End of the Season Wrap Up

We wrap up our first season with recapping our favorite moments and discussing how it's been working with each other. Plus, we share what you can expect in season 2.

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Hello and welcome to the Author Spotlight with Kenya Gorey-Bell and Moni Boyce.
It is the last episode of the first season and we are excited to reach the end, althoughwe hope that you've had an amazing ride with us through the first season.
I don't know, Kenya, thoughts on what the first season held or what people can expect forseason two?

(00:25):
um Okay, let me just say it's been an amazing experience.
It has been very much for me a learning experience, because this is old hat for you.
You've already done stuff like this, been in film, producing and everything.
when, I just wanna say how much I appreciate you first, because when I...

(00:50):
when I asked you to do this with me, it was just over vibes, right?
I was like, she's cool and she's calm.
She's less erratic than me.
So we can like, we're not going to.
And then you're such a worker.
Like I always tell y'all, y'all who listening, I always tell Monique, I was like, I'm theideas guy, okay?

(01:14):
I am not.
the person who executes.
So everything about the podcast you guys are putting in together, the edits, all of that,that's all Moaning.
Okay.
Now coming up with themes and all of that stuff, we collaborate.
That's good, right?
But I have to say, like, I just appreciate like you so much because uh it couldn't havegone any better.

(01:39):
You know what saying?
So.
And she got 50 of them jobs, y'all.
So I'd be like, OK, you need to put out, prioritize us this week, not your 811th job thatyou're doing.
But yeah, I just appreciate you so much.

(01:59):
And I couldn't have chosen better.
I was like, and it's just been a great experience the whole time.
I feel like we've grown closer.
I feel like we're putting something out good in the world and I just, it's the bees needsfor me.
It's been great.
Well, contributing to the love fest, have to say Kenyatta, it's been a pleasure workingwith you too.

(02:21):
I think we compliment each other really well and that's always important when you decideto collaborate or partner with somebody that there's that synergy there, that it works.
the thing for me is it's always nice, I mean, I'm an extrovert and I think you bring outthat even more in me.
Because I can easily, I don't know, I guess I'm.

(02:44):
Having worked in film as long as I did, I am able to adapt and then also being a militarykid where I went from place to place as a kid, you learn to adapt fairly quickly.
So I'm one of those people that's usually able to adapt and change to fit the environmentor the people that I'm around.
But you make it really easy and we've come to know each other on a personal level evenmore so than when we began.

(03:09):
And so I've found you as a true friend and it's nice because
we get to be ourselves around each other and we get to joke and laugh and like make fun ofeach other and like all the things and that's always nice.
And I think that's even nice doing this, you know, it's not just this like businessrelationship.
Like we genuinely like each other and enjoy each other's company and respect each other.

(03:33):
uh And so I love that, you know, I know we're already into filming season two and it'sjust, it's becoming even more fun to do this.
to even get to know other authors that, um you know, I think, let's see what this has beensix years into being an author for me.
And so a lot of these authors, like I read before I, you know, joined the ranks of beinglike a published author.

(03:57):
And so it's been such a nice thing to kind of get to, you know, talk to them and picktheir brains a little bit about like books of theirs that I've loved before I was writing
myself.
And so that's been really nice to, you know, and I appreciate you.
thinking of me, wanting me to do this, take this journey with you.
So thank you for
Yeah, and I did it and I was just thinking, it's just so funny when so many people embarkon like podcasting and stuff, they don't understand like the backward, I'm thinking

(04:28):
listeners, I'm thinking, oh, we're just gonna talk and throw it up there and Mona waslike, no, she was like, we're going, just hold on a little bit, we're going to, like, we
have to produce this, we have to do all of these things.
I'm like, what?
Oh, because the transition from Instagram Live to podcast, that and it was a learningcurve.

(04:54):
And I think one thing like we talked to Sierra London yesterday and one thing she said islike, you have to be willing to be teachable.
You have to be teachable.
And I and I'm really good at that.
I'm really good at allowing knowing what I don't know and allowing what I feel.

(05:17):
are experts in whatever field to, know, like we say down here, learn me up on something.
You know what saying?
that's, I think that is, that was key in the success of this.
And both of us, yeah, you have to respect the other person.
This is your partner.

(05:39):
I don't know how people, I, who do solo podcasts do it by themselves.
I'm not.
You know, most of the time they have guests or something like that.
That's fine.
But or people they can play off of.
But I feel like this is a true 50-50 partnership.
I just like love it to death.
I just so it's a force for good in the book world, in the world in general, because it'sjust showing we are showing women at a certain age, even although I'm 35.

(06:10):
I don't know what how old Mona is.
that you can have, you can reinvent yourself.
Everybody has reinvented themselves.
And I'm already thinking about season four, cause you said we doing season two, we doingseason two and three, you guys.

(06:31):
So right now I want to throw a little idea to you about season four.
Okay.
we can call season four, because yeah, we already did season two and three, okay.
We're doing it.
So now we got to focus on season four.
Season four would be out of the ashes.

(06:53):
People who failed their way up to success.
Ooh, I kind of like that.
I think that a lot of people think that...
And it's easy because you see the success stories that feel like they're overnight, thatthey just came out of nowhere.
And most of the time that is...
Not even most of time, we'll say 100 % of the time, that is not the case.

(07:17):
There was a beginning, like you said, that they missed the mark or didn't quite...
you know, get there or whatever.
And I see them film, when I was working in film I would see it all the time where you'd belike, they're in an overnight success and you could probably literally go back and see
like 10 terrible films that they were in before that one.
think Sandra Bullock is such a good example of that because I remember when she did Speedand I was like, overnight success?

