It’s such a treat to have Monique D. Mensah with us today. She’ll be stopping in throughout the day to chat it up with us. But first, check out the interview below to learn more about her writing journey and her new book, Who Is He To You.  This is NOT a book discussion, so please don’t include spoilers.
*We’re reading the book (and discussing January 5th) for our Holiday Reading Challenge, so be sure to get your copy as soon as possible. Monique is running a special $10 holiday special on her website at http://www.moniquedmensah.com.
Q & A WITH MONIQUE D. MENSAH
Q.1. What inspired you to write this novel?
I constantly have story ideas and characters flowing through my mind. A conversation I’ve overheard, a television show, or a news story may spark some ideas. Sometimes I pull from my own experiences or those of my friends. However, the concept of Who Is He To You emerged purely from my imagination. I was prompted by a close friend to get started on my first novel and shortly after I came up with a broad, general idea. I knew that I wanted to defuse some stereotypes and keep the readers shocked and guessing. I wanted to write about things, other authors have yet to explore. The rest unfolded throughout the writing process.
Q.2. What message(s) are you trying to convey to the readers?
When I started writing Who Is He To You, I did it with the sole intention to entertain. It wasn’t until after I completed the manuscript and read the story in its entirety did I recognize the underlying messages weaved throughout the plot. Women too often count on the men in their lives to validate or complete them. For Simone it was her father, Ryan’s boyfriend, and Jessica’s husband. Women have to learn to love themselves, recognize their self-worth and learn to be happy instead of expecting a man to fill the gaps in their lives.
Q.3. What do you want the readers to feel when reading about the struggles of the three main characters?
It is my responsibility as the author to create a unique experience for my readers. When reading Who Is He To You, my readers should feel as if they are in the room with these characters, experiencing their stories first hand. I want the readers to feel Simone’s pain, desperation and uncertainty. They should empathize with Ryan’s frustration, and root for Jessica’s emergence into her identity. My goal is to have my readers identify a piece of themselves in one of the three main characters. That makes the story realistic and relatable.
Q.4. Do you identify with any of the main characters? How so? 
I definitely identify with Ryan the most. I have never had a drug-addiction, but I have experienced depression and the frustrations of dealing with an emotionally unhealthy relationship. Some of the situations Ryan endures in the novel were inspired by my own experiences. I tried to exert feelings I had at those times into Ryan’s character in order to make her more real and relateable.
Q.5. How would you describe your writing style?
My writing style is very descriptive. I like to set the scene and vividly illustrate the emotions and feelings of the characters as they experience each situation. I am also a bold writer; writing about real situations and making my characters come to life with thoughts and actions that depict real life. I am not afraid to write about the ugly truths of reality like the mixed emotions Simone had about her relationship with her father. I stay away from the simplicity of stating the obvious in my writing. I want to broaden my readers’ minds and give them insight into some things they have not otherwise thought about.
Q.6. What differentiates you and your novel from other novels in your genre
Who Is He To You is edgy and unpredictable. The characters are flawed, complicated, and multi-dimensional. Each chapter is filled with dramatic, descriptive scenes that pull the reader right into the story. Who Is He To You is an intense experience with real depictions of character reactions, emotions, and life situations. The novel gives an intelligent exploration of the infrequently discussed issues of incest, self-injury, and depression in the African-American community. It also breaks down and dispels some stereotypes and opens the readers eyes to fresh, new perspectives.
Q.7. What is your writing process?
I have a freestyle method of writing. I don’t create outlines for the story or characters. I start with a general idea, and then I begin to type. I allow the characters to take on lives of their own and guide me through to the end. Although I find it difficult to stick to structure, I try to commit to writing at least an hour a day. If during that time, I am unable to come up with actual material, I will spend that time thinking of how to further the story or alter what I’ve already written. I need complete silence when writing because I tend to be distracted easily. I usually write at home, in the evenings after my daughter has fallen asleep. I completed Who Is He To You in nine months by committing to that schedule.
Q.8. What can readers expect from you in the future?
