Urban-Reviews.com - Inside Out with William Fredrick Cooper

William Fredrick Cooper

William Fredrick Cooper was born in Brooklyn, reared on Staten Island, and presently resides in the Bronx, New York. An Assistant Managing Clerk at a New York City law firm, he is the proud father of a lovely daughter named Maranda. Mr. Cooper is a teen mentor with the Brother 2 Brother Mentorship Program in conjunction with Harlem Hospital; a member of Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist church; a coordinator of the Well Read Reading group, a Brooklyn based literacy initiative that connects with African American teenagers; and the acting Secretary of Brother 2 Brother Symposium, Inc., a program that encourages black men and young adults to read fiction literature. (http://www.theliteraryevent.com/symposium)

His first novel, Six Days In January, was published in February 2004 by Strebor Books. A groundbreaking piece of literature that explores the heart of an African-American man damaged by love, the novel received rave reviews in major periodicals in the United States, Canada, Bermuda and the United Kingdom.

Mr. Cooper is a contributing author to several anthologies. “Legal Days, Lonely Nights” appeared in Zane’s Sistergirls.com, “Watering Cherry’s Garden” was a story for Twilight Moods - African American Erotica, “Snowy Moonlit Evenings” was composed for Journey to Timbooktu, a collection of poetry and prose, as compiled by Memphis Vaughnes, and “More and More” as well as “Sweet Dreams” were included in Morning, Noon and Night: Can’t Get Enough – a collection of erotic fiction. “Te Deseo” was a contribution to Zane’s New York Times Bestselling anthology Caramel Flava, which was published by Simon and Schuster in August 2006. “Dear Zane: A Lust Letter From A Fan” will appear as an extra piece in the forthcoming Zane novel “Dear G-Spot”, scheduled for release by Atria Books in July 2007.

His latest novel, There's Always A Reason, is a stand alone sequel to Six Days In January and was released in March 2007. A third novel entitled How Come, How Long? will be published in the fall of 2010.

Read An Excerpt of There's Always A Reason

Author's Official Website: http://williamfcooper.tripod.com
Author's Myspace Page: http://www.myspace.com/wfcooper
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Urban Reviews: Tell us about There's Always A Reason.
William Fredrick Cooper: There’s Always a Reason is, simply put, a black love story. Not a romance story, nor in the alternative, a boyfriend/girlfriend chick-lit tome. I wanted to write a love story that showed the depths of this energy in the clearest possible form. You have to have the hardest of hearts not to be moved by this story.

Urban Reviews: Readers will find that there's a lot of raw emotion in this story. Is this novel inspired by true events?
William Fredrick Cooper: There’s Always a Reason was an emotional hurricane from a very deep place. The story came at a time in my life where it seemed everything was going wrong. I had lost my job, been unemployed for almost two years, and was on the verge of losing my apartment. So while this was happening, I would write from my heart to ease the pain. I read once that a writers best work comes when their facing adversity, and I would have to agree with that. It forces you to focus and lock in on REAL ISSUES, as I attempted to do in this story.

Urban Reviews: What do you love most about your book?
William Fredrick Cooper: The depths of the relationship between William McCall and Linda Woodson. As I was writing, I fell in love with the deep connection, the strength both gave one another through faith, and the unique chemistry shared as they traveled their brief journey together. Theirs was a dance, where at some point but had to relinquish their pride and humble themselves to 1) Be helped and 2) be loved. Pretty Deep.

Urban Reviews: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
William Fredrick Cooper: WE NEED EACH OTHER. PERIOD. You know, as much as today’s society encourages independence and self-sufficiency, the bottom line is that we need each other to survive. Fear speaks for many of us at times, because we’re so scared that once we open up to the notion that WE is better than I, we’ll be disappointed. Through Linda’s strength, I tried to drill that in William McCall’s head. Another message delivered is in the way we love. When it doesn’t work, often times we hide behind a wall of defense mechanisms. With women, it’s the attitude; with men, the playa mentality. Again, these are byproducts of fear. You must let that go, or whatever God has in store for you concerning your heart will never come. I had to learn that lesson, and I’m hoping I delivered the message in REASON.

Urban Reviews: Have you experienced any challenges being a fairly new author?
William Fredrick Cooper: You have an eternity? ~smile~ I’ve had to overcome a lot of obstacles , and not all because of my newness. From sleeping on office floors to get my first novel completed because I had no computer at home, to being told my flow is too emotional for a man, it’s been an interesting journey. Hell, agents told me years ago that my writing is not marketable, and readers have put my work down because it’s so different. But I never lose faith in my abilities. That There’s Always a Reason was selected as a Main Selection in April 2007 for Black Expressions is a testimony of persistence, patience and perseverance. It’ll be interesting to see how it stacks up against the many popular genres.

Urban Reviews: What authors or books have most influenced your life?
William Fredrick Cooper: Good Question. I studied David Halberstam as well as David Maraniss, for many of their non-fiction works have inspired me. Though I enjoy many of our African-American writers, I think the works of John A. Williams, Richard Wright and Alex Haley have seriously carved a niche in my soul. Terry McMillan’s Waiting To Exhale influenced me...and not for the obvious reasons. I always felt like she was missing one guy in her many depictions of African-American Men. There are men who (either by way of their own choices or the negative contributions of angry people) have experienced the very same things women go through trying to find love. Because it’s never mentioned, when one speaks up about it, unwarranted labels are suggested. That is the single most ignorant assumption concerning all matters of the heart and soul, a condition that is further fueled by society’s perceptions about the wholeness of men. Through my works, I try to illustrate that 1) WE ALL HURT; 2) WE ALL HAVE BEEN HURT and 3) ALL WE REALLY WANT IS LOVE AND RESPECT.

Urban Reviews: Do you consider yourself a full-time author at this time or do you still have a 9 to 5 job?
William Fredrick Cooper: I am a legal assistant at a law firm by day.

Urban Reviews: Can we get a sneak peak at your next novel?
William Fredrick Cooper: How about my next story? I have a story coming out later this month with Jessica Tilles called “I Want To (bleep) You” that will be a part of her latest novel Unfinished Business. That book is a must read. Then in July, I’ll be in Zane’s non-fiction work Dear G-Spot with “Dear Zane: A Lust Letter From A Fan.” I thought it might be cool to have someone fantasize about… Well, you have to read it to believe it. My next novel is three years away. How Come, How Long will be a story about rape and forgiveness. I hope I pull it off.

Urban Reviews: What advice would you give to aspiring authors out there?
William Fredrick Cooper: Never give up on your dreams. It might take a minute, but things do happen with a little faith and some elbow grease. And learn the craft. Many of us have books out, but are we writers? Do we understand the many little nuances of writing that separates good from excellent? Or in the alternative, do we want the paper? I think the best compliment will be if something I penned will be spoken of long after I’ve returned to my maker.

Urban Reviews: What do you want people to know most about you?
William Fredrick Cooper: I’m just an ordinary guy. Nothing More, Nothing Less.