Diva Clique Bookclub

 

 

 Michael Bagley, street savvy and beautiful, learned the art of the con and sleeps with older women to survive. When an accidental shooting sets off a citywide manhunt and thrusts Michael into certain danger, his mother, a stripper at a local nightclub, is finally forced to confront the biological father who didn’t know Michael existed. Soon he finds himself whisked off the streets of Detroit and transplanted into a world of champagne dreams with more money at his fingertips than he ever thought possible.

Then Michael’s life takes a bizarre turn as he bonds with his father’s best friend. Chachi is a charming, down-to-earth ladies ’man who awakens sensations Michael can’t explain, throwing him into identity turmoil. But when the dust settles, Michael learns that neither riches, fame nor age has anything to do with love. As Michael fights to keep a relationship that may be against the odds and out of his league, he hopes the streets have toughened him enough to withstand a scorned woman’s wrath, his parent’s attempted sabotage—and the public’s outrage.

In this story of love, betrayal, and revenge, bonds are tested, friendships are challenged, dark secrets surface and an epic romance blossoms amidst a media circus.


What If It Feels Good by D.J. McLaurin
Contemporary, Alternative Fiction
BGP: http://browngirlspublishing.com/catalog-item/what-if-it-feels-good/


About the AuthorChicago native, DJ McLaurin, is the author of the provocative new novel, What if it Feels Good? A graduate of DePaul University and a Certified Public Accountant, DJ has worked in various fields including banking, auditing, a twenty-two year stint in radio, and, most recently, the Theatre Industry. She resides in South Holland, Illinois, with her husband and her two daughters, where she is working on Pretty Boy, a riveting follow up to What If It Feels Good, Falling Up, and Metamorphosis, as well as a new venture into the genre of the supernatural titled In The Company of Ghosts.

Website: www.djmclaurin.com
Follow on Twitter: @mclaurindj
Facebook: http://facebook.com/mclaurindj

Chicago native, DJ McLaurin, is the author of the provocative new novel, What if it Feels Good? A graduate of DePaul University and a Certified Public Accountant, DJ has worked in various fields including banking, auditing, a twenty-two year stint in radio, and, most recently, the Theatre Industry. She resides in South Holland, Illinois, with her husband and her two daughters, where she is working on Pretty Boy, a riveting follow up to What If It Feels Good, Falling Up, and Metamorphosis, as well as a new venture into the genre of the supernatural titled In The Company of Ghosts.


BPM: What drove you to sit down and actually start writing this book?
I worked for the company that produced the Today’s Black Woman Expo in Chicago, and author Naleighna Kai would appear as guest speaker annually. I would sit in the back and watch her work that room. One year, I gathered enough nerve to approach her and talk about a novel idea I had been keeping in my heart. She was so appalled that I let fear snatch my pen. She literally threatened that I’d better not attend another one of her events without that manuscript in my hand. It was completed by the next event and she guided me from there.

BPM: Does your upbringing or life experiences inspire your writing?
Absolutely! I am 4th from the bottom of 11 children. Inside that brood, I rarely got enough attention. I had my siblings to play with, but it was mostly my imagination that I turned to for comfort. To help my mother with the younger siblings and cousins, I would draw pictures and tell them stories from the pictures. When I was older and able to write coherently, I began reading to them, both from my own writings and from books. I would read anything: food labels, dictionaries, encyclopedias, weekly readers, Jet Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Readers Digest, Life Magazine…anything I’d find laying around the house. When I read a story and didn’t like the ending, I’d rewrite it.

BPM: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you write every day?
Do you have a special time to write? My published novels were written on a full-time schedule, and I wrote everyday with one day off. Lately, I write more for my own enjoyment. Therefore, if it feels like work, I don’t do it. I write as my muse indulges me. Otherwise, I pick up a book.