(07:41):
And you're like, this woman has been working in the industry for like 10 plus years orsomething before that film came along.
But you know, I think in publishing it's the same thing.
finally have that one book that hits and everybody thinks, you know, like it just, youknow, happened when you've been toiling away and hoping that one of these books were gonna

(08:03):
hit.
So I think that would make a great fourth season.
Thank you.
We will explore that.
And I just, know, I know we've kind of been seeing each other's praises already, but onethings I have to say in doing this with you is that I always thought I was a pretty
sociable person, but I have to say one of the things I've learned from you is just likethe ability that you have to, you know, create, not even just create community, but to

(08:35):
make people feel like a certain way.
Mm-hmm.
let me be real, real here.
Like, a lot of the people that come on this show, like, no kidding, better than they knowme.
uh You know, but it's been like an amazing thing to see and something that like parts ofwatching and like listening that I hope to take away from and be that, be as personable,

(08:59):
you know what I'm saying, grow and build those relationships.
Like, that is one of the things that like...
watching and being around you that I've become very aware of that I need to get better at.
oh I definitely appreciate like, I'm a firm believer in that phrase, iron sharpens iron.
And so it's nice to be around somebody else who I like respect and admire and like see theway that you work your business in a way that isn't just about the money, you know what

(09:26):
I'm saying?
But like those relationships that you uplift other people and not just yourself.
If there's one thing I want you guys to know about Kenya, it's that.
Just that she is a, what you see is what you get, what she says is real, and that she justreally cares about people.
And that's really such a nice thing to see.

(09:49):
Yeah, it's like that is like, I think that is uh part of my just, it's just in my DNA,it's who I am because actually there is nobody quite in my family like that.
I think they're mostly, even my sister who is like very prominent, my siblings who arevery prominent in their careers, they're uh kind of curmudgeoning.

(10:15):
They are not uh extroverts.
right?
Like they can mask it but I just and my mother was very introverted and everything but Ihave always been like we just talked to Becca Syme and I have a lot of woo winning others

(10:39):
over and I just love people.
And I fall in like with people really quickly.
I fall in love with people really quickly.
But y'all don't see the opposite of that when I'm crying when somebody's hurt by feeling.
I would literally call.
Yeah, it is.

(11:00):
is.
Yeah, and I was uh actually, it was so funny because uh I'm friends with author Jo Brunnerand she was.
actually going on a solo camping trip and I was terrified for her.
was like you have to send me your location so you don't get, in case you get, because Ialways believed kidnapped, being kidnapped is an option.

(11:25):
And when she went to Europe and I was like okay don't get kidnapped unless it's by abillionaire.
oh
and believe, know everybody like we might laugh, you know, or whatever, but trust me,everybody appreciates the concern and care that you feel for them.
Because I know there's even been times when you've texted me, you know, checking in andthat kind of thing.

(11:47):
And so it's always a-
always going to and I can't like not do it and I have been like accused of being like acheerleader or whatever.
I can't.
It's just it's just like whatever.
Please don't let anybody ever tell you that that is a problem.
and because I feel like for them, is so people who are, because this community is 99.9 %introverts and they could just never see themselves doing that, interacting with people

(12:16):
like that.
So I get that it's not a me thing.
It's just like, I can't believe it's real because that is not something that their brainconnects to.
But like I said, you are a calming force um and I always feel like,
if it's just a good listen or you know or a virtual hug or whatever because y'all we havenever met in person.

(12:44):
Yes next year and I will um and I just uh and I just this is uh I just love what we'redoing here and I love you so big and
And it's just real.
And I think that is going to transcend.
We're still growing.
We're still learning.
And uh I just feel like uh going forward is going to be a beautiful, uh wonderfulenterprise that we're doing.

(13:16):
what was, did you have a favorite interview or who were you most excited to talk to?
That is so tough.
Because like I said, so many of these people I've read prior to being part of now thewriting world, um I have to say Ciara Simone is one of the ones, and I know at this point

(13:42):
I feel like I know her now, but I have to admit I definitely had a bit of a fangirl momentwith her.
Mm-hmm.
And granted, even before we did the podcast, because you know I've sprinted with you guyslike a couple times and things like that, but she was definitely one.
I have to say Farrah Rashawn, of course.

(14:04):
And it was funny because I met her at the first RWA conference I ever attended and Ihadn't written or put out a thing, but she was so sweet to me.
And there were a couple of other authors like that as well that I had that experiencewith.
El Penelope was another one that I met at that initial conference I went to where I didn'tknow anybody I just joined.

(14:26):
like, they were so welcoming and coming from the film world where can be a little bit morecutthroat.
It was like one of those kind of cynical jaded moments, like, is this real?
Do they want something from me?
But you know, it was really just like these, and I say women because at that time it waslike pretty much all women at the conference.

(14:46):
don't remember men being there and this was like 2018, 2019.
They're not negating that there probably weren't, but the people that I met at that timewere all female authors.
But everybody was so welcoming and that for me, I still remember going to a dinner wherethere was like Kristen Higgins and like some other people there, like Zeo Axelrod was the

(15:10):
one that took me to the dinner.
like I said, I didn't really know anybody.
I was starting to understand the magnitude of the people in the room.
Mm-hmm.
they made me feel so inspired, so encouraged, like they literally bought me to tears.
And that's been one thing, I know that sometimes in the media and what we see in the newsabout Romancelandia sometimes it gets a little catty or there's things and we all know

(15:38):
some different stories have gone over the last few years, but I have to say my experiencesso far have been largely positive, know, from this community and the
uplifting that I see everyone do with each other and encouraging, you know, that's alwaysbeen nice.
And even just the conversations that we've had, like, yes, have we got into some likeheavier topics at times or things, you know, not to say bad things, but just experiences

(16:05):
maybe that weren't the best.
for the most part, we've had some really fun and engaging and naughty conversations.
I've just, you know, put a smile on my face.
Yeah, and I think Farrah Rashon was uh a person that I didn't, like we know each othersocially online, right?

(16:29):
I had never had a conversation DM, like a lot of author relationships are fomented via theDMs you guys.
They are, you get in somebody DMs, you develop a relationship.
uh
That's networking 101, that's free advice.

