Cornelle Keveen

Finally.....FINALLY....I get Ms. Shelia Goss on the Author's Couch.  I'll say the name again... Ms. Shelia Goss.  THE Ms. Shelia Goss!  Shelia is the Essence Best Selling Author of My Invisible Husband.. from her acclaimed Invisible Series of Novels: As well as 3 books in The Lip Gloss Chronicles Series for young adults.

 Shelia Goss is the Author of Paige's Web and Roses are Thorns Violets are True.  I'm gonna pause for a moment to catch my breath before we continue....

Ms. Shelia Goss is the Author of both Double Platinum And her most recent offering; Hollywood Deception from Her Women of Hollywood Series....and the upcoming novel Delilah. Without any further delay...I give you...Ms. Goss.

Welcome to the Author's Couch Shelia.  I went out and got a brand new couch for this interview with the Essence Best Selling Author.....I would say your name again but you might hit me. 

You know if anyone knows Shelia like I almost know Shelia, they know that I had better get straight to these questions really quick like.  So here we go.

Shelia writes under the Urban Soul Imprint of Kensington books and I happen to be holding her latest book; Hollywood Deception in my hands as we speak.  Now you and I had a conversation earlier about this book that I'm going to come back to but first....I'll let you tell us something about Hollywood Deception.  But don't you dare spoil the "Suspense" and I know you Love that word....but don't touch the Sequel/Series thing in your answer.

Hollywood Deception is a fast-paced romantic thriller about Hailey Barnes, an ex-model now talk show host. She’s dealing with a broken heart and a deranged fan. Media Personality Abiola Abrams says it best, “Hollywood Deception is filled with love, lies and delicious drama. This fun novel is not a passive read. You’ll be yelling at Hailey, relating to her, wanting to slap her and cry with her all at the same time.”

I really dig this book and it really isn't the sort of thing that I normally look for.  It's not exactly my genre of preference.  But reading it let me know that as readers you have to be open to different things.  This is a Very good book!  One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Hailey and Garret decide to go to the engagement party together.  Talk about tension.  You packed those pages with the stuff.  The first face to face meeting with Hailey and Shareeka instantly comes to mind.  I gotta ask....Have you Ever been in that sort of predicament?  Because that scene really came to life.  It reminds me of the R&B classic...Woman to Woman.

Cornelle, I appreciate you reading "outside of the box" and reading a book in a genre that you normally don't. To answer your question, thankfully, I've never had that type of confrontation.  My motto: write the drama, don't live it. LOL 

I have to be honest with you.  When I first read the back jacket of the book, the Hailey Barnes character just jumped out at me and I immediately thought of another famous super model/talk show host that I won't name.  But the comparison fades the moment you start reading the actual book itself.  Hailey completely takes on a life of her own. Do you as a writer, take inspiration from real people as an outline or skeleton for a character and then flesh them to your own liking? 

 The answer is yes and no. I didn't have any famous super model/talk show host in mind when I first came up with the Hailey Barnes character. She actually came to life in my book Double Platinum. Her personality was outrageous that I even used her in an online soap opera. When the online soap opera ended, I knew Hailey had to have her own story. I actually reached out to the super model/talk show host you're speaking of because I did want to make Hailey's character authentic; however I never received a response. Everything Hailey is comes strictly from my vivid imagination.

I do a character chart on all of my main characters. By the time I write the book, I know the characters like the back of my hand. Their personality traits come from a variety of sources: my imagination, interesting people I may come across, etc.  

 Damn good answer She.....but before we go too far with this.....I want to talk about the Sequel/Series thing.  Since our readers don't have a clue ...I'll bring them up to speed.  On the back jacket of Hollywood Deception there's a line that reads...."Shelia M. Goss is back with this hot sequel to Double Platinum."

However, Shelia has an entirely different spin on Hollywood Deception as the second book in the ...Women of Hollywood "Series".  I'd like her to shed a little light on that. 

This is going to be funny. I only noticed that my books had similar themes when I wanted to group my books on my website. I wanted to make it easier for readers to navigate from one web page to another.

My teen books are the only books that I've written thus far that would be considered part of a sequel.

My adult books are written so that you don't have to read one to know what's going on in another. I may have recurring characters in some; but the presence of those recurring characters doesn't impact the story. 

In Hollywood Deception you manage to pull off a plot twist that almost gives the reader whiplash.  Ahem...although I knew exactly where you were going with it way way wayyyy early in the book.  But it was a shocker all the same.  We don't want to give away too much about the book, but I have to ask..........Where did THAT come from??  What inspired that Shelia?  It was one of those moments where me as a reader/writer sits and wonders....wow....What made her write that??  It was a brilliant twist.  It was both expected and unexpected.  I went back and searched through the book a second time to see all the little hints you dropped throughout the book that lead to that point.  Ok, I'll shut up so you can answer the question now.  I know my readers are practically squirming to get this book now.

