Trisha R. Thomas - December 2000

Trisha R. Thomas

Trisha R. Thomas is the author of the long awaited novel Nappily Ever After. A native of San Diego, she graduated from California State University of Los Angeles with a BS in Business Administration and Marketing. Some of her previous occupations include marketing consultant, bridal store owner, artist, designer, and teacher.

A current resident of Seattle, this busy wife and mother of two was gracious enough to grant us an interview and it is here that you will discover who are her writing influences, what's she's most thankful for, and more.


Q. Trish, it's the eve of your debut novel's release. What thoughts are going through your mind?

A. Fear, anxiety, the usual. Nappily Ever After is my first book, like a first child being born. I just want everything to go well.

Q. Tell us something about your writing journey. Was it difficult? A learning experience?

A. Definitely a learning experience. The writing part was actually the easiest. I enjoyed waking up at 5 am with something to look forward to. My characters, Venus, Clint and Kandi became my best friends. I missed them when I wasn’t writing or reading about them. Sometimes I’d write all day and there were many times when the school would call to remind me that I had children and it might be a good idea to pick them up before dark.

Q. Did you name your book and, if so, how did you come up with the title Nappily Ever After?

A. Every time I changed the ending, I changed the title. My editor actually spliced my final title into Nappily Ever After because it was too long. They don’t like for a title to be more than a few words long.

Q. I've read your book and you have a wonderful writing style. Who are your writing influences? What kinds of elements do you try to incorporate into your writing?

A. Before I started writing, I read two to three books per week, anything I could get my hands on. As you know, there weren’t a lot of African American writers on the shelf just three years ago, so needless to say I was reading a lot of mainstream writers. One of my favorite books was Pearl by Tabitha King, Stephen King’s wife. Her style is everything I wish to be, thorough, fast, and intense. My other influences are Tananarive Due, John Ridley, and Jake Lamar.

Q. Do you really believe that women base their self-worth on their hairstyle? If so, why is that or where does that tendency come from?

A. I think women and men base their looks on hair. Mostly, I think it’s a learned habit, just like anything else. But also our environment and social pressures dictate what we believe about ourselves. Men don’t want to go bald, women don’t want to go bald; there’s absolutely no difference. I think more pressure is put on women on a daily basis with all of the TV and magazine ads telling us what’s beautiful. It’s hard to measure up, nearly impossible. It’s difficult to reprogram a lifetime of beliefs. Little boys are sitting in front of those television sets just like little girls, being programmed as to what “is beautiful”. Nine times out of ten it's the silky blondes in the hair commercials.

Q. Your characters seem so real. Are any of them based on people you know?

A. Yes, all of them. They know who they are. Luckily all the water is under the bridge.

Q. Is your follow-up novel in the works? When can we expect it?

A. I was fortunate to get a two-book contract when I signed with Crown/Random House, so my second book is already planned for a 2001 release. The tentative title is ROADRUNNER, but who knows? I’ve got a couple of rewrites to do.

Q. Do you plan to tour for this book? If so, where will you be appearing?

A. As of yet, I haven’t been given a definite tour schedule. The publisher likes to see where the book has the most attention, where it’s doing well, before they send the author out to the wolves.

Q. In light of the holiday season, what things are you most thankful for these days?

A. As much as I want to feel like the new author of the year, I still have to drive everybody to school, do the laundry, wash the dishes, and cook a couple of times a day. Without those little daily routines, I’d be a basket case. I'm thankful for my family. They keep me grounded.

Visit Trisha R. Thomas' Official Website and read an excerpt from Nappily Ever After at:
http://trisharthomas.com/

Nappily Ever After by Trisha R. Thomas is the kind of book that lovers of good fiction can embrace. The writing is top-notch: reminiscent of Bebe Moore Campbell or Margaret Johnson-Hodge.

The story, which centers around career woman Venus Johnston and her search for independence, is one in which readers will connect:

1-the story includes the issue of how women want to feel validated & beautiful in spite of their outward appearance; 2-the language is hip yet intelligent; and 3-the characters are people we know, or that we wish we knew.

An impressive debut, Nappily Ever After is more than a worthwhile read; it's one that will entertain as well as inform.

Other Trisha R. Thomas Books

Click here to read an except from Roadrunner

The bold new novel from the award-winning author of Nappily Ever After, Roadrunner tells an unforgettable story of love, lies, searching, and redemption that will keep you guessing till the last page.

For Dell Fletcher, life isn’t complicated. He is the Roadrunner, a major-league baseball star who seems to have it all. He’s married to his college sweetheart, Leah, and they have two children and a dream home in Los Angeles. But an injury has sidelined his hot career and prescription medication and depression are pulling him into a downward spiral of self-pity and loneliness, leaving Leah feeling emotionally distanced and sad. Her growing frustration ends in an ultimatum: “Get help, or get out.” Their fighting escalates, and one night Dell commits an act of violence that changes the course of their lives forever.

Angel Lopez, the cop who arrests Dell, decides to take the law into his own hands. Determined to teach the famous athlete a lesson, he drives Dell to the worst part of town and tells him to get out of the car. The men struggle and the car crashes. When Angel comes to, Dell is gone. No one knows if he’s dead or alive.

Leah is grateful when a guilt-stricken Angel offers to chase the media away from her home and help out around the house, “just until Dell comes home.” She and her family grow to trust him, and Angel falls in love with the Roadrunner’s lovely, grieving wife. Leah still prays for a miracle, but she can’t deny her attraction to Angel, a man who may hold Dell’s fate in his hands. Will Dell find his way home? Will Angel replace him? And what really happened the dark night the Roadrunner disappeared?