Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, I’m 23-years-old and will be turning 24 next month on March 29, 2018. I’m a very nice, down-to-earth person. I love writing, listening to music and drawing. I have written three books. “Hidden Agendas” is my third book about a girl trying to solve the mystery of her mother’s death.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is called “Hidden Agendas.” The thing that inspired me to write this book was the fact that I wanted to go a different route with my writing. In my other two books, I have a lot of profanity mixed with sex and violence. Then, those stories were centered around matters of the heart, whether the main character or main characters were dealing with loving themselves, family or friends. I wanted “Hidden Agendas” to have its own lane.
If you’ve read my books, you’ll be able to see in this one that I have the same writing pattern, but it’s more mature. I used less profanity, violence and sex, but I made sure to leave enough to keep readers’ attention as they reader. Besides that, I wanted something that everyone could relate to in the book’s title, “Hidden Agenda”. Good or bad, everyone has an agenda and the ones to really watch out for are those hidden agendas because they could be anything. The title alone gives a hint that secrets are involved in the story.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, I wouldn’t call my writing habits unusual. The way I write is by typing out my books while listening to music or watching TV. It all depends on how I’m feeling while typing on which one I’ll do.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
In my earlier years, I loved reading the Drama High series by L. Divine. I loved those books because they were so good. Then one book that I’ll never forget that I read in college was called, “Triple Take” by Y. Blake Moore. Now I got my start reading when I was in the fifth grade with the Nancy Drew stories. I loved those books back then, but I guess in some way all these books played a role in influencing me to write.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on some unreleased material that I’ve written. I just have to go back and make changes here and there. That way they’ll be good and ready for publication.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m just going to be honest. I’m still learning about how to promote my books because it’s hard to do. There’s just certain things you have to do in order to actually get your work out there. I’m still learning so my books can get the attention they deserve and I get the recognition I deserve as a writer. I haven’t tried promoting lately, because I needed to take time away from writing to focus on my personal life. Now, I’m back and ready to ‘try again’ like my favorite singer Aaliyah sung about.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, I have a lot of advice for them. When you feel that you are ready to publish your book, make sure that you have written everything exactly how you wanted. There are some authors who love to use slang in their writing like I did in my second book “Sade Evans: She Will Kill to be Happy.” When I got reviews for it on Amazon, there were many people talking about misspellings. Then, the ones who knew it was slang tried to be funny and very smart in their own way.
Then, make sure you do your research real good on whatever publishing company you think about doing business with. Do not jump right on into signing a contract that you haven’t read. If you decide to go the independent route, just know you need money to promote your work and be real good on social media. Just think about it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever heard was from one of my college professors when I was in college. He basically told me to write my book the way I wanted in my own vision and not worry about what others think.
What are you reading now?
I am currently reading nothing.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I would really love to sale many books and gain recognition in the writing world. The thing that I would love to happen is being nominated for book awards and actually winning some of them, if not all.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. Drama High: The Fight
2. Drama High: The Meltdown
3. Drama High: Frenemies
Author Websites and Profiles
Tonne Odom Website
Tonne Odom Amazon Profile