Monday Moment: Sharon Ewell Foster on Nat Turner

Christian Fiction Online Magazine: Searching for Daylight: Part I

Sharon Ewell Foster is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author, speaker, and teacher. She is the author of Passing by Samaria, the first successful work of Christian fiction by an African American author, and six other works of fiction. Her works regularly receive starred book reviews—which is a rarity among writers—and has won a Christy Award, the Gold Pen Award, Best of Borders, and several reviewers’ choice awards.
Releasing this month is Foster’s highly anticipated new novel, The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 1: The Witnesses (Simon & Schuster), a story how Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, aims to clarify the accepted history of Nat Turner’s prosecution. Turner, the Ethiopian turned American slave, is a well-read patriot in slaves’ eyes, but an ornery slave who needs to be put in his place in his mistress’s eyes.
Foster chats with Christian Fiction Online Magazine about this controversial novel, her questions to God about her writer’s journey, and how her readers were her saving grace.
Sharon Ewell Foster is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author, speaker, and teacher. She is the author of Passing by Samaria, the first successful work of Christian fiction by an African American author, and six other works of fiction. Her works regularly receive starred book reviews—which is a rarity among writers—and has won a Christy Award, the Gold Pen Award, Best of Borders, and several reviewers’ choice awards.
Releasing this month is Foster’s highly anticipated new novel, The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 1: The Witnesses (Simon & Schuster), a story how Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, aims to clarify the accepted history of Nat Turner’s prosecution. Turner, the Ethiopian turned American slave, is a well-read patriot in slaves’ eyes, but an ornery slave who needs to be put in his place in his mistress’s eyes.
Foster chats with Christian Fiction Online Magazine about this controversial novel, her questions to God about her writer’s journey, and how her readers were her saving grace.

Related articles

• Lorene Cary Hosts May Blacklitchat (deegospelpr.com)
• Christian Fiction: My Writing Journey (christianfiction.blogspot.com)
• 2011 Christys Award Winners Announced (christianfiction.blogspot.com)
• Southern swamp was refuge for runaway slaves (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Friday Feature: Crossing Oceans

This Friday Feature is my good friend, Gina Holmes’ Crossing Oceans. This is a beautiful story very befitting of Gina’s personality, as you will experience when you watch her interview. I hope you enjoy it and take a chance on some well written and compelling Christian Fiction. This book is available at your local bookstore, library and B & N online.

Dee

Thursday Writer’s Talk: Cindy Woodsmall

So proud of author bud Cindy Woodsmall. Check out her Talk at Ohio State University. She shares her writing process and the hard work she puts in making her stories realistic and honoring the Amish community.

Nora at Psalm516 has a great contest with Cindy at her blog.

BIG GIVE AWAY - For your chance to win a Signed copy of WHEN THE HEART CRIES, Cindy's First book, a Signed copy of THE SOUND OF SLEIGH BELLS and TWO Pot holders made by Amish woman. Leave a comment about the interview and a way to contacting you if you win. DRAWING is on APRIL 12th

Damascus Roads Authors Chat Tonight @ 9PM

Please join The Damascus Road authors Maurice Gray, Jr., Dr. Linda Beed, Wanda B. Campbell, Lacricia Peters, Jacquelin Thomas and Kim Brooks for Part 2 of Help You, Help You. Tonight at 9PM EST on Blog Talk Radio's The Abundant Solutions Hour. The show will air live on the Abundant Solutions Hour
http://www. blogtalkradio. com/asemotivation on Wednesday evening, June 11th (9:00P/EST – 8:00/CT – 6:00P/PST). Call in Number 718-508-9600

The Best Couples are a Hot Mess

My Soul to Keep author, Melanie Wells stopped by Christian Fiction Blog to participate in our 1Question Author Interview Series-The Valentine Edition. 2 Questions/Couple. Cute. The questions:

Who are your favorite fictional couple?

I hate to be a cliche' but I'd have to say Rhett Butler and Scarlet O'Hara. They're a charming, cantankerous relational disaster. You just want to smack 'em both.


And what have you learned about them that helps you build the romance arc of your own stories?

