Urban-Reviews.com - Inside Out

Urban Reviews: Tell us about Death of a Hustler.
Rorie: When people see the title Death of a Hustler, they immediately associate it with a person. Death of a Hustler is actually about the hustler that lies within all of the individuals in the novel. Each character is a hustler in one way or another and all of the events that force them either willingly or unwillingly to leave that aspect of their lives behind.

Urban Reviews: Where did you come up with the idea for this novel?
Rorie: I was writing on a pad traveling to work one morning and I just kept on going. As I got deeper into the novel I began to form the characters. Then as I developed each character I would think, feel and say things that I thought that specific character would say and or do at the time.

Urban Reviews: What made you want to become a writer? Who or what inspired you?
Rorie: Growing up I wanted to become a lawyer. However, while in class I would drift off and write yet another random story just to get me through class.
I love to read books of all kinds, but once I started reading Urban Novels after the completion of each one I would say I can do this. I would write all of the time about any and everything. While on the train riding to work I would select three random people and create a story about them. I would draft this story all the way to work and if I felt like it, I would continue with the same story on my way home. My true inspiration came when I was blessed once again with a new position at a large government agency. I began to feel my inner light, which is usually extremely bright and exuberant dim. I just wasn’t happy. As a single parent with responsibilities I am unable to just up and leave my job behind. So I began to focus on the things that bring me joy, one of them is writing.

Urban Reviews: What are your goals as an author?
Rorie: My aim is to sell the rest of my books in stock and after the necessary edits go straight into the second printing of Death of a Hustler. Presently I have six manuscripts that I am in the process of formatting. I would welcome the opportunity to work with a larger publishing company. I look forward to the day when I will be able to l support my family solely with my writings. Hopefully I will then have the opportunity to turn one of my novels into a screen play and see it on the big screen. I would often say that I am going to be the Spike Etta Lee (female Spike Lee) of the industry. I would love the opportunity to bring one of my many stories to life on the big screen. To allow audiences from all walks of life to see and feel each story as I did when writing it, this will be another dream come true.

Urban Reviews: What have you learned about the book industry being a relatively new author? Is it what you expected?
Rorie: NO way, this business is nothing like I expected! Advertising is key so you really have to rely on word of mouth, it is extremely important! See I can’t sing so I can’t sell an astronomical number of books the way an R&B, Rap or Hard Rock artist can. It is extremely hard to sell yourself to the public with back pack and book in hand. There are so many authors nowadays and each one has their own specific style.

As a self published author with a day job, it's difficult to just get out there and sell, sell, sell. I’ve actually walked up to individuals in an attempt to pitch my book and they have proudly told me (not too nicely I might add) “I don’t read” or “I don’t have time to read.” I just thank them for their time and walk away. What I really want to tell them is to NEVER tell a person that you don’t read...just say you don’t read that type of book.

Secondly, as a self published author you have total control over your project. Remember this is your name not people in your family, the printers or friends. You have the power to stop production at anytime if you are not pleased with what you see. I am not saying put a hold on your project for a couple of years but a couple of extra days would not hurt, if you feel you need it. I had so many red flags but I allowed pressure from family and friends to push me into production when I felt unsure.

Finally, spend the extra money for a professional editor. Unfortunately and fortunately for me I did not have the cash to pursue this. However, after the book was released I received offers from school teachers, women with degrees in English etc. They purchased the book and enjoyed the story and offered their services for my future projects. Now that’s love. I had a family member and a friend do the editing for me. Later on they confessed that they became so enthralled with the characters and the story on a whole they soon abandoned their job duties as editors and just enjoyed the story.

Since I was extremely short on funds when I went to the individual who did my layout for the printer, I was convinced that fewer pages would be better and more cost effective. However if the person doing your layout is not reading your work then you will experience things such as breaks in paragraphs and things of the like. Once again remember to always keep in mind your name is on the final project, so protect it at all cost. Then there are the various distributors you will come in contact with. Very few will pay for your books up front so you will have to make some kind of consignment agreement. This is fine but I will admit I have suffered a loss, so be very careful when making these types of agreements.

Urban Reviews: What authors or books have you read and enjoyed?
Rorie: Wow! Well the first name that popped into my mind is J. California Cooper. I LOVE her work, I really do. Some Soul to Keep...A Piece of Mine...I think she is just wonderful. The late Bebe Moore Campbell, Zora Neale Hurston, Omar Tyree, Carl Weber, Zane, Vickie Stringer, Terry McMillan, John Steinbeck, Walter Mosley and Donald Goines to name a few.

Urban Reviews: What advice would you want to give someone who wants to get into the business?
Rorie: Not just this business but anything your heart truly desires, don’t let fear be your road block. Fear will keep you in a job, relationship, city, body, house, apartment and the list goes on and on that you HATE. If no one around you believes in you that’s fine, your own belief is all you need. This is not an easy business to get into, but it is most rewarding. I am still working my day job and living in a rental apartment (for now). However, my rewards come when I have sold a book to a woman on my way home from work and she will run up to me and scream “giiirrrrlll that book was the BOMB! Now hurry up and get the next one out, you can’t keep me and my girls waiting. Or a brother that brought the book just to support a sister would come up to me from out of now where and say “I just got the book to support you, you know what I mean. But that book was good Ma keep doing you” Now it doesn’t get any better than that.

Urban Reviews: What do you want people to know most about you?
Rorie: I am a warm hearted optimist by nature. I love all people from all walks of life. I believe that it’s our vast life experiences that make us all wonderfully different individuals. I have a quick wit, which I often use to make even the worst situation easier to deal with. It is a gift my dear friends often benefit from. I am a single parent to a wonderful daughter with an extremely supportive family. Although my daughter’s father & I are no longer together, we have an excellent relationship. Now this took some time, but it worked out. All he had to do was listen to me in the first place.

I would like to leave you with this little tidbit: I remember having a conversation with a dear friend one Saturday afternoon and telling her about the book. When I told her that I wrote a book and it is only days from being released, she asked me in a rather condescending tone “How are you going to sell 5,000 books?” I proudly told her one book at a time! Never let anyone steal your JOY!