It is not lost on me that mainstream book marketers struggle to keep sales up.  One only have to look on the other side of the fence to witness another market thriving and building momentum as books about black romance, black professionals, and black themes are reverberating from experiences close to the center of their passions.  First time authors are taking advantage of this wellspring to churn out offerings left and right.  And being the bibliophile that I am, my passion for evaluating and collecting books will always endear me to those brave souls...the tried and true aspiring writers who will defy all odds to get that first novel published.  That's why when I was contacted to review Thadine Quick's book, 'Addicted To You' there was no turning her down!  After engaging her in conversation, and her enthusiastically answering my intrusive 20 question onslaught, I'm convinced that I've found an author that adheres to the above, who is dedicated, and destined for wider appeal.

Thadine Nanette Quick is a Chicago native, who has written several collection of poems, numerous short stories and documentaries. Her resume also include screen & scriptwriting courses as she aspire to own, direct, and write for sitcoms and the big screen.  For now, she's settled for a healthy publishing contract and looking forward to an upcoming book tour.

Alvin Romer:  Share with us the correct enunciation and significance of your name.  You must be the only person in the world with a moniker like this, and there MUST be a story behind it!

Thadine N. Quick:  Actually it’s funny you should ask, but yes there is a story behind my name… You see my Stepfather, who literally was there the day I was born, wanted to name me after him, despite the fact that I was not his biological child.  His name is Thaddeus, which in Greek means “Gift of God.”  Now the female version of Thaddeus is “Thadea,” but since it didn’t have a ring to it, he changed it to Thadine – which means Courageous.
 

Alvin Romer:  Why was it such an obsession for you to write a novel?

Thadine N. Quick:  Well, I wouldn’t necessarily call it an obsession for me to write a novel, but I would say that it was a passion and a deep craving that brought immediate “peaceful” results.  That it was a true cleansing of my soul, which in the end produced more rewards and benefits than any high priced physiatrist could. It’s funny too, because as a child, I remember always having a way with words, and always being the one that could tell a funny story, or the best story; but it was my imagination that truly captured and brought my family and friends to their knees and after a while, I started to capitalize on that gift.  So whether it was 4 o’clock in the evening or 4 o’clock in the morning, when an idea or story ran across me, this ten year old was getting up and writing it down.
 

Alvin Romer:  Who are some of your literary influences, past or present?

Thadine N. Quick:  Author’s Maya Angelou, Iyanla Vanzant, Terry McMillan, Danielle Steele, Toni Morrision, E. Lynn Harris, and the late Iceberg Slim.
 

Alvin Romer:  What are your views on the availability and popularity of the African-American publishing and writing phenomena today?

Thadine N. Quick:  Oh! Clearly the opportunities for us in the African-American community, with regards to publishing and writing has soared to new levels and reached new heights.  I believe that although we have a long way to go, we have clearly arrived in a new era where we are not only listen to by the media and higher level executives, but our voices, our perspective and literary contributions are finally taken seriously.  Oprah Winfrey, Terry McMillan, Will Smith, Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence are clearly examples of how we have come so far and they have all contributed to the writing phenomena today, with their sitcoms and/or television shows.  They have not only opened doors by employing African Americans on their show, but they have given us the opportunity to build a resume by allowing us to produce, direct and collaborate with many well established producers/writers on their show, who would otherwise never look our way.  Today we are writing and reading more, developing our own scripts, novels, and sitcoms thus building a solid foundation for our younger generation and I believe that this is only the beginning, the best is yet to come.  Should we own more publishing and production companies? Absolutely, it’s a must for the advancement of our writing and film careers, but I believe that as long as we continue to write and deliver great novels, the ownership of these publishing companies’s is sure to come.
 

Alvin Romer: How did you prepare to write 'Addicted To You'?

