Edited and improved by the Galatea team.
Reposted from Inkitt.com.
Today’s interview is with F.R. Black, the author of the Fairy Godmother Inc. series, now available on Galatea.
Q: Welcome, and congratulations on your publishing contract with Galatea! Fairy Godmother Inc. is live on the app now, and we’ll talk more about that later. First, tell us a little more about yourself so readers can get to know you better.
F.R. Black: My name is Desiree, and I have turned 30 six times. Seriously, just ask my handsome husband and ignore the eye roll. It’s distracting. I have two cute kids that I have managed to keep alive and a little white dog named Theodore Rupert, who I sometimes want to strangle. No, I love my dog! Just don’t ring my doorbell, please. I’m not a violent person, but when the sweet little angel dog barks louder than some hybrid beast, it will test you. I like to look at it as an anger and patience therapy session! I live in the US in the cute town of Montrose, Colorado.
Q: You publish under a pen name, right?
F.R. Black: Yes. My pen name is F.R. Black. I think it’s just fun to have a pen name—almost like a superhero has a separate name. Though, now that I think about it, Cat Woman would be a cool pen name!
Q: It really would be! Is writing your full-time work, or do you have another job?
F.R. Black: I am a photographer and a Photoshop artist as well as a romance writer! Though I do love photography, I will say without a doubt that my main true love will always be writing.
Q: When did you first start writing?
F.R. Black: I first started writing in college in 2007. I was obsessed with romance novels and had an idea that maybe I could write too. I became really excited that I could create whatever I wanted.
Q: Tell us more about your publishing journey. How did you find Inkitt and what made you want to publish on the app?
F.R. Black: I found out about Inkitt from a friend on Wattpad. Readers are so engaging on Inkitt, which drew me in immediately.
Q: Then you were offered a publishing contract with Galatea. You must have been so excited!
F.R. Black: I was very excited when I received the opportunity to publish on Galatea because I saw how they are always trying to do something different. The Galatea team is very patient in handling my crazy, and I thought only my dear, sweet husband got that job!
Q: One of the wonderful things about an innovative publishing platform like Inkitt and Galatea is the interaction with readers, but that can be a double-edged sword sometimes. How do you process reader feedback – the good, the bad, and the ugly?
F.R. Black: Oh, I make voodoo dolls. Super fun! No, seriously, I have been writing for so long that negative feedback is just a reminder there is always room for improvement. Of course, sometimes wine helps with the really ugly stuff, with a light sprinkle of gross-face crying. But good feedback? It’s like the best feeling in the world! It makes everything worth it, inspiring me. If you see me with a dumb smile on my face for no reason? It’s because I got great feedback!
Q: I totally get that! How about writing advice? What’s the best and worst piece of advice you’ve ever received?
F.R. Black: The best advice I would say is to write because it’s fun, because when you get rejected or knocked down, it’s easy to get back up. The worst advice? Ehem. You can get rich fast once you finish your best-seller! All you have to do is pay me money for this easy writing course. Don’t fall for it!
Q: Okay, what’s on your to-be-read bookshelf? What authors or books have influenced you?
F.R. Black: I love all romance novels, but I love R.S. Grey books. Her comedy is so me!
Q: Did the pandemic influence your writing at all? If so, how?
F.R. Black: I think it was stressful for everyone, but I will say that it did give me lots of time to write!
Q: Finally, tell us a few interesting, non-writing related things about yourself!
F.R. Black: I’m so basic! I’m obsessed with the holidays—being the first in line for the pumpkin spice latte with my boots and scarf. I decorate every year for Christmas right BEFORE thanksgiving (gasp). I’m that neighbor. I mean, Christmas deserves to be more than one month! I used to be an international model! I lived in China for a while and can’t remember any of the Chinese language except for the immature phrase, I farted. It was a funny story. Don’t judge. I have a very good reason for remembering that. I eat lemons and salt every night. So good! Cut the lemon in fours, dip the lemon into the salt, and bliss!
Q: Thank you so much for chatting today, and best of luck with your writing career!
Here’s a preview of F.R. Black’s story Fairy Godmother Inc. – The Crystal Commander
I get off the old bus and take a deep breath, adjusting my large aviators. “Welcome to Hell,” I mutter to myself. I love the South, but not when I’m broke, heartbroken, tired, and – most importantly – alone.
Here are some words of wisdom from my dear, sweet Mama.
“Baby, Southern belles are not just pretty to look at. Oh no, we are much more than that. We were raised to look beautiful, to put on a facade of elegance and old-world charm. But we can be nasty.”
Mama always said that we are nasty women when we want to be.
That’s our power, our prerogative.
The pretty demeanor is just an illusion; it hides the black mamba within, ready to sink its razor-sharp teeth into unfaithful flesh.
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