(16:49):
Never talk to her other than likes and comments on each other post.
Because she was somebody who I wasn't intimidated by, but I was watching.
And I liked how she moved in the industry.
And I just admired her so much.
if I had, and she was the.
and like the cold call.

(17:10):
She was the person I just we had neither one of us like you met her previously before, butI'd never uh like spoken to her like that.
And I was just so like impressed and floored about our conversation with her.
ah Love her so big.
It was just like.

(17:31):
uh Yeah, it was.
It was every interaction.
that you had, ah that you hoped it would be.
Like they say, never meet your heroes.
Yeah, meet Farrah Shun, right?
Like, first of all, she gonna get y'all to good travel tips.
She's a world traveler and I, and that's like one of, as you are.

(17:56):
I, know, Moni know everything.
Moni like, have you been to Guatemala?
I'm just kidding, but like.
Tell me about that Beijing, whatever.
Like she gonna tell you how to travel.
But I just love the, that was like a good, that was my favorite get.
And of course, I always have stars in my eyes about Sarah McClain because she is soknowledgeable.

(18:27):
Sarah is the author.
tell y'all, tell the story.
that I was in the midst of my son's autism journey.
And my son, I think at that time, had just spoken his first words after he had lost hisspeech.

(18:48):
And then we had worked hard and he had got his speech back and everything and he wastalking.
And then uh my husband was like, hey, you know, and I had not written.
I was just like, mom.
laser focus, because I'm not a multi-tasker, y'all.
I can't do multiple things at one time, like somebody on this thing.

(19:10):
Because I'm going screw it up.
But I was, so I had put down a door, which is what I was writing at the time.
And I had not read.
And then I think I was looking a little bit scattered.
And my husband was like, you know what, why don't you get a book?
You hadn't read it.
He probably like trying to say either that or you're to be in the

(19:31):
going to be on a Griffithsauk vacation.
And I was like, OK, uh got a book.
I got two books.
I got uh Slave to Sensation by uh Nalini Singh.
And I got Nine Rules to Break Wind, Romance and Arraign by Sarah MacLean.
And that's how Kenya Gorey-Bell started writing, y'all.

(19:52):
And it was Sarah and Nalini Singh.
And I think in this author journey, think authors more, I'm sure when, uh this is theactor community too, and you can correct me in that.
Once you get into it and you start either acting or writing and you start going to eventsand stuff.

(20:13):
And I met Sarah, I've been blessed enough to meet Sarah and Nalini and to tell them thislong ass story.
Y'all, and to cry all over them, like ugly cry.
And Sarah is, I'm five two, I'm tiny.
And Sarah is like six feet tall, maybe six two when she put her heels on, honey.

(20:38):
And the way that woman hugged me and like let me cry all over her boobs.
Yeah, she is such a sweetheart.
Like I so enjoyed that conversation with her.
was sobbing and Naima was like, don't let me in.
Naima was like, was trying to like hold you back but it was too late.
And she's so soft.

(21:00):
of Naima, that was another conversation that I really...
Obviously I'd met her and she's even done uh a workshop for the Virginia Romance writersbefore, just getting a chance and we've met each other at events and that kind of thing,
but getting to sit and have a conversation with her was just so nice.
Because again, it just felt like an old friend.

(21:22):
She felt familiar and like...
like, you know, and put you at ease even though again, she's so prolific, you know, I knowyou guys are best friends, but for me it was like, my God, I'm sitting here and I'm gonna
come.
and I consider you a best friend now too, because I and I was saying is really funny.
I was like, it's funny the two people I gravitated toward the most both got identical twinsisters like I can never be number one.

(21:48):
Like that is like, work that out in therapy.
gotta go.
And if you can't already see I've never been in therapy.
So that's why I'm like, who I am who I am.
But the um
I think, yeah, she is the most, other than me writing my books, I think Naima uh Simone isthe most critical person in my writing career.

(22:22):
She taught me how to set up a book.
You know, I wrote a book, but then I was just writing that book based on
what I learned like in college and all of that stuff.
But, and if you know anything about going, having a degree in English is like, it does notprepare you at all for the writing world.

(22:45):
And so she's the one who helped me do all of those things.
So she is one of the reasons why y'all got KGB and good, y'all can either send her hatemail or love mail based on those things.
But you know, I think what you just said, it's important to have those people that aregonna be real and honest with you, especially about your writing, because it's like, yeah,
your family and friends will tell you the, my God, this is great and wonderful.

(23:08):
And maybe some of them will be honest with you as well, but it's nothing like havinganother writer read your work and criticize it in a good way, not because they're trying
to hurt your feelings, but because they want to see you be better, do better, you know.
be a better writer.
And so that's always such a nice thing to have somebody that will be honest with you, evenif they know, you know, they understand what it is to create something, you know, but to

(23:36):
also want to see you grow enough that they will be honest with you when it's not working.
And that is hard to find.
and I feel like you gotta have your tribe, you gotta have your tribe, your group, and thenyou gotta have, you all can be together.
I'm never one, I would not fit, I know I'm not a person that's good with group projectsand group think or anything like that, because every time I've been in a discord, I've

(24:09):
quit it.
Every time I've been in a,
I've never been in a critique group and um I've heard the horrors of that.
I'm sure that works for people who that works for is not me because I am a loner in thatthing when I'm creative, right?
I don't like a lot of input from, I like input from the expert, right?

(24:32):
I don't have beta readers, alpha readers.
I have editors and people who make a million dollars who read my books.
ahead of time to give me like, okay, and all I want to know if it's a vibe, right?
Because I write a very, like Joe Brenner has called me, the Flannery O'Connor of darkromance.

(24:53):
And I love it.
I love it.
Like I'm country and you're gonna get these country books.
And so the Northern perspective is not going to, I just need you to say, is it the KGBvibe?
Not, and I feel like,
As far as business-wise, savvy, you got the amazing Katie Robber who we interviewed.

