Here’s the situation… You are a rising star in the urban literature genre and have just released your latest title. Our very own African Americans on the Move Book Club (AAMBC) has added you to their list of nominees for the 2013 5th Annual AAMBC Literary Awards for Breakout Author of the Year. You are also the only female nominated for the Street Lit Writer of the Year category, and are proving yourself to be a force to be reckoned with.
The Situation Room with Michelle Cuttino catches up with Fabiola Joseph to talk about the Woman, her Works and the Wickedness within.
Michelle: Your debut novel was entitled The Art of Deceit. Tell us a little about the book.
Fabiola: The Art of Deceit is my baby… I love that book. I introduce the readers to a video girl named Tangie who takes the hip-hop world by storm. She is the snake of all snakes and she wants everything the world has to offer, even if that means taking it. She is one of the coldest female characters I had ever read about or written about. Once she digs her claws into hip-hop sensation Tay’von, he doesn’t stand a chance. Along the way, she meets several people who will change her life. Characters like Amira, a closeted lesbian RnB singer, Carmello Green, a seedy record label owner, and Carl, Tay’s bodyguard. It’s a tale of love, sex, music, and murder. I really had a lot of fun with that one.
Michelle: You followed up with a collaboration on Port Stars 1 & 2, which offered an inside look at the pornographic lifestyle. Why did you choose to write about the porn industry?
Fabiola: I have always loved a great porno flick! My co-author and I went to high school together and we would at times watch porn and just make fun of it, talk about the guys and girls and really wonder what their lives were like. It’s almost as if being a porn star is like being in a secret society, and we thought that it would be fun to build our own world around porn stars.
Michelle: It’s apparent that you have a penchant for writing erotica. Where did the inclination arise from and have you always been sexually expressive?
Fabiola: I love and have always loved talking about sex. When we are younger, it’s fun, it’s new, you giggle because you know you’re talking about something that is for adults, and I have always had fun with it. You learn a lot about people when you talk to them about sex. So writing it came natural. I wrote my first book when I wasn’t even 13 yet. It was what we call urban erotica today… and I didn’t even know it. I remember my step-dad finding it and flipping out. Haitian people are not what you would call open to a kid’s creativity, especially when it comes to sex. So from then on, I was looked at as if I was doing everything that I was writing about, as if I was a ruined child whore. The funny thing is… I never gave a damn, not even as a kid in middle school. Instead of bowing down to their bullshit and not allowing my gift to flourish, I kept writing and passed it around to the students and teachers at school. They loved it.
Michelle: In your opinion, what is the difference between pornography and erotica when it comes to writing, and in which category do you classify your novels?
Fabiola: The funny thing is, I don’t have an answer for you. I think that it all depends on who is reading it and what they choose to take it as. I love a great sex scene that makes sense. Tangie was a “nasty” girl, but when and whom she had sex with was up to her and it was for a reason. The sex came with a great story. So, as some reviewers have said, my writing could be taken as porn and some say erotica… it makes me smile either way. Porn gets people off and I hope my writing does the same.
Michelle: Dubbed the “Queen Of Kink”, you also have your own Blog Talk Radio show. What is the premise of the show and what can your audience expect when listening in?
Fabiola: The Queen of Kink show is so much fun. When you listen in, you can expect to hear shows that touch on a wide range of subjects from rape, sexual addiction, the best way to have an orgasm, and the best way to give head. I even read a very personal letter that I wrote to a dead lover who committed suicide. It was very emotional but I got so much support and emails from people who are dealing with their own pain. So when you listen in, just expect to hear everything that’s real, and everything that is sexually raw! No-holds-barred!!!
Michelle: What are the criteria for being a guest on the show? Does one have to be an author of erotica, or is that not a prerequisite?
Fabiola: No, you do not have to write erotica but you have to be okay and open when it comes to talking about sex. The worst guest is a guest that makes you feel like you are pulling teeth to get them to talk. I am very open when it comes to sex and to have a great show, I need people who are grown and confident enough to open up.
Michelle: Your latest release is Rebel’s Domain and in this novel, your theme moves from sex to murder. Why did you choose to switch up styles and release such a dark story?
