Carleen Brice won the 2009 First Novelist Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and the 2008 Break Out Author Award at the African American Literary Awards Show. Orange Mint and Honey was optioned by Lifetime Movie Network.
Her second novel, Children of the Waters (One World/Ballantine), a book about race, love and family, just came out at the end of June. Booklist Online called it “a compelling read, difficult to put down.” Essence says, “Brice has a new hit.” You can read an excerpt at her website www.carleenbrice.com.
She is at work on her third novel, Calling Every Good Wish Home, and she maintains the blogs “White Readers Meet Black Authors” www.welcomewhitefolks.blogspot.com and "The Pajama Gardener" www.pajamagardener.blogspot.com.
Please find my interview with Carleen:
mc: Which came first, the title or the novel?
cb: The story.
What other art form inspires you as much as writing?
Probably film and then music come closest, but writing is most inspiring to me.
Which comes easier for you - beginnings or endings?
Both. Middles are the hardest!
How many drafts until the final draft?
Who knows? Some scenes have many, many drafts and some scenes stay pretty much as first written and the whole thing goes through the thresher a few times, at least. I really wouldn’t be able to guess.
What are you reading right now?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston (it’s her autobiography).
What's next for you?
A 3rd novel called Calling Every Good Wish Home and maybe a graphic novel!
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