Interview with DONNA
HILL
THE ROCK: Who is Donna Hill? Tell us something
about you?
Donna: I’m a pretty simple person,
at least I think so. I’m the oldest of three kids. I have a sister
and a brother. I spent twelve years in Catholic school… even though
I wasn’t Catholic, mind you… so to say I often have a warped
view of things is an understatement. I work hard at everything I do,
and I’m pretty sure that came from listening to those nuns everyday.
I’m a mother of three; two girls (young women) and a son, and
I have a grandson.
THE ROCK: Where are you from and currently
residing?
Donna: I was born and raised in Brooklyn,
New York in Bed-Stuy. I grew up in a beautiful four-story brownstone
on Putnam Avenue. It will always be my favorite abode and remain in
a warm place in my heart. Many of my characters wind up living in browstones!
Hmmm. There is definite truth in the adage that life comes full circle.
After moving out of Bed-Stuy at age 19, we moved to East New York…
Flatbush and Canarsie. Curiously enough, about three years ago, my family
(kids) and I moved back to Bed-Stuy and on the next block from the Catholic
school that I attended from 1st to 8th grade!
THE ROCK: Are there any other writers in the
family?
Donna: Well, my youngest daughter who is
actually 21, is a singer. She writes her own music and dabbles in short
stories from time to time. My son, who is very artistic, writes dialogue
and scenes for comic books.
THE ROCK: When did you start writing?
Donna: It seems as if I’ve been writing
for as long as I can remember, before I knew that "writing"
was what I was doing. Even as a kid, I would "doodle" in my
grammar school days. I wrote love letters for my girlfriends to give
to their boyfriends as a teen. I wrote reams of poetry. It wasn’t
until I was much older that I actually began constructing short stories.
THE ROCK: What prepared you to become an author?
Donna: I don’t know if there was
anything specifically that prepared me. Life prepared me, reading prepared
me, and studying other writers. My aunt, who was a teacher when I was
much younger, insisted that I read everyday, even before I was old enough
to start school. My love for the written word and using my imagination
to create worlds beyond my front door was with me from early on. So,
I guess it was a combination of all of those things and most of all
the gift that God gave me.
THE ROCK: What inspired you to write your
book?
Donna: My first book which was published
in 1990, Rooms of the Heart, came about as a result of me having written
short stories for the confession magazines for a couple of years and
the editor Nathasha Brooks-Harris telling me that my stories were becoming
too long and too complex for the publication, and that perhaps I should
think about writing a book. At the time, it seemed much too awesome.
I was only writing 15-20 pages. I could not see the 300 page finish
line. But Nathasha was very encouraging, and I began developing a story
based on an interior designer and an architect (since I was working
for a design firm at the time). That story evolved into Rooms of the
Heart. And once I could do one book, the flood gates seemed to open.
THE ROCK: Tell us about your newest creation.
What is the premise?
Donna: My newest book, Getting Hers, is
my first official murder mystery—with an urban twist of course.
But it is based on the Alfred Hitchcock premise of "Strangers on
A Train". My three characters have never met before. They come
from three very different backgrounds and cultures, but they meet during
the New York City blackout when they become trapped in an elevator.
Each of them had been on the high-horse, but each of them had someone
who has ruined all that they had acquired and accomplished. The three
women devise a devious plan to get rid of the people who ruined them,
and get back what they lost. The twist… they pick the names of
the would-be victims from a hat. No one knows who the other has, and
they are never to tell. The hitch … one of the envelopes that
they pull from the hat has a blank slip of paper inside. You can get
more info on the book at http://geocities.com/donnahillfanclub
THE ROCK: Any publishing contracts in the
working?
Donna: I currently write my hardcover fiction
with St. Martins Press. I also write for NAL, Kensington, and BET Books.
I was also in a vampire anthology with Pocket Books.
THE ROCK: Have you ever self-published? Why
or why not?
Donna: No, I have never self-published.
To be truthful, when I started out, it never occurred to me. I looked
for a publisher who was going to pay me and that was publishing the
kind of work I was writing. In asking around (going to conferences,
meeting other authors, reading and researching), it was really frowned
upon to pay someone to publish your work and that the industry didn’t
look too favorably on it. Fifteen years ago, self-publishing wasn’t
all the rage as it is now. And I had no intention, nor a clue as to
doing it myself. After my second book, I found an agent and that was
pretty much it. I’ve been with my same agent for fourteen years.
Self-publishing is a lot of work, more work than I personally want to
deal with. I want to use my energies and efforts in writing and marketing.
I don’t want to have to worry about all the other zillion things
that go along with self-publishing. I applaud those who go that route.
I just know it’s not in me. I couldn’t even sell candy for
my kids, when they were in school! I had to buy it all up myself.
THE ROCK: What are "traditional publishers"
looking for?
Donna: Good books, well-written books,
and stories that broaden the scope of the imagination. They want books
that will sell. They want the "next big thing" and until they
can find those breakout books and authors, they will continue to simply
publish what sells and keep cookie-cutting.
THE ROCK: If you were a publisher, what would
be your niche? Why?
Donna: I would probably lean more toward
literary fiction… and not in the traditional sense but more along
the lines of Diane McKinney Whetstone, Percival Everette, Robert Fleming,
Bernice McFadden, David Anthony Durham, Margaret Johnson Hodge, Roslyn
Carrington, Marita Golden, Gayl Jones, Ann Petry, and Mary Monroe. Those
kinds of authors and not pure commercial fiction, but the next step.
THE ROCK: For an author, is having a publishing
contract with a "traditional publisher" important professionally?
Why?
Donna: I think so. In any industry as a
whole, having a legitimate contract with a recognized entity does give
you a bit more leverage and acceptance. As an example, if one artist
is with Sony or Arista and another is with Boogie Nights, who do you
think will get the first nod of acknowledgement? And that is not to
say that folks who go about it on their own don’t have those things.
It just takes longer, the struggle is tougher, and the irony is that
the majority (not everyone) of those who go it alone want to find and
secure that "traditional" outlet anyway.
THE ROCK: What are some of your professional
and personal achievements?
Donna: Well, for several years I managed
a residence for homeless teen mothers and their babies. That is probably
one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had. Seeing those young
women who had been beaten down by life on many levels find that space
within themselves to achieve was phenomenal. I run into some of "my
girls" on the street sometimes and to see them all grown up, successful,
many of them married totally fills me with pride. On a writing level,
it is several things: teaching writing and having several of my students
become published; one going on to win a "new author of the year"
award. Packaging several award-nominated anthologies and being the first
recipient of the Trailblazer Award. On a personal note, watching my
kids actually turn out to be
great people.
THE ROCK: Who are some of your favorite authors?
Donna: My favorite authors run the gamut.
Nicole Bailey Williams, Bernice McFadden, Robert Fleming, John A. Williams,
Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson, Jeffrey Deaver, Lolita Files, Victoria
Christopher Murray, Sandra Brown, Martia Golden there are many depending
on my mood and reading tastes at the time.
THE ROCK: Where do you want to be in five
years?
Donna: Heading up a publishing house! I
hope it is the next logical step for me.
THE ROCK: Where can readers find you?
Donna: You can always visit my website
www.donnahill.com
or stop by my blog www.donnahill.blogspot.com
THE ROCK: Thank you, Donna.
http://www.rockpublications.com
http://www.the-rock-newsmagazine.com
Virtual Shopping is here! ~The Crystal Palace Mall
Image is everything...why trust it to anybody?
Shop
until You Drop!
|
