If you were wallpaper, what pattern would it be?
When people say, ‘you are supposed to’, it makes my skin crawl and I delight in breaking the rules. That being said, I would be 3D wallpaper made out of actual purple feathers.

Describe your writing style…
I am very influenced by Ntozake Shange, Toni Morrison, Gloria Naylor and Alice Walker. I try to write everything like I am writing poetry—much to the disgust of some folks and the joy of others. I love words. Words are tactile to me.

How easy is it to fit in writing around your day job?
My day job luckily at the moment is to just be me, which includes being a TV host—or presenter as y’all say in Billy Shakespeareland, as well as being a writer. Even when I am burning the candles at both ends and my brain is exhausted, I must write something each day. Even if it is a sentence.

How did you get a publishing deal?
I stripped naked on the sidewalk outside of Simon and Schuster. They looked out and yelled—yo, Abiola Abrams, we’re all straight women up here. Gather your knickers and let’s see what you’ve got. Then my agent showed them a screenplay I had written with several chapters of the book. They outbid my other suitors and voila. Of course, being a soon to be published author yourself, you know that that is the version of the story without 30 years of blood, sweat and tears!
“Here! Here!” – Lola J

If you had one wish…?
…I would wish for more wishes, right? Isn’t that the way? It is human nature to always have desire. I really feel that when and if we have desires, we can manifest them, so if I had one wish, I would lend it to you.

Aww Thanks Abiola! And your favourite book of all time is…?
Besides Dare by Abiola Abrams? Beloved by Toni Morrison. Wow. My novel Dare resuscitates her character Stamp Paid in a dream, and the novel also begins on the fictional Bluestone Road where Beloved took place.

If you hadn’t become an author, what would you be?
A mad woman in an asylum pretending to be an author.

Fried chicken or green bean salad?
Fried chicken, girl. Cluck cluck!

What would you like to be remembered for?
I would like them to say that I left my world a little nicer than I found it. I would like to be remembered for inspiring joy and helping others to believe in themselves. I would like to be remembered as a cookie dough obsessed film making, TV presenting, table dancing, chick lit writing, diva goddess. Is that too much to ask?

It sure isn’t. So before I let you get back to the writing, any advice for aspiring authors? (Feel free to make this bit the longest!)
Believe in yourself. Never take no for an answer. You can’t please everyone so don’t try. Today a woman wrote me a letter telling me everything that she hated about my work, and literally an hour later, someone else sent me a letter gushing and praising the exact same things that the first woman hated. Be you. The truth wins out.

Thanx Abiola!

Visit Abiola’s website!

© Lola Jaye