The story itself inspired the outcome. When writing, I allow the characters and the situations surrounding the characters to develop. As an avid reader, I know I like to read twists in stories. I try to implement the techniques that I like as a reader in the books that I write.

As an Author of multiple books, you obviously would want your titles to be able to stand on their own and offer something that would draw you to the other books at the same time.  It's a brilliant strategy and one that is used by most successful writers today.  Is there any one particular author that you pattern yourself after Shelia?  Who does Ms. Goss read for inspiration since she is such an inspiration to so many writers out there trying to do what you've done?

Cornelle, you would put me in the hot seat. I'm an avid reader and there are so many authors out there that I like. Terry McMillan, Jackie Collins and Nora Roberts are just a few of the authors that I pattern myself after. For inspiration, I read some of everybody:  ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Lutishia Lovely, Pat G'orge Walker, Vincent Alexandria, Victor McGlothin, Victoria Christopher Murray, Kimberla Lawson Roby, Angelica Menchan and the list goes on and on.  

Oh I forgot to tell you that the Author's Couch is a little warm. 

I touched on this subject a little in my interview with Lorita Childress, who is someone in your network as well.  In fact, I'm finding it hard Not to come in contact with someone you haven't touched or have associated with in some fashion.  For those of you who don't know, I first came in contact with Shelia at a Writer's conference in Houma La. where she was presenting a seminar on Marketing via the internet.  That seminar is what got this web site up and running.  Dawn Chartier, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing on the very first segment of The Author's Couch, was assisting Shelia with her seminar.  I came across Lorita Childress after reading about her on Shelia's web site.  I'm not going to even mention Dionne Character. 

Suffice to say Shelia's influence is felt.  Back to the question....

In my last interview, Lorita and I discussed the shelving of AA authors in book stores.  How do you feel about the Urban Soul imprint?  What makes a book Urban?  Your book has all the elements of any whodoneit? type mystery.  It's romantic.  It's suspenseful.  It's filled with so many things that are consistent with other successful books.  Why is it marketed as "Urban"? 

Cornelle, you ask some good questions. If it was up to me, my books would be shelved with the rest of the books in the genre. "Urban" is not a genre. If you're a writer of color your books are automatically grouped in the AA section of the book store regardless of what type of book it is. Book store surveys indicate people want to see it that way. I don't know. I just want my books accessible to people who like the type of books that I write.

There's a misconception about the word "Urban." Urban doesn't mean ghetto. Urban, in the case of books, mean it's a book by an African-American author.  If anyone has read any of my books, they will tell you I don't write street lit or gangster type books. Those books are out there, if that's what you like. I write books that are usually set in a metropolitan city, with professional Black men and women as the main characters.  

I know I live to see us portrayed in that light in print and on screen.  It's why so many of us loved the Cosby show.  It validated the segment of our vast population that actually existed as such.  We're so much broader than how we're often portrayed as a people.  One of the other things that I absolutely love about your style as a writer is how "Clean" you write.  You and I talked about this recently.  Your dialogue is authentic and it comes across as such.  But you manage to do it so clean.  A lot of writers, myself included, tend to use some profanity to make characters more "real".  You are an exception...and to be honest a perfect example of how unnecessary that might be.  Do you make an conscious effort to do so?  Is it in your contract?  Is it a personal or a spiritual thing for you? 

Cornelle, it's just the way I write.  I don't normally use profanity in my every day life so neither do my characters. My characters choose to find other words to use besides profanity. If I were to write in a different genre, then the character would be true to the story; but in the stories that I write "profanity" is not a necessity.  

Even your Sexual moments are clean Shelia!  And you lose Nothing in the delivery.  I applaud your gift.  I mean that with the utmost sincerity.  It's inspiring.

Thanks.

Why don't you tell us about this incredible young adult series of yours?

The Lip Gloss Chronicles explores the life of three Sassy, Urban, and Hip high school friends who are high on fashion and a magnet for drama. Each story tackles issues that teens face today.

 Why did you choose to venture into that arena? 

I wrote The Lip Gloss Chronicles series because I was tired of seeing pre-teens and teens reading books that were too graphic in sex and violence.

(I really love that answer.  I can almost hear the applause from our audience now.  I'm gonna let that resonate for a while.  Please note that Shelia can be reached at her website www.sheliagoss.com  or www.thelipglosschronicles.com )

Is it as ripe a market for AA writers as it appears to be for our counter-parts? 

That remains to be seen.

The whole Twilight phenomenon has boosted so many YA titles to unbelievable sales numbers that it's unreal.  Do we benefit from that whole craze at all??

