African American

Interview with Synithia Williams

You Can’t Plan Love

Synithia, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk about your new book. Tell us about You Can’t Plan Love.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Length: 78,000 words
Heat rating: R
Buy link: Coming soon http://is.gd/Mwc3Qd
Tagline: Love doesn’t always go according to plan.
Blurb:
After several bad relationships, Kenyatta Copeland decides to
control her love life with the same discernment she uses in her professional life.
Knowing firsthand the heartbreak that comes when desire and emotion
rule a relationship, Kenyatta assumes marrying Brad Johnson will lead to a stable
life. But as much as she believes she can plan her future, it’s hard to ignore the
way her boss, Malcolm Patterson, ignites her passions with just one look. After
Malcolm learns of her engagement, he makes a play for her heart and reminds her
that passion between a man and a woman has its perks … but also its costs. When
Brad suspects there’s more than work between Kenyatta and Malcolm, he works harder
to keep Kenyatta by his side. Torn between her promise to marry Brad and her irrepressible
longing for Malcolm, Kenyatta must decide if she can live her life in a passionless
marriage of convenience or once again trust her heart. Yet Brad isn’t as perfect
as he seems, and by the time Kenyatta realizes this it may be too late.
What are your main characters’
names?
Kenyatta Copeland
Malcolm Patterson
Ages?
Kenyatta 28
Malcolm 33
Occupations?
They both work for H20 Environmental-An environmental consulting
firm with offices throughout the Southeast
United States.

Interview

How did you get your start
in the industry?
I am a newbie to the publishing industry. I’ve written for years,
but it wasn’t until 2010 that I decided to pursue publishing. I made a goal to finish
one of the many novels I started by the end of 2010, and then made another goal
in 2011 to revise and perfect my novel. The goal for 2012 was to query and see what
type of feedback I got. I still can’t believe my dream came true relatively quickly.
What is the most important
thing you do for your career now, as compared to when you first started writing?
I continue to research ways to improve my writing. I’ve joined
Romance Writers of America and have plans to start attending my first writing conferences
this year. I’ve purchased several books on character development, plotting and even
writing steamier sex scenes. It’s important to me to get more books out there that
are even better than my first one.
What websites do you visit
daily?
Outside of Facebook and Twitter, I regularly visit my publisher’s
site http://crimsonromance.com, PubRants
and The Newbie’s Guide to Publishing.
What do you enjoy most
about life?
That wonderful–yet fleeting–moment when my boys are being sweet
and my husband and I look at each other and smile.
If you could give the
younger version of yourself advice what would it be?
Take some creative writing classes while in undergrad. My major
was biology, so I took some fun electives (sociology of sex, history of jazz, and
public speaking for example) but I didn’t take a creative writing course.
What does “balance”
mean to you as a writer?
Balancing my day job, family and writing. When I made up my mind
to try and publish my first novel I thought the hardest part would be finding time
to write. Luckily, that wasn’t hard to do. My kids go to bed at 8:00 every night,
except on weekends. So it was easy to wait until they went to bed then write after
9. But, when you add in the social media aspect, it can impact your life throughout
the day. The need to check Facebook, Twitter and your blog. If I push that to 9
p.m. then I’m not writing until 10 or 11. I’m still learning to balance this so
at the moment I refuse to sign up for Tribbr, Pintrest or Google +.
Do things your family
or friends do ever end up in a book?
Ha! That’s a loaded question! Indirectly, yes things my family
or friends do ends up in a book. Conversations I’ve had may spark an idea, or interests
of people I know may become interests of my characters.
What are some jobs you’ve
done before (or while) you were a writer?
My day job is the Environmental Coordinator for my county. Although
working in public service has its difficult days, I really enjoy my job. I help
develop air quality programs and water quality regulations that have a direct impact
on the quality of life where I live. When the bureaucracy gets me down, I get to
do fun projects with other “greenies” that promote green business practices and
personal sustainable behavior change. In 2010 our areas largest paper listed me
as one of the areas Green Queens, and although the title means every time someone
throws away a plastic bottle their calling my name, I love the fact that my efforts
are appreciated.
Which of your books would
you recommend to someone who doesn’t normally read your genre, and why?
I only have one book right now, so of course I recommend it.
If someone hasn’t read a romance within the last ten years then I would say give
this book a try. Romances aren’t full of weak damsels in distress waiting on a strong
man to save them. That idea makes me want to gag. I wrote about the struggle for
a professional woman who’s been hurt in the past trying to pick a man based on reason
instead of romance. Kenyatta is also struggling between choosing her career over
the wishes of the man she thinks is perfect for her. These are real decisions that
women face daily that I think many can relate to.
What kind of books do
you read when taking a break from your own writing?
I read romance. Historicals are my favorite, but after decided
to pursue publishing I started reading more contemporary romances. Everyone once
and awhile I’ll try something outside of the genre if it’s recommended. But if I
need to just relax and waste an afternoon, I’ll pick up a romance.
What do you think is the
future of epublishing?
I think it’s here to stay. I was one of those people who once
refused to buy an e-reader because I loved “real” books, bookstores, and libraries.
I still do, but I also love the convenience of e-books. For others like me who’ve
embraced ebooks and the convenience they provide, I can’t see epublishing as a fad
that will go away. Just like we evolved from VCRs, to DVD players to Netflix I think
it’ll be the same with books. The only difference is that some books will still
be worth having in a hard copy on a shelf.
What is your favorite
holiday and why?
Thanksgiving, because you have all of the eating and family togetherness
of Christmas without the hassle of buying gifts.
What good book have you
read recently?
Two, the Rebound Guy by Farrah Rochon and Temptation Rising by
A.C. Arthur.
If your life became a
movie, who would you want to play you?
Angela Bassett, because I love her.
Which statement is more
like you:
“I am a vacation spa because I am laid back and
relaxed.”
“I am a ten-countries in ten-days tour vacation, because
I do things as fast as possible.”
Please Fill in the Blanks
I love pizza with artichoke hearts and mushrooms.
I’m always ready for a get together with friends involving
wine
.
When I’m alone, I read and watch television all day long.
You’d never be able to tell, but I’m shy. It’s difficult for
me to come up with “small talk,” but I’ve had to learn because I do a lot of networking
in my day job. Now I just ask a bunch of questions and try to get people to talk
about themselves
.
If I had a halo it would be bronze, dented, and tarnished.
Synithia Williams
If I could only win the lottery I’d have vacation houses
in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and London
.
I can never skydive because I’m afraid of heights and
just thinking about it makes my palms sweat.
My Current Books
You Can’t Plan Love from Crimson Romance
Contests
To celebrate my first novel, I’m giving away a Reusable Bag filled
with Swag! Details coming soon on my website.
Find Me Here

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