COVER AUTHOR - Preslaysa Williams

Preslaysa Williams is an award-winning author of contemporary romance and women's fiction with an Afro-Filipina twist. She loves sharing her culture with her readers.

Her writing awards include the Indiana Romance Writers of America’s (RWA) Golden Opportunity Award and the ACFW Genesis Award. In addition, her stories have been a finalist in the Northwest Houston RWA Lone Star Writing Contest, the Windy City RWA Four Seasons Contest, and the Valley of the Sun RWA Hot Prospects Contest.

She has an undergraduate degree from Columbia University and a MPA from the University of South Carolina. She is also a Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholar, a Jackie Robinson Foundation Extra Innings Fellow, and a Sol Spiegelman Scholar. Preslaysa is currently earning a MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University.

In addition, she’s a professional actress. She started acting at age eight, joining the Screen Actors Guild as a teenager when she co-starred on the Nickelodeon TV show, The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo.

Preslaysa makes her home in Virginia with her husband and two children. You can visit her online at www.preslaysa.com where you can sign up for her newsletter community.

You can visit my website at www.preslaysa.com

You can sign up for my Newsletter at www.subscribepage.com/preslaysa

 

What would you like readers to take away from your book?

That life won’t always give us what we want or what we planned to have. Life won’t always give us what we deserve, whether it be good or bad. Despite life’s vagaries, we can commit to being who we truly are and living our lives on our own terms. 

What did you learn while writing this book?

I finally learned that I prefer planning and outlining my stories before I write them. Healing Hannah’s Heart was my fourth book that I wrote, but it’s the first book that I planned in advance. After I wrote Healing Hannah’s Heart, I changed the way I write. I no longer “wing it”. It has helped me write better first drafts.

What did you hope to accomplish with this book?

I wrote this book to try to find an answer to this question: what do you do when your highest hopes and dreams for your life are destroyed? How do you move on from that sense of failure and loss?

Which character did you have the most fun writing about?

I enjoyed writing Hannah, the female lead, because I loved her quirky voice. I also enjoyed writing about a woman of color who wasn’t fully likeable.

In real life, Black & Brown women are expected to be likeable despite experiencing the most horrific situations, and Hannah endured the horrific. I wanted to write about a woman who was trying to find her way after devastation, and that process won’t always look so pretty to the outside viewer.

So I enjoyed writing about Hannah and how she learned to own her physical and emotional healing process.

 
What do you believe makes your stories stand out?

Hmm. I think I have a unique writing voice, and I have a unique perspective on the world. I’m not afraid to put my characters through the wringer until they learn to grow and chance. 

What do you do when your book isn't selling?

I will always continue to market and promote my stories, and I will try new angles of reaching readers if one method doesn’t work out. For me, the most important thing is to write the next book. That’s key. Always keep writing. Always keep marketing and experimenting with different ways to find my core readership. 

What literary event can we find you this year?

October 24-27, 2019 - Christian Book Lovers Retreat, Charlotte, NC

November 3, 2019 – Baltimore Book Festival, Baltimore, MD

November 15-16, 2019 – Seven Cities Book Fest, Portsmouth, VA

December 7, 2019 – Author Talk at the New Brunswick Free Public Library (New Brunswick, NJ)

Who was the first author you ever met?  

Toni Morrison. I was around 14 years old, and I was working at a CVS Pharmacy in Princeton, NJ. She was a Professor at Princeton University, and she recently received the Nobel Prize for Literature. She came into the CVS Pharmacy to buy something, and I rang up her sale. I was in awe that she stood before me!

What's the most interesting change in your life as a result of being a published author?

One thing that has changed is that I’m getting financially compensated for writing fiction. After writing fiction since 2008 for no pay, seeing people buy my books is a blessing.

What has surprised you most about being a published author?

Nothing much has surprised me about being a published author. That’s probably because I’ve been waiting for this moment for close to a decade, and so I prepared myself and learned along the way.

What about writing do you wish non writers would understand?

Writing is hard work, and it involves a lot of practice and learning. Also, a story improves with each subsequent draft. A writer probably won’t get the story perfect and complete on the first try. Editing is a huge part of the writing process.

Can you give us one do and one don't for those aspiring to be an author?

I would tell aspiring authors to always carve out time to write each week and set small writing goals. The small goals will inspire you to keep moving forward to the next small goal. Eventually, you’ll have a completed work.

I would also advise aspiring authors to not give too much weight to other people’s opinions about their careers. Follow your instincts and your heart.

When you're not writing, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to read and take walks outside alone. I have a busy life because I homeschool my children. Walking outside and having quiet time to myself is a treasure!

Oprah always asks, what do you know for sure?

I know for sure that being my highest and most authentic self is the key to my success and freedom. I will no longer compromise my truth for anyone or anything.

Any last words for our readers?

My short story, TOUCHED BY FATE, is now available for pre-order. You can pre-order it from your favorite retailer at this link www.books2read.com/touchedbyfate 

Hannah Hart may have been burned by the breakup of her rocky marriage, but the ambitious Afro-Filipina model has big plans for her future. Her stunning looks and flawless skin provide the opening she craves to become a celebrity in the fashion world. Then an arsonist’s match brings Hannah’s world crashing down around her.

Recovering from the burns that destroyed her skin, Hannah is forced to accept help from the last person on earth she wants, her estranged husband, Jake Hart. Jake isn’t ready to give up on their marriage. The return of Jake’s teenage son from a one-night stand had been the catalyst for their breakup. How can he help both the son who resents his abandonment and the woman he still loves? He can do nothing about the scars on her skin, but can he heal Hannah’s heart?

As she struggles to rebuild her life from the ashes of her shattered dreams, does Hannah have the courage to give Jake a second chance? And is the world ready for a differently-abled model who will redefine what it means to be beautiful?

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