NOVELIST DEBUT IS A SWEET DESIRE
By: Janice Malone
Tennessee Tribune
Originally posted 3/30/2004

Author Christine Townsend has combined her writing talents with the love she has for her hometown here in Nashville. SWEET DESIRE, is the debut novel from this busy wife, mom and career woman. Ms. Townsend works as the executive director of the Nashville Business Incubation Center. But as she will later share, she somehow found time to create a new book that’s been rated 4 out of 5 stars by Romantic Times magazine.

The reviewers describe Sweet Desire as being fresh and original.

The storyline is about an African American woman, “Regina”, who is a successful country music songwriter.

The book’s hero, “Thomas’, is the head basketball coach at a fictional university that’s located near Fisk, MeHarry and T.S.U. The coach has dealt with many problems in his life and Regina helps him face and overcome many of his past issues.

But it’s all wrapped together in a tight love story. Christine says that she used country music as part of the storyline because she wanted to pay homage to the contributions African Americans have made to country music. But the book is not just about country music. It’s also about love and romance. “My book isn’t exactly traditional in any aspect however, it does offer readers a chance to find themselves wishing,” says Christine.

Sweet Desire is published by BET/Arabesque. More with author Christine Townsend as follows.

Read on:

QUESTION: SINCE YOU ALSO WORK FULL TIME, HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK?

CHRISTINE: “The initial writing took about 3 months. After I finished the synopsis, I sent it to a publisher then it took an additional 6 months for me to fine tune everything. I originally started on it in 2001. I didn’t have an agent. I just looked through this book called Writers Market, and found the right publisher to match with my book’s s style.”

QUESTION: THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT HERE WHO HAVE A DESIRE TO BECOME WRITERS.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING AND HOW DID YOU FIRST GET STARTED AS A WRITER?

CHRISTINE: “I’ve been writing most of my life, since I was in school. I’ve written poetry, short stories, Letters To the Editor of The Tennessean, just where ever I could but I haven’t written anything that I was paid for. I think it’s important for writers to always do some kind of writing all the time, whether you’re paid for it or not.”

QUESTION: I UNDERSTAND THAT THE LEADING FEMALE CHARACTER IN YOUR NOVEL WAS INSPIRED BY EMILY HARRIS, ONE OF THE LONG TIME SINGERS ON BOBBY JONES GOSPEL TELEVISION SHOW.

CHRISTINE: “That’s right. Emily is a relative. She’s my brother-in-law’s sister. Emily is such a terrific person.

She was delighted when I told her that she was the inspiration for the “Regina” character. Emily told me that she would like to sing on the soundtrack if the book should be turned into a movie.”

QUESTION: EXPLAIN HOW DO YOU MAKE THE TIME TO WRITE A NOVEL AND ALSO WORK A FULL TIME JOB?

CHRISTINE: “I make writing a priority each day, no matter what. I really enjoy writing. My children are now teenagers, so after dinner when the kids are doing their homework and my husband is watching tv, this is a quiet time at our house. I usually spend about 2 hours per night at the computer with my writing and more hours writing on the weekends. If you’re serious about becoming a writer, especially writing a book, you have to set priorities and make a writing schedule for yourself.”

QUESTION: YOUR NOVEL HAS A HEAVY FOCUS AROUND COUNTRY MUSIC. ARE YOU A BIG FAN OF COUNTRY MUSIC?

CHRISTINE: “Somewhat. I was a fan a few years ago of Dr. Cleve Francis, a black country singer who was trying to make his mark in country music. I also liked this country music style album Patti Austin did a few years ago. And I’m a fan of Frankie Staton, a black woman here in Nashville who has sung country music for many years. The reason that I chose country music to be a big part of my novel is because I had done some research and found that many novels didn’t really feature that genre of music as a backdrop. I think some African American Nashvillians sometime get a little embarrassed our country music heritage. And I think that’s unfair to the Blacks who have contributed so much to that style of music. My book makes note of the fact that Nashville was dubbed Music City USA when the Fisk Jubilee Singers traveled around the world to raise money for their school.”

