with R. Moreen Clarke
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R. Moreen Clarke
Moreen is a native of Plainfield, NJ. An avid reader
since childhood, she penned her first romance novel at the
age of fourteen.
Divorced and single in the late 90's, Moreen's
experiences upon reentering the dating world inspired her
first novel, In Search of Good Men (Xlibris, Oct.
2001). By spring of 2004 Moreen had completed her second
novel, If Only In My Dreams, (July 2005, Imprint
Books) a romantic and sensual story of Internet love gone
wrong. Moreen entered a contract with Kensington
Books in 2006 which produced her latest releases Quench
My Thirst (2007) and Promiscuous (2008).
She resides in Florida with her husband and is
working on her 5th novel.
Author's Official Website:
http://www.rmoreenclarke.com
Author's Myspace Page:
http://www.myspace.com/rmoreenclarke
Contact The Author:
R. Moreen Clarke
Order Your Copy of Promiscuous:
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Urban Reviews:
Tell us about your latest book Promiscuous.
R. Moreen
Clarke: Promiscuous is the story of two women
who on the surface appear to be your classic good girl and bad
girl. Deandra's behavior seems outrageous until the story
explores the deep rooted wounds of her teenage life that shape
her existence. Connie seems well rounded and successful, but
has her own scars of male rejection that she keeps hidden.
Both women are bound by small town gossip, a desire for the
same man and a secret they unwittingly share. The story has a
bit of mystery which you will find in all of my books.
Urban Reviews:
Where did the idea for this novel emanate from?
R. Moreen
Clarke: I started Promiscuous several years
ago, but put it down. I was stuck for a long time with
finding a direction for the story. One day the idea to
establish a prior relationship between Connie and Deandra came
to mind and it took off from there.
Urban Reviews:
You started off your career in 2001 with the release of In
Search of Good Men. What was it like to finally get your
story to print?
R. Moreen
Clarke: It was great. I'd always wanted to write and
finally seeing my work in print was very exciting for me as
well as my family. I was pleased by the reception it received
and how many women then and now told me they could truly
relate to the characters.
Urban Reviews:
Did you ever think you would be signed to a major publisher
like Kensington? How has this changed your goals as a
writer?
R. Moreen
Clarke: After self-publishing on a very limited
budget, I hoped one day to have a major publishing house take
on my work. My goals of what I would like to write haven't
changed. However, it is true that you lose some creative
control when you are contracted with a major publisher,
especially as a new author. In the future, I hope to have more
creative control over what I write and how it is represented
in the market.
Urban Reviews:
What projects are you working on for the future? When
can we expect it to be released?
R. Moreen
Clarke: I'm working on a couple of things. A
romance, a family saga, and possibly some short stories are on
the agenda. I hope to have something new for 2009.
Urban Reviews:
What would you label your books? Romance? Romance
Erotica? Fantasy? Would you consider doing other types
of books in the future?
R. Moreen
Clarke: I would label Quench My Thirst and
Promiscuous as Romance Erotica. I definitely intend to do
other types of books. Erotica was not a genre I intended to
write, but sort of found my way into. I love mystery and
suspense. I anticipate writing more romantic suspense stories
in the future.
Urban Reviews:
Is there an author that you look up to or have been inspired
by? What is it about them or their work that you
think is admirable?
R. Moreen
Clarke: I got the reading bug from my father. As a
youngster I started reading Harlequin romances I got from my
grandmother. She would take me to used book stores and I would
trade old ones for new ones. Then I began reading books my
father had on the shelf like Harold Robbins, Sidney Sheldon,
and Robin Cook. I moved onto Jackie Collins, Janet Dailey,
Barbara Taylor Bradford and Danielle Steele to name a few. At
the time I began reading, over 40 years ago, there weren't a
lot of African American fiction writers out there to select
from. As we moved into the nineties more African
American authors were readily available. I've read Omar Tyree,
Terri Mcmillan, Valerie Wilson Wesley and Venise Berry.
When I began writing it was, and still is important, to me to
show the readers that African American/Multicultural
storylines are as varied as those of main stream themed
stories 30-40 years ago where we had no representation. My
style is greatly influenced by the large variety of writers
that I was exposed to. The stories I write reflect the people
of the culture I grew up with and have met through my life
experiences. Of course, there is a lot of fantasy
involved, but I do believe it is important to explore the
possibilities and dream - what if...
Urban Reviews:
Are you an avid reader as well? What are some of
your favorite titles?
R. Moreen
Clarke: I will always consider myself an avid
reader, although I don't read as often as I used to. I don't
read any other works while I'm working on a project, because I don't want to be influenced by anyone
else's work.
Three of my favorites are Deceptions by Judith Michael,
A Do Right Man by Omar Tyree and A Day Late and A
Dollar Short by Terri McMillan.
Urban Reviews:
What advice do you have for the aspiring authors who have no
idea on how to get started in the business?
R. Moreen
Clarke: I made a lot of mistakes with my first book.
I sent it to agents who didn't represent my genre or weren't
accepting new clients. I didn't do the appropriate research
first. I had typos which didn't represent me well. It was all
a learning experience. With my second book I bought the Writer's Marketplace and used it as my guide. It was an
invaluable resource. I couldn't afford a professional editor
so I had as many eyes review it as possible. Then I would
advise aspiring authors to develop a tough skin and have
confidence in your ability. Rejections will come, but
persevere. It will be worth it in the end to have that
completed story in your hands.
Urban Reviews:
Name one thing that the world doesn't know about R. Moreen
Clarke...the person.
R. Moreen
Clarke: That I am very shy.
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Read our review of Promiscuous in the
AA Fiction section.
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