Urban Reviews:  Can you tell us about your debut novel Whatever Gets You Through The Night?
Teri Denine:  Whatever Gets you Through the Night is a story about love going bad when the male ego is challenged because his mate is the sole breadwinner in the family.
This book is a must read for anybody who is a victim of relationship abuse whether directly or indirectly, or for anyone who has been in a controlling relationship and have lost hope. It's also so a great book to read if you just want to get lost in another realm. In as much as this is a fiction novel, there are some very real situations in it that will give everybody a glimpse of what goes on behind closed doors in these situations. This book is a bona fide page-turner that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat.  

Urban Reviews:  How did you come up with the concept for this novel?
Teri Denine:  I came up with the concept for this novel when I was talking to a real good friend of mine who was dealing with an abusive husband. She couldn't see the forest for the trees when I tried to offer her advice so I decided to paint a picture of her and women like her in a novel so that they could see themselves as others may see them.  I need these women to see what could happen if they stay in these relationships when they know damn well they should leave.  

Urban Reviews:  Did you find it to be a difficult process when writing this book?   What research did you do for the storyline?
Teri Denine:  The process when writing this book was not as difficult as it was emotional.  The book has some very real, very raw situations in it that drew out some seriously unexpected emotions in me as I worked on it.  It was definitely a challenge getting to the conclusion.  There is a childhood rhyme "Ring Around The Rosy, Pocket Full of Posies" in it that was very integral to the story. Every time the kids sang this rhyme something deadly happened in the book.  I researched the nursery rhyme and was shocked at the meaning of it. 

Urban Reviews:  When did you come to realize that writing was going to be a passion of yours?
Teri Denine:  I knew that writing was going to be a passion of my on my 7th birthday. My mom had bought me the entire Walt Disney story collection which included the actual albums that went with the stories. I was mesmerized! Before I knew it I was writing my own Winnie The Pooh stories and I've been at it ever sense!

Urban Reviews:  How do you think your knowledge as a script editor helped in conveying your story? 
Teri Denine:  My knowledge as a script editor came in very handy when I was working on my novel in the sense that with screenplays you only have so much time to get to your point so you have to build the action quickly.  Being a script editor gave me good practice on how to quickly create the action and to keep it up for as long as I needed to. It taught me to keep my story tight.

Urban Reviews:  Any words of advice to aspiring authors who are thinking about breaking into the book business?
Teri Denine:  To all of the aspiring authors thinking about breaking into the book business, stop thinking about it and do it. That's half the battle. The other half is dedication, determination and passion. It is most fulfilling when you are writing and you get to play God in a world that you created.  There's nothing like that!

Urban Reviews:  What's up next for Teri Denine?  Any upcoming projects that you care to share?
Teri Denine:  Yes, as a matter of fact, I'm currently editing a screenplay called "Dancin' With The Devil" for Cowboy Hat Films and I just launched my new company Urban American Editing Services for writers who need that personable, professional hand to polish their manuscript and get it ready for publication. I'm excited about it!

Urban Reviews:  What are some of your favorite authors and books?
Teri Denine:  Some of my favorite authors are Somerset Maughm who wrote Of Human Bondage which left an indelible impression on me forever, Gloria Mallette for just about everything she has written, and of course Terry McMillan.  

Urban Reviews:  What do you hope to accomplish as an author?
Teri Denine:  My goal as an author is to take you back to good old fashioned story telling.  You know, the stories where you walk away from them feeling inspired, excited and wishing you had been the herione or the hero in the story? I just want to be known for bringing great stories to the world.

Urban Reviews:  Any final thoughts you'd like to share with the world about yourself or your book?
Teri Denine:  I do hope that you will take the time to read Whatever gets You through The Night.  If you love a great read, this is it!  And please look out for my next book, A Loving Fan.