January 6, 2025 • 47 mins
This episode features author Selena Brooks discussing her debut novel, "Southern Sizzle," and her journey through the challenges of self-publishing and character creation. The conversation emphasizes the complexities of writing relatable characters amid drama and trauma, offering valuable insights for aspiring authors.
• Introduction of author Selena Brooks
• The long journey to publishing "Southern Sizzle"
• Insights into the vanity press experience
• Discussing family dynamics and character relationships
• The emotional themes of trauma and healing
• Preview of the upcoming sequel, "Southern Scramble"
• Tips for aspiring authors navigating self-publishing
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
down child.
It didn't even count as that.
See how much.
See what I told you.
It's just an.
It normally gives you like acountdown of when it starts, so
my editor is probably gonna seethis and be like we're gonna
(00:20):
start for real.
Now this, this time I'm finnado my introduction, okay.
So, oh, my goodness, hey y'all.
Hey, you are watching andlistening to Lakes.
Between the Lines, of course, Iam Lakes, your host.
(00:42):
I'm so excited about todaybecause I have a very important
special guest for my co-host.
But before we get into that,let's go through the triggers.
For the most part, I try not tocross any lines and I try to
stay between them, but we alwaysknow that that is not always
possible, not with me.
Anyway.
(01:03):
Let's get it.
That's trigger number one.
Trigger number two is that Imay or may not use explicit
language depending on myemotions During the discussion.
The more excited I am, the morethe bad words seem to fly.
Another thing Now the book thatwe will be talking about today
(01:25):
does not have explicit sexualcontent.
But future warning there may ormay not be talk of I'm going to
say smut or sexual content,because we are grown here.
Without further ado, I wouldlike to let my co-host introduce
herself.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Hey everybody.
My name is Selena Brooks.
I'm the author of SouthernSizzle and it is the first book
I've published.
I'm from Gulfport, mississippi,which is where I currently live
.
I work for the Department ofDefense and I wish I was a
(02:07):
full-time author, but I gotbills to pay, so that's my story
.
I only have one book out and Ihave one more on the way, so
look out for that.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Ms Brooks, Ms Salinas's, this your first book
yes I did not know.
So wait a minute, this is yourdebut.
Yes, I'm, I'm literally shockedright now because the book was
(02:47):
so good.
And, don't get me wrong, a lotof people do a lot of good first
books sometimes, but you cantell that they're a new writer.
I didn't get that.
I did.
I did not get that with thisbook.
I thought you had most, so Iwas like I can't wait to go read
more of her work, only to findout that this your first book
yeah, yes, ma'am, that's myfirst, but there's a backstory
(03:12):
and a reason behind that look,we all ears.
That's what we're here for.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Give it to us before we get into your business okay,
so southern sizzle has been ah,it's been a labor of love for a
long, long time.
I I initially got the idea anddecided I wanted to write what
(03:42):
it turned into today, when I was18 years old, which was about
2002.
That's when you started it,yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
So we were a long time in the making, a long time
coming.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Yeah, and so you know , life be lifin'.
So you know, I took a breakfrom it and then I decided to
come back to it in my like midtwenties and that's when I
actually finished it.
Um, so that's why the book, thetime period, takes place in
about 20, uh, 2009, 2010-ish.
(04:26):
So you probably kind of cantell that technology ain't what
it is now and all that goodstuff.
But it took me so long becauseI just really didn't know what
to do with it once I wasfinished.
You know, kdp wasn't really abig thing.
The self-publishing wasoutrageously expensive at that
(04:51):
time, so I just I had to waituntil well, actually a couple
years ago I published it througha publisher as a series, but
that relationship, uh, dwindled,so I republished it myself this
year you said it dwindled.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Can we talk about that for just a second?
When you said the relationshipdid not work out?
Because I kind of want to getinto um, because I've been
hearing that a lot talking todifferent authors that these
publishing companies are um,well, I was going to say I was
trying to say a nice way to sayit, but I don't think we have to
(05:34):
be nice on here.
I think we can be honest andtell the truth.
So a lot of these publishingcompanies are promising a lot of
things and they are notdelivering.
Mm-hmm promising a lot of thingsand they are not delivering.
And even with giving theauthors their books, they're
having a hard time even givingthe authors their books and even
(05:56):
promoting.
Like you say, you're going topromote and push my book and
stuff, but I'm not getting anymomentum.
I'm not getting any momentum,I'm not getting any traction.
So is that an issue that youran into or can you tell us more
about that?
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Well, I will say that it wasn't a traditional
publisher.
You know where you get hired,the agent, you go through the
whole process I went through.
I want to say it's called avanity press um, I guess it's
like the technical term for it,but it just really it's your,
(06:32):
you're self-publishing butyou're going through them.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
They're like a middleman so what exactly do
they do if you are stillself-publishing?
Speaker 2 (06:43):
well, they set your book up, they get, uh, the cover
design, they do the editing,they do the formatting, um, they
do, they're supposed to promoteit, but you know that don't
really happen.
Um, it's kind of like your bookcome out they say hey look,
(07:04):
this book is out, and thenthat's pretty much it.
So uh, and they print the booksas well no, you still have to
like get your own throughwhatever service it is that
they're using.
So, um, yeah, that that was alesson learned for me.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
And what you're sounding like it is.
It's basically sounding likeit's just an editing, like they
just edited the book andproofread it.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I mean, basically, it's like they took care of the
thing at the time that I didn'treally know how to handle for
myself, really know how tohandle for myself, but I think
that was more of me being uhself-conscious than it was me
not being really able to do itfor myself gotcha, and that's
(07:56):
crazy because the book isphenomenal like I ate it up
within like a day.
I was surprised.
I was because I remember when Iwent in your live and I told
you about it and most of thetime you know we're readers we
got long tbr so I was likeshe'll get to it eventually.
One thing about me.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
If an author comes and says, hey, you need to read
my book, or if an author likebecause, first of all, y'all be
really busy, as it is so for youguys to come and engage with
your audience and stuff, I takethat like, like what they
talking to me, like they couldbe doing, because you know, you
know how some of these authorsare when they get big or
(08:40):
sometimes they feel themselvesand they forget about their
readers and stuff, or theyinteract with certain ones, and
so anytime I feel like an authoris, hops on my live or even
sends it to my inbox, Iimmediately bump that book up.
If I'm not already in like anarc or anything and I'm just
(09:00):
reading, I immediately bump thatbook up because I'm like you
took the time to either messageme or you took the time to watch
my live, or you took the timeto come and communicate with me
and you told me about your work.
I'm gonna automatically bumpthat up.
And I was reading a book at thetime.
Um, oh, my goodness, it was.
(09:21):
Uh, it was a book that was inthe wrong category and it was.
It was slow and far.
Yeah, it's actually aparanormal and people are
probably gonna know what I'mtalking about.
It was a paranormal thrillerand it was not listed as
paranormal.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Oh okay, yeah but it was good it was.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
It was slow in the beginning and it was good, but
once I I just wasn't connectingwith it at first and maybe
because I was on vacation andstuff, and so when I started
reading your book and all thedrama and stuff started
unfolding, I just was like, okay, well, I actually started.
I actually started reading Pickthat One Up Again after yours
when the vacation was just aboutover.
(10:08):
But your book and I wasdrinking too, I'm ready to dive
in Because I know you said it'sbeen a long time in the making.
I was going to say now, didthis start out?
