• 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