Author Spotlight: Barbara Joe Williams

Barbara Joe Williams, Amani Publishing

Website: Barbara Joe Williams.com

Barbara Joe Williams is probably the hardest working author in self-publishing today. She's the author of "Forgive Us This Day", "One Sister's Guide to Self-Publishing" and "Dancing with Temptation".

Barbara Joe is currently conducting a writing contest on her website called "How I Met My Sweetheart". This contest provides a shining light on romance and marriage, and gives hope to single women and men.

She was kind enough to spend some time with me recently.

Micheline de Foxx: Thanks so much for letting me interview you. Tell me more about this contest! It sounds exciting.

Barbara Joe Williams: Hi Micheline. Thanks for interviewing me today. I'm very excited about the "Sweetheart" writing contest. This will give at least ten aspiring writers an opportunity to receive a free publishing credit simply by sharing their inspirational love stories. I came up with this idea after attending a New Year's Eve party last year. The host was a good friend of mine and during the middle of the party, she asked me how I met my husband. Well, I enjoyed sharing my story with her and so did a lot of the other guests. Days later, I was still laughing at the funny stories when I came up with the idea for this writing contest as a way to publish those entertaining tales. If you'd like specific guidelines for entering the contest, please visit my website at: Barbara Joe Williams.com.

The deadline date for entering is Tuesday, June 27, which is my 25th wedding anniversary.

MdeF: Have you gotten a lot of feedback about the contest?

BJW: Yes, I've received a great deal of responses to the writing contest from a very diverse group of writers. In fact, I may have to do a volume two in the future just to get all the stories in. It's going to be a great collection of seriously funny short stories.

MdeF: What is the overall goal regarding this contest?

BJW: The overall goal of the contest is to publish at least ten short inspirational love stories in February 2007 just in time for Valentine’s Day. The purpose of the contest is to shed a positive light on marriage and romance, to provide hope to single women and men as well as show support for "married life".

MdeF: Sounds wonderful and I wish you luck. Let's get started; where did you grow up?

BJW: I was born and raised in Rosston, Arkansas. After graduating from high school, I joined the U.S. Navy and traveled for four years.

MdeF: Where do you currently reside?

BJW: Currently, I reside in Tallahassee, Florida. I've lived here for over twenty years.

MdeF: As a young child, did you enjoy reading and writing?

BJW: Yes, I did. I grew up on the "Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Mysteries". As a young child, I enjoyed writing poetry and short stories.

MdeF: Who were your favorite authors and why?

BJW: Alex Haley was one of my favorite authors. I remember reading "Roots" when I was a teenager and my classmates thought that I was crazy for reading almost 800 pages when I didn't have to.

MdeF: You are extremely proud of your Southern heritage; does that influence your writing?

BJW: Yes, it does. I've done a lot of traveling throughout the South, so I've been to most of the southern places that I'm writing about in my books.

MdeF: Who were your earliest influences? Why were they so important to you?

BJW: My earliest influences came from my mother. She was always reading a book or doing a crossword puzzle. As a teenager, I would sneak and read her Harlequin romance novels. Now although I read everything, romance is my favorite genre. She was important to me because she inspired me to read and would buy me a book when we couldn't afford anything else.

MdeF: Do you think before you write? Are you concerned with the way readers perceive your writings?

BJW: Yes, I put a lot of thought and research into everything that I write. For my first two novels "Forgive Us This Day" and "Dancing with Temptation", I researched marriage statistics on infidelity. I learned that a married man is more likely to have a one-night stand whereas a married woman is more likely to have a full fledged affair. So I reflected those statistics in both my books and created scenarios to support them. In addition, for the second novel titled "Dancing with Temptation", I researched the topic of impotence and tried to shed some light on that and how it could affect a happy marriage.

MdeF: How difficult was it for you to get your first book published?

BJW: Well, I tried the traditional channels for almost a year before I decided to self-publish. While I received some very positive feedback from several agents, I just didn't want to spend the next year of my life looking for a publisher. So I decided to start my own business as a publisher and do it myself. Now I'm venturing out to publish other authors, and it's going great. Although I would love to have a writing contract with a major publishing house, it's not my primary goal anymore.

MdeF: Why do you write?

BJW: I love to write because it's fun for me. Being able to create characters in my head and then bring them to life on paper is very exciting. Initially, I wrote "Forgive Us This Day" because I was specifically looking for a story about a happily married couple that were going through some trials and tribulations and show that they would be able to pull through it. When I saw very few of those types of stories on the market pertaining to African-Americans, I decided to write one myself.

