with Earl Sewell

Earl Sewell is the author of the novels The Good Got To Suffer With The Bad, Taken For Granted, Through Thick or Thin, Whispers In The Dark, and his newest novel Flip Side of Money. He is also a contributing author to After Hours: A Collection Of Erotic Writing By Black Men and Sistergirls.com.

Earl is also an athlete who competes in marathons, duathlons and triathlons. He is currently training to complete the Ironman, which is a one day endurance race where participants swim 2.4 miles, bicycle 112 miles and run 26.2 miles.

Earl is currently training and working on his next novel. Check out his website at www.earlsewell.com.

Urban-Reviews.com: Can you tell us what The Flip Side of Money is all about?
Earl Sewell: The Flip Side of Money is about a marriage in distress.

UR: Where did you come up with the idea for this novel?
ES: My ideas are primarily inspired by common problems and scenarios that people from all walks of life can relate to. The Flip Side of Money is centered on the themes of duty, responsibility and treachery. One female character, Tabetha refuses to have a child with her husband because she is unwilling to give up her career to be a stay-at-home mom. To add to her complications her former husband is tempting her to give their failed marriage a second try. Additional problems arise when Tabetha’s current husband Gilbert moves his no-good sister into the house who doesn’t think twice about putting her family in jeopardy to pay back her street debt.

UR: How did you get into the business?
ES: During my college years I had to have a certain amount of credit hours in writing intense courses. I selected fiction writing and learned the craft. A decade later I’d collected close to forty rejection letters from publishers. I didn’t give up though I just kept writing. In 1999 I’d just finished Taken For Granted, which was my second book. A friend suggested that I give self-publishing a try and avoid the whole rejection letter madness. I followed that advice and it was the best thing I could have ever done. Becoming a self-published author taught me the business side of publishing that my college courses didn’t. Two years after I’d published Taken For Granted I was approached by a publisher and offered a contract. I now have five published works and the rest as they say is history.

UR: What authors or books inspired you to become a writer?
ES: Edger Allen Poe, Sir Author Conan Doyle, Nancy Drew and Sidney Sheldon are a few of the very first authors who inspired me with their storytelling styles. Once in college, the inspiration to attempt to write my first book came from Zora Neale Hurston. I’d read Their Eyes Were Watching God in one sitting. After that I read everything she wrote. Other writers like Richard Wright and James Baldwin were also influences.

UR: What are some of your upcoming projects?
ES: Right now I’m working on my next effort, which is tentatively called When Push Comes to Shove. It’s scheduled to be released in the fall of 2006.

UR: How has your life changed since becoming a novelist?
ES: I get more e-mail than ever before, (smile). Being connected to an audience is the biggest change. When I was in college the Internet wasn’t around and now that it is I receive fan mail from around the world. I’m always amazed when someone writes me from another country. I think that is so cool.

UR: Who are some of your favorite authors or books?
ES: A few of my favorite folks include Mary B. Morrison, Danielle Steele, James Patterson, Ridley Pearson, Zane, Terry McMillian, Anne Rice and Diane McKinney-Whetstone.

UR: Have you noticed any changes or trends in the literary industry. How have they affected you?
ES: The biggest change that I’ve noticed is the emergence of Urban Fiction. I’ve read a few but my literary tastes haven’t exactly warmed up to the Urban Fiction craze. As I understand it, these types of novels are designed to attract younger readers. The idea is to get them to read more. In many ways I’m glad that publishers are making efforts to publish books for our young adults. It is my hope that this target audience will develop a love for reading as well as expand their literary hunger.

UR: If you had to do it all over again, would you do anything differently?
ES: No. My success happened for me at a time when I was mature enough to handle the demands of being an author.

UR: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
ES: Learn the business. It takes more than writing skill to be a successful author.

UR: Is there anything else you would like to add?
ES: No. I just want to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to do this interview.

 

    

Don't forget to check out our review of Flip Side Of Money in AA Fiction.