(25:15):
She is so generous with everything.
She has a whole list of resources on her website for authors.
Sierra Simone is like, I would stand in front of a tank with Sierra Simone at this point,just lay down my life for her because we are talking about

(25:39):
real allies, real, you know, put the work in, speak your name in rooms you're not in typeof people.
And that's all of the authors we've had on here.
And you just can't, and I feel like even going into the second season, we are just nowstarting to interview people, our experts for that.

(26:01):
And I just think we have, so far, I'm so impressed with the people.
all women so far that we have had the chance to be in conversation with.
And I think we are just topping ourselves every season at this point.

(26:23):
no, it's definitely been really nice.
I mean, starting to, you know, interview for like the second and third seasons of gettingto get deeper into conversations with some of the people that we've worked with in terms
of putting our books together.
And I'm definitely looking forward to getting into even more of those.
um But it's been nice, I mean, just even hearing their perspectives from the jobs thatthey have to do in terms of

(26:51):
being in publishing and what that looks like outside of just being an author.
Because I mean, everybody thinks publishing and you instantly obviously think of thewriter when there's all these other people that are part of that, em you know, from the
book cover designers to illustrators to editors to agents to coaches.
And so it's been so nice to kind of em hear those perspectives, but also in a sense oflike thinking of some of the listeners who might be new to publishing, whether they

(27:21):
down the road of indie publishing like we've done, or they want to try the traditionalroute, I'm hoping that there's a lot that they'll take away from the second season.
Yeah, because we, like you said, we have coaches, we got people for leveling up, we gotcommunity builders, we're going to have one of the top book talkers come talk,

(27:43):
influencers.
We are photographers and yeah, cover designers, editors, know, so agents.
so we are, we are cooking with Hot Grease, y'all.
second season, it's going to be amazing.

(28:04):
And then so we can like peek-a-boo a little bit.
Third season is going to be breakout books.
We got the breakout stars.
We gonna have some surprises for you guys because some of the people who said yesimmediately, I was like, they said yes.

(28:25):
when we started sending out letters how quickly people were getting on the Calumly andlike booking an interview.
It was like, mean, because doing the first one, don't get me wrong.
Like, I mean, when you're starting out with something, even if people like know you orthey like you, it takes a minute to like get people, you know, come into the table.
getting ready for the second, like the second season, it just kind of like exploded whenwe were like ramping up for the interviews.

(28:53):
feel like, and we have everybody, got indie bestsellers, we got New York Times bestsellingauthors.
is, the first season was really like, let me go to my tried and true people.
Let me get my, let me, I think I had interviewed everybody except for Farrah.

(29:14):
Everybody we talked to, I had already previously interviewed on the IG.
ah But this,
time going into the expert season, I think the only person I had ever had, I've had aconversation like, was the coach person.
We're not going to say who it is because I'm not going to say who it is.

(29:35):
Like I want it to be, I want to host something.
And it's so hard because I'm so excited because the person posted right after we talked tothem.
And, um and I was like,
want to say that you're coming on the podcast so bad.

(29:55):
And I just like, hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it.
Yeah, and I was like, they posted about like community and the positive experiences andstuff like that.
And I was like, uh and we haven't told people that things are embargoed or anything likethat, but I was just like, oh, I want to say so bad we got this person, cause like, my
God.
So.

(30:16):
I mean, that is the hard part of doing these is like keeping them and most of the time wedo go slightly over the hour mark, but trust me, we could go on for like two hours with
many of our guests because like I said,
coming back just to help others because we had such an amazing experience, you guys.
So I would just, and I'm, if in.

(30:39):
actually think that we should have her be our last episode of Second Season.
absolutely.
Absolutely.
Because like right there, she was coaching us and and I had a breakthrough and I was like,I was I was like, I have I'm literally having a breakthrough and in live here on the thing

(31:05):
and you guys get to hear it.
And I mean, just amazing people.
And that was uh
And I'm sure this is true in the people who do engineering or logistics like my husband,you know, you know, ah I feel like uh the help that the willingness to help in a pour back

(31:29):
into the community is just like nobody beats that.
I'm sure it's with other people, but we get to see it firsthand.
Yeah.
all the time.
You got like a Katie Robert who will walk you through Kickstarter and backer lit.
You know, you got people who will say, oh, this is how you run a newsletter campaign andget authors and do first in the series free.

(31:57):
Melanie Harlow.
Oh my God.
Let me.
Absolutely.
And the only reason like Melanie has a very
wonderful group called Harlot Authors is invite only because you know some people areweirdos and but in that community is such a amazing uh help to so many authors indie

(32:25):
authors and um you know we haven't had a I haven't
There is gatekeeping in this industry and I don't even think it's intentional.
It's like people just don't think to share sometimes.
um But I feel like, and it used to be so taboo, ah I think the thing with publishing isit's so like, um it's not even elitism.

(32:53):
It's that thing, that old school mentality of, we don't talk about money type of thing.
And every time you try to break through that and talk about deals and things like that, weshouldn't, we gotta have, like instead of just saying, this person got half a million
dollars, they'll be like, it was a great deal.

(33:14):
No, it was an exceptionally good deal.
great to one person may be different to another person.
And I'm like, what, and I had to Google, what does a good deal mean in publishing?
Right?
And like, uh you know, like way back when, when I was like, somebody was like, and thenyou have to get like on this intimate level with people before they tell you how much

(33:38):
money, like run me my coins.
I need to know what it means.
doesn't, what's good.
Let me look at it right quick again.
Good deal in publishing.
So y'all will know, cause I'm not, I'm not going to gatekeep y'all.
A good deal is a six figure advance.
It's generally ah in the range of a hundred thousand to two fifty.

(34:02):
So you got that's what a good deal is.
So any time you see a good deal, ah that's what that is.
I feel like it's seventy five because I know somebody got seventy five and they said thatwas a good deal.
So they'd be like, what's a good, you know, just tell me what it is.
Like I'm from the South, you gotta like this L said, explain to me like I'm akindergarten, I'm four year old, break it down.