Like Rhett and Scarlett (at this point, any southerner knows to add "bless their hearts" -which is required if you're insulting someone) my characters are extremely flawed. My books tend to be populated with broken - or at least bent - people. But they're so likeable, you're rooting for them anyway. Dylan Foster (bless her heart) just can't quite seem to get it right, which keeps the tension running all the way through the story. You WANT it to work out between her and David-who-owns-a-funeral-home-in-Hillsboro, but you're also sitting there thinking, Dylan, you need to go to time out, and David, for crying out loud, get a SPINE and stand up to this woman. They're a mess. That's what makes the story work. Happiness is sort of boring, if you think about it.

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Sandi Glahn & 5 Deadly Sins

Every Wednesday Christian Fiction Blog will share an interview with rising Christian writers. Today Sandi Glahn will share her new book, Informed Consentwith us.

Dee: What’s Informed Consent about?

Sandi: Jeremy Cramer, the next Einstein of research, is a medical resident specializing in infectious diseases. While working on a way to revive water submersion victims, he makes surprising discoveries, while also living with massive guilt over incidental infections that occur (which he could have prevented). Even as his marriage teeters, his career continues to skyrocket. Then, with a few twists along the way, he finds everything he has fought for threatened by the most personal, most heart-wrenching, choices of all.

How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?

The story had a thousand or more “what if” moments. I’m pursuing a PhD in Aesthetic Studies, and I worked on the setting, characters, a lot of the plot, as well as my narrative voice during three novel-writing classes taught by a novelist who writes fiction reviews for Publishers Weekly. And I got some great feedback from fellow students who don’t believe in Christ about ways to address faith issues more naturally. I also took a Dante class, which influenced my choice to give my characters five of the seven deadly sins. (I’m saving the other two for a future work.)

But the elements in the plot designed to keep readers up at night came through a brainstorming session with medical doctor, William Cutrer, with whom I’ve coauthored three medical novels.

What is the most difficult part of writing for you or was when you first started on your writing journey?

I still struggle with expressing character emotion. I feel like I’ll insult the reader if I stop to say “the shock of the news hit like a two-by-four in the back of the head.” I figure if I tell the horrible circumstance, the reader has enough imagination to feel what any normal soul would feel. I want to say simply “His dad died in a plane crash,” and let the reader fill in the emotional blanks. Yet everybody experiences shock and grief differently. For some the room spins. For others it shrinks. For some it grabs in the pit of the stomach. Or it feels like a physical jolt. It’s part of my job as a developer of character to choose how this character will react and respond. When the emotions get intense, I need to slow down and let the reader enter the character’s head. But I’d rather get on with the plot.

Take us through your process of writing a novel briefly—from conception to revision.

Once I have a germ idea, I come up with the beginning, middle, and end. Then I figure out the in-between points. Next, I create the main characters. I have four pages of questions I answer for each. About thirty percent of novel-crafting for me is the pre-writing imaginative work on the plot and character sketches. Then I choose a setting. I ask myself how I can use setting to communicate something. I try to choose a setting that communicates on a deeper level. All the time I’m making these choices, I deliberate about the best way to tell the story. First-person? Third-person? Who will be the main POV character? Why?

After that I craft a proposal. It starts with a one-paragraph synopsis. While my agent shops it around, I develop the summary into a chapter-by-chapter outline. And then I make a file for each chapter and start dumping in ideas.

When my agent has some success, he calls. Here’s what happens from there…

Editorial person really likes it
He or she takes it to the marketing meeting
I wait forever for that meeting to happen
Marketing approves it
I wait for them to agree on an offer
They issue an offer
I reel from the shock of how low it is
I negotiate
I wait for them to draw up the contract
I receive and sign the contract
I write the book
I send the book to the publisher.
They send the first half of the advance
I spend it all in one place
I wait for them to edit it
I wait a while longer for them to edit it
They send back the manuscript with lots of changes needed immediately
I edit it again
I wait
And wait
They send a galley proof, which they need back immediately
I edit it yet again
I watch helplessly as the release date gets delayed--again
I wait forever for my progeny to arrive in the mail
Finally, I hold my masterpiece in my hands
I find a typo

Come back Nov. 12 to learn more about Sandi's writing process and how her faith keeps her spirit smiling. Think you may forget? then Subscribe to christianfiction by Email .