Because the mess was like, themess was real, relatable, miss
(10:28):
Selena, like with the, with thecousin drama.
And I was like sometimes, whenI be reading books like this,
I'd be like, is this like uh,clips from your life?
Did this stuff happen?
And you just kind of swung it adifferent way because your
cousin messing with your pastman.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
No, nothing like that , probably as far as it goes,
because I've always been veryclose with my cousins on my
mother's side of my family,almost like sisters, because I
didn't have, I didn't have asister.
(11:13):
I have an older brother, sothey were like my sisters
instead of cousins and it waslike that bond that I wanted to
try to kind of capture.
But all the drama that justthat just came from up here.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
OK, so it wasn't like no life drama that we put that.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
we put it inserted into the book a cousin of mine
who we grew up basically almostlike twins because I'm a year
older than she is, so we grew upvery, very close and that kind
(11:56):
of inspired the book.
But it was more like we neverdid that whole thing where we
even knew the same guys.
So I mean, she was, she was inone town, I was in another town,
so it was, it was real separatethey was real separate and
(12:21):
started living together in thebook too.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Look, you can tell us .
Look, this is a no judgmentzone.
Okay, you can tell us.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
I'm from a small town where people be dating cousins
so I don't want to start no war,wait.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
Because you can say that shit, like that, and be
like, and you say it with astraight face what, what, the
hell, I will preface that I havenot dated my cousin.
I just told you that I'mstarting off light this morning
and just drinking tea, but Ireally feel like I should have
(13:01):
put some Hennessy or some D'Usséin my tea.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Well, you know, I'm from Mississippi, mississippi
and Alabama.
We have a stigma, and I'm justsaying I'm from a place where it
is highly possible that if youdo not venture out of that city,
you will be dating your cousin.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Shit, that threw me from my first question that I
was going to ask.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
I guess I probably shouldn't say the name of the
city now.
Then I done brought a dishonorto them.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Don't put them on blast like that, cause I can see
, oh, I can see people comingfor us and my mouth be real
slick when I got time.
So, okay, that's going to bringme to this question.
Then, how do you disconnectfrom characters that you've
written, especially when youwrite scenes like that with the
cousin coming behind each other,or and then even when she got
(14:10):
ready to get engaged, and how doyou disconnect from your
characters once you've writtenthem?
Speaker 2 (14:21):
I'll actually be honest, I really don't like I my
head is they're always in there.
They're my first, you know frommy first book, so I kind of
feel like they're a part of me.
(14:41):
So it's kind of hard to let go.
You know, and I'm I'm workingon a new book and it's a
continuation, because I couldn'tlet them go.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
I was just about to say, that's mean we're gonna get
more of them, because Iwouldn't mind that.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I.
I don't know how far I intendto take it before I move on to
something else, but I felt likea second book was needed,
because the first book focusesmore on one cousin over the
other.
(15:20):
So I felt like maybe the othercousin needed a story too other.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So I felt like maybe the other cousin needed a story
too.
Now.
Is he gonna give us a timelineof when her issue started with
her dad?
Are we gonna be able to see herrelationship with her mom and
her dad?
Speaker 2 (15:36):
you do see that in the second book.
Um, just a little bit it.
It doesn't quite delve into themental aspects of it, but just
like their dynamic, how theydeal with each other on a
(15:59):
day-to-day basis.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
I can't remember if her and her dad actually had
like a like, was he present?
he, he was in and out so, andthen, once her parents, you know
, divorced, he was more out thanin because I was just wondering
(16:22):
because, like I'm like, is sheseeing this like firsthand from
her, like staying over, like her, her mom and her mom and dad
sharing custody, and is she likeseeing him with these different
women and is he trying to getback with them?
Oh, that's another question Iwanted to ask.
Is there a chance for him andthe mom to get back together to
(16:44):
get?
Speaker 2 (16:45):
back together.
I don't know if I can answerthat right now.
I'm probably answering you withmy facial expression right now.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Perhaps Is there going to be pettiness between
this young girl Look, I'm goingto be pettiness.
Between this young girl.
Look, I'm supposed to befocusing on the characters and
this is the side.
Yeah, I'll be writing somestrong side characters and then
I don't know what y'all beexpecting, but sometimes I let
(17:17):
y'all into the side charactersand I'll be wanting to know all
of they tea and they businessit's natural.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I mean because you know I don't like to introduce a
character more than just, Iguess, superficially, unless I
do intend to revisit them youmean the young girl that the dad
(17:47):
was dating.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Oh wait, I caught that.
You said was dating.
No, no, no, no.
You said that the dad wasdating.
Oh my God, you said that.
You just said that the dad waswaiting.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Well, I will say that was a slip.
That was a slip.
Yeah, I use past tense when Ishould have used present tense.
Do you have?
Speaker 1 (18:21):
any trigger warnings in your book.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
I didn't, because I didn't know what that was.
I'm honest, I didn't know I waseven supposed to do that.
I'm honest, I didn't know I waseven supposed to do that.
So I was like, oh, my secondbook.
It's not as triggering as thefirst, I will say that.
So I'm trying to figure outwhat I need to to put into the
(18:49):
book to let readers know whatwhat it entails.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
I know one thing you probably should put I don't know
why this earth.
Well, it ain't for me to knowwhy, because you know everybody
have their um ticks and things.
But some readers do not likecheating tropes or cheating, or
they want that as a trigger.
And I'm just like I kind ofit's crazy because I always say
(19:14):
I'm paying trope that I can likeread, even though that spider
trope almost got me the spidertrigger, almost got me a little
stranger.
But other than that I like agood cheating trope.
So I mean that I like a goodcheating trope.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
So that probably would be the only I will say.
It confused me too that peopleare so gung-ho against it,
because I'm like like we watchmovies with people cheating all
the time.
We watch shows with peoplecheating all the time.
People cheat all the time theymay with people cheating all the
time.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
people cheat all the time they may probably she don't
know right now but that'sprobably why it's triggering,
though, and I think I get.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
If it's a trigger, then you know.
Just don't read it.
But do you have to have so muchdisdain for?
Speaker 1 (20:08):
it and do you have to go on rants about why you don't
like the tree, the trigger, ordo you?
And then how do you feel aboutthe people who read the triggers
and then they still, like this,said that what it was going to
be and you still read it, andthen that's your complaints.
How do we feel about those?
I know how I feel about thosepeople.
(20:29):
How do you feel about thosepeople?
Speaker 2 (20:33):
I feel like I guess in the case that you were warned
and you disregarded it, I don'tunderstand why you have a
problem now in in my case, mebeing very brand new to what I'm
supposed to do with a book andnot do with a book, I was like I
(20:57):
don't know about no triggerwarnings.
I told them in the synopsiswhat the story was about.
I mean, that should be enoughit really was.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
But people like me, I don't.
I go into books like I had noidea what your book was about.
I go into books blind.
Now, okay, lord, I don't bedoing what, because it's an art
that I'm reading right now andI'm on two packs of cigarettes
and I don't even smoke.
I'm not really, but in my mindI'm on two packs of cigarettes
(21:31):
and I don't even think it'ssmoke.
But had I read the synopsis onwhat the fuck this book was
about?
Child, I'm gonna, uh, we'regonna take just a break, right
quick and go to commercial.
Okay, but stay tuned because wewill be right back with more of
(21:52):
miss selena brooks, um, so wejust gotta mean it.
Just gonna wait a second.
Okay, I'm gonna go throughthese, um, before we jump back
in.