(34:27):
And a great deal of, okay, a significant deal, I guess the good deal is the low endbecause a significant deal is 251, Monie.
Now this is like I've Googled, so.
Don't be sending me, talk to the Google alphabet.
Don't talk to me.
This is what they say.
And a major deal is 500,000.

(34:48):
I need that.
A nice deal is $1 to 49,000.
I might as well just slit my throat and throw me out the window.
Because I ain't finna do that.
I can make that by myself.
55 to 99 is a very nice deal.
And then a good deal is 100,000.

(35:10):
Okay, so the guy's out here on the Google, like George Bush said, the Google.
yeah, this is so, this whole thing, the whole publishing process, it's a mix of generosityand then you have like a little bit of gatekeeping and stuff like that.

(35:30):
But I would advise anybody, if they offering you a nice deal, just go, go publish ityourself.
Anything under, anything under very nice, no, anything under, I said the top end of verynice is 99.
So if it's very nice, take that.

(35:53):
For like, you got to know how many books you writing for them now.
And don't be like six books for a very nice deal of 99,000.
That's crazy.
That's less than minimum wage.
But if you had a good deal range, then you know, kind of wink at them.
I always ask for more money.
What's the best advice you got?

(36:13):
say the key is know that you can negotiate because I think some people feel like this iswhat they're offering.
If I don't say yes right now, they'll yank it off the table.
But I'm like, these lawyers understand that, and this is coming up, my twin sister is anattorney, negotiate.
All they can do is go back and forth with you.

(36:33):
They're not gonna instantly pull it just because you're asking for something.
Don't be afraid to negotiate.
It's like, no, you're worth, so to
your words.
Do not accept.
to that is just knowing the company, the publishing company that you're dealing with.
Like certain companies have, you know, it's their, not to say like, it's their standard,you know what I'm saying?

(36:58):
We know that there are some companies out there that are like that, that are the lower endat the beginning.
But the more books you create with them, the higher that advance.
know what you're going in there for.
Like I would say like, uh Harlequin doesn't offer a lot of money, but they're gonnapackage you and market you in a way that is gonna blossom your career.

(37:22):
So many people started out in Harlequin, Nalini Singh, Naima Simone, Laquette, she's stillwith them.
Naima still writes for them too.
yeah, Sierra London.
When I said preacher, I think I got that wrong.
You damn preacher.
What you talking about?

(37:47):
the daughter.
love that book too.
we're both down here forgetting names of books.
This is terrible.
and that's my best friend so it look bad.
minute I said it, I knew I got it wrong.
was like, I'm getting that wrong.
Preacher's Kid, it's Naima.
Naima, what's the name of your book?
Oh, it's gonna pop up first.

(38:09):
And then, Moni got me looking bad.
I'm like.
save me, me out, and now you're having a work-
trying to save myself.
my God, now they're doing hand to side.
Do the whole side.
my God.
Let me see.
Church girl.

(38:30):
Thank you!
It had something to do with the preacher.
I'm gonna text her.
I'm like, girl.
When you listen to this, don't be mad at us.
so good because she runs away on her.
Let's plug it.
Y'all go get my bestie book, church girl.
Preacher kid.

(38:51):
Okay, preacher kid.
She's at her wedding.
She opens up where she's ran away from, she's a runaway bride and she go lives with hersister, her cousin who's a stripper up in Chicago.
And then she becomes the nanny honey of the tattoo artist.

(39:15):
This curmudgeoning.
am not the best with book titles.
I'll be like, you know that book with the person that did such and such.
Okay, how about I can be sitting up here talking about my own boobs.
He can't remember the title.
I did that the other day while we was on the live.
I think you know it's like between reading so many people's books and like you saidwriting your own stuff Some of it does start to muddle together

(39:39):
Yeah, you'd be like saying somebody else.
I would love to see what Nora Roberts doing.
She can't name all them hundred and something books.
Kenya who's 35, I'm 45.
My brain.
All my friends are older, even if they're younger.
All of them are so much older than me.

(40:02):
I do work with the elderly, y'all.
All these old.
one of the people from first season I definitely have to give a shout out to is MelWalker.
He and I have met numerous times at different events and he's always so nice and so likehimself, you know what I'm saying?

(40:23):
It's never like an error.
And just, you know, and that's the other part of this.
Obviously there are more male authors now than I think, especially like
present, like that aren't writing behind like a pseudonym or anything like that.
um And so it's always nice and he's so incredibly nice.
Like I think we've, you know, run into each other at like probably like three or fourdifferent events in person at this point.

(40:50):
And then he's always usually RSJ.
So like I've gotten to know him pretty well.
um And so just it was nice having him on and hearing him talk and come from like a maleperspective of being in this industry.
Mm-hmm.
women, know, there's so many industries that are like male dominated.
So it was nice to get that perspective from him as well.

(41:12):
And I feel like he is, uh he's just a good, genuine, lovely person.
He's such a great uh figure in the romance community and uh just a force for good.
I just, and Anna Swifty, I know he did the little thing, the video here recently.

(41:36):
where she was engaged and they were at the ball field thing and they had like a littleparty about it.
It was so cute.
So I love that, know, the realest of me can't wait for the breakup album.
It's going to be amazing.
Stop my god

(42:00):
Listen, she is Sagittarius like me.
had her birthday is December 13th.
Right.
I'm December 11th.
So we deep in the Sagittarius thing.
And she gets sick of people quick and just like I do.
So I love people.
But I started like so.
Especially especially men.

(42:22):
So we'll see.
I'm fingers crossed.
Fingers crossed.
And oh if he's really shared his elf boy ways, then they're going to be great.
But I'm going give him two babies and it's over.
That's it.
Two babies with them good Midwestern football jeans.

(42:48):
Two babies, then it's all make 10 years like she gonna be locked in, you know, because wesaid it's here.
We love it.
So we love her and we love crazy.
So yes, that's it.
That is that I just I just it's interesting.
It's fine.
But we should have we should do.