Christian Teen Fiction Speedlink: Oct. 11

Blog Tours: Amy concludes Lisa T. Bergren's The Betrayed Blour. Kirsten Billerbeck's The Trophy Wives still moving along. Mary Demuth shares the success and suprises of her blog tour. Tricia Goyer at Writer-Lee.

Book Giveaway: Challies.com is giving away forty copies! of The Truth of the Cross by R.C. Sproul this month. Pilgrim Scibblings have the details. Joyful Days is giving away a used copy of “Memoirs of a Geisha”(non CBA title.) Callapidder Days gives away Wildcats in the House: Spiritual Stuff You Can Get from High School Musical

Author interviews: My buddy and fantastic Canadian Christian fiction writing phenom/journalist, Deborah Gyapong interviews our friend, Marci Laylock AKA Writer-Lee at The Master's Artist. Clint Kelly's interview at Deaf Characters... Nicola Beaumont on Families.com.

Author Contest: Tricia Goyer is giving away a heap of books. Marcia Laylock has the details.

If you want CFB's speedlinks emailed to you, Subscribe to christianfiction by Email. If you want get linked, keep me in the loop. Dee

Rockstars, Homeless Millionaires and my fellowship date with Creston Mapes

Acclaimed suspense thriller author, Creston Mapes is my friend and write-or-die bro. Praise Jesus! With three books under his belt, he stepped away from his busy schedule and darling family to chat with me about rock stars, homeless millionaires and scheduling our next writing date.

Dee: Why release another novel before the end of the Rock Star?

Creston: How do you know it's not the end of The Rock Star Chronicles?...Just kidding, you're right, Dee. One more book needs to be written in that series. Actually, I have 3 chapters written. However, my publisher wanted to broaden our readership with this, the 3rd book in my contract with them. They thought the "rock star" stories and covers may be limiting our readership to young audiences.

The fact is, I was not writing to young people. The covers of Dark Star and Full Tilt may look like they have "youth" appeal, but they are written for all ages, and we've heard from fans of all ages--so that's cool.

Dee: Why a detective novel?

I didn't set out to write a "detective novel," per se. Since I worked as a newspaper reporter, that business has always intrigued me. I set out to write a fast-paced thriller about a confused newspaper man, and we ended up with Nobody....which, as you say, is kind of a "detective," "mystery." I guess I've come to like to call it a psychological thriller. I've always loved the newspaper business, the daily beat of a reporter, and all the power and thrill those guys have. It was a fun book to write. My buddy, author Mark Mynheir (The Void), says he really feels like I found a good "voice" in this new book....the voice of the reporter, Hudson Ambrose. So far other readers and reviewers are agreeing and I'm thrilled with that.

Dee: Favorite sleuth?

Creston: Cigar....Raincoat....Columbo, of course.

Dee: Why Las Vegas?

Creston: Actually, my publisher suggested Las Vegas as the backdrop for this story. They really wanted to open up the doors to broaden awareness about my stories/books, and they thought Vegas would be a good draw.

Dee: How did Multnomah support you building this book?

Creston: Incredibly so. In fact, members of the fiction team and I brainstormed about this story before I went to Vegas. When I told them I had an idea about a homeless man, they said, "No way! One of the guys on the fiction team had the same thought." That was when it kind of clicked that this may be a good story. When you think of Vegas you think of poshness, elegance, luxury...but there is also the other end of the spectrum: 10,000 homeless people in Vegas, most within 1 miles of the Strip. However, the police don't allow the homeless to loiter around the ritzy section because it's not good for tourism.

Dee: Why this kind of murder?

Creston: The kind of murder it was didn't really matter. What mattered was, a homeless man -- who was RICH -- is now dead. And a confused reporter must find out how he died? Why was he rich yet living on the streets of Vegas as a homeless man? Why did many in the homeless community think he was an angel in disguise?

Dee: Why is Hudson the best man to solve this mystery?

Creston: Hudson is kind of a hard core guy. He has a nose for news. He is a great investigative reporter. He has a ton of nerve. And when he meets up with the lovely Holly Queens, well, nothing can stop him!

Dee: Why Atlanta's involvement?

Creston: I like to write about places I've been. Of course, I've lived in Atlanta for 20 years. Most always, I write about cities and towns I've actually been to. However, in the Rock Star Chronicles, the main female character, Karen Bayliss, was from Topeka, KS. I did a ton of research on Topeka. Was even able to do a 360 degree tour of the town on the Web. One girl at my publisher, whose hometown was Topeka, said, "I'm dying to know, have you been to Topeka? You must have. It was described so well!" Good research pays off!

