After reviewing Yella’sPrayers, I had the opportunity to interview Nadine C. Keels and ask her a
few questions about her writing.
How long have you been
writing?
Since around the time I
learned the alphabet! Give or take a year.
Have you always wanted
to be a writer?
Not exactly. When I was
a child, I thought for a while that I wanted to be a singer. I think I’ve
always had a decent voice, but it was probably the thought of glamour and
accolades I was more interested in than the actual singing part. Around the age
of eleven or so was when I took a look at all the library books I kept checking
out and all the pages full of original tales I’d penned, and I caught a clue: I
was much more in love with stories than vocals.
Let’s talk more about
your new release, Yella’s Prayers. Tell me about it:
Well! I started writing
it toward the end of my senior year of high school, and I finished the first
draft a few months after graduation. It was the first full novel I’d written,
and it was basically seventeen to eighteen years of life spilling out
all at once.
Give us a Synopsis for
the book:
She awoke with a gasp,
sitting up. “God? Was that You?”
A pivotal year awaits
Bless, a young woman who hides her passion: her music. She’s not exactly
friends with T’meal, a talented athlete who won’t explain why he’s passed up
the chance of a lifetime. Nor is Bless too close to Lamall, a boisterous
playboy with a broken private life that’s spiraling out of control.
But Bless knows she’s
meant to help these two young men. She can’t deny the Voice that told her so.
A coming of age story of
compassion, the awakening of love, and knowing when it’s time to step out of
the shadows and shine.
Tell us about your main
characters:
Truth be told, the three
main characters —Bless, T’meal, and Lamall—are all me. Well, all based on me.
They’re different aspects of “Nadine” and my experiences from around that time
in my life, with some fictional ingredients added in for flavor. (Two of the
most obvious fictional ingredients being that T’meal and Lamall are guys,
although Nadine is a girl.)
Which is your favorite
minor character and why?
If I had to pick a
favorite minor character, it’d probably be Lamall’s brother, DeMarkus, on
account of the assorted mixture that makes The Mark up. He’s a blend of fun,
compassion, simmering rage, and helplessness. In some ways, he’s just a
spirited teenager, excited about sports and driving and girls, and in other
ways—well. He’s already had to grow up too fast.
Of all the books out
there, why should readers choose this one? (What makes your book stand out from
the rest?)
The prayers, I’d say.
The majority of them probably aren’t happening down on bended knees, with hands
folded and eyes pinched shut. And, hey, they might not even have official
openings and closings like formal letters, with a “Dear Lord God” at the
beginning and a “Sincerely Yours and Amen” at the end. In general, the prayers
are a reflection of ongoing connection, everyday communication that stems from
a close relationship. They’re meant to show that “praying without ceasing” has
to do with a consistent attitude of the heart and mind, not necessarily how
much bended-knee and folded-hand time you put in.
What other project are
you working on now?
Hahaha! I’m rather
overdue in my process of writing a sequel to my contemporary romance, Love
Unfeigned. But I’ll finish it. I’ve also got a spin-off from my Movement of
Crowns series started, and I just released the new edition of my literary love
story, World of the Innocent, based on true events.
Nadine, thank you for
joining us today and for sharing your stories and your writing experience!
-Julie L. Spencer
Author Bio:
Nadine. A French name,
meaning, “hope.”
With her lifelong
passion for life-enriching fiction, Nadine C. Keels enjoys reading and writing
everything from short stories to novels. Her fiction works include Love
Unfeigned and The Movement of Crowns Series, and select
pieces of her lyrical poetry can be found on her spoken word album, Hope.
Lyricized. As the founder of Prismatic Prospects, her communication
company, Nadine has served as editor for a number of titles, and through her
writing, from her books to her blog posts, she aims to help spark hope,
inspiration, and genius in as many as she is privileged to reach.
Follow Nadine C. Keels
on social media:
Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/nadinekeels
Website and/or Blog:
https://prismaticprospects.wordpress.com
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Nadine-C.-Keels/e/B004GBK6QM
Goodreads Profile:
https://www.goodreads.com/nadine_keels
Google+ Profile:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/110620554863081196294
YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/NadineTimes10
Faith, Hope, and Book Love group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FaithHopeBookLove/
Check out other books by Nadine Keels:
Yella’s Prayers | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N12VWJ1
World of the Innocent | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072HPG7FD
Love Unfeigned | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F0SDCGG
The Movement of Crowns | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F0SI07M
The Movement of Rings | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F0SMZU0
The Movement of Kings | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HHDS0R8
The “She” Stands Alone | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M8HML4G
Eminence | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00REFOY9W
Come to Yourself, Mr.
Jones |
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R2HN2JK
Dream Debbie | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RD9J50M
