Michele Cameron:

BREAKING THE ROMANCE COLOR BARRIER!

by La-Tessa Montgomery

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Name: Michele Cameron

Date of Birth: 5/17

Occupation: High School English teacher

1.   Tell us a little about yourself:

What’s your background? I was born in Bridgeport Connecticut, attended school in Danbury Connecticut, and graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, with a B.S in English Education.  I am the youngest of three children, and I am single with no children.

How long have you been writing? NEVER SAY NEVER is my first novel, but as an English teacher I write quite often.

What convinced you to get started on your first book?  It’s always been a dream of mine and I decided that I needed to see if this dream could become a reality for me. 

2.   Have you always wanted to write Romance?

Yes, ever since I was a teenager.

3.   Do you have any plans to write for any other genres? (E.g. mainstream, women’s fiction, Christian lit, etc.) 

I would like to write adult contemporary romance novels which deal with social issues and wrap it around some real passion.  I want, when people read my novels, to feel a real connection to the main characters.  I want my readers to feel that it’s not just them and they’re not out there alone.

4.   How are you enjoying being a publisher author?

I love it.  It’s amazing the look people get on their faces when you tell them that you’re a published writer.  I think that almost every person whom I do tell informs me that they have the same goal.  Also, maybe it’s just some of the people that I hang out with, because I think every English teacher in the world wants to write the great American novel.

5.   Being a newbie on the scene, what advice or encouragement do you have for aspiring authors? 

Just take your time and write it.  Make your novel the best that you think it can be; then send it in conforming to the guidelines of the publisher.  The only true failure is that of not trying.

6.   What are some of your favorite authors and books? 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The COLDEST WINTER EVER because it deals with some real issues that are besieging the youth of today.  Winter is a brilliant girl, but she wanted that fast money; and because she didn’t utilize her gift in the correct way, she was punished.  This story also teaches the lesson that wealth can be transient and you better prepare yourself and come up with a plan B.   

I also loved DISAPPEARING ACTS by Terry McMillan, because the novel shows how strong African American women are, and how we have a way of coping with whatever adversity we meet. 

I also read John Grisham because there was a time that I thought about being a lawyer, and his novels are a way for me to live vicariously through his characters and feel a connection to the world of law.

 7.  What do you do when you’re not writing? 

Teaching is not a nine to five job; sometimes I feel like a part-time social worker.  I enjoy horseback riding, bowling, traveling, and I collect African-American art.

8.   Tell us a little about NEVER SAY NEVER and what inspired you to write this story.

I’ve always been curious about people and why they do the things that they do. I think behavior should be reasonable and explainable.

9.   Did you face any major challenges writing this story?  If so, what were they?

Time.  In essence, this novel was completed over five years ago but insecurity kept me from actively trying to get it published.  I think it’s natural to back away from the unknown.

10. What’s next for Michele Cameron?

My next novel titled MOMENTS OF CLARITY will be released through Genesis Press in October ‘08.  A very minor character from NEVER SAY NEVER  is the heroine of the novel.

11.How can your readers stay in touch with you? 

I can be reached via my MySpace page at http://myspace.com/michelecameronanauthor

Or I can be reached via email at: MicheleCameronAnAuthor@hotmail.com

Reviewer Questions: These are questions the reviewer wanted to pose to the author after reading Never Say Never

1.   Did you interview any African American males to see what they thought of African American women dating outside of our race?  If so, did the majority of them have a problem with it (i.e. the typical double-standard)?

No, I didn’t interview them because I pretty much have an idea what they think.  I also have to admit, a little shame-faced, that whenever I see an African-American woman dating a man outside her race I still look twice. I was raised in a predominantly white neighborhood in Connecticut.  My family broke the color barrier, and I didn’t much think about the fact that most of my playmates were white, and that the only time I saw a lot of black people was when I went to school. I think this is one of the reasons why I’ve been complimented on the way I handle the race issue in the novel.

 2.  Have you ever been in this situation herself?

No, I have never dated outside my race, but I’ve had plenty of opportunity.  I LOVE black men.  I know that because I made the setting of the novel Connecticut and the heroine a graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, people will think that the main character is loosely based on me.  I simply did that as a tribute to my past.

Author’s note:

When a person becomes involved in an interracial relationship, if should be for the same reasons you commit with a person of your own race.  It should not be based on race, or something that you’re missing inside. The two of you should share common interests; you should have some of the same goals. 

This person should treat you in a way, more times than not, that is complimentary to yourself; and his/her behavior should make you feel secure and wanted.  When it comes to sexual attraction, it is a tricky thing.  After spending time with someone and getting to know them, at one time or another, we’ve all become sexually attracted to someone you didn’t think that you would.  This should be the basis for any relationship, interracial or not.