Dee: Do you believe in angels?

Yes, because the Bible says there are angels! Some we entertain without even knowing it! Think about that as you curl up and read NOBODY!

Dee: Holly Queens? Why is than name perfect for this character?

Creston: Man, that is a tough one, Dee. I'm going to have to come back to it.

Okay, I'm back....Holly is a lovely young lady who cherished her friendship with the homeless man, Chester Holte. When she finds out he's been murdered, she's determined to help Hudson Ambrose track down the killer. And she wins Hudson's heart at the same time! Does that answer it?

Dee: Why "Nobody" as a title?

Creston: We messed with a lot of titles, but ended up with Nobody, because people often view homeless people as Nobodies. The back cover reads: "They said he was a Nobody...They were dead wrong." Hudson gave himself up as "nothing" to serve others. So, in the worlds eyes, he may have been a nobody. But in God's eyes, he was an angel and a saint. Someone who laid down his life for others....literally (hint, hint!)

Dee: Will we meet Hudson again?

I don't think so. Of course, the book is doing well, so there's a chance the publisher could ask for a sequel. That could happen some day. But I enjoy writing stand-alones. And I've started work on a new stand-alone novel that FEELS like the book I was meant to write!

Dee: Why the poem, "I Stand at the Door" at the beginning of this book?

Creston: This poem was shared with me by Jud Wilhite, pastor of Central Christian Church in Henderson, NV, just outside of Las Vegas. I was out there researching the book when Jud and I met. His church's theme is "reaching people who are far from God." The poem, a favorite of his, was written by Samuel Shoemaker, one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. It's a beautiful poem about Christians getting SO far steeped in the church and its tradition, that we forget about the people outside the doors of the church. When Jud shared that poem with me, I knew it would be the theme for the book. Sam Shoemaker is long gone, but one of his daughter's gave us permission to run the poem at the front of the book.

Dee: Do all your stories have to have a message?

Yes they do, Dee, and here's why. I wrote professionally for many years before my work stopped and God nudged me to try fiction. Writing fiction is a ministry for me. It's very difficult, time consuming, fatiguing work. What I'm saying is, I can make a MUCH easier living doing my freelance writing, but God has called me to this. Here is the scripture God's placed on my heart as it relates to writing fiction:

"What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear

whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops."

-- Matthew 10: 27 --

Dee: Do you think Christian Fiction has an obligation to?

Creston: Hmm. If you're going to call it "Christian fiction" and it's part of the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA), then I would think it should have a Christian message. In fact, if it doesn't, why not just go American Booksellers Association (ABA)?

Here's the thing, I get a little frustrated with supposedly "Christian fiction" books that don't have any Christ-oriented message. I mean, if it's just a good clean book, that's great, I love those....but why put it in the CBA and call it "Christian fiction." In fact, wouldn't the author of such rather have his/her book in the ABA?

The other thing is, just because I say it should have a Christian message, I don't mean preachy and I don't mean hit the reader over the head with a King James. There are clever ways to let the Christian message rise up from the grass roots of the story.

Relating back to the question , speaking for me, my books will always have an element that seeks to draw the reader closer to Christ. That is why I write fiction. To testify, through story, the transformation and new birth that is available only thru Christ. Book writing is too difficult to do for any other reason.

Dee: Theme before story?

Creston: This time, yes, but not always. The theme arose out of the poem Jud shared with me, I Stand By the Door. With me, theme doesn't always come before story. I'm more of a seat of the pants, day at a time writer.

Dee: Advice for male writers?

Male and female: Treat your fiction writing like driving a long-haul truck....slam the door and get busy. (paraphrased from, I believe, Stephen King.

Dee: What's next for Creston?

I've started work on a 4th suspense thriller. This will be the book that I actually started writing almost 10 years ago. I thought it was time for that book back then, but it wasn't. Kind of like when Moses went to rescue his fellow Jews.....but it wasn't time yet. So he went into the wilderness all those years, and God called him at the burning bush. That's what I feel like. This 4th novel...it's time has come. I am going to write it with a lot of prayer and zeal. And I am excited about what God is going to do with it. First, however, I hope to see Him set the stage for it with big sales of NOBODY and, in turn, more sales of Dark Star and Full Tilt!

