Urban Reviews:
Tell us more about your latest book "Gaming For Love."
Nancy Weaver:
Thank you for the opportunity to talk about Gaming for
Love. I feel truly good about the book. Gaming for Love
is as close to real relationships as any story can get. By
happenstance of widowhood, Tessa is driven onto the dating scene.
She expects to have the same wonderful experience she had had ten
years earlier when she dated and married her college sweetheart.
But she quickly learns the hard way that that is an era long
dismantled, the time when sharing ones sex was at the very least
a veiled commitment. Memphis is the first man she enters into a
sexual relationship with. She believes that he loves her as much
as she loves him. Then he comes home wearing the scent of another
woman on his breath. He mistakenly believes that she is just like
most women and will give him another chance. But her dignity
doesn't allow her to do that. To stave off loneliness, she forms
a sisterhood with mostly brokenhearted women, who at times are
contentious toward one another. Later she meets Roman. It isn't
long before she experiences his extreme jealousy, and she soon
exits the relationship.
Just when she has given up all hope or ever loving again, her
blessing comes in the form of a phone call from Phoenix, who
extends her an invitation to a singles party. Among a smorgasbord
of available bachelors is Sterling Cole. (He is perhaps as
familiar with heartbreak and betrayal as she is.) He is a
downright attractive guy, who could have any woman he wants, but
he only has eyes for the woman across the room. Upon meeting
Tessa, he quits breathing when she boldly announces: "The vagina
bar is closed." But no sooner had the words rolled off her lips
did steaming waves of pulsating desire roll through her veins,
and she finds herself struggling to stick to her own rules. Would
she stand firm, or would the chemistry between them melt the
walls to her heart and cause her to forfeit the one thing she's
been fighting to protect the most, besides her heart...her precious
vagina bar?
Urban Reviews:
Where did the concept behind this novel come from?
Nancy Weaver:
Uh, the idea came to me seeing how difficult it is for women
to be in meaningful relationships. Hearing their complaints about
how men use the words "I'm in love with you" as bait words. Women
are just so hungry for true love from a man, and hearing those
words makes them game. Plus I remember what it was like when I
was dating. I got mad, and I did what the character does. Things
are much worse now days. Thank God I found my husband. He was
similar to Sterling Cole.. So I guess much of the concept came as
a result of my personal experience as well.
Urban Reviews:
You also had a book called "In Her Presence: A Husband's Dirty
Secret." Can you tell us about that book?
Nancy Weaver:
Yes, and thank you again for the opportunity to speak about
my work. In Her Presence: A Husband's Dirty Secret got the
BlackRefer Readers' Choice award in 2004. The book is inspired by
true events. It's a love story that turns into extreme domestic
violence. The setting is in the Mississippi Delta. A young
cunning divorcee sets her sight on this wealthy, married farmer
for whom she knows nothing about. Her girlfriend since childhood
knows him well, and she constantly warns her about him, which
leads to the end of their long friendship. His motive for dating
her in the fist place is to settle a vendetta against the aunt
who raised him. He believes that she is his aunt's estranged
daughter, and is a perfect victim" as well her teen daughters that
she brings into the union; and then later the daughters that they
have together. Were it not for the fact that the story is based
on real life events, it would be unbelievable. It is truly off
the hook.
Urban Reviews:
What are your goals as a writer?
Nancy Weaver:
Thank you for asking. I love to write. I have many
subject matters inside my head. So I plan to keep on producing
good novels.
Urban Reviews:
Do you think that self-publishing has been difficult for you?
Would you have done anything differently?
Nancy Weaver:
At time it has been very difficult. I soon realized that it
involves more than just writing a manuscript. First, I needed a
business certificate, and a vendor's license. I most certainly
needed start up capital, which I was fortunate to have. I needed
to scout for the least expensive printing company that does good
work. Then I needed a distributor. Tom and Marylyn Ross's Guide
to Self- Publishing was very helpful. I realized that going into
business for oneself that you gotta be resourceful, because
everybody is out to make as much money off of you as let them.
