Urban Reviews: Can you tell
us what your latest book Illusions is all about?
Wanda B. Campbell: Illusions is a
Christian Fiction novel portraying the struggles of Pastor
Bryce Hightower and First Lady Denise Hightower. After three
years of marriage, Denise discovers that her husband has a
secret addiction that not only jeopardizes their marriage, but
impairs his ability to effectively preach the gospel.
Yielding to pressure from her mother and her husband,
Denise agrees to keep his addiction a secret, although her
self-esteem plummets. Her life as the "perfect" First Lady
rapidly unravels at the seams.
Self-centered and determined to uphold his pastoral image,
Bryce is oblivious to his wife's emotional state. He's
convinced that he can overcome his "little problem" on his
own, and rejects the spiritual help God sends him until a
situation in his church forces him to deal with his issues.
Urban Reviews: How did
you come up with the concept for this novel?
Wanda B. Campbell: Illusions began
as a short story for the Cruisin' for Christ I Short Story
contest in 2007. The cruise is a Christian cruise organized
and founded by National best-selling author Kendra Norman
Bellamy. I never intended to turn the short story into a full
novel; however, the winning stipulation was that I had to
submit the full novel for consideration to Urban Christian for
publication. At the time I only had 8,000 words, but I wanted
to write a story that would not only entertain readers, but a
story that would provoke thought and bring change. After much
prayer, Illusions was formed.
Urban Reviews: What
things have you done and plan to do to help spread the word
about your latest novel?
Wanda B. Campbell: Illusions has
just completed a successful month-long international blog
tour. Since the February 1st release, I have had the privilege
of being interviewed on several popular Blog Talk Radio shows.
Thanks to my publicist, my calendar is booked locally with
book signings as well as other author events. I was also
featured in a local newspaper. Currently, I actively network
on social networks sites like Twitter, Facebook, Shoutlife,
MySpace and Shelfari, just to name a few. Paid advertising on
popular literary sites has helped as well. I also pass out
postcards to anyone who will listen.
Urban Reviews: What has
been the biggest lesson you've learned so far about the book
industry?
Wanda B. Campbell: The biggest lesson
I’ve learned about the literary world is that writing the
manuscript is the easy part. The real work doesn’t begin
until after the last period is typed. Writing a good story is
easy compared to formulating a good and effective marketing
plan.
Urban Reviews: What was
the best advice that you've ever received from another fellow
author?
Wanda B. Campbell: The first writing
workshop I attend was conducted by Kendra Norman Bellamy. Two
of the main points she stressed were to learn the literary
business and to hone your craft. Like most new writers, I had
the distorted idea that once my book was published it would
just fly off the shelves.
Urban Reviews: What do
you hope to accomplish in the literary world? Do you
think you could sustain a long writing career?
Wanda B. Campbell: My primary goal is to
write novels that readers not only enjoy, but also cause
readers to think. Writing is not only a job for me, it’s
also a ministry. If I win awards or sale a million copies,
fine. If not, fine. My main purpose is to minister to the
hearts of readers. I hope to eventually write full-time.
Urban Reviews: What
upcoming projects can we look forward to from Wanda B.
Campbell?
Wanda B. Campbell: My third novel,
Right Package, Wrong Baggage, will be released by Urban
Christian July 2010. Right Package, Wrong Baggage is
the sequel to my first published work, "Mommy’s Present" in
the anthology, The Midnight Clear.
Urban Reviews: Do you
find promoting Christian fiction to the masses to be a
difficult task?
Wanda B. Campbell: I don’t find
promoting Christian Fiction to the masses difficult.
Time-consuming, but not difficult. I don’t think promoting
Christian Fiction is any different than promoting other
genres. The same principles apply; one just has to know their
audience.
Urban Reviews: What author
do you admire in the book industry the most and why?
Wanda B. Campbell: I admire Sharon Ewell
Foster for her ability to draw readers into her historical
stories. In my opinion, Ms. Foster is the purist voice in
Christian Fiction. Her books Riding Through Shadows and
Passing Into Light helped me to spiritually grow.
Urban Reviews: Is there
anything else you would like to share with us about you or
your books?
Wanda B. Campbell: Although I write under
the Christian Fiction genre, being a Christian is not a
prerequisite to enjoy my novels. The life lessons can be
applied both in and out of the church. |