So do you have like a timelineof when your second book comes
out?
Speaker 2 (22:13):
So do you have like a timeline of when your second
book comes out?
I don't, I want to.
I have a deadline and that's byNovember 1st, by November 1st.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
So do we want to tell them that?
Speaker 2 (22:27):
deadline I mean you can because or expected date.
I mean you can because mostlikely if it does come out on a
different date, it'll be beforethat, it won't be after.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
It won't be after, okay, and they'll be able to
find it on.
Well, I'll just let you know.
I'll just let you introduceyours first, but we'll tell them
about Southern Sizzle and thenwhen to expect the second book,
okay, and then, um, let's see,do you have anything like, do
(23:06):
you have a bookish store where?
Speaker 2 (23:08):
people.
I don use TikTok shop for mysigned copies and I send you
know little item stickers.
I have a bookmark and I have alittle insert that's kind of
like a little postcard for thesetting of the book.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Do you sell those?
Oh, oh no, I just send them withthe book when I sign it okay,
okay, I'm about to let them knowthat we are back from
commercial break.
Um, the next question that I'mgonna ask is um, what's the
process for creating trauma,trauma in your stories, and um,
(23:51):
how do you determine, like, whatkind?
So that'll be the next question.
Okay, roll into it.
Okay, all right, you guys, weare back with more.
Um, miss selena brooks fromsouthern sizzle, and I have a
question that I asked all of myauthors um, so let's get into it
(24:12):
what's the process of creatingtrauma in your stories and how
do you determine, like, whatkind of trauma is going to be?
Speaker 2 (24:37):
how do you know what kind of trauma?
To come from a place where itwas pulling the main character
and her cousin apart, her cousinapart.
(25:00):
So you know, when you're in arelationship and it becomes
toxic, a lot of the times youlose yourself in it and you also
lose the connections that youhave outside of the relationship
.
So that's, uh, that was what Iwanted to convey was that they
had this bond to start with andit started crumbling.
(25:22):
Uh, you know, with the, withthe trauma that I introduced.
I don't know if you want me tosay what type of trauma.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
No, we'll let them discover it for their own self.
I just wanted to know, like,the reasoning behind it.
And well, I will say this onethe abuse that she went through
silently.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
I got that one, though, even though it never
happened to me personally, but Ican see why you put it in there
and then how you dealt with it,like because a lot of people
don't walk away from it yeah,and and it was important for me
I get a lot of I get some flackfrom people that read it like
(26:05):
uh-uh, that couldn't have beenme or uh, you know, I don't
understand why she, you know,did what she did toward the end,
when she was starting to comeinto her own.
But I feel like forgiveness isimportant.
It's an important part ofhealing yourself.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
So but Slynn, I ain't gonna lie, you must know I'm
about to say something foolish.
Okay, so I'm gonna say this andthis.
Gonna sound so bad, but this isnot in real life though, this
(26:47):
is just in the books.
When he had that incidenthappen with him, I kind of was
like this oh, I get that all thetime.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yes, you right on the money.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
I didn't feel bad and this sounds so, that sounds so
bad, but I did not feel bad.
I kind of wanted her to takesome black roses and spread them
.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Well, I mean, you know it's not bad.
It's not bad that you didn'tfeel bad.
It's not bad.
It's not bad that you didn'tfeel bad.
That scene was a means to bringthings back around to positive.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
And it showed her growth and her heal.
It showed her heal because ifshe wasn't healed then she would
have did what I just said.
So pity I'm not grown up yet,because your family would have
been mad at me well, I mean, Ieven get comments of you know
why she?
Speaker 2 (28:02):
why she in that kitchen cooking.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
I wouldn't have been nowhere around it was just so
many instances where I was justlike girl, go and board the
grits, go board a grits.
I was like just go board thegrits and put on his, especially
(28:26):
when he came home and you weresmelling like perfume and you
had lipstick all over and youtold me where you was about to
go and I think I think you knowI wasn't really thinking that
deep, but when I went back andreread it I was like this is
(28:49):
what?
Speaker 2 (28:50):
this?
What predators do?
They know who to prey on andthey know who not to prey on.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
They show what the hell do.
Yeah, Just thinking about itnow, I cannot believe this is.
Have you taken any writingclasses?
I, I do have a um, I have abachelor's in communication and
(29:20):
a minor in english, so yeah,okay, because I'm trying to put
two and two together to get fourand I'm just like how the hell
did she write this?
This is her first book Readingthat you would not be able to
show.
This was your first work Likethis is the first work that you
put out.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Oh, thank you.
That's a compliment, becausesometimes I don't be knowing.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
It was good oh.
I cannot wait for book two.
Speaking of book two, can yougive us a little insight on book
two and let us know where wecan find it and the drop date?
Speaker 2 (30:00):
OK, so book two is titled Southern Scramble.
It does.
It does not take place in myhometown, it actually takes
place in Dallas.
In my hometown it actuallytakes place in Dallas.
It follows the secondarycharacter from my first book,
Reese, and her husband Terrence,who's a football player.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
She know her boyfriend Wade.
I just wanted to go there.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Okay, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Mr'm sorry, let me say one more thing okay who she
tried to pass this baby whoain't look nothing like the baby
, okay it was a definite Maripaternity court situation you
were the hell.
And for the mama, for the mamato come in and go and tell the
(31:00):
guy Okay Well.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
I'm going to tell you , the relationship with Reese
and her mom is like nothing,like the relationship I have
with my mom.
So I really had a hard timewriting them, but I wanted them
because Reese embodieseverything of her father.
(31:30):
It just hurts the hell out ofher mama and so, you know, she
just take, you know, take herfrustrations out because I don't
think I would ever do that tomy child like I'm gonna be.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
I'm like you wrong, but I'm riding with you till the
wheels fall off.
I'm going to tell you you wrong, but I ain't, finna, go do no
dirty.
I wanted to step through thatbook and slap her fucking face.
Cause girl, how dare you, howdare you reach out what you my
(32:17):
mama?
Speaker 2 (32:17):
okay, tell us about this okay, um, so the book is
gonna be about their marriageand like the trials and
tribulations of being young andbeing married, having a baby,
(32:38):
and then, on top of that, he's aprofessional athlete.
So it's just a lot of pressureon top of pressure.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
And women are throwing themselves at him
themselves.
At him let me say this he did alot of effed up stuff to get to
her and to break her, eventhough her and the guy didn't
(33:07):
have no business together anyway.
But he did a lot of stuff toget back with her.
And that scene in the roomwhere the boyfriend walked in
and you was on your knees in ourroom, you was in our house.
So now that you said it, I'mjust like I wonder is she about
to get this karma back?
I know you ain't gonna tell us.
(33:30):
I know you ain't gonna tell us.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Well, I mean, if you think about who they both are,
you'll know, you'll know whogonna do what.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
I'm just like I don't know.
And then you like maybe I willsay maybe it won't be him,
because he lied about the girlthe first time and I said that.
I said that too.
I said he ain't got no fuckingidea, his damn house waiting on
him, nobody waiting on his ass.
And then when he said that hewas just lying, I was like I
(34:13):
knew he was lying, like I,because your feelings was too
hurt.
It was too hurt I wanted.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
I wanted him to be hard, but not so hard that he
didn't.
He was like this perfect macho.
Don't nothing faze me, man, youknow, even though that's what
he tried to give off.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
He definitely tried Like.
