In I Ain't Me No More, Helen has no shame displaying that she hasn't been saved all her life.  Will the divas of New Day Temple of Faith think Helen's worth saving? But more importantly, can God save Helen from not only her evil past; can He save her from herself?

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There are Christian fiction writers and then there are Christians who write fiction.  There is Christian fiction, then there is what some consider to be church fiction or church drama.  You have some authors who didn’t necessarily set out to write Christian fiction, but they were placed in that category by either their publisher or the book stores simply shelve them that way.


And of course you have the writers whose work is categorized as Christian fiction but they do not write for a Christian fiction imprint, which means they are not necessarily writing with any type of guidelines.  I can’t speak for any other Christian fiction author or author who either chose or by default was placed in the Christian fiction category, but I am a Christian fiction writer who writes for a Christian fiction imprint.  That is my choice on purpose.

I’ll be the first to admit that yes, I have a ghost writer; the Holy Ghost! I take dictation from the Holy Spirit when I write my stories.  My Holy Spirit does not curse nor does He describe explicit sex scenes for me to deliver to God’s people.  I write Christian fiction, not inspirational fiction, not faith based fiction or anything else.  Christ is in what I do “CHRISTian” fiction.  I’m not worrying about “keepin’” it real.  The Bible is as real as it gets and if the Holy Spirit didn’t instruct the authors of the Bible to curse people out and describe explicit sex scenes, then why on earth should He start using me to do it now?

So my concern is not about “keepin’ it real” for the world as much as it is keepin’ it holy for the Kingdom.  My ultimate goal is, yes, to please the readers, but I must first please God.

P.S. Maybe Peter did curse. But even the author of the Bible didn’t feel the need to write the actual curse words.


Author E.N. Joy is the author behind the five book "New Day Divas" series, the three book "Still Divas" series and the three book “Always Divas” series, which have been coined The Soap Opera In Print.  She wrote the children's book, The Secret Olivia Told Me, under the name N. Joy, in which the book received an American Library Association Coretta Scott King Honor, was acquired by Scholastic Books and has sold almost 100,000 copies.
 

Connect with the author online: 
Website: www.enjoywrites.com 
Instagram: blessedselling_author_enjoy 
Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/enjoywrites 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorENJOY 

I Ain't Me No More by E.N. Joy
Link:   http://amzn.com/1601627696

 

 

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My Target Audience is Black…There I Said It!
By E.N. Joy

Looking over the past years in literature, I've observed more African American authors wanting to-practically insisting on-being removed from the African American section in book stores and dumped into the....what's it even called? The Caucasian section?  Come on already!

If the same chick (let's say white chick) who reads John Grisham wants to read an African American author’s book, she'd read it no matter where it was placed in the book store.  African American readers know exactly where to go to find James Patterson's books, and with the huge "African American Section" sign hanging up in the stores, that white chick will know exactly where to go to find a book by an African American author.

I feel like some of these black authors want to force folks to read their books instead of first catering to those more willing to read it-their target audience…which is typically African American.  I think it’s because some authors never even pinpoint their target audience, so they have no idea who they should be trying to sell to in the first place. Nine times out of ten, if the majority of the main characters in your novel are African American, then your target audience is probably somewhere in the African American arena.

The same way these African American authors desire to have their books placed in the "Caucasian section," I wonder if the Caucasian authors are fighting to have their books placed in the African American section. Hmmmmm???  I wonder how many times James Patterson has cursed the book industry for not putting his books in the African American section.

I hear authors say it all the time:  “I write my book for everybody-not just one particular audience.”  That’s all fine and well, but the book business is just that-a business.  In dealing with business you have to have a target audience that you start off promoting and marketing to.  Once you have saturated your target audience, then you have the bull’s eye affect, where you begin to expand outward into other areas.

There is absolutely no shame in my game; I write my books for my sisters.  If anyone outside of my target audience wants to pick up my books, that is an awesome blessing.  But I want to make sure that my sisters-my target audience-can walk right into the book store and know exactly where to find me.

Richard Ridley once said, "Many writers make the mistake of thinking that bigger is better when it comes to defining a book's target audience. They believe that if a potential reader is simply made aware of their book, then surely they'll take a chance and buy it. But by choosing this "big pond" approach, those authors are being overlooked, and they're missing the opportunity to stand out in a smaller pond. You'll have much better success being a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond."

Believe it or not, I’ve heard some African American authors go as far as saying that they don’t even want images of African Americans on their books.  Do they not understand what a privilege that is, or do I need to take them back to that scene in the movie The Five Heartbeats where the singing group wasn’t allowed to have their own images on their record-because they were black?  That fiction was a reality once upon a time. Seems like now days the same things our ancestors fought and died for, we don’t want to reap the benefits of.