QUESTION: WHAT’S BEEN THE REACTION OF YOUR CHILDREN TO YOUR BOOK?

CHRISTINE: “They’re nonchalant. To them, it’s just one of those things that momma does. They really can’t keep up with me. I seem to always have a project going. My daughter has gone to some of the book signings with me because she’s not old enough to stay home by herself.

My son is 18, so he’s got plenty of other things he’s involved in. But my daughter has been so surprised to see how many people are interested in my book at these book signings.

The book’s been out since February and I’ve done media interviews in the area, spoken at book clubs and so far, the book has been so well received.”

QUESTION: HOW DO YOU LIKE LIFE ON THE ROAD AS A WRITER?

CHRISTINE: “I’m really enjoying it.

Promoting the book is totally different than when I was writing it.

Writing is so solitary. But at book signings I have to be more open and come out of that solitary mode. But I like it that readers are enjoying my characters and my imagination of creating them. And I love discussing the book with them.”

QUESTION: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER IN YOUR BOOK?

CHRISTINE: “I would say the couple ‘Regina and Thomas.’ They’re both really good people. They’re the kind of people that I would like to get to know in real life. I’ve tried to show their flaws without painting them as perfect people. Thomas is a good man, and a great father. I didn’t pattern Thomas after anybody in particular. He’s sort of a compilation between my husband and other men that I respect.”

QUESTION: WHAT WAS YOUR HUSBAND’S REACTION TO THE BOOK WHEN HE FIRST READ THE FINAL DRAFT?

CHRISTINE: “He also loved the book, especially chapter 11 and the other more hotter chapters.”

QUESTION: CHAPTER 11 IS SOMEWHAT QUITE SEXY. WHAT’S BEEN YOUR CHURCH’S REACTION TO THE NOVEL?

CHRISTINE: “Initially, I didn’t tell my pastor about the book. (She attends Friendship Missionary Baptist Church pastor Jimmy Greer). I didn’t tell people from church at first because I didn’t know what their reaction would be. I wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate for the Sunday school crowd. But several members from my church came to the book’s launch party. The pastor has announced my book signings from the pulpit. His wife and daughter have also read the book and they’ve all been very supportive of the project.”

QUESTION: YOU’VE HANDLED THE SEXUAL ASPECT OF THE BOOK VERY TASTEFULLY.

CHRISTINE: “I think that’s one reason that many Christian people have told me that they like the book and that’s because I have made sure that the passionate love scenes are only done with characters who are married. When I was writing the book, I made a pledge that I would try my best to keep sex inside of marriage in all of my books. I want to make sure my readers know that marriage is a gift from God and that the marriage bed should be undefiled, as the scripture states.

Chapter 11 in the book shows how passionate and loving this couple’s love life is after they're married.”

QUESTION: HAVE YOU HAD WOMEN TELL YOU THAT YOUR BOOK HELP SPICE UP THEIR LOVE LIFE WITH THEIR HUSBANDS?

CHRISTINE: “I received a letter from a lady who said that her husband was upset because she was spending so much time reading the book. She said that she enjoyed reading it so much until she couldn’t put it down. So I suggested to her that she should go back and read the steamier chapters out loud to her husband. She took my advice, wrote me back, saying that my suggestion worked because her husband now loves the book as much as she does. I’ve been married for over 20 years, so I’ve got a few pretty good ideas on keeping marriage happy.”

QUESTION: HAVE YOU STARTED ON YOUR NEXT BOOK?

CHRISTINE: “I have already finished my next book. It will be out in August. It’s another novel that’s called ‘Passion’s Promise.’ It’s also a very romantic novel. It’s a lot hotter than this book but once again all of the love scenes are between couples who are married.”

QUESTION: WHEN WILL THE NEXT BOOK SIGNING TAKE PLACE?

CHRISTINE: “The next book signing will be in Memphis on May 15th.

Later this month I’ll be in New York at the African American Romance Writers conference. In June I’ll do a signing in South Carolina and Elizabethton, TN. And then after school is out I’ll have some more book signings in St.Louis, Chattanooga and Greenville.”

Questions? Comments? Write Christine at http://www.ChristineTownsend.com.