(43:10):
turning this conversation around.
One of the other authors I really enjoyed as
Okay, get your laugh out first so people can know that you're serious.
So one of the other authors I really did enjoy us talking to, especially because I writeparanormal as well, was Kate C.
Wells.

(43:31):
um So being able to talk like werewolves and vampires and all of the things, um I reallyenjoyed that conversation as well.
Because like I since I write contemporary and paranormal, it's always nice to hear howsomebody else creates and builds their worlds for that.
And um talking about pivoting, Kate had a successful mafia series already.

(43:59):
She pivoted and went into paranormal.
And I was like, wait a minute now.
But then I literally, didn't read the books on time.
Boo, can you, boo, can you?
Okay, but I read the Tyrant Alphas rejected mate.
Like that's a mouthful, right?
So I'm like, what's going on, Kate?

(44:19):
So I was literally sitting with my daughter as she was asleep, maybe sick or whatever.
And I said, let me try this book, locked in, read through the whole series.
And we're actually doing an Instagram Live.
This probably is going to air months later.
And Kate will probably have another book out by the time we do this.

(44:40):
Well, uh around December time frame.
But anyway, the...
uh
And I read through all of those books and I was texting her like midnight, like, my God,you know, like live texting her.
Wow.
I was reading through her whole series.
And that's why you can't ever be afraid to pivot.

(45:02):
Y'all is like another bestselling series.
And it's so good because the way she does rejected mates in the gravel in the whole thingis just like it click.
It just like.
takes a little thing, checks a mark inside of you that just gives you like that littlewarm, glowing feeling.

(45:25):
So, and I think...
uh
When Farrah Rashon said, explain high stakes and what publishers mean by that in such adetail oriented way.
Like that is why you can come for like your favorite author.

(45:49):
You're always gonna learn something from us in this podcast.
I guarantee you that.
You're gonna learn something.
You're going to glean, whether it's that.
uh learning with agent because you these terms get thrown around and you're like what isthat you know and then you have somebody explain it in deep detail and El Penelope talking

(46:15):
about the process with her wonderful fantasy which is like one of my new loves and all ofthose things and it's just like it was I felt like I learned as much as I laughed
Yes.
So I felt like, you know, was a hijinks.

(46:35):
I don't think we had any like technical mess ups or anything like that.
no.
I'm always nervous about that.
Yeah, cause that's your purview.
Yeah, I'm definitely always nervous that there's going to be some technical issue orsomething.
Like, no matter how much you prep for it, I feel like I've been in situations, no matterhow many dry runs you've done or rehearsals, something happens.

(47:01):
And so I'm thankful that we've been able to accomplish all of these without a hitch,really.
We maybe had some reschedulings happen, but nothing technical.
Yeah.
sick, kids get sick, da da da da.
So what is your, what are you looking forward to most in the future and where do you wantto like take it?

(47:33):
the podcast?
Well, I definitely, the business person to me is like, I need this thing to generatemoney.
that's one of my next, just being completely honest.
I've been an entrepreneur my whole life, even when I worked in film.
And so for me, it's always looking at it from what other legs does this have?

(47:54):
What else can we do with this?
And so obviously the next part for me, especially now is we're
like halfway through the first season heading into second season is like, okay, how do Inow monetize this?
Whether that's through ad revenue or merchandising or different things like that, that'swhere my head starts going up like, okay, how do we make this profitable now?

(48:22):
So, since you were always an entrepreneur, were you one of those kids that was selling uhputty and slime in school?
Oh, I sold candy and stuff like that in school.
I would have a bag full of like, in middle school, I would have like a bag full of likewarheads and like jolly ranchers, laffy taffy.

(48:46):
And so yeah, I sold that.
Very enterprising.
No, because I hustle, but Moni's a hustler.
That's another thing.
Yeah, okay.
if it, and I really feel like what's great is if you love something and you can profitfrom it, fantastic.

(49:11):
But you gonna handle all that part of it.
I don't.
definitely will trust me.
I mean the thing is we have, because that's the other part for me, like just the technicalsides of like right now I'm trying to finish setting up the email integration so we can
start taking people's emails because I hate that I don't have that up yet but hopefullysoon that will be a thing and we can announce it.

(49:32):
we'll do a newsletter thing and then I can do the newsletter since you're doing all theother work, I grew up But uh yeah, this is the thing, because I have, the only thing I
know about money is how to spend it.
And so I recently started my plot with purpose, uh a shameless plug.

(49:55):
uh
brainstorming and synopsis and outlining service.
And uh which you get a uh 30 minute free consult, which my husband wrote his eyes.
Like that shouldn't even be free.
anyway, so my husband was like, your pricing model is terrible.

(50:17):
And I'm like, OK, Mr.
MBA, should have, I asked you for help.
Right then I start crying.
Then he set me down.
It was like.
set the correct pricing model for me and stuff.
Because I was like, hey, babe, because I like you, like you, like the way you appreciatemy ideas, right?
And then he was like, I hear you all the time, brainstorming with people, talking to yourfriends, giving them all these million dollar ideas.

(50:43):
How about you start charging for that?
Yeah, no, but he's right though, but that is the thing.
You know, it's like, and don't get me wrong, like your friends should maybe get the, youknow, like friend rate per se, but you have years of knowledge and expertise that you
should, yeah.
he said no.

(51:04):
He says no for him, right?
But we could trade services.
That's what I would say.
We could trade services.
Because everybody is either a lawyer, XPR person, ex-da-da-da-da-da, grant person,whatever.
So ex-travel agent, know, whatever.

(51:25):
um So as I was changing, so I don't, so Moni does all of that part, the business part,right?
I'm researching development and creativity.
Moni is the bank in all of that stuff.
That's not me.
Don't come to me asking about ads or nothing.

(51:46):
That's Moni.
That's Moni thing.
Don't come in my DMs, all right?
Because I'll be like, oh, we're doing for free.
And Moni will be like, no, we're not.
were
Can you talk about my book?
so absolutely not.

