First up (drumroll, please!) is the talented debut author Kyra Davis. Her first mystery chick is out now!

Hugs and happy weekend,
Alesia

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE ME
Over the last few weeks I’ve been interviewed several times by different periodicals due to the recent release of my novel Sex, Murder And A Double Latte. I’ve learned that there are a few questions that will always come up:

1) What prompted you to write a chick lit murder mystery?
2) Why did you choose to explore the idea of life imitating art?
3) What’s it like to be a biracial woman?

The phrasing of the last question tends to vary—sometimes it’s “What was it like growing up biracial?” or “Are your experiences as a biracial woman similar to those of your protagonist’s?”

But no matter how it’s phrased the question is always saved for last because as hard- hitting as these journalists may normally be they seem to all harbor the fear that the question might not be PC. They needn’t concern themselves with such things; I’m difficult to offend and I’m happy to answer their questions. The problem is that the answer to that particular question isn’t on the tip of my tongue. Up until now I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about my ethnicity.

Like my protagonist my mother is Jewish of Eastern European descent and my father was Black. I have always felt very connected to the Jewish community and I’ve never considered myself to be White, nor has anyone perceived me as such. Puerto Rican, Brazilian, Latina, Middle Eastern, those are all nationalities that have at one point or another been wrongfully applied to me but no one has ever said “Hey, any chance you’re Swedish?”

It’s true that there have been times when I was subjected to both racism and anti-Semitism. But most of the time my race isn’t a big focus for those I interact with. That’s partially because it’s not a big focus for me. I have a lot of things to worry about; my son’s education, balancing work with parenthood, making it as a writer and so on. These are all issues that affect my daily life, so why should I stress about something that is rarely a hindrance?

Today almost every book featuring a Black protagonist that is marketed to the mass population deals with the “Black experience” (read slavery, racism and the fight against unfair stereotypes). But if the book is just about an African- American dealing with experiences outside of the race issue then it is only marketed to an African American readership. That’s why I’m so thrilled about Sophie Katz, my protagonist for Sex, Murder And A Double Latte. Most of the marketing material Red Dress Ink has put out regarding Sex, Murder And A Double Latte doesn’t even mention Sophie’s race. Nor was it brought up in the review in Cosmopolitan magazine or in the Romantic Times review. From the feedback I’ve been getting most readers don’t think of Sophie as being Black or biracial. They just think of her as being Sophie.
That’s pretty much what its like to be me. - Kyra

Posted by Alesia at 8:56 AM