Interview with author Katrina Parker Williams

Bio--Katrina Parker Williams teaches English composition and grammar at a community college. She is a Barton College graduate with a B.S. in Communications and a Masters of Education in English from East Carolina University. She is also the author of a short story collection, Trouble Down South and Other Stories, a fictional novel, Liquor House Music, and four short stories, Miss Carmelia Faye Lafayette, Rock, Missus Buck, and Slave Auction.

Her current work is Bootlegger Haze--Buford Tee is back! If you loved Buford Tee in “Rock” and from Trouble Down South and Other Stories, you’re going to love him even more in Bootlegger Haze. One of the biggest colored bootleggers in Mississippi and known for selling the best whiskey in Jones County, Buford Tee learns his craft from his grandfather, who takes him in and raises him after the murder of his mother. His rival, Morris York, a white bootlegger, hates Buford Tee for drawing his customers away, who favor Buford Tee’s top-notch whiskey to York’s watered-down hooch. York’s resentment is also fueled by his recollections of his stepfather’s infidelity with Buford Tee’s mother, a union which resulted in the birth of Buford Tee. York believes his mother, who dies shortly after discovering the affair, died of a broken heart, and he sets out to destroy Buford Tee, although others close to him suffer his wrath.

1. Tell us 3 fun facts about yourself?

I like to paint—watercolors and acrylics are my favorites. I like westerns. I like sour apple candy for some reason.

2. How long have you been a writer or known that was something you wanted to do?

I have been writing most of my life, short stories here and there. It wasn’t until the tenth grade that I gained a great interest in writing after reading some of my favorite authors: Gordon Parks, Harper Lee, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Zora Neale Hurston, etc. I wrote my first novel in 1997, along with some short stories. I spent several years trying to get it published and then decided to self-publish it. I wrote several more short stories and compiled them into a collection and self-published it also.

3. Tell me about your current project.

My current project, Bootlegger Haze, is a novel about a colored bootlegger and a white bootlegger who are linked by infidelity. It is set primarily during the Prohibition Era. It went on sale on September 1, 2011.

4. Where do you receive your inspiration or ideas for your books?

Much of the inspiration for my short stories and novels comes from stories told to me by my mother and other family members. I listen to them at family gatherings and then try to create a story that is my own based on their recollections.

5. Why did you choose to self-publish? Or go with the publisher you are with?

I chose to self-publish because I wanted to make my books available for readers without waiting years for a traditional publisher. I like having full control of what I produce also.

6. How often do you write?

I try to write something every week. I still have my day job, so time for writing like I want is limited.

7. Tell us about some of your future projects?

I am working on a series of short stories and a full-length novel. I hope to have them ready for publication in the next few months.

8. What are some of your favorite books?

I like Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees, Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, Toni Morrison’s Sula and Beloved, Alice Walker’sThe Color Purple, Gordon Parks’ A Choice of Weapons, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, and many more.

9. If you could co-write a book with another author, who would it be?

I would love to work with Toni Morrison. I love her writing style.

10. Do you have any advice for others who dream of being an author?

Just do it (to coin Nike’s phrase). Today, with so many ways to get your work published, there’s no reason not to. Make sure to put your best work out there. It is so rewarding when readers enjoy what you have written. That is the bottom line, isn’t it?

Here are the links to purchase Katrina's work:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_23?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=katrina+parker+williams&sprefix=katrina+parker+williams

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/katrina-parker-williams?store=ebook

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/59331