My readers can expect more dramatic, intense novels filled with literary adrenaline. I will always provide original plots, real dialogue, and believable characters. I like to read the kind of books that make me want to flip back to the beginning after reaching the end. I hope to provide that same type of experience for my readers. My novels will evoke strong emotion and audible reactions. Overall, my readers can expect a unique experience.
Q.9. What advice would you give aspiring authors hoping to follow in your footsteps?
I would advise aspiring authors to find your own writing style, perfect it, and stick to it. Don’t compare yourself to other established authors. Don’t try to write like your favorite author. Write in a way that identifies you as an individual and differentiates you from everyone else. In addition to writing, I read a lot of novels. Often after reading a book by one of my favorite authors, I would immediately begin to feel insecure about my own writing because I did not write like him or her. I had to learn to be confident in my writing and secure in my talent. You don’t want to be just like someone else. You want to stand out and be different.
AUTHOR’S WEBSITE – http://www.moniquedmensah.com
Hello everyone and welcome to the site! Please feel free to ask Monique any questions you have regarding the book, writing, publishing, etc. and she’ll be stopping through to answer them.
Monique, thanks so much for joining us. Your book is one of the books at the top of my TBR list, so I’m looking forward to learning more about it and you. I’ve already told you that your book cover is one of my favorites and you had one of the most impressive press kits I’ve seen in the 9+ years I’ve been running RAWSISTAZ. So, while we’re waiting on everyone to get here…let’s start with that… How did your journey start and was your marketing plan conceived before the book went to print?
-Tee
Hey Tee!
I am so happy to be here chatting with you. I have been a fan of RAWSISTAZ for some years now so thank for having me.
To answer your question, my journey to become an author started when I was just eight years old. From that time I knew that was what I was put on this planet to do. I didn’t get around to fulfilling my purpose until about three years ago when I started writing Who Is He To You. All it took was for my best friend to say “why don’t you just write a book?” That one statement made me realize that I’d gotten off track with realizing my dream. I started writing that same week. It took me about ten months to write and another six months to get it edited (and re-written)m then I spent almost a year querying agents and publishers so I could get published. During that time (writing to querying) I researched as much as I could about the publishing and promoting game. I knew whether I was industry published or not I would need to do most of the marketing myself. So I set aside a budget and committed myself to doing everything I could to get the word out. I decided to ditch the industry publishing idea and self-publish about a year ago. In making that decision I found Ella Curry online and hired her as my online publicity coach. Ella is the best! She has really helped me out a lot with my online presence and the media kit you mentioned. I did a lot of things in addition to working with Ella, but in whatever I did I made sure that I produced polished and professional marketing suppliments for the book.
I know that was a long answer! Lol!
Long answers are fine with me! Thanks for sharing so much with us and kudos for setting the budget up front. I believe a lot of authors miss this and end up trying to cut corners when it comes to crucial parts of the process like editing, marketing & promotion. I’m glad you were able to recapture your dream and get your book written. I look forward to reading it and discussing as part of our Holiday Reading Challenge.
Now that you’ve gone the self-published route, if a major publisher came knocking, would you be interested or would you prefer to continue self-publishing?
-Tee
You know that’s a very good question and one I think about a lot. I’m not sure. I guess I will go with a mainstream publisher if the price is right! On one hand I would get major distribution and more exposure, but on the other hand I would be losing a lot of creative control. So I guess I will have to cross that line when I get to it. The situation would have to be one that benefits me and the growth and success of my work. Self-publishing is hard work, but it so very rewarding. I will gladly continue on the way I have been going thus far.
Thanks for responding! I truly believe some authors do better with self-publishing, for some of the reasons you mentioned.
-Tee
Oh and Ella Curry is the founder of EDC Creations.
Monique, what about the book cover concept? How did you come up with that?
