with Fon James
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Fon James
Fon James is a native Mississippian, who currently resides
in the Houston, TX area with her husband, Donté . Back
and Forth is her debut novel. She is also the author
of "A Mother, Her Son, and THE Father," a short story
appearing in The Triumph of My Soul, an
inspirational anthology.
As a former journalist and freelance writer, her
full-name byline has appeared in numerous daily newspapers
including: The Houston Chronicle, Contra Costa Times, and
The Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Her freelance credits comprise
of articles written for local Houston publications,
including Westchase Today and the Houston Chronicle's
neighborhood weekly edition, This Week. She has also
worked as writer/editor for Intele-Card News and H Texas
Magazine. She is an active member of both The Fort Bend
Church in Sugarland, TX and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,
Inc.
Fon James is currently working on her second novel, the
sequel to Back and Forth.
Author's Official Site:
http://www.fonjames.com
Author's Myspace Page:
http://www.myspace.com/fonjames
Contact The Author:
Fon James
Order Your Copy of Back And Forth:
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Urban Reviews:
Tell us about your debut novel Back And Forth?
Fon James:
Back and Forth is a fictional story set on the
campus of Jackson State University in Jackson, MS where four
of the characters - Faith Walker, Gavin Roberts, Chrissy
Jackson and Remi Aguilar - are all seniors and members of the
school's well-known marching band. It's their last year in
college and as the fall semester begins, the lives of these
four friends take an unexpected turn when two of the friends
'accidentally' sleep together. While temptations of sex and
alcohol are as common as textbooks and pencils for these
college students, this little sex incident rocks the core of
their friendship bond and slowly begins to unravel the once
tightly-woven group. Meanwhile on the yard, Faith has
once-again renewed her celibate lifestyle. For the last three
years she's been going back and forth on her commitment to no
sex, all in the name of keeping her man satisfied and happy.
Even though she's been down this "commitment to no sex" road
before after enduring a life changing incident freshman year,
she's not letting anything further compromise her promise to
God and to herself. But as the fall semester begins, her
renewed celibacy goal gets abruptly interrupted when she
experiences an unexpected betrayal that makes her question if
she's really doing the right thing by not giving up the goods
anymore. To make matters worse, a big family secret is
revealed that leaves Faith clinging to the only stable thing
in her life: her faith in God.
Urban Reviews:
Where did the idea for the storyline come from?
Fon James:
The idea for Back and Forth came from college
experiences, mine and those that I encountered. When I began
writing the novel, it sort of took a life of its own, so I
flowed with it. God ordered my steps all the way.
Urban Reviews:
Was it difficult for you to incorporate Christian themes into
this storyline?
Fon James:
No, not really, because I set out to write a Christian
fiction story. My main goal was to keep it from being preachy,
but still have the main message be clearly illustrated. That
message is to stop straddling the fence, basically stop going
Back and Forth.
Urban Reviews:
Do you have any projects that you are working on?
Fon James:
I am currently working on the sequel to Back and Forth.
The story will pick up with the characters' lives after
college. So stay tuned to see what happens next with Faith,
Gavin, rissy, and Remi. I am also working on a collaboration
project with an author friend of mine. We are in the early
stages of that project, so stay tuned to my website,
www.fonjames.com for
details on mu upcoming joint venture.
Urban Reviews:
What are your goals as an author? Would you want to be
signed to a major publisher some day?
Fon James:
My goal as an author is to inspire readers through my
writing and inspire those who want to become authors by
showing them it can be done. When I self-published Back and
Forth, my main goal was to get it out to the reader, but
of course, I would love to be signed to a major publisher.
Hopefully it will happen in the near future!
Urban Reviews:
Are there any authors that you see as inspirational in you
wanting to be an author?
Fon James:
There were several authors who inspired me to want to
become an author. In 1998 when I decided that I wanted to
write a book, it was Michael Baisden. I was reading his books
and seeing how he self-published his work and got his start.
Of course now he is writing and doing even bigger things like
radio and television. But other self-published authors who
were inspirational to me include my sorority sisters Torian
Colon and Tracie Jae. They were a huge inspiration because I
was there during the launch of their debut novels. As I began
to network, authors like Kendra Norman Bellamy, Tia McCollors,
Stephanie Perry Moore, Jessica Tilles, Elissa Gabrielle, and
so many others have continued to inspire me with their
tenacity in this industry.
Urban Reviews:
What do you like to do outside of writing?
Fon James:
I enjoy attending black college football games and
watching the bands (specifically my alma mater Jackson State
University). I also enjoy hanging out with my husband, my
family and friends, eating barbeque, dancing, joking around
and just enjoying life to the fullest.
Urban Reviews:
What are some of your favorite authors or books?
Fon James:
Some of my favorite books include Sister Souljah's The
Coldest Winter Ever; Victoria Christopher Murray's, A
Sin And A Shame; and works from authors like Cherlyn
Michaels, Lolita Files, T.D. Jakes, Victoria Christopher
Murray, Reshonda Tate Billingsley, Katherine Jones (RIP), and
Stephanie Perry Moore, just to name a few.
Urban Reviews:
What do you hope for the future of African American Christian
fiction genre?
Fon James:
I hope that this genre will continue to evolve and provide
a variety of stories for readers to enjoy. Just like there are
many different churches of the same denomination, there should
be many choices for readers who want to read Christian
fiction. Right now, there are many definitions of what
Christian fiction really is and what it isn't. But before a
book or genre is judged by its cover, readers are encouraged
to give the book and the author a chance, before making a
definitive decision on whether they like Christian fiction.
With so many new authors like myself coming on the scene and
writing for this genre, there's going to be a lot of variety
out there for readers to choose from, and that's a good thing!
Urban Reviews:
Is there anything else you'd like to share about yourself or
your book?
Fon James:
Sure! I would like to ask everyone who reads this Q&A to
visit my website (www.fonjames.com)
and check out an excerpt from Back and Forth. While I targeted
mature young adults with this novel, it has been well-received
by readers of all ages and genders. For those that honor me
with a purchase, please feel free to email me your thoughts,
comments, questions, etc. When I was a reader, I contacted
Michael Baisden and he talked to me like he'd known me forever
and I will never forget that. So I like to make myself
available to the readers as well, because I know how that
feels and what it means to chat with the person behind the
stories, so feel free to email me anytime at
fon@fonjames.com |
Read our review of Back And Forth in the
AA Fiction section.
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