You knew you were the side dude, you knew this going in.
You knew you were the side dudeand you were jealous.
Knew you were the side dude andyou were jealous because you
was a side dude, you know it.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
It ain't often that.
I guess that's what inspired me.
It's not often that you see thewoman with the commitment
issues.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
Right, it's usually the man and like the women you
know they try to like.
I was reading another book andit was the opposite, where it
was the guy and she was besides,she was chasing and stuff.
But when you flip the role andthis one I kind of I don't know.
I kind of was eating it up.
But then I flip the roll andthis one I kind of I ain't gonna
lie, I kind of was eating it up, but then I was like girl, you
wrong.
But I was like yeah, I was likecity girls up a thousand yes,
(35:46):
you're a ball player.
There are so many women throwingthemselves at you and you
really upset over somebody whowith somebody, and you knew you
were the side dude.
Make it make sense.
It don't.
It's just not making sense.
But when I say I ate that up, Ican't wait for this next book
(36:11):
because how you write the myths,I love a good messy book and
you gave a every.
It was never a door.
It was never a door moment,even when our girl threw a what
you call it Clothes over thebalcony.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Yeah, you know, I get questions about that one too,
like why she sitting over therelusting after this man and he
over here throwing woman's andthen he turn around and go to
the neighbor house and try andhit on the neighbor.
(37:03):
I mean, it's the book.
I didn't realize at the timethat I was writing a lot of
ancient characters.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
You summed it up the women weren't shit.
Well, one of them.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
People say she wasn't shit for going after her
cousin's ex.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Okay, okay, I can't say no, I was going to try and
justify I can't.
I was going to try to justifyit for her but I couldn't go.
And then not once, but twice,okay, the first one.
Did the cousin not tell herthat they used to have dealings?
Speaker 2 (37:59):
she didn't, I'll tell you, like in Reese's mind she
does not.
At that point in the story shedid not connect with men on any
other level other than what shewas going to get from them.
So it wasn't like, oh, shedating my ex.
It's like, oh, here go thisdude.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
He cute, you should holler but the guy was like he
was heartbroken.
So I'm like you were reallyinto her cousin, even though she
wasn't into you, but she wasreally into her.
And so now you're gonna go withthe other cousin.
I don't think I would be ableto to double deal period, um,
(38:39):
like behind my cousins, oranything.
That's just nasty and I.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
I wouldn't say that I would do anything that these
people did in this book, but Ihave seen people do those things
, especially in their youngeryears.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
Uh, you know, late teens, early 20s, you do a lot
of foul stuff and how do youtell your kids, like when they
be like, how did you meet?
Oh, they used to that you knowwhat I was gonna say.
Oh, I wonder if any of myfamily gonna catch this, because
I wanna kind of spill some tea.
I'm thinking real hard on it,cause sometimes my mom be
(39:28):
fighting my shit and I be liketrying to block her off stuff.
But then I'm like is they gonnalisten to the whole fucking
thing?
Like is they gonna try and justlisten to a little bit or just
download it to help me out withmy views, or are they gonna
really take the time and listenbecause I want to spill this tea
so bad?
Speaker 2 (39:48):
I'm here for it, I'm going to tell you.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
So, my uncle, you said people be going through
this stuff all the time and wedidn't find out until like later
.
And then you know how you belistening in on grown folks'
conversation and shit.
Mm-hmm, I would never saynothing, but I be listening in
on grown folks' conversation andshit.
So one of my uncle, his wife,that he had married and they had
(40:16):
kids and stuff which, eventhough they were younger, you
still dated and was with theother brother first and when the
other brother broke up with you, then you got and married yeah,
I see where you're going andthat ain't Mississippi, that
(40:37):
ain't Mississippi but I mean, ithappens and I tell you I look
back on my 20s and I don't knowhow I'm alive what the hell you
was doing, selena.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Partying too damn much.
It wasn't nothing what they wasdoing, I'll tell you that, but
it could have went left.
Speaker 1 (41:11):
I had a party instead .
I think we all had like a.
And let me tell you this I wasI wasn't going to say Well, I
was naive when I came off tocollege and moved away and stuff
, but I was like a homebody.
And so when I got a littletaste of the real world and
stuff, I was partying my ass offin school, like because I had
(41:32):
never did it before and stuff.
So I kind of feel you on that Ithink we all had them, nights
like that yeah yeah, so novemberis when we should expect the
second book yes, uh, it shouldbe released no later than
November 1st.
(41:52):
Okay, can you tell us where wecan follow you, where we can
keep up with you, where we canget our updates?
Speaker 2 (42:01):
I am on Facebook as Selena Brooks.
I am on TikTok as Selena B, theauthor, and also the same tag
on Instagram and threads.
Speaker 1 (42:15):
Okay, and then is it going to be on Kindle Unlimited,
or should we come to like astore to get it, or where can we
actually find the book?
Speaker 2 (42:28):
I don't have my own store.
It's something that I'm workingon, but until then it will be
on Kindle, unlimited for thee-book, and I also sell my
paperback signed on my TikTokshop.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
Okay, I'm definitely going to have to get me a
paperback because I need to goin and highlight some stuff.
Speaker 2 (42:52):
Well, I will tell you I am uh I'm finished with book
two and I am waiting for artcopies to uh come in next week.
So I'm very, very close.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
Okay, are you doing like e-arcs um through like book
funnel, or are you doingsending out like paper or like
actual book arcs?
Speaker 2 (43:17):
Well, you know, they let you and I'm talking about
KDP they let you order fivecopies.
So, you know, I just I wasgoing to see.
You know, I just I was going tosee.
I have some friends that havebeen interested in doing the arc
read because they already readthe first book, and so I was
(43:40):
just going to see who'sinterested and then send them
out.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Oh, you know, I'm interested If you have, if you
have room.
Speaker 2 (43:53):
I ain't too proud to be and I did want to answer your
question about Cassie, the girlthat's dating Reese's father.
Yes, in book two she is veryimportant in book two she's very
(44:17):
important.
Now I wouldn't say you're,you're not gonna find out a lot
about her background, but sheplays a very important role in
book two you know what I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (44:31):
We're gonna pause this thought because there is
going to be a part two.
I can already see it.
There is definitely going to bea part two to this, so I'm
gonna, and then let me tell youpart two it.
I have to get back in touchwith you like really soon,
because I didn't even get wedidn't even deal into the meal.
(44:54):
I wanted to talk about meal butI didn't ran out of time.
So I know part two.
I'm bringing you back.
Miss alina, this is me askingwill you please join me back for
a part two, of course, so thisis gonna, I'm just gonna I'm
gonna I'm, as soon as we finishwith this, I'm going to go ahead
and reach out so we can set uppart two.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
Okay, and then, if you wanted to do it when I
launch my next book, I'll bedown for that too definitely
listen.
I get excited about those likeI'll tell you because you, you
(45:39):
know, you, you had saidsomething about how a lot of
authors get really big and they,they forget to show love to
their readers.
Speaker 1 (45:49):
And I'm small, I'm smaller than small you are not
you are not, I want you are not,and see you just brought.
You just brought up my nextdiscussion okay, I'll do.
Speaker 2 (46:05):
We'll do a pregnant pause.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
I don't want to hear you say smile.
Speaker 2 (46:12):
I just want to say thank you, because I'm small and
I look at you like, oh, shewant to do something with me.
Don't make me blush, but yeah,we could take a pause.
