. Monique's childhood was as close as I could get to my own childhood without me breaking down and sobbing through editing. So this story was a part of my therapy in dealing with those memories so that's why she is the way she is.
I refused to Change Devaughn into a Caucasian male, not because I have anything against Caucasians because I LOVE writing Interracial stories - but this story was NOT meant to be IR. I wrote Devaughn because the majority of romances these days have Caucasian men and I wanted to show a black man that is strong, independent, not a thug and loves his woman so deeply that he goes to the brink of being pulled into her darkness with her. My baby sisters (20 & 21) read the stories that I write under my real name and I want them to see that there are strong men out there. I want them to see that if a Black guy step to them and he's like Devaughn then there's no shame in it. As well I wanted to put an African American male in a story that doesn't have him carrying a gun with baby mamas. I wanted him to be different.
Now to focus on why the story focused on Monique's drama. I don't know--and that's the truth. That was how the story came out. I had absolutely no control over it what-so-ever.
Anyways, that is my speel on Broken Wings. You can read an excerpt if you would like. You can find it by clicking here. Be careful since it is in both ebook and Print. Make sure you get the version you want.
I am still trying to gather reviews for it but so far not having any luck. I'm still going though.
*hugs*
Kadian
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