Diva Clique Bookclub

Discussing Momma: Gone A Personal Story

BPM: What inspired you to write this book?
I started writing this many years ago. I think it is actually the first thing I ever tried to write. I had a memory of going to a bar with my mother and wanted to put it on paper. She died before I was seven, so it was very hazy, but more things unfolded from my memory.



BPM: Is this a true story?
Absolutely. This book is based on my childhood. It is embellished, of course.
Sweetie (main character) had a story that needed to be told.


BPM: Introduce us to Momma: Gone A Personal Story. Well, this book is literary fiction. If I'd had more courage, I would have written it as Creative non-fiction. This is a story about family and heartbreak as much as it is about loss and recovery. More truth than not, Momma: Gone is a story of survival, where all the lessons are taught by the child who must eventually lead them through and a classic American story of overcoming life's misfortunes to find the bloom on the other side.



BPM: Tell us about your main characters. What makes them so special?
Sweetie is seven years old when this story begins. She is a precocious child that is very much aware of the things that are going on around her, even though the adults never tell her what is going on. She is aware of her mother's illness and the effect it has on the family.


BPM: What are your goals for your writing career?
Momma: Gone is my 15th book. I just want to continue to tell good stories and make a few good movies.



BPM: What would you like for readers to do after reading this book?
I want people to feel along with the main character as she grows, then go out and tell someone about it.