(46:34):
'll be, I'm ready to come backyou're ready to come back.
Speaker 1 (46:39):
so we are going to go ahead and end it here and we
will be back with a part two.
So you guys, make sure that youstay tuned, make sure that you
subscribe, make sure that youfollow miss selena brooks and
also make sure you follow me,because we got more to come
Until next time.
down child.
It didn't even count as that.
See how much.
See what I told you.
It's just an.
It normally gives you like acountdown of when it starts, so
my editor is probably gonna seethis and be like we're gonna
(00:20):
start for real.
Now this, this time I'm finnado my introduction, okay.
So, oh, my goodness, hey y'all.
Hey, you are watching andlistening to Lakes.
Between the Lines, of course, Iam Lakes, your host.
(00:42):
I'm so excited about todaybecause I have a very important
special guest for my co-host.
But before we get into that,let's go through the triggers.
For the most part, I try not tocross any lines and I try to
stay between them, but we alwaysknow that that is not always
possible, not with me.
Anyway.
(01:03):
Let's get it.
That's trigger number one.
Trigger number two is that Imay or may not use explicit
language depending on myemotions During the discussion.
The more excited I am, the morethe bad words seem to fly.
Another thing Now the book thatwe will be talking about today
(01:25):
does not have explicit sexualcontent.
But future warning there may ormay not be talk of I'm going to
say smut or sexual content,because we are grown here.
Without further ado, I wouldlike to let my co-host introduce
herself.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Hey everybody.
My name is Selena Brooks.
I'm the author of SouthernSizzle and it is the first book
I've published.
I'm from Gulfport, mississippi,which is where I currently live
.
I work for the Department ofDefense and I wish I was a
(02:07):
full-time author, but I gotbills to pay, so that's my story
.
I only have one book out and Ihave one more on the way, so
look out for that.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Ms Brooks, Ms Salinas's, this your first book
yes I did not know.
So wait a minute, this is yourdebut.
Yes, I'm, I'm literally shockedright now because the book was
(02:47):
so good.
And, don't get me wrong, a lotof people do a lot of good first
books sometimes, but you cantell that they're a new writer.
I didn't get that.
I did.
I did not get that with thisbook.
I thought you had most, so Iwas like I can't wait to go read
more of her work, only to findout that this your first book
yeah, yes, ma'am, that's myfirst, but there's a backstory
(03:12):
and a reason behind that look,we all ears.
That's what we're here for.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Give it to us before we get into your business okay,
so southern sizzle has been ah,it's been a labor of love for a
long, long time.
I I initially got the idea anddecided I wanted to write what
(03:42):
it turned into today, when I was18 years old, which was about
2002.
That's when you started it,yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
So we were a long time in the making, a long time
coming.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Yeah, and so you know , life be lifin'.
So you know, I took a breakfrom it and then I decided to
come back to it in my like midtwenties and that's when I
actually finished it.
Um, so that's why the book, thetime period, takes place in
about 20, uh, 2009, 2010-ish.
(04:26):
So you probably kind of cantell that technology ain't what
it is now and all that goodstuff.
But it took me so long becauseI just really didn't know what
to do with it once I wasfinished.
You know, kdp wasn't really abig thing.
The self-publishing wasoutrageously expensive at that
(04:51):
time, so I just I had to waituntil well, actually a couple
years ago I published it througha publisher as a series, but
that relationship, uh, dwindled,so I republished it myself this
year you said it dwindled.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Can we talk about that for just a second?
When you said the relationshipdid not work out?
Because I kind of want to getinto um, because I've been
hearing that a lot talking todifferent authors that these
publishing companies are um,well, I was going to say I was
trying to say a nice way to sayit, but I don't think we have to
(05:34):
be nice on here.
I think we can be honest andtell the truth.
So a lot of these publishingcompanies are promising a lot of
things and they are notdelivering.
Mm-hmm promising a lot of thingsand they are not delivering.
And even with giving theauthors their books, they're
having a hard time even givingthe authors their books and even
(05:56):
promoting.
Like you say, you're going topromote and push my book and
stuff, but I'm not getting anymomentum.
I'm not getting any momentum,I'm not getting any traction.
So is that an issue that youran into or can you tell us more
about that?
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Well, I will say that it wasn't a traditional
publisher.
You know where you get hired,the agent, you go through the
whole process I went through.
I want to say it's called avanity press um, I guess it's
like the technical term for it,but it just really it's your,
(06:32):
you're self-publishing butyou're going through them.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
They're like a middleman so what exactly do
they do if you are stillself-publishing?
Speaker 2 (06:43):
well, they set your book up, they get, uh, the cover
design, they do the editing,they do the formatting, um, they
do, they're supposed to promoteit, but you know that don't
really happen.
Um, it's kind of like your bookcome out they say hey look,
(07:04):
this book is out, and thenthat's pretty much it.
So uh, and they print the booksas well no, you still have to
like get your own throughwhatever service it is that
they're using.
So, um, yeah, that that was alesson learned for me.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
And what you're sounding like it is.
It's basically sounding likeit's just an editing, like they
just edited the book andproofread it.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I mean, basically, it's like they took care of the
thing at the time that I didn'treally know how to handle for
myself, really know how tohandle for myself, but I think
that was more of me being uhself-conscious than it was me
not being really able to do itfor myself gotcha, and that's
(07:56):
crazy because the book isphenomenal like I ate it up
within like a day.
I was surprised.
I was because I remember when Iwent in your live and I told
you about it and most of thetime you know we're readers we
got long tbr so I was likeshe'll get to it eventually.
One thing about me.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
If an author comes and says, hey, you need to read
my book, or if an author likebecause, first of all, y'all be
really busy, as it is so for youguys to come and engage with
your audience and stuff, I takethat like, like what they
talking to me, like they couldbe doing, because you know, you
know how some of these authorsare when they get big or
(08:40):
sometimes they feel themselvesand they forget about their
readers and stuff, or theyinteract with certain ones, and
so anytime I feel like an authoris, hops on my live or even
sends it to my inbox, Iimmediately bump that book up.
If I'm not already in like anarc or anything and I'm just
(09:00):
reading, I immediately bump thatbook up because I'm like you
took the time to either messageme or you took the time to watch
my live, or you took the timeto come and communicate with me
and you told me about your work.
I'm gonna automatically bumpthat up.
And I was reading a book at thetime.
Um, oh, my goodness, it was.
(09:21):
Uh, it was a book that was inthe wrong category and it was.
It was slow and far.
Yeah, it's actually aparanormal and people are
probably gonna know what I'mtalking about.
It was a paranormal thrillerand it was not listed as
paranormal.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Oh okay, yeah but it was good it was.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
It was slow in the beginning and it was good, but
once I I just wasn't connectingwith it at first and maybe
because I was on vacation andstuff, and so when I started
reading your book and all thedrama and stuff started
unfolding, I just was like, okay, well, I actually started.
I actually started reading Pickthat One Up Again after yours
when the vacation was just aboutover.
(10:08):
But your book and I wasdrinking too, I'm ready to dive
in Because I know you said it'sbeen a long time in the making.
I was going to say now, didthis start out?
Because the mess was like, themess was real, relatable, miss
(10:28):
Selena, like with the, with thecousin drama.
And I was like sometimes, whenI be reading books like this,
I'd be like, is this like uh,clips from your life?
Did this stuff happen?