BLESSEDselling Author E. N. Joy is the author behind the five book "New Day Divas" series, the three book "Still Divas" series and the three book “Always Divas” series, which have been coined The Soap Opera In Print.  She wrote the children's book, The Secret Olivia Told Me, under the name N. Joy, in which the book received an American Library Association Coretta Scott King Honor, was acquired by Scholastic Books and has sold almost 100,000 copies.  Visit the author at www.enjoywrites.com
 

I Ain't Me No More by E.N. Joy
Link:   http://amzn.com/1601627696

 

 

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I Ain't Me No More
Book One of the Always Diva Series

 

First Chapter Excerpt


Man, I hate the cleaning guy!  Why does he have to do his job so well?  Can’t he ever leave just one spot, smear or smudge on this dang stripper pole? Something so that I don’t have to see myself so painfully visible like this?  What makes him think I want to be able to see myself twirling around this pole like some skilled monkey—caught up in the powerful grip of the almighty dollar; a grip known to have choked the life out of many while leaving others gasping for their last breath?

“That’s for you,” Damon spoke out over R. Kelly’s “Your Body’s Calling.”  With his chestnut brown, bald head and facial hair that is edged up nice and clean, Damon licks his thumb and uses it to flick a twenty dollar bill off the stack of money he’s palming. 

I swivel my body down to the ground the way the vanilla and chocolate swirl ice cream at the DQ makes its way from the machine to the cone. “Baby, you know it takes gas to keep a Cadillac like myself going,” I say to Damon. “As long as you keep filling up the tank, I’ma go-go all night.” I swivel my body back up to a standing position while adding, “In any direction you want me to go.”

Damon’s lips part into that sexy signature smile of his.

“Whatever you want,” Damon said. “It’s your Caddy. I’ll drive, ride, heck, I’ll even be a backseat passenger. Just know that I got you, Ma.” Damon begins to flick off bills like he’s the dealer in a game of spades.

I’m very much content with the hand I’m being dealt. So much so that I want to drop to my knees and begin scooping like a kid standing under a piñata that has just been busted open. But I don’t want to appear too desperate.  Resolving to strip in the first place was out of desperation. At the time of making the decision I felt trapped, like Jonah in the belly of the big fish. I was always trying to make ends meet, but neither of my ends were the least bit interested in getting to know one another. Bills were due. I weighed some options on my immoral scale of desperation and stripping was a less load to travel with in my mental carry-on. I mean, at least I’m not selling my whole self --just bartering off a piece of me. 

“Go on, Go-Go Girl.  You know you wanna bend that thang over and pick up that loot.”

Once again, Damon licks his thumb and lightens his pile of money as he flicks a couple more bills onto the stage at my feet. “Come on, just show me a li’l sumpin’-sumpin’,” Damon urges. His eyes peruse my body from head to toe, wetting his thumb in preparation to keep making it rain.

And this was rain, might I add. Ones being flicked off; that’s a chance of rain.  Fives being flicked off; that’s a little drizzle. Tens being flicked off; that’s a scattered shower.  Twenties; that’s rain.  Benjamins; an all-out thunderstorm!

“Come on, Damon, you know the rules. You don’t want me to break the rules and get put on punishment do you?” I ask, making a puppy dog face.

“Forget the rules,” Damon barks like the big dawg he is. “And if all that is worthy of just a peek,” he says, referring to all the money he’s laid at my feet, “I can only imagine what this will get me.”

I freeze on the stage, which means the bill Damon is now displaying must be triggering some type of ice storm.  Until this very moment, I never even knew that such a bill exists.

“What’s the matter, Go-Go Girl?  You ain’t never seen a five hundred dollar bill before?” He chuckles.  “So what do you say you make tonight a first for a lot of things?”

All of a sudden I’m starting to think about church, kicking myself for not having paid my respects (or tithes) to the house of the Lord in a couple of months.  At the same time I’m trying my hardest to recall one of those messages that have to do with temptation-a scripture or something- because to tell the truth and shame the devil, I am beyond tempted to take Damon up on his offer.

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches…” That isn’t exactly the scripture I’m grappling for, but it still seems fitting.

My name; Helen Lannden.  How much is it worth today? Twenty-five year old Helen Lannden. How much will my name be worth tomorrow, especially if I trick for this money today?

            
(  Continues...  )


Copyright © 2013 by E. N. Joy.   All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, E. N. Joy.  This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher's written permission. Copyright infringement is a serious offense. Share a link to this page or the author's website if you really like this promotional excerpt.


I Ain't Me No More by E.N. Joy
Link:   http://amzn.com/1601627696