Dee: When are we going to hang out again?

You tell me the next WORD meeting you're going to and I'll try to make it. If not then, how about coffee at Jittery Joes in Buford?

Dee: Oh, your interviewing the interviewing now? Ha! Cool, Word or Jitter Joes at month's end. :)

Creston: Thanks a million, Dee.

If readers want signed copies of NOBODY, they can get them at SignedByTheAuthor.Com.

The books are also available in stores and online outlets everywhere! Bless ya.

www.crestonmapes.com (check out the new tunes).

You can also chat with Creston tonight at 5 p.m. (E.S.T.) THE VIRTUAL PEW LIVE Listen live online at: CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE

Interview Recycled: Olympia Vernon's Eden

Interview: Olympia Vernon
By Dee Stewart
July, 2004

Olympia Vernon's first book, Eden, is a tragically written struggle of an adolescent girl fighting against nature, her maturity and her mortality. Receiving rave reviews from Publisher's Weekly and the American Library Association Vernon's debut novel has been compared to such acclaimed authors as Toni Morrison and Alice Walker. This year alone she has received the 2004 American Academy of Arts and Letters Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award, the Robert O. Butler Award for Fiction in 2000 and two Matt Clark memorial scholarships. This summer she releases her second novel, Logic, which is already receiving buzz and critical acclaim.

Ms. Vernon graciously chatted with me about her writing philosophy, the fact that she has no literary influences and how she can't sleep for the voices haunting her thoughts.

Dee: After you got this sentence in your head- "One Sunday morning, during Bible study, I took a tube of fire engine red lipstick and drew a naked lady on the first page of Genesis"- how long did it take you to write Eden?

Olympia: I don't remember. I, too, like Maddy, was in "a place with no calendars." I knew nothing of food and clothes and phones and creatures, only the world I was in, another place, another rhythm altogether. When I finished, I walked out onto the balcony and there were lights fluttering in the sun.

Dee: You say that the origin of Eden is something you can't pin down or say. Why is that?

Olympia: Only God knows where Eden emerged. I was not in this land but another one of dying women and floating stars and there emerged Eden.

Dee: What is your writing philosophy?

Olympia: I have none. I write until the characters are done with me. Sometimes, they go pee or drink a beer and I breathe until they are ready to come home to the page.

Dee: Can we agree that the Lord has something for us to say and apparently we haven't said it enough, so it has come back again? Or is that just my crazy talk?

Olympia: Yes, God gives us all something to say. The choice is ours. The choice is up to the person. You can either use the gift that you are given or let it buildup in your mind and soul and never be used. I often wonder where unused gifts go, if they lend themselves to your children after you are dead or they die with you in your grave. God has something for me to say, for the characters I write to say, and I am only executing that love through the characters and their lives.

Dee: I host an online column and forum where I've spoken with many published and self-published writers. Most of them say that the publishing industry is racist? When I read your response on this topic at Mozaicbooks.com I was thrilled. You said,

"A writer must first write the novel of his or her life. The novel that causes one to lose sleep and body and pride. The novel that comes straight from the bone. If this is done, when this is done, the doors will open. And he or she will walk through, regardless of what race he or she is." Do you think that some of us writers are too focused in trying to make a profit or a name for themselves instead of putting their focus in their writing?

Olympia: Each writer's story is unique to himself or herself. My focus is ALWAYS on the characters. Nothing else matters. If I think there is racism in the world, my characters tell that story. If there is injustice in the world, I allow the characters to speak. It's not my job to worry about what the world is doing, only to write the story and injustice of the earth through the characters. If you focus on these things while writing, your writing becomes purposeful. Let the characters create the purpose. If they catch on to your internationalisms, they won't come out to play.

Read the entire interview here.

Who Would You Like Me to Interview?

Every Wednesday starting next week I will begin posting interviews of Christian Writers. Today I will repost an old interview from the blog. If you want to nominate someone to be interviewed here. Here are the guidelines. They must be a Christian screenwriter, author, songwriter, playwright. That's all. You can leave your nominations here in the comments section.

Seitz III: The Spirit of Gullah

What fascinates you about the Gullah people?