And you just kind of swung it adifferent way because your
cousin messing with your pastman.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
No, nothing like that , probably as far as it goes,
because I've always been veryclose with my cousins on my
mother's side of my family,almost like sisters, because I
didn't have, I didn't have asister.
(11:13):
I have an older brother, sothey were like my sisters
instead of cousins and it waslike that bond that I wanted to
try to kind of capture.
But all the drama that justthat just came from up here.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
OK, so it wasn't like no life drama that we put that.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
we put it inserted into the book a cousin of mine
who we grew up basically almostlike twins because I'm a year
older than she is, so we grew upvery, very close and that kind
(11:56):
of inspired the book.
But it was more like we neverdid that whole thing where we
even knew the same guys.
So I mean, she was, she was inone town, I was in another town,
so it was, it was real separatethey was real separate and
(12:21):
started living together in thebook too.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Look, you can tell us .
Look, this is a no judgmentzone.
Okay, you can tell us.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
I'm from a small town where people be dating cousins
so I don't want to start no war,wait.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
Because you can say that shit, like that, and be
like, and you say it with astraight face what, what, the
hell, I will preface that I havenot dated my cousin.
I just told you that I'mstarting off light this morning
and just drinking tea, but Ireally feel like I should have
(13:01):
put some Hennessy or some D'Usséin my tea.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Well, you know, I'm from Mississippi, mississippi
and Alabama.
We have a stigma, and I'm justsaying I'm from a place where it
is highly possible that if youdo not venture out of that city,
you will be dating your cousin.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Shit, that threw me from my first question that I
was going to ask.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
I guess I probably shouldn't say the name of the
city now.
Then I done brought a dishonorto them.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Don't put them on blast like that, cause I can see
, oh, I can see people comingfor us and my mouth be real
slick when I got time.
So, okay, that's going to bringme to this question.
Then, how do you disconnectfrom characters that you've
written, especially when youwrite scenes like that with the
cousin coming behind each other,or and then even when she got
(14:10):
ready to get engaged, and how doyou disconnect from your
characters once you've writtenthem?
Speaker 2 (14:21):
I'll actually be honest, I really don't like I my
head is they're always in there.
They're my first, you know frommy first book, so I kind of
feel like they're a part of me.
(14:41):
So it's kind of hard to let go.
You know, and I'm I'm workingon a new book and it's a
continuation, because I couldn'tlet them go.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
I was just about to say, that's mean we're gonna get
more of them, because Iwouldn't mind that.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I.
I don't know how far I intendto take it before I move on to
something else, but I felt likea second book was needed,
because the first book focusesmore on one cousin over the
other.
(15:20):
So I felt like maybe the othercousin needed a story too other.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So I felt like maybe the other cousin needed a story
too.
Now.
Is he gonna give us a timelineof when her issue started with
her dad?
Are we gonna be able to see herrelationship with her mom and
her dad?
Speaker 2 (15:36):
you do see that in the second book.
Um, just a little bit it.
It doesn't quite delve into themental aspects of it, but just
like their dynamic, how theydeal with each other on a
(15:59):
day-to-day basis.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
I can't remember if her and her dad actually had
like a like, was he present?
he, he was in and out so, andthen, once her parents, you know
, divorced, he was more out thanin because I was just wondering
(16:22):
because, like I'm like, is sheseeing this like firsthand from
her, like staying over, like her, her mom and her mom and dad
sharing custody, and is she likeseeing him with these different
women and is he trying to getback with them?
Oh, that's another question Iwanted to ask.
Is there a chance for him andthe mom to get back together to
(16:44):
get?
Speaker 2 (16:45):
back together.
I don't know if I can answerthat right now.
I'm probably answering you withmy facial expression right now.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Perhaps Is there going to be pettiness between
this young girl Look, I'm goingto be pettiness.
Between this young girl.
Look, I'm supposed to befocusing on the characters and
this is the side.
Yeah, I'll be writing somestrong side characters and then
I don't know what y'all beexpecting, but sometimes I let
(17:17):
y'all into the side charactersand I'll be wanting to know all
of they tea and they businessit's natural.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I mean because you know I don't like to introduce a
character more than just, Iguess, superficially, unless I
do intend to revisit them youmean the young girl that the dad
(17:47):
was dating.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Oh wait, I caught that.
You said was dating.
No, no, no, no.
You said that the dad wasdating.
Oh my God, you said that.
You just said that the dad waswaiting.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Well, I will say that was a slip.
That was a slip.
Yeah, I use past tense when Ishould have used present tense.
Do you have?
Speaker 1 (18:21):
any trigger warnings in your book.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
I didn't, because I didn't know what that was.
I'm honest, I didn't know I waseven supposed to do that.
I'm honest, I didn't know I waseven supposed to do that.
So I was like, oh, my secondbook.
It's not as triggering as thefirst, I will say that.
So I'm trying to figure outwhat I need to to put into the
(18:49):
book to let readers know whatwhat it entails.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
I know one thing you probably should put I don't know
why this earth.
Well, it ain't for me to knowwhy, because you know everybody
have their um ticks and things.
But some readers do not likecheating tropes or cheating, or
they want that as a trigger.
And I'm just like I kind ofit's crazy because I always say
(19:14):
I'm paying trope that I can likeread, even though that spider
trope almost got me the spidertrigger, almost got me a little
stranger.
But other than that I like agood cheating trope.
So I mean that I like a goodcheating trope.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
So that probably would be the only I will say.
It confused me too that peopleare so gung-ho against it,
because I'm like like we watchmovies with people cheating all
the time.
We watch shows with peoplecheating all the time.
People cheat all the time theymay with people cheating all the
time.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
people cheat all the time they may probably she don't
know right now but that'sprobably why it's triggering,
though, and I think I get.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
If it's a trigger, then you know.
Just don't read it.
But do you have to have so muchdisdain for?
Speaker 1 (20:08):
it and do you have to go on rants about why you don't
like the tree, the trigger, ordo you?
And then how do you feel aboutthe people who read the triggers
and then they still, like this,said that what it was going to
be and you still read it, andthen that's your complaints.
How do we feel about those?
I know how I feel about thosepeople.
(20:29):
How do you feel about thosepeople?
Speaker 2 (20:33):
I feel like I guess in the case that you were warned
and you disregarded it, I don'tunderstand why you have a
problem now in in my case, mebeing very brand new to what I'm
supposed to do with a book andnot do with a book, I was like I
(20:57):
don't know about no triggerwarnings.
I told them in the synopsiswhat the story was about.
I mean, that should be enoughit really was.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
But people like me, I don't.
I go into books like I had noidea what your book was about.
I go into books blind.
Now, okay, lord, I don't bedoing what, because it's an art
that I'm reading right now andI'm on two packs of cigarettes
and I don't even smoke.
I'm not really, but in my mindI'm on two packs of cigarettes
(21:31):
and I don't even think it'ssmoke.
But had I read the synopsis onwhat the fuck this book was
about?
Child, I'm gonna, uh, we'regonna take just a break, right
quick and go to commercial.
Okay, but stay tuned because wewill be right back with more of
(21:52):
miss selena brooks, um, so wejust gotta mean it.
Just gonna wait a second.
Okay, I'm gonna go throughthese, um, before we jump back
in.
So do you have like a timelineof when your second book comes
out?
Speaker 2 (22:13):
So do you have like a timeline of when your second
book comes out?
I don't, I want to.
I have a deadline and that's byNovember 1st, by November 1st.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
So do we want to tell them that?
