Getting to Know Sherryle Kiser Jackson
TPS: Sherryle, when did you first begin writing?
Sherryle: I can say I have been preparing to be a writer my whole life. I was that one who got in trouble for writing notes in school. My notes were so entertaining that in high school I would dramatize crushes and break-ups in mini books. I remember wanting to be a news reporter. I have an early memory of a typewriter I used to carry up and down the stairs with me. I remember falling down the stairs with it and being extremely sad when it didn’t work anymore. Subsequently, I wrote articles and copy for both my Junior and Sr. High School newspaper and yearbook. By my senior year, I was editor-in-chief of both.
TPS: What is the name of your first published work and what is the story about?
Sherryle: Soon and Very Soon was my first novel published in 2007 by Urban Christian/Urban Books/Kensington. It was a story about two pastors who get married and decide to combine their churches.
TPS: How do you come up with your stories, characters, etc.?
Sherryle: Most stories have characters or themes I have meditated on for some time. With my first novel, Soon and Very Soon, I wanted to write on what I knew. It really was a marriage- a marriage between my passion (writing) and my faith. In my second novel, I wrote about a troubled teen and his parents' struggle to get him on track. I had seen enough of this scenario as a teacher in the Middle School. Soon After marks the return of my franchise characters, Willie and Vanessa Green.
TPS: When do you get most of your writing done?
Sherryle: I get my writing in mostly in the morning before anyone is up and the house is quiet. Sometimes I write by the light of the computer screen. Because I am a teacher, I have the added benefit of writing during the summer.
TPS: Do you have any other projects on the horizon?
Sherryle: I am currently writing my 4th novel Taylor-Made.
TPS: What other authors do you like?
Sherryle: I love Ernest Gaines and Pearl Cleage. They are expert storytellers whose style is simplistic and clean. Now for action, I got to read Eric Jerome Dickey. His Gideon series – hot, it’s just pure adrenaline. I credit Victoria Christopher Murray with helping me define which genre I wanted to write for. Her stories are edifying entertainment without being preachy.
TPS: What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?
Sherryle: Sitting still - -honestly sounds like paradise to me. I’m very busy so in my down time I like to sit and reflect, read a little bit, maybe listen to music
TPS: Please share your upcoming events (book release, signings, workshops, conferences)?
Sherryle: As you know, this interview is apart of a blog tour. I will be appearing on several blogs like RAW SISTAZ (www.rawsistaz.com) on Sept. 7th, Shades of Romance Magazine (sormag.blogspot.com) on September 8th and APOOO ( www.apooobooks.com) on Sept. 10th.
My Soon After Mystery Launch party will be held at the Urban Knowledge Bookstore in the Arundel Mills Mall, Hanover MD from 5-8. After that, I am signing books at the Capitol Bookfest in Harrisburg, PA (Sept. 18) and Largo, MD (Oct. 2nd) & the Baltimore Bookfest on Sept. 26th.
