J . D . Mason interviews Trisha Thomas
J . D . Mason : I don ’ t remember the first time I met Trisha Thomas , but I had seen pictures of her and thought that she was going to be that pretty girl you hated in school because she was so stuck up , only to find out that she was that really nice girl , so you couldn ’ t help but to like her . She ’ s one of those folks who is so genuine , with an infectious smile , and what choice do you have but to smile back , right ?
Production has recently wrapped on an upcoming movie starring Sanaa Lathan based on Trisha ’ s book , Nappily Ever After , and I crossed my fingers and thought I ’ d take a chance to interview this lovely author before the movie is released later this year on Netflix .
So , you ’ ve written nine books so far in the Nappily series featuring Venus . As an author , when you spend that much time with a character , it ’ s inevitable that you ’ re going to see the character evolve in ways you didn ’ t anticipate or expect . What are some of the things that have surprised you the most about the evolution of Venus ?
Trisha : Venus has been through a lot over the last nine novels . I would say she ’ s been pretty consistent with how she started . I always planned for her to be fallible , honest , and vulnerable . I never wanted her to be this tough , take no prisoner badass . I wanted her to take risks and make mistakes like we do in the real world . She ’ s made a lot of mistakes . In the first book , she cut off all her hair and during the script writing process , the team of writers wanted it to make sense as to why she would do such a thing . Chopping off all her hair had to be reasoned and explained . In the book , this is just who Venus is , and how she does things , by listening to her heart . She cut her hair to find her freedom , to discover who she really was inside . She was lost and wanted to find herself . I can ’ t tell you how many emails I received where readers were like , oh , this is me . “ I just cut off all my hair .” I ’ d be like , uh oh . I think I started something here .
J . D . Did you know starting out that so many years later , Venus would still be the central character in your books ?
Trisha Oh yes . I love Venus . I think of her as my sister . We need each other . She gives me permission to feel open and
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