Thadine N. Quick:  Let’s see, how did I prepare to write “Addicted to you?  Well, at the time, about two or three years ago, I was overwhelmed and appalled at the news reports of how young mothers and drug addicted mothers were out there committing the ultimate crime against their unborn child.  The crime of continuing to use drugs while pregnant and/or dumping there unwanted child in the trash… I felt compelled to address the issue, that would otherwise go unheard unless someone besides the media, spoke out about it; So after accidentally running into my sister in law, and coming face to face with the very crime that I had been so overwhelmed and appalled by, I eagerly sat down with her, studied her, and I guess you can say interviewed her, in her drug induced (yes pregnant) state of mind. Her physical appearance, obvious delusional state of mind, and uncompassion for her unborn child was all the evidence I needed to turn this short interview into a long script.  That is, until my brother showed up and flipped the script.  You see my sister in law is my brother’s wife.  So by the end of our in-depth conversation, then came the realization that perhaps I can speak out on this topic from an insider’s point of view; after all I had first hand knowledge and all the footage I needed, right there in my own home.  So I typed up a rough draft of our interview and set some bullets on how I wanted my story to flow.  I then purchased a video camera and directed a short documentary, which lead me literally into the living room of a crack house. Afterwards I did some textbook research, visualized my characters and allowed my vivid imagination to do the rest. Bam, “ADDICTED TO YOU” was born.
 

Alvin Romer:  What would you like the readership to know and remember about this book?

Thadine N. Quick:  If nothing else, I want the reader to know that from the moment of conception, you are held accountable for your action.  Whether good or bad, your unborn child doesn’t have a voice and cannot defend itself against a Mother who simple doesn’t have that child’s best interest at heart.  However if you are the child and the victim of such an act, there’s still hope for you.  In any situation, if you are not shackled by the ankles or handcuffed to a fence, then there’s always hope and you can get out, but you have to believe you can, and most of all you have to believe in YOU.  I want readers to know that most cycles are meant to be broken and that you can always define your situation, rather than let your situation define you.
 

Alvin Romer:  How important is it for you to write what you feel, as opposed to what's currently en vogue?

Thadine N. Quick:  Well, on a scale of 1-10, I would say a definite 8.  My creativity comes from the heart of the soul and if there’s an injustice or deadly virus out there, my goal is to get the word out.  However, I do feel the pressure to write what’s en vogue and currently a hot or steamy topic because while my goal is to write from the soul, I’d like to ultimately grace the best seller’s list with novels that appeals to all.
 

Alvin Romer:  With the plethora of African-American titles for and by blacks, do you feel that the quality and style will have an impact on cross readership?

Thadine N. Quick:  Yes and No… YES I feel that based primarily on that individual (no matter what color they are) our titles could and will indeed cross over to other ethnic groups.   However, on that same note, I feel that (unless you are a huge blockbuster star) most ethnicity groups are rarely open to such change, because it’s different, out of the norm, and unless you have a proven successful project out there, or Trump/Winfrey behind your name, it’s going to be hard to get people to cross over.
 

Alvin Romer:  What type of audience are you trying to reach with your book?

Thadine N. Quick:  A mainstream, diverse, young and older audience.
 

Alvin Romer:  First time authors with debut novels tend to be scrutinized much harshly as opposed to veterans...do you believe this to be true?  How will it affect you?

Thadine N. Quick:  Certainly I believe that first time authors are scrutinized more harshly as opposed to veteran writers because not only do we have to compete with well established authors whose knowledge and experience cannot be duplicated, but also, we have to produce an extremely well written novel, and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that we too are worthy of a five or six figure advance, as well as prove that we are capable of writing and delivering the next blockbuster script. Will it affect me? Absolutely, because I know I’m worthy of the six figure deal and so I’ll continue to write, rewrite, build my characters and redevelop my script ideas, because the fact still remains, that until I am a veteran, that’s exactly what I have to do to become a veteran.
 

Alvin Romer:  Why is it so important for you to have your book reviewed, and how do you handle critical rejection?

Thadine N. Quick:  It’s important to have my book reviewed because I want to know clearly where I stand, and how. I measure up to other veteran writers.  My style, my sense of humor, or lack thereof, I want to know immediately if the characters in my book aren’t developed well enough, or if I’m misleading the reader in any way.  I know that if I’m given the tools to fix what’s broken then when I pull the laptop out on my next project, I’ll know what areas to concentrate on and waste no time, making those changes/amendments.  So depending on the person it’s coming from, I would take critical rejection for what’s it’s truly worth and use it as a positive keystroke on my next project.  Now, if you are someone in this business and have been for many years, have seen writers come and go, just like a boxer would his trainer, I would tentatively listen to you and make adjustments accordingly.  However, if you are someone off the street who desires to write a novel but didn’t, never finished high school and simple have no clue as to what writing is all about, then I’ll take your criticism for what it’s worth, absolutely nothing.
 

Alvin Romer:.  You touched on a subject, crack cocaine usage. For marketing purposes have you given thought to the book being viewed as ethnic, therefore restricting its audience reach?

