Let’s talk all about your writing style first… 

How do you handle writer’s block?

DA: I read, write in my journal, listen to a lot of music. It’s hard when it hits, and some days I just have to force myself even when every word feels like a drop of blood. It’s the worst and so scary because I never know  how long it will last. But what I do know is that it WILL pass and if I journal enough, I can usually get to the root of the problem and once I know what’s truly wrong, I work on addressing it. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that trying to “get over” things without allowing yourself to sit in the pain and feel self-pity isn’t healthy for me. Once I started giving myself permission to be sad about a disappointing release or whatever – it was much easier to move on and get going again.

What comes first, the plot or characters? – 

DA: The characters. Always. I’m a very curious (some may say nosey) person and so when someone intrigues me, I usually stop and ask questions. For my book The Sun and Her Star, my hero was inspired by the “naked bartender” at my sister’s wedding shower. He was nude but for a tiny apron that was open in the back and while I could see that it was supposed to be a sexy, fun thing, and he was very nice to look at, I couldn’t imagine that it was an enjoyable job – having your bare ass out in a room from of strangers. So, I asked him – and he told me that he didn’t particularly like it, but that it paid the bills and let him work exclusively on weekends so he could go to school full time. All my characters have an origin story like that. 

How much ‘world building’ takes place before you start writing?

DA: A Lot. Setting is very important – I like my readers to have an immersive experience, and for me that means engaging all of their senses. And even if not all of the details make it into the story, it helps me give my characters context.

How do you deal with the emotional impact of a book (on yourself) as you are writing the story?

DA: Not very well honestly, when I have to write emotionally difficult scenes, I tend to avoid writing altogether. But when I can’t avoid it anymore, I just let my emotions have their way. I cry, and agonize and celebrate along with my characters and it’s usually very cathartic. And it takes me a while to move on from stories when I’m done. 

How do you come up with the titles to your books?

DA: I don’t know – they usually come to me when I’m building my Pinterest boards and playlists. 

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

DA: I’ve published 9 books and they are all special for so many reasons. But if I had a gun to my head, I’d say it’s my fourth book, Release. It’s set it in my home country of Ghana and I loved introducing readers to that world. Also it’s deeply emotional and so very romantic. 

If you were to genre-hop, which genre would you most like to try?

DA: I think fantasy. I’d love to test the bounds of my imagination and world build without worrying about accuracy. 

Which of your books was most enjoyable to write?

DA: The Sun and Her Star. 

If you had to recommend one of your books to a new reader, which would you recommend?

DA: I’ll let my readers answer this. Whenever I ask this question, the response is always Thicker Than Water. 

Would you rather be in a room full of snakes or a room full of spiders?

DA: Death, please. 

Would you rather have an endless summer or an endless winter?

DA: Endless Summer

Would you rather always be an hour early or be constantly twenty minutes late?

DA: An hour early

Tea or Coffee

DA: Tea

Movie or Book

DA: Movie

Toilet Paper: Over or Under?

DA: Over

SB: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? 

AH: I have been a writer all my life. I can’t ever remember a time when that wasn’t forefront in my mind.

SB: How do you handle writer’s block? 

AH: I sit down and just free write. I let my mind rove and don’t corral my thoughts. 

SB: What comes first, the plot or characters? 

AH: It depends, but I always spend far more time on characters because characters inform the plot far more than plot informs the characters. 

SB: Where is your favorite place to write? 

AH: I like to write on my back porch when weather allows. 

SB: Do you prefer writing in silence or to music? 

AH: Silence – or white noise.

SB: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite? 

AH: I’ve written seventeen novels. My favorite is always the one I’ve just finished. 

SB: Who is your favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them special. 

AH: My favorite character is probably Moses Wright from The Law of Moses. He has his own story and has made appearances in two other novels as a side character. His spiritual abilities juxtaposed with his tough exterior make him especially interesting.

SB: You’ve written in various romance genres. Do you have a preference? 

AH: I love writing historical most, but fantasy is a close second. 

SB: If you were to genre-hop, which genre would you most like to try? 

AH: I am known for genre hopping already—I write historical, fantasy, and contemporary.

SB: Which of your books was most enjoyable to write? 

AH: Probably my very first one. I had no pressure or expectations. I simply wrote for myself. 

SB: Can you share something about your current book that isn’t in the blurb? 

AH: The Songbook of Benny Lament releases March 16, 2021, and the love story revolves around an interracial couple – A mafioso’s son and a Black nightclub singer. 

New York, 1960: For Benny Lament, music is his entire life. With his father’s deep ties to the mob, the Bronx piano man has learned that love and family can get you in trouble. So he keeps to himself, writing songs for other musicians, avoiding the spotlight…until the night his father brings him to see Esther Mine sing.

Esther is a petite powerhouse with a gorgeous voice. And when Benny writes a hit song and performs it with her, their collaboration thrusts the duo onto the national stage…and stirs up old issues and new scrutiny that the mob—and Benny—would rather avoid.

It would be easier to walk away. But the music and the woman are too hard for the piano man to resist. Benny’s songs and Esther’s vocals are an explosive combination, a sound that fans can’t get enough of. But though America might love the music they make together, some people aren’t ready for Benny Lament and Esther Mine on—or off—the stage.

The Songbook of Benny Lament (releasing March 16) — PreOrder Now! https://amzn.to/3ndEiaE

To add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54268364-the-songbook-of-benny-lament

SB: Would you rather be in a room full of snakes or a room full of spiders?

AH: SNAKES. 

SB: Would you rather have an endless summer or an endless winter?

AH: UGH! I suppose summer would be easier, but I would miss winter.

SB: Would you rather always be an hour early or be constantly twenty minutes late?

AH: An hour early. It embarrasses me to be late. 

Movie or Book?

AH: Book

Coke or Pepsi?

AH: Pepsi

City or Country?

AH: Country