-Tee
Yes I was very hands on with the entire publishing process. I found out that I am a bit of a control freak when it comes to my projects! Who Is He To You, as you’ll find out, is a very bold, dramatic, and emotional novel and I wanted a cover that effectively portray those traits. So I came up with the close-up half face because it’s like POW in your face! Lol! Also I wanted the face to represent all three women in the story so she is somewhat indistiguishable. There is a silhouette of a man in the woman’s pupil and a blood tear running down her cheek. I did this to illustrate that the man in this woman’s life is the cause of her pain, but he is also her main or only focus in her life. He’s all that she sees. The blood tear represents the pain and drama that she endures which includes some bloodshed (cutting and murder). Then the “He” in the title corresponds with the blood tear which then draws attention to the man in her eye. I worked with Marlon Hines the greatest graphic designer in the world! He understood my concept and executed it perfectly!
Well, I’m certainly impressed. You’ve both done a wonderful job and the cover stands out amongst others I’ve seen.
-Tee.
Thank you. Mission accomplished!
Deep. It captured so much in one pic.
Tammy, I think your question is okay since you dodn’t give away too much info and you didn’t include a spoiler.
I wrote about the three men in a way that would give the readers some understanding in why they were the way that they were. I never like to leave things too simple. It’s simple to say that these were bad men and the women in their lives (as well as the readers) should hate them. People are complicated creatures and once you know their whole story you may feel differently about some things you know about them on the surface. So to answer your question Tammy, you are not alone. I have gotten that same reaction from other readers.
I hope that you will join us again on Jan 5th so we can get down to the nitty gritty and talk about this in more depth!
Hi Monique and thank you for joining today’s chat. I can’t wait to read Who Is He To You? From reading the above interview questions, I love to read dramatic, intense novels that focus on real life situations, and how the author draws me in to to feel the characters’ emotions.
Hi Sharon!
Thanks for stopping by. Yeah, if you love intensity and drama, this one is for you. Personally I love shockers and books that make you yell and scream out loud and that’s what I worked to create with Who Is He To You. I want you to feel what the characters are going through at the time, even if it makes you feel uncomfortable. My characters are going through it, why should they go through it alone? LOL!
What Sharon said !! I look forward to reading !
Hey Monique, I am so proud of your accomplishments. Being an author myself you have inspired me with your writing skills. You write like a seasoned writer. “Who is she to you” was intriguing as well as full of drama, and I like drama.
My question to you is; What comes to mind when you are writing to give your readers such vivid detailing that it feels like the reader can see and hear the characters in your book. I’m in the process of writing my sixth novel and I love the way you write…. the detailed outline of what is happening throughout your book is so intriguing. You have given me a new insight in writing….moving forward, you have inspired me with a new way of giving my readers a more vivid outlook when reading my books, and I thank you for that. Looking forward to the next read, I’m a fan for life.
Good luck,and may God continue to bless you as you make your mark into the literary world of writing.
Gwen,
I am so glad to have had the pleasure of meeting you and I am truly flattered that you find me to be an inspiration.
To answer your question: I put myself in the scene. I force myself to think about every little detail in that scene. Where is she standing, what is her hand doing, which way is she facing, what is she feeling, what does she smell, what is she thinking? By putting myself in the scene (and sometimes acting them out) I am able to paint a vivid picture for the reader. It also helps to know your characters bettter than anyone in the book knows them. That means that you know things about your characters that you won’t even put in the book. Become that character and if you know her well enough, she will guide you and tell you her story. That makes your job a little easier.
Thanks Monique for the feedback. Very well said, I can’t go wrong with the feedback you have just given me. I am in the process of writing my book and I know the information you just shared with me will definitely add value to my book.
Thanks again, and good luck!
No problem at all, Gwen! It is always my pleasure to help a fellow author who is serious about her craft. I am in the process of putting together a free workshop series on writing fiction that will hopefully be up and running by Feb 2010. I hope to see you there!
Hey Monique,
Thank you for stopping by and chatting with us today. I cannot wait to read this book. It seems like the kind of book that everyone will identify with…whether it be themselves, a friend or a family member.
I look forward to reading and discussing this book! Thank you again!
Susan
Hi Susan!
Thanks for joining in on the chat. in writing this book I definitely wanted to make my characters and their issues relateable and realistic, but I also wanted to bring out some issues that aren’t often discussed. Often times when we (black women) are suffering from depression, emotional or physical abuse, or self-image problems we tend to keep things to ourselves instead of properly evaluating the problem and working to get it taken care of. A lot of women won’t see a therapist or talk to anyone for that matter. This is dangerous because it could lead to self-medicating just as some of main characters have done. So hopefully in reading Who Is He To You, readers will learn a little about themselves and take ownership of their issues which may lead them to take action.
