 October-December 2005
Sammie Ward
Author, Sammie Ward currently calls Maryland home, and truly has a story to tell. I’ve had the pleasure of corresponding with her, and after reading quite a few of her articles and short stories I’m convinced that the narrative novel is a medium where she will excel. In her own words, Sammie articulates that: “I grew up reading romance novel and thought to myself that one day I was going to write my own romance novel. In 1996, I began to write. Through rejection letters, writing contests, how to write books, and advice from a friend I sold my first short story to Black Romance in November 2000. Since then I have gone on to sell over fifteen short stories to various confession magazines. Jive, Bronze Thrills, True Confessions, Black Secrets, and Black Romance to name a few. Many of the short stories have also appeared on numerous e-zines, ( Timbooktu, Nubian Minz, The Writers' Block, and Nubian Chronicles ).
I have written several health related articles, A Look At Depo-Provera , Fibrocystic Breast Disease, and African American Women and Diabetes to name a few that have been featured in Amag, Family Digest , and in the previously mentioned Jive Magazine. On the web look for my work at DOENetwork, W3 Lifestyle& Health Net Websites. In September 2004, frustration with traditional publishing houses, determining the standard for readers, and other ills I decided to forme Lady Leo Publishing. IN THE NAME OF LOVE, (formerly titled SECRET BLESSING) is the debut novel from my publishing company and will be released in the Spring of 2005. It will be followed by LOVE TO BEHOLD and the mystery SEVEN DAYS . But as happenstance would have it, I was able to get just a little more out of her as she shared poignant insight to various aspects of her journey to now.
Please embrace yourself for Sammie’s soliloquy: |
ACR: Share with us the significance of your name. You must be the only person in the world I know with a moniker like this, and there MUST be a story behind it!
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 SW: First, I want to thank the Romer Review for having me. The story behind my name is really pretty simple. I was named after my father, his name is "Sammy." I was the first born. Naturally, he wanted a son but got me instead. (Laughing) My parents named me after him, anyway. It's a good thing because he has (5) five daughters. I was teased a lot growing up about the name. You know how cruel kids can be. But over the years the attitude toward my name has changed. I've gotten use to it and everyone thinks it’s cute. |
| ACR: Why was it such an obsession for you to write a novel? |
| SW: Actually, it couldn't be helped. The story of Dr. Shari Thomas and businessman Derrick Rawlings kept bouncing around in my head. Every time I finished reading a novel the urge to tell their story nagged me until I put, In The Name Of Love, on paper. |
| ACR: Who are some of your literary influences, past or present? |
| SW: I like reading Rochelle Alers , she's my favorite present African-American author. I also like James Patterson, John Grisham, and Brenda Joyce. |
| ACR: What are your views on the availability and popularity of the African-American publishing and writing phenomena today? |
| SW: In my opinion, African-American publishing is big business. We have authors like Eric Jerome Dickey, Zane, Terri McMillan, and Omar Tyree whose books have made a huge impact in African-American literature and has really opened the door for authors, but we still have a long way to go. We have traditional houses like BET, and Genesis Press that publishes African-American authors. Then of course we have Harlequin, St. Martin Press and a few others that has an African-American line . African-American literature is a multi-million dollar business but many of the hot African-American authors today are self-published because they're unable to get their foot in the door of the big houses. That's unfortunate. |
| ACR: How did you prepare to write 'In the Name of Love'? |
SW: When I first sat down to write, In The Name of Love, all I had was an idea. I didn't have a clue how to go about it. So, I researched on how to write a novel. I read every book I could get my hands on. I read, How To Write A Romance Novel, by Kathryn Frye and You Can Write A Romance Novel and Get It Published by Yvonne MacManus . I also kept close to me, The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. Also, I studied the African-American market to get a better feel of what was popular and the styles the book were written in. I paid close attention to the concepts, ideas, and plots of the books.
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| ACR: What would you like the readership to know and remember about this book, and for what reason? |
| SW: Just that I hope I wrote a novel readers can relate to. In The Name of Love is a tale of love, lies, and deceit. There are not too many books that deal with single mothers. Especially a single, educated black mother with a great carer. Dr. Shari Thomas was born in poverty, struggled to make something of herself, despite becoming an unwed mother in medical school. I wanted to write about a black woman overcoming an obstacle in her life and becomes successful. |
| ACR: How important is it for you to write what you feel, as opposed to what's currently en vogue? |
| SW: I think it's very important. You should also write what you have a passion for. |
| ACR: What type of audience are you trying to reach with your books, and why? |
| SW: I believe everyone can relate to the novel. We all have loved and lost. We all have been lied to, kept secrets, and been wronged in our lives. The bottom line is how do we handle the situation. Do we lay down and wallow in our misery, or do we pick ourselves up, dust off, and continue to march on with our lives? |
| ACR: First time authors with debut novels tend to be scrutinized much harshly as opposed to veterans...do you believe this to be true? How will it affect you? |
SW: I don't believe it will affect me much. I believe it's all in the books the authors put out there. If it's a good book it will be received well. It doesn't matter whether it's a first time author or a veteran. You're only as good as the last book that you wrote. That refers to me as well as any other author. |
| ACR: Why is it so important for you to have your book reviewed, and how do you handle critical rejection? |
| SW: Being an author, I know it's important to have your book reviewed and hopefully get good reviews. But I'm realistic, I know not everyone is going to like what I write or how I write it. I understand that. It's part of life. Before I formed Lady Leo Publishing, I was rejected by numerous publishing houses. Instead of taking the rejections to heart, it made me more confident and determined to get my work out there. Both of my novels are out there and doing well. I don't let criticism hold me back. |
| ACR: What are you doing to expound on and expand the vast and varied network of support needed to help market your book? |
| SW: Advertise, advertise, and advertise. I'm doing radio, magazines interviews, on line chat, magazine ads, and book signings. Word of mouth has also been good for sales. I now have a publicist so marketing should pick up even more. |
| ACR: Tell the reading public about the voice inside your head in reference to self-publishing and getting the recognition in that you have something that someone should want to read. |
| SW: Self-Publishing is a big step. Very expensive. Before I hired a publicist I had to do everything myself to get my company out there. But I believed in myself and my books. I feel confident that Lady Leo books are worth reading. So, I prayed about it and dived in with both feet. I don't regret it for one moment. I've learned a lot about this business. |
| ACR: Were you always an avid reader, and did you feel any sense of community with other writers growing up? |
| SW: Yes, I was always a reader (Laughing). I remember my first Peanuts book. In school, I worked in the library just to be surrounded by books. It always fascinated me how authors were able to tell stories. My interest of literature ranges from poets Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes , to writers Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Richard Wright . I always felt closest to Danielle Steele , and enjoy her style of writing romance novels. |
| ACR: Of your personal passion as it pertain to any form of literature -- who is the Sammie Ward we don't know? |
| SW: I write romance but I'm fascinated with Historicals. My favorite novel is The Game by Brenda Joyce . It's set in the 15th century. I like that period of time. It reminds me a lot of me, very low-key and easy going. I would love to write a historical one day. |
| ACR: What are you working on now, and where do you see yourself 5-10 years from now? |
| SW: My next novel, Seven Days will be released in September 2005. It's the story of Lieutenant Colonel Victor Sexton of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), who’s looking forward to retiring in seven days, when an army nurse is found dead in his quarters, time is against him to find the killer. I'm looking forward to the growth of Lady Leo Publishing. In 5-10 years, I'm hoping that the company will publish award winning books and made into television and big screen movies. |
