FEATURED AUTHOR: Desiree Lane

I am an undergraduate student at Concordia College Selma. I am a Lutheran as is my father, he is also the school Chaplain(retired) and has been a Lutheran minister for forty years. I traveled a lot during my youth since my father was a Navy commander/chaplain. Touring the country instilled in me a desire to learn about different cultures. I grew to appreciate America’s landscape and began to develop a thirst for knowledge.

Concordia College is nestled in a small rural town located approximately forty-five minutes outside of Montgomery, Alabama. It was here that Rosa J. Young started her first school also known as Alabama Junior College. My father, uncles, and cousins began their early educational experiences when not farming in the cotton fields.

Selma, AL is considered to be the crux of the civil rights movement. The town hosts a Jubilee each year to commemorate the tragedies that took place on Bloody Sunday. Many influential visitors have made the annual sojourn there to reenact the march that took place with Dr. Martin Luther King. I have used the pen name Desiree Lane to author this first book in a series of novella'.


How did you start out your writing career?

I began writing while studying for my BS in Elementary Education. The endless school reports and the new awakening of my own academic abilities inspired me to write. I have tutored at-risk youths and counseled teens. I wanted to share my story in my own words.


What did you learn while writing this book?

Despite any editorial jargon that is atypical of critics in the writing community; I have learned how to release the crippling prejudices that keep me from being productive. Being able to close a chapter of my life and begin again was the goal that I had set out to accomplish with this new publication.


What did you hope to accomplish with this book?

I wanted to provide hope to the young adult readers that had monumental struggles in their lives. I wanted to encourage them to enter into college. I also needed to reach the young adult that were just venturing into the world.


What came first with this story, the characters or the plot? Why?

I developed the plot initially because it was derived out of my personal experiences. As the plot developed the characters begin to unfold as well. Sometimes people relate well to experiences versus that character which can have a unique identity.


What has surprised you most about becoming a published author?

The most rewarding part of being a teacher is teaching children to read. Inspiring young minds to develop a sense of cultural awareness was essential to this authorship. Self-Publishing a series of novellas was an easy transition for me but, I would like to be represented by an agent.

What aspect of writing do you love the best, and which do you hate the most?

I like have the freedom to be a creative thinker and the eccentricity that inspires me to be an individual. The editing and publishing is time consuming. I really hate when I have to redraft my work.

What are three things you wish you’d known before you reached where you are now?

Looking back at it with the acuity of 20/20 vision is not always appealing. But, I will say that the rewards outweigh any regrets that you may have about writing. Realizing that time is invested into the project and having statistical data to support the endeavor is undermined by any financial obligations that must be met. I would have to say that the relationships that I repaired and built were reinforced by my books. Being able to abolish any stereotype about women in my writing and how this would impact the readers was as important to me as publishing.

Can you give us one do and one don’t for those aspiring to be a writer?

Don’t be dissuaded by rejection letters. Take any advice and use it if you find it useful. Do research your demographic and target audience before publishing and find a way to meet the masses. If your work is worth publishing there will be opportunities available to writers of all skill levels.

What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?

Writing is an art. It is done so with professionalism and integrity. It is meant to entertain and it can be a very personal experience.

FREEDOM RINGS

Desiree Lane is a young woman that has encountered insurmountable odds. Her life was normal and her childhood seemed to be ideal. She seems to be impervious to the lifestyles of urban Americans. While enjoying her perceivably faultless suburban community in which she was bred. However, lurking in the foreground were gangs and drug addicts. When her parents divorced, her life would be augmented by the influx of crime in the inner city. She becomes encumbered by the loss of stability. Eventually, the violence in her new dwelling becomes insipid and she is assaulted. She tries to cope with the loss and betrayal while trying to maintain the equilibrium that would allow her to transition well into adulthood.



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