Fabiola: Even in my erotica, you will find dark characters. They are so much fun to write. I had someone ask me if I will ever write a book with normal characters and I had to ask them what would be the fun in that. I do not pick my characters; they select me to tell their stories. Scarlett Rose, along with her sister and friend came to me. I first met Scarlett as I wrote Porn Stars 2 and she just hung around until I got to her story. My co-author says that I shouldn’t tell people that but it’s true. It was as if she kept poking me in the head until she got her story out. I love this book because it is not only different from anything I have written but also because the readers tell me that Rebel’s Domain is nothing like anything they have ever read. This makes me smile.
Michelle: Your novels all end with cliffhangers, leading to a sequel or spin-off, but we have yet to see a Part 2. Is this intentional? When do you plan to release each follow-up novel?
Fabiola: I have to laugh. I don’t do this on purpose but as I stated before, I am an author who waits for the characters to speak to me, I let them tell me when they are ready. I would hate to write a part 2 just because. I know that the readers are waiting but I want it to be done right. The Art of Deceit 2 and Rebel’s Domain 2 will both be out this year. I can smell Tangie’s Capri menthol cigarettes and Scarlett damn near has her machete against my neck. So the killer and the snake will grace pages and E-readers this year.
Michelle: As a self-published author on the rise, what has been the most challenging part of self-publishing? What steps have you taken to make it less problematic for you?
Fabiola: One of the hardest things to do when you self-publish is to get seen outside of social networks and get distribution. Because of my job, it’s hard for me to really travel and do signings. Social networks help but I want to be known outside of that. Being a facebook author just doesn’t cut it for me. These tools help but getting into bookstores and meeting the readers face to face is a goal of mine for this New Year. I must say that this last one is a bit easier now but when I first came out with The Art of Deceit, it was very hard to just get people to give you a chance. It took a few months but once word started to get around, more and more people read the book. I can’t even say that I blame the readers. With so many books, some good, some bad, how do you know where to start? That’s why I try to have a good cover, great story, and even better personality. It helps!
Michelle: When it’s all said and done and you’ve written your last novel, what do you want people to remember about Fabiola Joseph?
Fabiola: I want them to remember that I always gave the world my best. That I stayed true to who I am, what I wanted to write, and I never gave them nothing less than the greatness I had in me. I want them to look back on my work and see the truth in every word that I wrote. I want them to feel my pain, smile with my happiness and cringe at my insecurities. I want them to know that I was a part of every one of my characters, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Every great writer leaves them wanting more. Even in death, I want for people to flip that last page and miss everything that I was, and everything I still had to give. I want to be remembered as Fabiola, the one and only!
Synopsis for Rebel’s Domain:
The world is a dark, cruel place and Scarlett fits right in. Trained by her father to steal, torture and kill, and ignored by her drug-addicted mother, this little girl isn’t made up of sugar and spice. At the age of 15, Scarlett gets her first taste of blood and is faced with a growing hunger for more as she struggles to live a normal life. When the consequences of a day at “work” with her father surfaces and kicks in her front door, Scarlett may lose the people she loves most.
Faced with the possibility of being left alone to fend for herself, she knows that she must put all of her father’s training to use. She may not make it out alive, but nothing says love like a kill… or death! This machete-toting killer will be pushed to the limits as she fights to protect her family and prevent things from spiraling out of control.
Alliances are formed, and the thin line between friends and enemies become hazy as these rebels make their way through life. Scarlett finally meets her match when she makes a handsome stranger her prey, and fate deals one dirty hand after the other. Some will survive the mayhem, and some will fall, as bodies litter the streets of the D.M.V. Welcome to the Rebel’s Domain, where most will be scarred for life!
About the Author:
You have entered the world and mind of Fabiola Joseph. A lover of literature, good music, movies, and art, she is multifaceted. She was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland and while in middle school, she found her passion for reading and writing. She began her love affair with the power of the written word and it was clear that writing was her destiny.
In 2011, The Art Of Deceit, a novel about the grime that dwells behind the shadows of Hip~Hop, through the eyes of a video vixen, was released.
In 2012, she co-authored the erotic tale, Porn Stars 1 & 2, which provided readers with a behind-the-set look into the pornographic life style.
November 2012, Fabiola unleashed the 15-year-old serial killer, Scarlett Rose. Rebel’s Domain is new and exciting, and brings something different and captivating. Suffocating in darkness, this teenager is nothing like any girl you’ve ever read about before.
Contact Fabiola:
Website – http://www.theartoffabiolajoseph.com
Facebook – Facebook.com/Fabiola.Joseph3
Twitter – @Soulofawriter
Email – [email protected]