You're asking the wrong person. Although the series has been received well by those that know about it, it is not as widespread as I would have liked. The only way people will know about The Lip Gloss Chronicles is for people to spread the word and share it with parents of teenagers and teenagers that love to read. 

You know I really don't read or write inside of racial lines or categories at all.  But as much as we hate to admit it.....it's very hard to escape being categorized or even thinking categorically.  As an AA (African American) and sometimes I hate to use that term I swear I do, But as an AA author of YA (Young Adult) books,....What do AA teens look for in books? 

The same thing as non-AAs look for in a book--a good story that will keep them interested in turning the pages.

What are they reading? 

Cornelle, that's a good question. What's in today, may be out tomorrow. 

Now Shelia, I know you made me promise not to do this.  But I gotta take a stab at this.  I know that I'm not the only one who's caught glimpses of what appears to be your next offering.  Quit looking at me like that She.  I know you're here to promote Hollywood Deception.  But when you first mentioned the Delilah project to me I knew I had to read it.  I know you're all hush hush on it and all that...but Shelia  you have to give us SOMETHING.  I'm sworn to secrecy on the inside info you so graciously let me in on....but can you give my readers ....something???  Anything???

 LOL, Cornelle. Only for you   Delilah (Urban Christian: January 2011; ISBN: 1-60162-885-4) is my tenth novel. It's a fictional account of the tragic love story of Samson and Delilah. Delilah is a drama magnet. She wreaks havoc on the lives of every man she comes in contact with. She feels her luck has changed when Samson comes into the picture. Samson comes with his own set of issues and readers will be taken on a rollercoaster ride as Samson vows to protect his ministry by any means necessary. Delilah is the first book of my "Bad Women of the Bible" series. I came up with the idea for the series several years ago, so I'm real excited to finally see the books being released.

( You know I can almost get angry at you for coming up with that concept.  Bad Women of the Bible.  That's a seriously killer premise for a series.  I could ask you so many questions about this but I'll bite my tongue.  I am predicting major success for you on that one She.  Mark my words.  Can I put you on the spot for a sneak peek excerpt after the book is released?  You don't even have to answer that one.  I'm putting you on the SPOT for that sneak peek at an excerpt when the time comes.)

Cornelle, your readers can read an excerpt, by clicking on the following link: http://sheliagoss.com/2010/07/27/delilah-sneak-peek-1/   

(This interview could go on for a month.  Ten Novels is quite an accomplishment.  You write for a living I'm certain.  There is no way someone could put out the volume of work that you put out and hold a "day job".  Answer me this..........When you're established as you are with your agent, publisher, editor etc ...etc....etc...  Do you still have to go through the whole query process with your ideas?  Or are you at the point where you sign multi-book contracts right off the bat?  I would think that you would be an agent's dream to work with.)

LOL. Do you want me to sugarcoat my response or tell you the real deal?

You know you gotta come clean on this one She so quit playin.

LOL. Cornelle, as a professional writer, the process doesn't change. In fact, it might get harder because now you're not a newbie. You're an established writer with a sales history (good or bad). I wish keeping books published was easy, but I have to query, write synopsis and do book proposals in order to get new book contracts.  I sometimes get rejections, but don't allow those to deter me from my goals of getting new book deals.

Also, there's a misconception that once you're published, you'll be able to quit your day job. Reality is, that may or may not ever happen. Most writers have other sources of income. Unless you get a substantial amount in an advance, you will have to do other things to supplement your income.  

As we reluctantly wrap up this interview......or rather I should say part one of this interview because I'm definitely gonna have to get you back here.  There is so much I want to touch on....such as...RWA....and conferences......and how difficult or not is it to sign in different places.......and so on and so on...

But I want to ask you about the celebrity interviews that you manage to do on the freelance entertainment side of your career.  How did you get into that?   Did that come before or after your success as an author? 

Besides books, music is something that I've always enjoyed.  I mixed my love for music with my love for writing. Both the freelancing and writing all came together at the same time. I don't do as much freelance writing as I used to do because writing books and editing books take up the majority of my time. When the opportunities to interview certain people come about, I don't pass those up. There is one interview that I would love to get. If I could get an interview with Prince, I would never have to interview anyone else again. LOL

Well Ms. Goss, I'm not going to even begin to hate on you for digging Prince.  Height, make-up, and perm issues aside, I respect the genius that he is.  But as elusive as Prince once was, it seems he's come out of his proverbial shell as of late.  What I enjoy most of all as a fan of his music, where he is today.  We finally get to see him perform and collaborate with other musicians.  I can't get you that one on one interview just yet Shelia, but I can get you up off this couch with a little motivation from......someone you might kinda know a lil bit.....

Check this out...........a guy named Lenny on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, an old guy named Larry laying down the funk on the bass guitar, and some other lil guy.....make-up, a perm by dark and lovely, holding it down on lead guitar.  I think his name is.........PRINCE....