(52:08):
So you gotta know your role.
No, that's true because I think in any business relationship or just when you're doingthat, because I mean, listen, like when I worked in film and everything, my twin sister
and I, we had a production company together.
And you know, everybody was always like, oh my God, you're working with your sister.
And I'm like, it worked beautifully because again, we knew our lane, you know, we ourstrengths and our weaknesses and we played into those and we were able to.

(52:37):
work perfectly together because we knew and understood that and understood ourselves andeach other.
And when you go into anything with that thought or understanding where you fit in, then itcan totally work.
Just like, don't fight against what's natural.
uh
And we're growing beyond the podcast because I be having ideas and Moni is like a yes formy little ideas.

(53:03):
And I'm like, I really want us to do, what if we did, and Moni's like, okay, let me workit out and get the logistics together.
And then I get back with you on this kind of what we have to do thing.
And I'm like, yes, I'm like, cause I just, I'm like I said, I do the idea thing and thenshe's executes all of the wonderful things.

(53:24):
And so yeah.
But I love that, because most of your ideas are really, really good.
I just need to know from my business brain, like, okay, what does that look like?
How much money can we make?
Like, what are the legalities of making sure that there's no problem?
oh

(53:48):
Monty's like, wait a minute now.
That's probably from having a sister who's an attorney.
So I'm always thinking like, how do we protect ourselves?
It's nothing like that.
Just, mean, everything is just like, I forgot what we were talking to the other day about,and they were like, we have a waiver that you have.
You know what I'm saying?

(54:08):
Like any good business, there are contracts and things like that.
And so that's, that's the part I'm always just trying to be mindful of.
because it's not, I write about the car till y'all, we not running when.
Okay.
no, definitely not doing anything illegal.
She got great ideas, all these ideas.

(54:30):
But no, you do, because one, I'm hoping, like, I know we gotta finish some things beforewe start talking about it.
yeah.
Like they said, I saw this TikTok being one time, and this guy was like, can somebody justteach me a little fraud?
It's just like in this economy.

(54:51):
But oh yeah, you know, cause the book industry is rife with, you know, scammers and stufflike that.
That's not like, how are we gonna scam with a podcast?
I don't know.
But anyway, but it's.
It's like we go off on these little stages.
It's funny.
It's funny.
Yeah.
of the tangent.

(55:11):
You know, I will if I like I did a minute ago.
I'll realize back in
yeah, because Taylor is, we can't talk about Taylor.
You know, the list is growing about things I can't talk about via the interwebs.
I can't talk about pets no more.
Can't talk about, uh I guess, TS no more.

(55:32):
ah You know, whatever.
It's ever growing, because Kenya has no filter, and I don't think I'm gonna learn one.
Yeah.
And you know what, opinions ain't strong, because I changed my mind in the next fiveminutes, because I really don't care.
I do not care.
It's very little things I take seriously and care about, because the kid, my daughter wastelling me, you're so unserious.

(55:59):
And I was like, exactly.
I am.
I am.
I am.
I mean, there's already enough serious things in life that you don't have
the first years of their life being like so worried and concerned like the hover motherand then once especially the once the boys start bulking up and got bigger than me and

(56:21):
they're healthy and strong.
I was like, okay, I'm good.
You just can't go nowhere.
You're not allowed to leave the house unprotected.
But other than that, like day to day stuff like
We just, we have a good time here.
Like I am like very laid back.
uh My daughter has retired from school ah and she's being homeschooled now.

(56:46):
Oh, she needs to, uh she's doing a documentary on filmmakers.
So she wants to interview you by the way, just kidding.
would love that.
That would be so much fun.
So she has to do a final project.
It's not due until the spring, but I her whole syllabus.
She just did a Black Panther, Black Panther one and two, and the importance of Black andIndigenous people in film.

(57:17):
yes, so she's like, and I was like, yeah, Monique's a filmmaker.
You can interview her.
We can get her.
And then you could.
uh
You, you, that's part of your syllabus.
You have to do it on the theme.
She right here, y'all being bad anyway.
Stop talking.
We're doing the podcast.

(57:38):
Anyway, keep on.
My threat to her is you going back to regular school.
That's my little, that's my little fun thing.
And so we have so many projects.
Monie's Dating Life as well that we're not gonna talk about.
that's a project!

(58:01):
And oh so yeah, we're, we're, cause that came up in the pod, one of the recent podcasts.
So we are actually doing, that to.
it come up during the podcast or that was the after conversation?
was it the after conversation?
Because y'all, we do the podcast then, sometimes we have a little after conversation.

(58:22):
Last night, the person we talked to, their lights went out, so she had to get out.
that conversation went long.
That was a long one.
And it was really excellent.
nobody's rushing us to get off the podcast.
you know.
And I love that there is kind of no form.
We are very candid.

(58:43):
want all of these conversations to feel authentic and organic.
but I'd be listening and sometimes be like, that took a turn.
And most of the time it's because something I say.
I'm like, I just like, I could just see my mind working in the ether, like just pullingthis thread, this thread.

(59:03):
that's good from a standpoint of it's not boring, but then also it's the unexpected iswhat keeps people listening, I think.
Do know what I'm saying?
Like, because if it's just more of the same and you already know what's going to be said,then why would I keep listening?
Mm-hmm.
And also just and this just popped up in my mind another person who I always loved talkingto was Nana Malone because yes, like she is like

(59:36):
Talk about another one who's prolific.
And then again, the covers.
Like one of the things I always loved was when she started like being one of her own covermodels.
Oh my God, I love that.
that is like that and it spoke to what the industry needed like she was making a statementand she was also uh changing the game in a lot of ways and I feel like she was it was was

(01:00:03):
a call from inside the house that we need more diversity in covers and then.
know we've had that conversation before as well, know, offline.
you know, just as Black authors wanting to put like, you sometimes Black people on ourcovers and how limiting that can be.

(01:00:24):
and having to like jury-rig a cover to fit, you know.
And then she also did the Brown Nipple Challenge answering the need for helping people ohget this scholarship to get their books on audio.