What fascinates me the most is that the Gullah people have kept parts of their history, their heritage, in a place and time where it may not be the most popular or easy thing to do. The Gullah people revere their ancestors and work hard to bring honor to them. In modern-day times, this is refreshing and rare.

How did you obtain your research?

I began by researching on the internet, reading articles from newspapers and such. What I learned ultimately was that the media is often incorrect in its relaying of facts. After the book was written, I had a couple of people who knew first-hand about the Gullah culture read it and help me with my Gullah translations and Mount Pleasant African-American vernacular—not to mention customs and other important details. Those people were Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation and Alada Shinault-Small of the Avery Research Center at College of Charleston. Their help was immeasurable.

Why do you think their culture is important for a national platform?

I think I was drawn to the Gullah culture because I grew up on a South Carolina Sea Island. There was a large Gullah population on Hilton Head, yet I never understood the importance of it until I moved a little north to Mount Pleasant where basket makers are celebrated. When my eyes were opened, I wondered, “How did I not know about this culture sooner?” or maybe more importantly, “Did I not care?”

What I realized was that too many times Americans consider “black history” to be for blacks only. This is not true. Black history is “American history”. It’s important to all Americans to understand our beginnings—to understand one another. Learning about the Gullah culture, whether you’re black, white, Asian, it doesn’t matter…it’s important because it helps us to understand our beginnings and also how we can each retain unique aspects of our heritage, yet strengthen our connections between ethnicities. As a Southerner, there are also so many facets of Southern culture that are a result of direct contributions of the Gullah people—food, art, language, you name it.

Stay tuned next week Nicole will share her road to publication with us. If you have any questions for her, please leave them here in the comments section.

Seitz II: Black Spiritualism

Yesterday, Nicole introduced herself to us. Today we're talking about Black Spiritualism and its role in her debut novel, The Spirit of Sweetgrass.

An excerpt from the Spirit of Sweetgrass...

Gullahs are real respectful of the dead, and they want to make sure they go onto the afterworld, and don't come back for haunting. Back in 1939 when my grandma died, I can remember ma turning the mirrors in the house backward, facing the wall, so Gran's spirit wouldn't reflect.

What do you know about Black spiritualism?

Black spiritualism is the blending of old and new beliefs, traditions, practices into one harmonious spiritual belief system. Certain aspects can be borrowed from Protestantism, Catholicism, etc, yet traditional African spirituality remains. In Louisiana, there is a blend of Catholicism with African spirituality including aspects of the Voudon religion. Here in the Lowcountry, it’s a mix with Protestantism instead.

When I first started writing this book, I was soon after put on bed rest for some problems in my pregnancy. God put me in the capable hands of an African-American woman who had been a nanny and sweetgrass basket maker. She watched over me and my then one-year old daughter. I could not write, but found myself listening to her praises to Jesus.

The black community is fascinating to me in that spirituality spreads throughout ever facet of life—in speech, in family life, everything. I come from a background where spiritual things are not talked about very much except in church. If you do talk of such things you feel funny, people are uncomfortable. As a Christian, I want my connection to God to permeate every facet of my life, no matter how people look at me. This is my heart’s connection to the black community.

How important is this religious thought to Essie Mae?

Essie Mae is a simple woman. She loves Jesus. She loves her family. She has a respect for her roots, both Gullah and Creole. She has a reverence for spiritual mysticism, understands the power of it, fears it at times. Ultimately, she puts her faith in God as her true power.

You cannot have Essie Mae in existence without her spirituality. Loving Jesus is who she is. Bringing that love to her family and friends is a natural extension.

How does Black spiritualism fit in our Christian worldview?

It’s hard for those of us who are not Black to understand how ancient beliefs and practices brought to America by African forefathers can coincide gracefully with Christian beliefs, but these are things embedded in the fabric of the black community. The one does not negate the other—loving Jesus Christ.

How much did orthodoxy played a role in your theme?

To be honest, I simply told Essie Mae’s story. I was not too concerned with rigidity to rules or orthodoxy in religion. Essie Mae is a “real” character. Things in her world as in ours are not “black and white”. There is much gray in this world. I explored some of these gray areas and allowed my imagination to soar.

Monday we will explore the Gullah people and the art of sweetgrass. If you have questions for Nicole, leave them in our comments section.