Speaker 2 (22:27):
deadline I mean you can because or expected date.
I mean you can because mostlikely if it does come out on a
different date, it'll be beforethat, it won't be after.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
It won't be after, okay, and they'll be able to
find it on.
Well, I'll just let you know.
I'll just let you introduceyours first, but we'll tell them
about Southern Sizzle and thenwhen to expect the second book,
okay, and then, um, let's see,do you have anything like, do
(23:06):
you have a bookish store where?
Speaker 2 (23:08):
people.
I don use TikTok shop for mysigned copies and I send you
know little item stickers.
I have a bookmark and I have alittle insert that's kind of
like a little postcard for thesetting of the book.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Do you sell those?
Oh, oh no, I just send them withthe book when I sign it okay,
okay, I'm about to let them knowthat we are back from
commercial break.
Um, the next question that I'mgonna ask is um, what's the
process for creating trauma,trauma in your stories, and um,
(23:51):
how do you determine, like, whatkind?
So that'll be the next question.
Okay, roll into it.
Okay, all right, you guys, weare back with more.
Um, miss selena brooks fromsouthern sizzle, and I have a
question that I asked all of myauthors um, so let's get into it
(24:12):
what's the process of creatingtrauma in your stories and how
do you determine, like, whatkind of trauma is going to be?
Speaker 2 (24:37):
how do you know what kind of trauma?
To come from a place where itwas pulling the main character
and her cousin apart, her cousinapart.
(25:00):
So you know, when you're in arelationship and it becomes
toxic, a lot of the times youlose yourself in it and you also
lose the connections that youhave outside of the relationship
.
So that's, uh, that was what Iwanted to convey was that they
had this bond to start with andit started crumbling.
(25:22):
Uh, you know, with the, withthe trauma that I introduced.
I don't know if you want me tosay what type of trauma.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
No, we'll let them discover it for their own self.
I just wanted to know, like,the reasoning behind it.
And well, I will say this onethe abuse that she went through
silently.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
I got that one, though, even though it never
happened to me personally, but Ican see why you put it in there
and then how you dealt with it,like because a lot of people
don't walk away from it yeah,and and it was important for me
I get a lot of I get some flackfrom people that read it like
(26:05):
uh-uh, that couldn't have beenme or uh, you know, I don't
understand why she, you know,did what she did toward the end,
when she was starting to comeinto her own.
But I feel like forgiveness isimportant.
It's an important part ofhealing yourself.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
So but Slynn, I ain't gonna lie, you must know I'm
about to say something foolish.
Okay, so I'm gonna say this andthis.
Gonna sound so bad, but this isnot in real life though, this
(26:47):
is just in the books.
When he had that incidenthappen with him, I kind of was
like this oh, I get that all thetime.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yes, you right on the money.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
I didn't feel bad and this sounds so, that sounds so
bad, but I did not feel bad.
I kind of wanted her to takesome black roses and spread them
.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Well, I mean, you know it's not bad.
It's not bad that you didn'tfeel bad.
It's not bad.
It's not bad that you didn'tfeel bad.
That scene was a means to bringthings back around to positive.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
And it showed her growth and her heal.
It showed her heal because ifshe wasn't healed then she would
have did what I just said.
So pity I'm not grown up yet,because your family would have
been mad at me well, I mean, Ieven get comments of you know
why she?
Speaker 2 (28:02):
why she in that kitchen cooking.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
I wouldn't have been nowhere around it was just so
many instances where I was justlike girl, go and board the
grits, go board a grits.
I was like just go board thegrits and put on his, especially
(28:26):
when he came home and you weresmelling like perfume and you
had lipstick all over and youtold me where you was about to
go and I think I think you knowI wasn't really thinking that
deep, but when I went back andreread it I was like this is
(28:49):
what?
Speaker 2 (28:50):
this?
What predators do?
They know who to prey on andthey know who not to prey on.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
They show what the hell do.
Yeah, Just thinking about itnow, I cannot believe this is.
Have you taken any writingclasses?
I, I do have a um, I have abachelor's in communication and
(29:20):
a minor in english, so yeah,okay, because I'm trying to put
two and two together to get fourand I'm just like how the hell
did she write this?
This is her first book Readingthat you would not be able to
show.
This was your first work Likethis is the first work that you
put out.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Oh, thank you.
That's a compliment, becausesometimes I don't be knowing.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
It was good oh.
I cannot wait for book two.
Speaking of book two, can yougive us a little insight on book
two and let us know where wecan find it and the drop date?
Speaker 2 (30:00):
OK, so book two is titled Southern Scramble.
It does.
It does not take place in myhometown, it actually takes
place in Dallas.
In my hometown it actuallytakes place in Dallas.
It follows the secondarycharacter from my first book,
Reese, and her husband Terrence,who's a football player.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
She know her boyfriend Wade.
I just wanted to go there.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Okay, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Mr'm sorry, let me say one more thing okay who she
tried to pass this baby whoain't look nothing like the baby
, okay it was a definite Maripaternity court situation you
were the hell.
And for the mama, for the mamato come in and go and tell the
(31:00):
guy Okay Well.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
I'm going to tell you , the relationship with Reese
and her mom is like nothing,like the relationship I have
with my mom.
So I really had a hard timewriting them, but I wanted them
because Reese embodieseverything of her father.
(31:30):
It just hurts the hell out ofher mama and so, you know, she
just take, you know, take herfrustrations out because I don't
think I would ever do that tomy child like I'm gonna be.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
I'm like you wrong, but I'm riding with you till the
wheels fall off.
I'm going to tell you you wrong, but I ain't, finna, go do no
dirty.
I wanted to step through thatbook and slap her fucking face.
Cause girl, how dare you, howdare you reach out what you my
(32:17):
mama?
Speaker 2 (32:17):
okay, tell us about this okay, um, so the book is
gonna be about their marriageand like the trials and
tribulations of being young andbeing married, having a baby,
(32:38):
and then, on top of that, he's aprofessional athlete.
So it's just a lot of pressureon top of pressure.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
And women are throwing themselves at him
themselves.
At him let me say this he did alot of effed up stuff to get to
her and to break her, eventhough her and the guy didn't
(33:07):
have no business together anyway.
But he did a lot of stuff toget back with her.
And that scene in the roomwhere the boyfriend walked in
and you was on your knees in ourroom, you was in our house.
So now that you said it, I'mjust like I wonder is she about
to get this karma back?
I know you ain't gonna tell us.
(33:30):
I know you ain't gonna tell us.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Well, I mean, if you think about who they both are,
you'll know, you'll know whogonna do what.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
I'm just like I don't know.
And then you like maybe I willsay maybe it won't be him,
because he lied about the girlthe first time and I said that.
I said that too.
I said he ain't got no fuckingidea, his damn house waiting on
him, nobody waiting on his ass.
And then when he said that hewas just lying, I was like I
(34:13):
knew he was lying, like I,because your feelings was too
hurt.
It was too hurt I wanted.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
I wanted him to be hard, but not so hard that he
didn't.
He was like this perfect macho.
Don't nothing faze me, man, youknow, even though that's what
he tried to give off.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
He definitely tried Like.
You knew you were the side dude, you knew this going in.
You knew you were the side dudeand you were jealous.
Knew you were the side dude andyou were jealous because you
was a side dude, you know it.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
It ain't often that.
I guess that's what inspired me.
It's not often that you see thewoman with the commitment
issues.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
Right, it's usually the man and like the women you
know they try to like.