This is so true! Do you think it’s a generational thing and in 10 to 20 years it won’t be so taboo to discuss these things?
-Tee
Tee I know you directed this question to Monique but I think it’s definitely a generational thing. We as African-Americans were taught what goes on in the house stays in the house so it was unheard of us seeking helping outside the home.
So true! Don’t let me forget to bring this up when we do the book discussion on the 5th.
I don’t know if it’s generational or cultural. In doing my research for this book, I found that African-American women are just as likely as Caucasian women to be sexual abused or be involved in abusive relationships, but the difference is that black women are less likely to tell someone about it. I believe there is also a stigma with therapy in the African American community. It seems we as a culture want to keep everyone out of our business and handle things internally.
I wanted to compliment you on your book. It’s been a very good read so far, with a good flow. It is extremely descriptive, and very detailed for it being your first novel written. I also think it appeases to multiple demographics.
So prior to writing this novel, did you write via short stories or any other format that assisted in getting you to this point?
Hey Thad!
Thanks for stopping by and double thanks for reading. Your compliments are definitely well received. I have been writing all of my life. I used to keep journals when I was younger and I dabbled with poetry here and there. I’ve never been much of a short story writer though. Probably because I don’t read very many. My mother had me hooked on novels since I was about ten so that’s what I learned to love and always yearned to write. Believe it or not, most of mu writing was confined to school assignments from elementary on up to college. I always knew this is what I wanted to do but ironically I didn’t do it much recreationally before writing Who Is He To You.
Thanks for joining us today and sharing your insights. My question is on your journey with writing and publishing did you face difficulties that you thought you wouldn’t be able to overcome? If so how did you overcome them? What’s the most rewarding? Are there other genres that you would be interested in writing?
Good questions Jaime!
I did research on writing, publishing, querying, and promoting for about two years so there wasn’t much throughout the process that I was not ready for. I can’t say that there was anything so difficult that I feared I might not have gotten through it. The hardest thing for me was practicing patience and managing my anxiety. Every little thing throughout the publishing process was nervewrecking because I just wanted to be done already. I don’t know if you have any children, but it is very similar to having a baby. You do so much to nurture and care for your unborn child while she’s still in the womb, but after awhile, you just want her to come on out! LOL!
Then there is the added anxiety and fear that my book was not going to be well received. I mean of course I think I’m a great writer and storyteller, but what will everyone else think? I had a serious case of “Will they like me” jitters. So I have to say the most rewarding experience is getting a phone call, email, text, or Facebook message from a reader and getting his or her reaction. It feels so good to hear someone say that I touched or inspired them in some way through my writing. It solidifies that this is what I am suposed to be doing.
Thank you, for answering my questions. I’m looking forward to the discussion later this month about the book and plan to take advantage of the sale. Your book has been on my TBR list for a while, which brings another question will your work be available via the library system in the future?
Jaime,
I do plan to make my books available in libraries. I am working on a number of things now to increase my distribution. So you will see my work there soon!
Hi Monique! I love this interview and I’m so happy to be able to touch base with you online. One thing that almost troubled me about the book was the fact that I was sympathic to all the men, Ross and Anthony. Though thay were the “villians” I could not help to see them as human beings who needed help themselves. I was wondering did you consciously write with compassion or was I alone in believing that it was safe to feel for them as well as the women.
Hey Tammy!
I can’t wait to get you on here for the book discussion on Jan 5th because you have a goooood question!
I wrote about the three men in the book in a way to give the readers some understanding. Yes they are villainous men who have done some horrible things, but I am more interested in the reason why. I don’t like to keep things too simple, because it’s boring. It’s simple to say that these men are bad so the women in their lives (and the readers) should hate them. People are complex creatures and with complexity comes mixed emotions. So, to answer your question, yes I wrote their characters out in a way to get you to feel a little uncomfortable and have mixed feelings about them. Don’t worry you are not alone. I’ve gotten some of the same feedback from several other readers!
