Urban Reviews:  Can you tell us about your debut novel Never As Good As The First Time?
Mari Walker:  I wanted to tell a story that would show how easy it is for ordinary people, just like you and I to get caught up in the drug scene, even if doing drugs never entered their thoughts or their world. I also wanted to speak to anyone who is caught in the madness to let them know that you don't have to remain trapped in addiction. They just have to reach down inside and find that place of self-love and self worth and realize they are much more than what they have become.

Urban Reviews:  Where was your inspiration for writing this novel?
Mari Walker:  My first inspiration was from God, who gave me the gift to write. Second, and I'm not in any way knocking those popular street fiction novels that glamorize the drug dealing life, because I strongly believe to each his own. But I have to say that those stories went a long way in helping me to decide to write this story. I wanted to show young people who read those stories that there is another side. There are people who pay dearly to enable the ballers and all the others looking for a quick dollar to live the high life. That someone's hard earned money is not only going up in smoke, but so are children's lives, the lives of our brother's and sisters, they all become fodder for drug dealers' millions.

Urban Reviews:  Describe to us the moment you first learned about your book deal.
Mari Walker:  Wow! I was at work when my agent called and told me about my deal at St. Martin's Press. I screamed and my co-workers gathered around me, because I had been telling them that my agent was trying to land a deal for me. I was no good after that...I was so excited. I had visions of quitting my day job dancing in my head. (I didn't and I wouldn't advise anyone to do this right away. Most of us don't land six figure deals right away! And most of us have to pay our dues and prove ourselves before we can leave that nine to five. My boss did give me the rest of the day off though.

Urban Reviews:  What do you have on the horizon as far as future projects?
Mari Walker:  I have a second novel that I just finished the first draft on that will revisit some of the characters from the first novel. I am also working on something original involving three sisters and the different religious paths their lives take. I've got so many stories battling to get out of my head and on paper, that it's sometimes difficult for me to decide what to write next. It's like now that I've gotten the first story out, the floodgates have opened wide. Those who like what I write will have more adventures coming.

Urban Reviews:  What was your biggest fear about the book industry? 
Mari Walker:  My biggest fear was that I would be rejected by agents and publishers a thousand times before I could land a deal. I had heard all of the stories about how impossible it is to break into the business if you don't know someone, no matter how well you write, or how good your story.  I didn't find that to be true.  I would encourage other writers to NEVER GIVE UP! Two things a writer must have are patience and perseverance. If you're getting rejected, don't just keep sending out your manuscript without taking a hard look and rewriting it. Listen to what those who have rejected you are saying. And rework your story before you send it on to the next person. Get a GOOD agent. That's my best advice.

Urban Reviews:  What do you do when you're not writing or promoting your novel?
Mari Walker:  I'm work on plans for a project I'm developing for young girls who are at-risk to engage in self destructive behavior. I want to introduce these young women to the joys of creative writing as a means to channel their energies in a more positive direction. I can't forget a slogan I heard some years ago: Each one reach one. So if I can just help one child become more than what they see around them, then I will feel that I am on the right path.

Urban Reviews:  You mention on your website that you hope to capture your mother's story in a book. What characteristics do you presently have that you believe originated from your mother?
Mari Walker:  My mother was an avid reader, and a storyteller. She had a magical, lyrical voice that mesmerized me. I believe she passed some of that on to me. But even more than that, my mother was a very loving, generous woman, whose joy in life was feeding people, and helping people with life's problems. If you came to my mother's house, you would leave with a full stomach and some sage advice.

Urban Reviews:  Are there any authors or books that you can point to as being influential to you wanting to be a writer?
Mari Walker:  Yes, Richard Wright, Tina McElroy Ansa, Terry McMillan, Walter Mosley, Diane McKinney-Whetstone, E. Lynn Harris, Solomon Jones, Kimberla Lawson Roby and so many, many others.

Urban Reviews:  As a new author, what's the biggest lesson you have learned so far about the book business?
Mari Walker:  That it is a business. Plain and simple. You have to think like a business person to succeed. And also that there are a lot of nice people in this business. I have received invaluable advice from other authors who have written a lot of novels. Both famous and not so famous who have taken the time out of their very busy schedules to answer an email that I have sent them seeking advice about writing. So the myth of "crabs in a barrel" that a lot of people talk about hasn't been the case for me. Also, having a good agent can go a long way in helping to navigate the world of publishing.

Urban Reviews:  What is your ultimate goal as an author?
Mari Walker:  To touch a person's heart, soul and mind. To inspire them in some way, even if it is just to pick up a book and read, or even to write a story of their own.