I was reading another book andit was the opposite, where it
was the guy and she was besides,she was chasing and stuff.
But when you flip the role andthis one I kind of I don't know.
I kind of was eating it up.
But then I flip the roll andthis one I kind of I ain't gonna
lie, I kind of was eating it up, but then I was like girl, you
wrong.
But I was like yeah, I was likecity girls up a thousand yes,
(35:46):
you're a ball player.
There are so many women throwingthemselves at you and you
really upset over somebody whowith somebody, and you knew you
were the side dude.
Make it make sense.
It don't.
It's just not making sense.
But when I say I ate that up, Ican't wait for this next book
(36:11):
because how you write the myths,I love a good messy book and
you gave a every.
It was never a door.
It was never a door moment,even when our girl threw a what
you call it Clothes over thebalcony.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Yeah, you know, I get questions about that one too,
like why she sitting over therelusting after this man and he
over here throwing woman's andthen he turn around and go to
the neighbor house and try andhit on the neighbor.
(37:03):
I mean, it's the book.
I didn't realize at the timethat I was writing a lot of
ancient characters.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
You summed it up the women weren't shit.
Well, one of them.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
People say she wasn't shit for going after her
cousin's ex.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Okay, okay, I can't say no, I was going to try and
justify I can't.
I was going to try to justifyit for her but I couldn't go.
And then not once, but twice,okay, the first one.
Did the cousin not tell herthat they used to have dealings?
Speaker 2 (37:59):
she didn't, I'll tell you, like in Reese's mind she
does not.
At that point in the story shedid not connect with men on any
other level other than what shewas going to get from them.
So it wasn't like, oh, shedating my ex.
It's like, oh, here go thisdude.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
He cute, you should holler but the guy was like he
was heartbroken.
So I'm like you were reallyinto her cousin, even though she
wasn't into you, but she wasreally into her.
And so now you're gonna go withthe other cousin.
I don't think I would be ableto to double deal period, um,
(38:39):
like behind my cousins, oranything.
That's just nasty and I.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
I wouldn't say that I would do anything that these
people did in this book, but Ihave seen people do those things
, especially in their youngeryears.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
Uh, you know, late teens, early 20s, you do a lot
of foul stuff and how do youtell your kids, like when they
be like, how did you meet?
Oh, they used to that you knowwhat I was gonna say.
Oh, I wonder if any of myfamily gonna catch this, because
I wanna kind of spill some tea.
I'm thinking real hard on it,cause sometimes my mom be
(39:28):
fighting my shit and I be liketrying to block her off stuff.
But then I'm like is they gonnalisten to the whole fucking
thing?
Like is they gonna try and justlisten to a little bit or just
download it to help me out withmy views, or are they gonna
really take the time and listenbecause I want to spill this tea
so bad?
Speaker 2 (39:48):
I'm here for it, I'm going to tell you.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
So, my uncle, you said people be going through
this stuff all the time and wedidn't find out until like later
.
And then you know how you belistening in on grown folks'
conversation and shit.
Mm-hmm, I would never saynothing, but I be listening in
on grown folks' conversation andshit.
So one of my uncle, his wife,that he had married and they had
(40:16):
kids and stuff which, eventhough they were younger, you
still dated and was with theother brother first and when the
other brother broke up with you, then you got and married yeah,
I see where you're going andthat ain't Mississippi, that
(40:37):
ain't Mississippi but I mean, ithappens and I tell you I look
back on my 20s and I don't knowhow I'm alive what the hell you
was doing, selena.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Partying too damn much.
It wasn't nothing what they wasdoing, I'll tell you that, but
it could have went left.
Speaker 1 (41:11):
I had a party instead .
I think we all had like a.
And let me tell you this I wasI wasn't going to say Well, I
was naive when I came off tocollege and moved away and stuff
, but I was like a homebody.
And so when I got a littletaste of the real world and
stuff, I was partying my ass offin school, like because I had
(41:32):
never did it before and stuff.
So I kind of feel you on that Ithink we all had them, nights
like that yeah yeah, so novemberis when we should expect the
second book yes, uh, it shouldbe released no later than
November 1st.
(41:52):
Okay, can you tell us where wecan follow you, where we can
keep up with you, where we canget our updates?
Speaker 2 (42:01):
I am on Facebook as Selena Brooks.
I am on TikTok as Selena B, theauthor, and also the same tag
on Instagram and threads.
Speaker 1 (42:15):
Okay, and then is it going to be on Kindle Unlimited,
or should we come to like astore to get it, or where can we
actually find the book?
Speaker 2 (42:28):
I don't have my own store.
It's something that I'm workingon, but until then it will be
on Kindle, unlimited for thee-book, and I also sell my
paperback signed on my TikTokshop.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
Okay, I'm definitely going to have to get me a
paperback because I need to goin and highlight some stuff.
Speaker 2 (42:52):
Well, I will tell you I am uh I'm finished with book
two and I am waiting for artcopies to uh come in next week.
So I'm very, very close.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
Okay, are you doing like e-arcs um through like book
funnel, or are you doingsending out like paper or like
actual book arcs?
Speaker 2 (43:17):
Well, you know, they let you and I'm talking about
KDP they let you order fivecopies.
So, you know, I just I wasgoing to see.
You know, I just I was going tosee.
I have some friends that havebeen interested in doing the arc
read because they already readthe first book, and so I was
(43:40):
just going to see who'sinterested and then send them
out.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Oh, you know, I'm interested If you have, if you
have room.
Speaker 2 (43:53):
I ain't too proud to be and I did want to answer your
question about Cassie, the girlthat's dating Reese's father.
Yes, in book two she is veryimportant in book two she's very
(44:17):
important.
Now I wouldn't say you're,you're not gonna find out a lot
about her background, but sheplays a very important role in
book two you know what I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (44:31):
We're gonna pause this thought because there is
going to be a part two.
I can already see it.
There is definitely going to bea part two to this, so I'm
gonna, and then let me tell youpart two it.
I have to get back in touchwith you like really soon,
because I didn't even get wedidn't even deal into the meal.
(44:54):
I wanted to talk about meal butI didn't ran out of time.
So I know part two.
I'm bringing you back.
Miss alina, this is me askingwill you please join me back for
a part two, of course, so thisis gonna, I'm just gonna I'm
gonna I'm, as soon as we finishwith this, I'm going to go ahead
and reach out so we can set uppart two.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
Okay, and then, if you wanted to do it when I
launch my next book, I'll bedown for that too definitely
listen.
I get excited about those likeI'll tell you because you, you
(45:39):
know, you, you had saidsomething about how a lot of
authors get really big and they,they forget to show love to
their readers.
Speaker 1 (45:49):
And I'm small, I'm smaller than small you are not
you are not, I want you are not,and see you just brought.
You just brought up my nextdiscussion okay, I'll do.
Speaker 2 (46:05):
We'll do a pregnant pause.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
I don't want to hear you say smile.
Speaker 2 (46:12):
I just want to say thank you, because I'm small and
I look at you like, oh, shewant to do something with me.
Don't make me blush, but yeah,we could take a pause.
(46:34):
'll be, I'm ready to come backyou're ready to come back.
Speaker 1 (46:39):
so we are going to go ahead and end it here and we
will be back with a part two.
So you guys, make sure that youstay tuned, make sure that you
subscribe, make sure that youfollow miss selena brooks and
also make sure you follow me,because we got more to come
Until next time.
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