Born and raised in Connecticut, Carla Victoria Wallace resides there with her husband. She currently works as an elementary school teacher. Carla enjoys instilling her love for reading and writing into the children that she teaches. When she’s not teaching, she likes to spend her spare time traveling, reading, or working on her latest book.
Carla was gracious enough to take time and share her novel and her journey to publication with me. It's my pleasure to give her the spotlight at New Voices In Print! Enjoy!!!
How would you describe your novel?
Love Never Fails is an inspirational romance novel. The story focuses around Jada, an African American woman who is being pursued by two different men. One of her pursuers is Mike, an African American man from her childhood, and the other is Pete, the Caucasian brother of her co-worker. This novel explores the internal and external challenges of relationships and dating outside of one’s race.
What was your inspiration for writing your novel?
I was inspired by the joys and challenges that come with loving the people in our lives. When a couple gets together, they bring their own backgrounds, experiences, and families into the relationship. This dynamic gave me inspiration for writing this novel.
Who have you written this novel for and why did you target this audience?
Love Never Fails has characters from diverse ethnic backgrounds, so I believe that it is a multicultural novel. It may especially appeal to readers of interracial romance novels. I targeted the multicultural audience because I believe that Love Never Fails delivers an inspirational message about unity.
What do you want your readers to take away from your novel?
I want my readers to feel entertained, and inspired to love. For those who are unmarried, I hope that they will be patient and wait for God’s best choice for them before beginning a new relationship.
What did you find most challenging as you wrote your novel and how did you overcome this challenge?
My biggest challenge as I wrote this novel was character development. Trying to communicate the characters’ feelings and emotions didn’t come easily for me at first. There wasn’t much tone or expression in my dialogue. Then my editor gave me the advice of showing what my characters were thinking and feeling through their actions rather than just telling the readers through words. This advice helped me to overcome this challenge by visualizing how a person would act if they were experiencing a particular thought or feeling. By describing body language and facial expressions, I was able to put the characters’ feelings and emotions onto paper and help the characters come alive.
Finish this statement: I became a writer because...
I enjoy a good story.
I enjoy a good story.
Describe your journey to publication.
In February, 2008 I purchased a novel that had been published by Urban Christian Books. After purchasing the novel, I brought it home and began to browse the Urban Christian website. As I read about the featured books and authors, I began to feel a pressing to write my own novel. I sat at my computer and typed a summary for a novel. Then, I went back to the Urban Christian website and saw that they were accepting manuscripts for fiction books. I began writing chapter one that same day, and by August, 2008, I had finished the entire manuscript. However, when I went back to the Urban Christian website to reread their submission guidelines, I saw that they were no longer accepting unagented submissions.
Feeling disappointed, I went back to their author page and saw that Dwan Abrams had started her own publishing company called, Nevaeh Publishing. I prayed over my manuscript and mailed the first three chapters straight to her company. About six weeks later, they requested to see the full manuscript. While I waited for their response, I continued to pray for God’s will over my manuscript. I believed that If God wanted it to be published, he would open the right doors. Three months later, in January 2009, Nevaeh Publishing offered me a contract to publish, Love Never Fails.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned since becoming an author?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned since becoming an author is that I have to promote myself. I am kind of shy by nature, so putting myself out there can be challenging for me. As a new author I’ve learned that I have to be willing to talk about my book to everyone I come across. I also have to reach out to other authors, book stores, libraries, and community organizations.
If you could spend an hour talking with any author, living or dead, who would it be and why?
I would love to spend an hour talking to Kendra Norman Bellamy. I had the pleasure of meeting her in person at a Book Release party hosted by Genesis Book Club in Connecticut. Although I did not get to spend a lot of time talking with her one on one, I could tell that she has a great spirit, and I love her books. Her stories are full of drama, romance, mystery, and inspirational messages.
What novel has had the greatest impact on your life?
The novel that had the greatest impact on my life is, Three Fifty-seven A.M. Timing is Everything by Kendra Norman Bellamy and Hank Stewart. When I decided to get back into reading again, that was the first novel that I purchased. It was also the novel that introduced me to Urban Christian Books, which led me onto my publication journey.
What is the most encouraging advice you’ve received as an author?
Dwan Abrams, Nevaeh Publishing’s founder is very encouraging. In a conference call with her and the company’s other authors, she said that we wouldn’t be on the roster if we didn’t have good books. That gave me the confidence I needed to get out there and promote myself.
What is one tip you would give to aspiring authors?
I would encourage aspiring authors to seek God in all that they do. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Him.
What new projects can readers expect from Carla Victoria Wallace?
Readers can expect another novel from me in the near future. I have completed storylines for a romantic suspense and a dramatic suspense novel.
What, When, and Where is your next literary event?
My next literary event will be Saturday, March 13, 2010 at Borders Bookstore in Milford, CT. I will be signing copies of Love Never Fails from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.
Where can your novel be found?
My novel can be purchased through bookstores such as Barnes and Noble, or online at Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and Nevaehpublishing.com.
Any final thoughts you’d like to share?
I really appreciate everyone who took the time to read this interview or purchase my book. If readers would like to contact me, they can visit my website at www.cvwallace.com or www.myspace.com/carlavictoriawallace. I can also be found on Facebook under Carla Victoria Wallace.
Thanks so much Carla for letting me share your new voice in print. Everyone, please stop by your local book store and get a copy of Carla's book, Love Never Fails!
Be Blessed and keep writing!
Melissa Ewell Miller