Sorry if I included too much in the comment…I see now that this was not a book discussion: (
It was fine, Tammy. I’ve been monitoring the comments to make sure we didn’t have any spoilers.
I hope you’ll come back when we have the book discussion and share your detailed thoughts. It should be fun.
Thank you so much for stopping through.
-Tee
I read this book and was so shocked at the ending. Monique is a bona fide writer and hearing that theres a second part has me on the edge. One of my FAV books of all time. trust me when I say that
Tamika!
Thanks so much for stopping by! Whoa, one of your favorites of all time?? We talked about that pressure! LOL! But thanks so much for the high honor. You are awesome. You know you are one of the people who inspired me to write a second part to Who Is He To You. So I just may get started on that after this novel I am working on now.
Great comments !!
Thanks Linda!
Hello Ms. Mensah, congratulations on your literary debut Who Is He To You. My first question is, do you consider your book to be a cliff hanger? If so when will your second book release.
Adra,
Thanks for stopping by! I didn’t write the book as a cliffhanger, but I am getting an enormous amount of feedback from readers stating that they want to know what happens to the main characters in the future, especially Simone. So I have been inspired to write another book that will focus on at least on of the three ladies. My second book, Inside Rain, will be out by summer 2010, but it is not the sequel to Who Is He To You.
Opps…. when will your second book be released?
As a reminder: I have WHO IS HE TO YOU on sale right now through my website for just $10. This holiday special price is good through 12/25/09 and it is only available through my website: http://www.MoniqueDMensah.com!
Monique, when I heard you read an excerpt at Martinis and Manuscripts I was blown away. It was descriptive and pulled me in. I read the book in a matter of days. I have to say your writing style is awesome. Whoever edited your book did a wonderful job. I loved how you did the twists in the book was surprised.
What made you write about the subject of incest? And when will your next book be out?
Congrats on writing such an excellent book.
Hey Shai!
Thanks for the wonderful compliments about the book. You were one of my first buyers and I always appreciate your support.
The subject of incest was actually an after thought. My main focus was to write about a beautiful young girl who, although everyone envied, hated herself. So I needed a reason for why she hated herself and the way she looked. The incestuous sexual abuse became that reason why. Once I started writing about it, I knew that I wanted to do it in a way that I hadn’t really seen it done before. Then Voila, you have Simone’s tragic story.
I haven’t read the book yet but it has been moved to the top of my TRB list after today’s chat. I also will have to agree with Tee the cover is awesome. I am very intrigued.
Thanks Shantel!
I hope you get the opportunity to read it soon. I would love to see what you have to say about it during the book discussion on January 5th!
Agree that the editorial work done on the book was fantastic. Who did your editing for you. Did excellent job. Poor editing can ruin an otherwise great literary work.
Kat,
Judy Allen of Marketing Solutions did my editing and she was great to work with. She inspired me when I didn’t feel like rewriting another word. She really believed in my project and gave me invaluable advice. I am using her again for my next novel.
You can find her information on the African-American Literature Book Club website: http://www.aalbc.com
A special thanks to all of you for joining us today! I’m off to read our next book in the Holiday Challenge.
Monique, it was a pleasure! I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to find out more about you and the book. And a special thanks for also being one of our guest reviewers!
Before you go, tell us about the upcoming book, please.
-Tee
Thanks again for having me, Tee. I enjoyed the chat and I love being a guest reviewer for the RAW Reviewers!
My second book, INSIDE RAIN, is also dramatic fiction like WHO IS HE TO YOU. I don’t have the synopsis or the fifteen second pitch together yet, but I’ll try my best to give a brief summary:
Rain witnessed her mother’s murder when she was five years old. As a result she has several psychological problems that she refuses to cope with. The story picks up when she is an adult living in a two family flat with her two siblings. The conflicts the siblings have involve drug-addiction, domestic violence, dangerous delusions, and murder.
Okay I know that summary was bad! Like I said I haven’t worked out the fifteen minute pitch yet.
Still sounds like an interesting read!