Interview with
Tinisha Nicole Johnson
You've written poetry, short stories and two unpublished novels. What motivated you to continue to work towards your dream of becoming an author?
Well writing is my passion. I really can't see my life without writing. In the writing business you have to be patient, and you have to be persistent. At least that's what I've learned. But the creative side of writing is really what keeps me at it, and loving it. I knew that my continuously pursuing my dream would pay off one day. And I now know I'm on the right track.
What inspired you to write "Searchable Whereabouts?"
Well, I've always enjoyed mystery shows and movies. I was a huge fan of the old television shows, Murder She Wrote and Kojak. I also love watching some of the more modern mystery/crime shows. I decided to challenge myself as a writer, so I decided to write a mystery book of my own.
Did you have the characters or plot in mind first?
When I sat down to write this book, I didn't have an outline. I didn't have a plot, I didn't have anything to go off on. All I knew was that I wanted to write a mystery, and I wanted a female to be the main character. It took me about three years to finish Searchable Whereabouts.
Who is Rahkel Williams and what tragedies is she trying to overcome?
Rahkel Williams is a woman in her mid-thirties who's had a troubled past. She lost her son in a car accident - which she blames herself. The book opens on the third anniversary of her son's death. To deal with the loss, she found herself clinging towards drugs and alcohol. Amongst all this, she was also involved in an abusive relationship with her son's father. She has overcome and is clean, but still has her sad moments. She's moving on with her life, trying to find herself throughout the novel, sort-of-speak.
What event leads to her uncovering an unknown truth?
Rahkel learns of the murder of her beloved Uncle. After that takes place, there are so many events that lead up to her uncovering the truth behind her uncle's death. Here are a few: People of interest who she thought were involved in her uncle's murder are suddenly killed. Her 8-year-old cousin (whom she refers to as her niece), who was very close to her uncle, begins to act strangely, even suspiciously. Rahkel is almost run over by an unidentified car. Rahkel finds keys that may be a clue into her uncle's suspected double life. These are some - to name a few.
Who helps her on her mission?
Rahekl hires a private investigator named Darrin Miller. Later, there is a love interest that evolves between the two.
How does she find herself caught in a web of lies in deceit?
Rahkel becomes suspicious of some of her family members. Could they have murdered her uncle, she wonders? She knows someone close to her is not telling the truth. She begins to wonder who she can trust. Slowly clues reveal and lead her closer to the truth.
What was the writing and publishing process like for you for this novel?
Exhausting is one word to sum it up. After spending a year writing the book, I almost gave up. I was half way finished and I didn't know what else to write about. I was lost, and I didn't have a clue of where to take the story next. So I let the novel sit in my computer for another year and a half. Finally, I made a decision to go back to my manuscript and finish it. I spent the next six months doing so. It took a total of about 3 years, but I was so proud of myself for completing it.
After that, I spent a little over a year trying to find a publisher. I received rejection letter, after rejection letter. Finally I decided to just self-publish it. However, a couple of weeks into me trying to self-publish my book, I figured I'd send one more query letter out. That was the best thing I could have done, because a publisher contacted me and offered me a contract. I was thrilled.
Tell us about Authors Supporting Authors? How did you learn about this group? How do members benefit from it?
Authors Supporting Authors is a non-profit networking group. I am the co-founder of the group, along side founder - author, Linda R. Herman. Linda and I wanted to form a group that promoted reading. At the same time, we wanted to provide support to other authors who felt as frustrated as we were. We didn't feel like there were enough resources providing both inspiration and promotion to fiction authors. So we formed a group that provided just that.
Membership is free. We only ask that authors support each other. We provide promotion for authors regardless of what genre they write in. Whoever has a book event or book signing, we send that person promotion material to hand out, everyone in the group provides this. We also make up gift bags filled with author promo items. We also give away monthly gift bags to readers and book clubs. We keep each other informed on book news and the like. And we keep our database of book clubs up to date and current.
We have a quarterly newsletter promoting authors and their works. We also provide blog tours for authors. There are so many benefits we provide in our networking group Authors Supporting Authors. We currently have about forty members that live all over the US.
c Denise Fleischer, gottawritenetwork.com
2008
