Naleighna Kai's Literary Cafe Magazine NK LCM February 2018 Anniversary Issue | Page 36
Cordenia Paige: The main thing that frustrates me
reading Historicals (overall) is the low sexual command
of women generally. I’m glad to be born in this time
‘cause I know I woulda been considered a harlot. (I may
be considered one now, but I don’t care).
Off topic Question: will you ever write a historical that
acknowledges the sexual experiments imposed on Black
People?
Beverly Jenkins: No. Nothing romantic in that - at all.
Cordenia Paige: True, but sometimes your novels hint at
the harshness, Ms. Beverly. Initially, Noah’s story was
hard to read. Now, it’s one of my faves!
Shannan Harper: What are the other books in this
series?
Beverly Jenkins Destiny’s Surrender - my fave, and
Destiny’s Captive. Surrender is 2 and Captive is 3.
Venise Jacobs: Did you have a day job/another before
you became an author or were you always a writer?
Beverly Jenkins: Worked in libraries most of my adult
life.
Cordenia Paige: And Wife/Mother... Not to be forgotten.
:-)
Shannan Harper: Do you have any input into your
covers? They are always eye-catching.
Beverly Jenkins: I do. It helps to have one of the best art
departments in publishing too.
LaToya Hopkins-Kimbrough: I love how all of your male
characters have sweet little nicknames for their ladies,
especially in the historical novels. That’s so sweet. What
made you decide to do that?
Beverly Jenkins: The characters dictate that a lot of the
time. I let them tell the story and I just try and keep up. :)
J. D. Mason: For a man like Logan, who made it clear
that he was not interested in settling down with any
woman, how difficult was it for you to come up with this
woman to make him change his mind? Did you have any
idea of what qualities that woman would need in order
to change him? It couldn’t have just been that she was
pretty. That wouldn’t have been enough for him.
Beverly Jenkins: I think that kick in the knee sorta got
him thinking. He needed a woman who challenged him
and his perception of women. Mariah was all that.
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LaToya Hopkins-Kimbrough: Of all your books in all
genres you write in, which was your least favorite and
why?
Beverly Jenkins: I love all the genres I write in. Would
hate to be stuck/forced to write the same thing all the time.
LaToya Hopkins-Kimbrough: I meant which was your
least favorite book, if there is one. I love your versatility
as an author.
Beverly Jenkins: Hm. I thought it was Black Lace until
we read it again in book club. Decided it was pretty good.
I don’t have anything I regret writing.
Victoria Adams-Kennedy: So many writers, like me, look
up to you. We love and respect both you and your work.
I want to thank you for setting a standard that gives us
something to aspire to, while never acting like it’s out of
reach. You share so well.
Beverly Jenkins: Aww. That’s sweet. Thanks for those
kind words.
J. D. Mason: I am always so happy with what I come
away with after reading your books. You set a stage that
makes readers believe that you were actually there. You
even manage to write dialogue and scenes in tones that I
would think were more in keeping with those times instead
of ours. How? I mean, movies? You just making it up?
Very authentic and I come away smarter.
Beverly Jenkins: You immerse yourself in the period by
the vocabulary, events of the times, what was expected
of both gender and race. I think the vocab is the most
important. Words had different meanings back then in
some cases. The dialogue rhythms were different as well.
Letters from the era help a lot.
J. D. Mason: Rhythms. That’s what I keyed in on. It
wasn’t just what they said but how they said it, and it is
very different.
Beverly Jenkins: J. D. Mason, it is. Makes a big difference
when you’re writing dialogue.
Sam Cherry Erkard: How many books have you written?
Beverly Jenkins I think - 35 counting the 8 or 9 novellas.
J. D. Mason: Was I the only person who stood up and
applauded when they saw that the Latina woman had a
white maid? I’m just saying. For that time period, it s eemed
so odd, but fascinating. Certainly unexpected.
Sheryl Lister: J.D., no you weren’t. I did a fist pump and
a YES!