One example: someone I'd worked with was good at creating
websites. I thought he would give me a break because we were
coworkers. The price he quoted me sent shock waves through my
system. I went out and purchased my own software and with the
help of my brother- in- law, I created my own website. I sought
out and got under the wings of other self-publishing authors who
were succeeding in the business. One of the biggest difficulties
with me is time management. Everything is squeezed. Thank God for
my husband though. He is with me every step of the way. He does a
lot of the work that I need to get done.
Urban Reviews:
What have been your biggest challenges when it comes to promoting
your novels?
Nancy Weaver:
The biggest challenge is to know who to use to promote ones
work. Again, everybody wants your money, and a lot of it. So we
try to use what we believe are the best sources. I've used small
radio stations to promote my work. I've promoted inside of
MultiCultural magazine, Baker and Taylor magazine. The fees
aren't all that cheap. And of course, I use Amazon.com. We also
send out thousands of emails, and hand out as many bookmarks as
possible at book signings. The place where I work has lots of
floor. I leave bookmarkers inside the bathrooms. And when I
attend meetings or training I leave bookmarks inside those
facilities bathrooms. I put bookmarks inside my books that I'm
selling.
Urban Reviews:
Do you have anything that you are working on for the future?
Nancy Weaver:
Yes. I am working on the sequel to In Her Presence: A
Husband's Dirty Secret. I am constantly getting e-mails from
my fans that are asking me when am I going to write the sequel.
Some I even run into at side walk book signings. They all want to
know what happened to the children. I tell them I'm working on
it. The truth though is these children whose lives inspired the
story have grown up, and I believe some have no doubt either read
the book or gotten wind of it. I get some strange and nasty
emails from time to time, and I recognize their names. So this is
really a difficult process. But their lives are only the
inspiration behind the stories that I tell.
Urban Reviews:
Has there been anyone in the book business who has helped you the
most with your literary journey?
Nancy Weaver:
I'm glad that you've asked. Yes, loudly. Authors Hickson,
owner of Ghetto Heat; and Jessica Tilles, owner of Xpress
Yourself Publishing are my greatest mentors. They are growing
into small empires as they have spread into publishing other
authors' work. That is something I would consider for the future.
(I hope to leave my nine-to-five job in four years. Then I will
have time to do whatever.)
Urban Reviews:
What things would you like to tell others who are thinking about
getting into the business?
Nancy Weaver:
Well, I would tell them to look for a mentor. To put aside
some capital and then guard it carefully, because everybody wants
a piece of it. (I have not had good experiences with editors and
proofreaders.) You pay them big fees and it turns out your
material contains errors that didn't exist before. So even if
you've heard in the past that this person is good at what they
do, check again with the persons they've done work for in the
past and who told you that they were good. You might be surprised
at what they have to say to you now. I paid out close to fifteen
hundred dollars to an editor only to find out later as I was
glancing through my manuscript that they had accidentally
switched one character into the role of the other. And this was
not in the draft that I'd been given. I kept the draft and
compared it to what was the finished product. There were other
errors as well. It was then that I picked up the phone and called
the person who had used this editor in the past. I was told I
should have called before I used this them. So keep abreast of
the facts is what I would tell others who are thinking of getting
into the business. And stick with distributors who don't charge
storage fees. I just pulled my books from a distributor in the
northwest. The cost of writing out a check each month for returns
and storage fees was breaking me. They left out of the contract
the storage fees and return, and only sent it to me after I'd
signed the contract. (If an author is in New York, I recommend
A&B Distributors located in Brooklyn.)
Urban Reviews:
I there anything else you would like to share with us about you
or your books?
Nancy Weaver:
Yes, I would. About the books, I say go out and purchase them
either from my web site at discount, or from Amazon--at the full
price; and from bookstores and street vendors.
www.timeandchancepublishing.com
never charges a shipping fee and orders are promptly filled.
About me, I enjoy hearing from my readers. I will continue to
write good books. I have many stories inside my head. I only wish
I had the time to write as I would like to. Thank you for this
wonderful opportunity to discuss my work before the public eye.
Good day.
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