BPM: Do you ever let the book stew – leave it for months and then come back to it? Never for months, but weeks? Yes. I’ll push a manuscript aside and read great stories or watch great movies for inspiration, or just a change of pace.

BPM: Where do your book ideas come from? Are your books plot driven or character driven?
My books are mainly character driven. Characters form themselves in my head and live out many lives for many months—years even—until the events of their lives began to stitch themselves into novels worth sharing. I like stepping into the shoes of folks who are completely unlike me.

BPM: Introduce us to your current work. What genre do you consider your book? Is this book available in digital forms like Nook and Kindle?
I’m currently writing contemporary fiction, with an alternative flair; but I can’t wait to delve into other genre’s—particularly fantasy and paranormal. All books will be available via Kindle, and possibly Nook.

BPM: Give us an insight into your main characters. What makes each one so special?
Michael is a street savvy, homeless, young beauty who makes a living hustling alongside his stripper Mom, Sarah. His stunning brains and wealth of charisma does not reconcile with his lot, and Michael senses that he comes from something else, but he doesn’t press his mother. What he longs for most, besides life’s basic needs, is simply love. Because of his looks, he cannot escape the attentions of others, male and female. Life has hardened him to these affections, and he has to eat, so he uses what he can get…until someone special unlocks his passions and all his secrets…

Out of fear, Sarah withholds the truth of Michael’s birth and spirals into a life of self-abuse in an effort to outrun her past…and her guilt. When her beautiful son finds trouble, she risks everything to save him, revealing his true birth-right, and turning many lives head over feet.

Chachi is a juggernaut of a man, in stature, power and personality. With his tightly-bound group of friends, he has created an empire. With this life comes the spoil of the rich: money, houses, cars, women…he has it all. But he’s in his thirties and has never been in love…until…

BPM: Can you outline some areas where your characters dealt with issues that are in current affairs?
Homelessness, street soliciting, forbidden romance, adultery, celebrity w/ paparazzi issues, are all current affairs explored in What If It Feels Good.

BPM: What would you like for readers to take away from your writing? How do you go about reaching new readers?
I want to give readers another perspective. I won’t them to reconsider their lifelong opinions and viewpoints. I tend to use social media to reach as many new readers as possible, but I’m hoping this books uses those “legs” to carry it even farther. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend.

BPM: What defines success for you, as a published author? What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I would love for the world to read and love my books. I love to write thought-provoking plots and get a reader’s feedback. That’s the only reason I publish—to reach these readers that would appreciate such stories and share the experience. Otherwise, I would be happy writing as a hobby.

BPM: What is your favorite positive saying? Where do you find your daily inspiration?
My mom always says, “ No ain’t never killed anyone.” Meaning, to ask for what you want and not let the fear of rejection stop you.

BPM: Were there any challenges in bringing this story to life?
Writing from the male point of view was a challenge. I’m constantly reviewing the emotional temperature of the characters. Men aren’t as emotional as women, and I have trouble with balancing that.

BPM: What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing?
The disadvantages of self-publishing are often the advantages. Self-publishers have the autonomy to make all the decisions and reap the bulk of the benefits. On the one hand, that’s a lot of hard work. On the other hand, you get to make all the decisions and reap the bulk of the benefits…

BPM: Where do you see publishing going in the future? In your opinion, will ebooks continue to reign?
Ebooks will reign supreme! I still love paper books, and don’t own an e-reader (yet), but who can deny the genius of this super service!

BPM: What’s your views on social media for marketing? Which social network worked best for you?
The Internet, and social media at large, is a brilliant marketing tool. It’s also a vast oasis, so you have to know what you’re doing, or hire someone that knows what they’re doing, or you’ll find that you’re simply spinning your wheels.

BPM: Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included? How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Leave me a note at mclaurindj@yahoo.com or visit www.djmclaurin.com.

Website: www.djmclaurin.com
Follow on Twitter: @mclaurindj
Facebook: http://facebook.com/mclaurindj