(01:00:48):
And that because the cost is so prohibitive.
And I feel like so many.
for one fully myself.
yeah, it's, I know it's funny because when, you know, readers ask, they're like, my God,when are we going to get other books in audio?
And I'm almost like, are you paying for it?
you're, I'm thinking about doing an audio Kickstarter and that would be, you know, yeah.

(01:01:14):
to finish out one of the series that only has like the one book.
uh As an audiobook, I'm thinking about doing that myself.
Because if you get a blood legacy, the one thing people don't understand about audio isthat you some people are tied up into a seven year contracts or longer and the royalties

(01:01:34):
are pennies.
So.
will say this from my first book was em licensed by a company, the audiobook.
I got in advance and I get royalties every quarter, which are pretty nice considering thatbook is now like six years old.

(01:01:56):
So it's terrible.
And that book was like a hundred thousand words I never would have been able to afford.
making that on my own so I was happy to let...
but like you said the license is about seven years so I think I have about a year or so atthis point from when that would like expire and the rights would revert back to me.

(01:02:17):
so yeah.
Yeah, and I did the my first book in the mogul series under uh in an indie way, but theycouldn't commit to the rest of the books.
So my work rights reverted back to me.
And I feel like if I did that book in audio, the mogul series in audio.

(01:02:44):
uh
I'm going, I would have to rewrite those books in first person because I feel like I wouldwant it done with dual narration, not the dramatic narration because I just heard a
dramatic narration.
Did I tell you about this?
I listened to a dramatic narration of a book.

(01:03:05):
I'm not going to say the name.
It's an amazing book in print and uh on ebook.
But they decided to do the dramatic uh narration, right, with all the
dramatic narration, what is
where you hear the running, where you hear the punches, and it's like, you hear like the,like when they, at one point they like was choking a guy and he was like, uh, like, know,

(01:03:28):
like, girl, let me tell you something.
Listeners, I don't know, I don't know, like my great-grandmama used to say, that babynervous.
My ass was in y'all.
I was getting so overstimulated.
I was like,
my God, this is too much in my ear holes.

(01:03:51):
was like, make it stop.
I had to stop the dramatic stuff.
I was like, it was just like, you could hear them running.
You hear the glass breaking.
I was like, and they always say a dramatic, like a dramatic audio of Alice in Wonderland.
And then it goes into this like, it's like so theatrical.

(01:04:13):
It was too much.
man, sorry that was too funny.
I had to solve DNF.
And then I went and got, and I was reading an ebook and I was like, oh, this is, just readit to me regularly.
Just have a nice, nice voiced person reading me the story.
I don't need all of it.

(01:04:34):
And I was like, if it's like this, when they get to the hunk of tongue part, they reallygonna be, it's really gonna be too much.
I'm like, oh my God, let me go and let this one go.
my god, I don't even wanna think about I've got all sorts of thoughts running through myhead.
It was so dramatic.
I was like, oh my God.

(01:04:56):
It was like a movie in your ear and I don't need that.
I realized that was too much for me.
It was too much.
It was too much.
Like they said, uh-uh.
It was a lot.
So yeah, that ain't for everybody, y'all.
Don't please everybody, don't start doing that.
That is.

(01:05:16):
I have to say, please, everybody, don't start doing that.
And I messaged Ciara Simone, and I was like, please don't do that with none of your books,because I would not be able to.
But people don't be like, this was an action packed fantasy type thing, but I was like,can't do it.

(01:05:37):
uh
will say before we wrap up, one of the other authors I really appreciated talking to and Ididn't know her prior to our interview was Alexandra Warren.
I really enjoyed the conversation with her and I really...
The other great thing too that I just love about dealing with these authors that we dealtwith are so many of them.
Again, we talked about advocacy and encouraging.

(01:06:00):
She has a platform called Girl Have You Read.
that we learned about in that interview with her where she basically, you know, promotesother Black authors like, you know, romance books or whatever.
And I think that's so important, especially, I can remember back at the beginning ofCOVID, I'd started a series on my Instagram called Black Love Books or Black Love Romance

(01:06:25):
or whatever, where I would promote other, you know, just trying to get the word out aboutother, you know, authors since so many people always
would always say like, oh, I don't know where to find them.
And it's just like, it's Google search.
But you know, was wanting to be helpful and like hearing about her platform made me thinkabout that.
And I really loved, again, just always the support and everything that other authors arewilling to give.

(01:06:49):
And so again, if you're looking for Black romance authors, go check out AlexandraWarren's, Girl, Have You Read, to find out what it is.
I first put out Rappers Delight.
That's how I got in connection with Alexandra.
yeah, and so, and I will say in the book community, like when I first came out, it's veryopen and very welcoming and people are there to really help you and promote you, but you

(01:07:19):
just gotta reach out.
But girl, have you read, has.
years and years of doing excellent work.
exactly.
But I don't want...
I know we could stay on here and talk for forever, but you know, I'm a stickler forlike...
Okay, one last thing, you?
thing.
When Sarah McClain mentioned Authors Against Book Vans.

(01:07:43):
If you are author, if you're a reader, go join that organization so that we can still getour books and enjoy them the way that we need to.
So those those two things, if you take nothing else away, go check out Girl, Have YouRead?
and check out Authors Against Food Bans.

(01:08:06):
There you go.
So this concludes the end of season one, but do not fret.
We don't plan to be gone that long.
Give us a couple weeks and then season two will drop and you will get to hear all from thelovely experts that we've talked to and gleaned so much knowledge from.

(01:08:26):
I cannot wait for you guys to get into that.
But I do hope that you enjoyed this first season and you'll even consider listening againor telling your friends about it.
Yes, download it everywhere.
You listen to your podcast and thank you all for loving and supporting us.
Yes.
And again, you know, hit up the authorspotlight.com and all the old episodes will bethere.

(01:08:50):
And you'll even know when the second season will be beginning.
Thank you guys.
Thanks, bye.