Thadine N. Quick:  Not at all, maybe I’m in denial but I feel that this topic has a diverse appeal especially when it comes to white and black ethnic backgrounds… While I’m sure other ethnic groups won’t truly admit it, I’m sure if they picked it up they can identify with one or two of the characters inside the book.  Also, while I do tackle the subject of crack cocaine, this is really a story of courage, strength and the ability to break a revolving cycle.
 

Alvin Romer:  Why should anyone read your book when there are so many other titles available?

Thadine N. Quick:  Well, readers should read my book as opposed to other titles because not only does a crack baby narrates this story from the seed in the womb, but this crack baby describes her physical development, her state of mind and details her struggles right through her delivery.  In fact, this baby doesn’t stop there; she continues to narrate her survival at birth, her troubled adolescents and ironically her scandalous adulthood, which ultimately sends her running into the arms of the wrong man… So if the readers are really ready to read the unspoken truth, like the mailman, my book DELIVERS.
 

Alvin Romer:  I've noticed that popular fiction writers of today people their stories with middle class Professional men and women; characters who appeal to a post-intergrational readership struggling with changing perceptions of race, gender, and sexuality. What can we expect of you in the aforementioned definitive roles in other literary offerings from you?

Thadine N. Quick:  You can expect my upcoming project to focus on lots of love & romance, mixed with a little hatred and deceit, a political scandal and of course murder and mystery.
 

Alvin Romer:  What are you doing to expound on and expand the vast and varied network of support needed to help market your book?

Thadine N. Quick:  Let’s see, I’ve aggressively submitted query letters to bookstores and book clubs, trying to generate some reviews on behalf of my book.  I’ve created press releases, flyers and business cards and circulated them throughout my city, and via the Internet.  I’ve done the research and attempting to contacted producers/directors who have previously and successfully put out projects that are similar to mine. I’ve created four websites promoting my book and offered helpful hints about getting published to non-published writers, and I have a book-signing coming up in September.  My goal is to generate some heat about this book, and I will continue, non-stop, until it’s in the hands of a production company and a deal is made.
 

Alvin Romer:  How will you respond to any success of your novel?

Thadine N. Quick:  After I’ve given all praises to God and thanked him dearly for his blessings, I would probably use the rewards to hopefully open more doors for me.  Then perhaps, pay off some creditors, surprise my family with a nice house (which definitely includes a guest house in the back so I can retreat there and work on my next project) and also, attempt to financially provide for my widowed grandmother, and then, if there’s anything left over, invest and bank it for my children’s future.
 

Alvin Romer:   Tell the reading public about the voice inside your head in reference to Self Publishing and getting the recognition that you have something that someone should read?

Thadine N. Quick:   Well, fortunately I lucked up on a great publisher who accepted me and took a chance on me, but at one time in my career when the rejection letters were flowing in, Self Publishing was definitely a route that I was willing to take.  My advice to anyone looking to get published is, if you have a project that you feel strongly and are passionate about and you have exhausted all possibilities and yet, no one is willing to take you on, then Self Publishing is definitely a excellent alternative… However, it is very expensive.
 

Alvin Romer:  What are you reading now, and whom do you consider comparable to your style of writing?

Thadine N. Quick:  Well, I’m reading “The Coldest Winter Ever” by Sister Souljah, and I believe that our writing styles are definitely similar.
 

Alvin Romer:   Were you always an avid reader, and did you feel any sense of community with other writers growing up?

Thadine N. Quick:  Yes, I was always an avid reader… I was on punishment a lot and told to go to my room almost every day… So once there I would read a harlequin romance or Word Up magazine that would totally take me into another world.  And I loved it!!! After a while, even when I wasn’t on punishment I found myself curdled up with a book and enjoying traveling around the world.
 

Alvin Romer:  Of your personal passion as it pertain to any form of literature -- who is the Thadine Quick we don't know?

Thadine N. Quick:  Thadine Quick is an Author, and film Director.  I’m the one who’s called on at the family reunion or their Childs graduation to come and shoot the ceremony, or I’m the one called on to video a wedding or birthday party. Whenever you see me, I’m known for having a camera or a video camera in my hand.  I write my novels with a film in mind, and ultimately I would like for all of my books to be made into movies, and I’d like to have a hand in directing them.  So yes, the Thadine Quick you don’t know is - Thadine Quick, the Director..