MdeF: Where do you get your writing ideas and inspirations?

BJW: Most of my ideas come from experiences that I've had or those of other people that I've met throughout my years of traveling. I've also read a lot so I try to think of topics that I haven't seen covered in books before.

MdeF: What do you hope to achieve with your books?

BJW: I just want to show African-American people especially men in a very positive light when it comes to romantic stories. I'm tired of reading books where all the men are dogs and the women are victims of their deceit. I grew up with very positive men in my life, and I try to project that in my books as a model for other women.

MdeF: What was the last book you read?

BJW: The last book that I read was by Laverne Gaskins, another self-published author, titled "Child Support and Other Guarantees".

MdeF: How does your life enhance your writing?

BJW: Well, many of the things that I write about are based on things that have happened in my life or people that I've known. I've been married for almost twenty-five years and I've had quite a few friends to get married and divorced and then married and divorced again. So I have many experiences to draw from.

MdeF: Where do the titles of your books come from?

BJW: I try to come up with titles that reflect the main topic of my books. I want readers to be able to look at the title and have some idea what the book is going to be about before they even read the back cover.

MdeF: At book signings and seminars, what do readers say to you about their interpretations of your work?

BJW: I have received many varied responses, but they've all been positive. Mostly, my readers comment on how realistic my stories sound and the inspirational qualities that they contain. I like taking readers behind the curtains of marriage because so many romance novels concentrate on marrying Prince Charming, but they don't show what happens after the "I do's" have been said. So my readers have expressed how much they appreciate a behind-the-scenes view of married life.

MdeF: How do you keep from being categorized in the book industry?

BJW: I don't think that I'll be categorized because every book that I write is so different from the last one. I want to cover a variety of topics that reflect what's happening in the world today, and the problems that modern couples face.

MdeF: Could you tell us about your current book?

BJW: My current book is titled "Dancing with Temptation" which was released in November. It's about a married couple that has been together for seventeen years when the husband is faced with impotence, and the wife is dancing with the temptation of having an affair with a fine, younger man who's pursuing her. So the burning question is, can this marriage be saved?

MdeF: What separates this book from your other books?

BJW: This book deals with the reality that many married women face regardless of how long they've been married. It shows why a wife is more likely to have an ongoing affair when a husband is more likely to have a one-night stand and be done with it.

MdeF: That's very interesting; does this come from personal experience?

BJW: No, this one is not based on my personal experience. I just wanted to show the other side of the coin because women cheat too, and I haven't seen that explored in many novels.

MdeF: Where do you think you will be in one year, five years or ten years?

BJW: When I started Amani Publishing in 2004, it was my goal to publish five books in five years and re-evaluate my business. Now I've published four books in two years, and I'm looking forward to publishing at least two more by the end of this year. My third novel titled "Falling for Lies" is scheduled to be released in October, and I have several other authors interested in publishing with my company. And I've already completed my fourth novel to be released in October of next year. So, hopefully, in the next five or ten years I'll still be writing and publishing for myself as well as other authors.

MdeF: Do you find that the Internet is valuable in boosting your writing career? How so?

BJW: Yes, the Internet has been valuable in at least two ways. First of all, it's a great way to get specific details about any city in the world. It's also a great marketing tool because I have my own website and a blog located here: Barbara Joe's Blog

MdeF: How do you handle challenges and obstacles?

BJW: I have a very strong support system that I call upon whenever I'm faced with challenges and obstacles. My husband is one of my strongest supporters and he looks for the positive in everything that happens. I also have a handful of spiritual friends that keep me focused on the important things in life.

MdeF: That is truly inspirational; are there any future events you would like us to know about?

BJW: I have a Marketing Workshop this Saturday, June 3rd, at the Small Business Development Center, and I'll be the guest speaker that same evening at True Wisdom New Hope Ministries. Next Friday and Saturday, June 9th and 10th, I'll be hosting the Book Fair at the Tallahassee Community College as a part of the Florida African Dance Festival. For more details about these events, please visit my website.

MdeF: Do you have any advice for other writers?

BJW: Yes, I would advise them to keep writing and believing in themselves no matter what anyone else says. If you can't find a traditional publisher, then just publish the book on your own or hire an independent publisher like myself.

MdeF: If you could choose only one word to describe yourself, what would it be?

BJW: Determined.

MdeF: Barbara Joe Williams, thanks for a great interview. I wish you all the best, now and in the future.

BJW: Thank you for providing me with an opportunity to talk about my publishing experiences. I hope that I've inspired someone else to reach for their dreams.

Copyright © 2006 Micheline de Foxx