Meet Deidra D. S. Green (Fairburn GA)

Deidra D. S. Green has frequently been quoted as saying, "Writing is like breathing. Without it, I'd die..." Deidra continues to be fascinated by the power of the written word. She has always written, and most recently decided to share her craft with the rest of the world. Deidra has authored several highly praised public works including "The Twisted Sister Series," "Exiting Gracefully," “Woman at the Top of the Stairs,” "Here Comes Katrina," and "From the Outside In." Deidra has also penned a number of novellas and short stories including “Trent,” the “A Letter to My Mother” series, “The Candy Man,” “My Own Mister,” “Bearing Witness,” “16 Doors,” “48 Hours,” “Insatiable” and “Cornered”.

Deidra has continued her literary prowess as a freelance writer, literary coach, ghostwriter and professional editor, as well as authoring several books for all age groups. In 2009, she founded The Mahogany Writers Exchange (MWE), a writing group for adults interested in honing their writing craft. MWE became a virtual literary writing group in 2012.

Deidra continues to move in her passion and embrace all her writing journey has to offer. She has several projects slated for release in 2013 including The Suddenly Single Series, “Sick, Sicker, Sickest,” “Dark,” and “Interstate 64,” another in the thriller genre.

Her titles include:

The Suddenly Single Series

Twisted Sister

Twisted Sister II: Twisted's Revenge

Twisted Sister III: After the Twist

Trent

Woman at the Top of the Stairs

Trial and Tribulation (Short story)

The Not So Good Ole Days (short story)

Liquid Love (short story)

Exiting Gracefully (short story anthology)

From the Outside In

Here Comes Katrina (teen novel)

The A Letter to My Mother series

The Candy Man (short story)

Bearing Witness (short story)

16 Doors (flash fiction)

48 Hours (flash fiction)

Cornered (flash fiction)

Insatiable (flash fiction)

About “Suddenly Single”

People say they understand, but do they really? Bailey Jamison found herself completely caught off guard by the circumstances she faced. At the same time, part of her accepted the inevitable. She really had no choice in the matter. The sudden and unexpected loss of the love of her life, her impending pregnancy and dealing with the mother in law from hell made handling her situation no easy feat. Would Bailey rise to the occasion and take care of her responsibilities or would she struggle despite her resolve? Find out in the first installment of the Suddenly Single Series, “So Undeserving.”

UBAWA: When did you first decide you wanted to become an author?

Deidra: I don't know if I decided to become an author or if writing decided to take over my life. In a way, I have been writing my entire life, in one form or another but I officially became a published author in 2009. I published two children's books, My Forever Airplane and The Smallest Superhero and two books of poetry, Closet Issues and Wordsmitin.' I then went on a hiatus and worked toward my doctorate in human behavior. I returned to writing full time in 2012 and have been loving the journey ever since.

UBAWA: How did you decide on the idea for your 1st book? 2nd book? 3rd book, etc?

Deidra: I tend to get my best ideas at the most inopportune times; when I'm driving, when I'm in the shower and definitely when I am trying to sleep. It most often starts with a title, generated by something I hear or see and the story flows from there. For my first book, My Forever Airplane, it was grieving the loss of my sister that pushed me to pen the story. It helped me to cope to look at how my daughter coped with the loss of her only aunt. Their story is what “My Forever Airplane” is all about.

UBAWA: How long did it take you to complete your first book? What was the process like?

Deidra: My first children's book took 6 hours to write. Once I accepted the fact that I was going to write it, I wrote furiously and the story poured out of me. My first full length novel, From the Outside In took almost a year to write because of the personal emotional roller coaster it took me on. The story is based on real life events some of which were and are continue to be very painful. I walked away from the story several times before I was finally able to finish.

UBAWA: What’s so rewarding about writing books and being an author?

Deidra: I love the power of the written word. I am fascinated by how words impact thoughts and actions. I enjoy the journey of moving from concept and idea to finished project. I appreciate my readers so much because they push me to keep giving them great stories.

UBAWA: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up?

Deidra: I have to honestly say that I have never considered giving up writing. I have thought about keeping my writing to myself again and not sharing it with the world but those are fleeting moments. I love it; all the ups and downs and the loneliness that comes with creating. I know that I will always write no matter what. It is a critical part of who I am as a person.

UBAWA: There’s more to being an author than writing a book. How do you manage to handle the business side of things?

Deidra: I have a great support team that helps with the business side of the writing process. That frees me up, to some degree, to focus on the writing. Marketing and promotion is a challenge and I try to build it into my writing schedule.

UBAWA: Do you have an editor or do you edit your own books?

Deidra: I think self-editing is suicide! I have two editors that I work with and beta readers who read my projects before they go through the editing processes.

UBAWA: Who does the cover art for your book(s)?

Deidra: I have a graphic designer that I work with and I also design some of my own covers.

UBAWA: Do you ever encounter writer’s block? How do you get past it?

Deidra: I don't have a problem with writer's block. If I get stuck in a storyline, I just move on to another story until I get a breakthrough with the one that may have been frustrating me. I always work on more than one project at a time so writer's block really hasn't been an issue, thank God!

UBAWA: How often do you write?

Deidra: I write every single day, seven days a week. I may not write 10,000 words every day but I write something every day. On a normal day, after handling my motherly responsibilities, I write 5 to 7 hours a day. On the weekends, I tend to write more than that.

UBAWA: Tell us about your last book signing.

Deidra: My last book signing was at a wonderful networking event. I had the opportunity to meet new people and new readers. It was a very enjoyable experience and I look forward to the next one.

UBAWA: Beside social media, what other methods are you using to get the word out about your book(s)?

Deidra: I use Constant Contact, an email list, flyers, business cards and blogging to get the word out about my books.

UBAWA: As a Woman of Color, what inspires you the most?

Deidra: I consider myself a reflection of the beautiful, resilient and forward thinking women around me. I truly want for my sister what I want for myself so when I see women going after what they want, never taking no for an answer, and pressing on against all odds, I am encouraged to keep true to my own journey.

UBAWA: Who is your biggest influence?

Deidra: My biggest influence is my brother, Patrick S. Muhammad. He is such a wonderful man. He is intelligent, business savvy, dedicated to his family and is a man of faith. He challenges me to be my best self.

UBAWA: Have you ever done something in the past you regret? How did you get through it?

Deidra: I have done plenty in my past that I regret but I don't live in my past. I live in the present. As such, I have accepted my shortfalls, mistakes and I have forgiven myself.

UBAWA: How do you get through the tough times in life when life throws what it throws at you?

Deidra: I believe in prayer and positive thinking. I also believe that everything happens for a reason. My mother has always said, "You can't worry and pray at the same time" so I don't. I pray about it and leave it in the hands of My Creator. I know He has my best interest at heart.

UBAWA: What is one goal you want to accomplish for yourself in 2013?

Deidra: I want to get all the projects on my to do list done!

UBAWA: What do you have planned next?

Deidra: Next up for me is the completion of the Suddenly Single Series and then I will be releasing my novel, Interstate 64. I have several current WIPs (works in progress) and plan on adhering to my production schedule to get those completed on time.

UBAWA: How can readers and others in the literary community reach you?

Deidra: I can be reached via my website/blog at deidrawrites.weebly.com. I also can be reached on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/deidra.d.green

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