Author Tanzania Glover is playing for keeps with her latest novel, a sports romance entitled Wide Open.
Tell me about your latest book.
My latest book is a novella called Wide Open, and it’s about a sort of romantic rivalry between a cocky retiring NFL player and a younger know-it-all sports journalist. It’ll be released on Amazon next month on May 28. This is my very first sports romance, but I can tell that it won’t be my last because while doing research, I’ve come up with a few different angles to approach future books.
What inspired you to write it?
I was inspired to write it after seeing a viral clip from the I AM ATHLETE podcast that discussed things like survivor’s remorse and feeling responsible for everyone after making it. Most of the former professional athletes on the podcast are in marriages or serious relationships, and I just thought it’d be fun to imagine how obnoxious they must have been when they were younger and still in their prime.
When did you fall in love with the written word?
I fell in love with books at age five when my aunt bought me the entire Dr. Seuss collection. My current love of black romance books comes from her as well because she’s always been a voracious reader. Back in the day, the latest novels by Terry McMillan, Eric Jerome Dickey and Michael Baisden were always lying around her room, so I would sneak and read them because I was only around eleven then.
What’s the best part of being an author?
The best part of being an author for me is being able to connect with so many different black women from all walks of life. I have a very diverse group of readers, and I am so grateful for all the things that I’ve learned from them, some of which have even ended up in my books.
What’s the hardest part of being an author?
The hardest part of being an author for me is not being able to produce books as fast as I would like to. It seems like I come up with new ideas every other day, but I can usually only focus on one or two projects at a time.
What books have you read lately and loved?
I absolutely loved both fast and The Garden of Eden by Millie Belizaire. She’s one of my favorite indie authors and continues to amaze me with each book I read.
What book(s) are you most excited to read next?
I am super excited to read Executive Entanglements by Tia Love. I’m obsessed with everything she releases, so I know it’ll be a great read. I also have a pretty big to-be-read list of books that I only seem to add to, so I’m making it my mission to read at least one of those every month now.
Who would you cast in a movie to play your main characters?
For this book, I would cast Riele Downs and Kyle Bary because they’re both adorable and still pretty up-and-coming, so I may actually have a shot at getting them someday if it ever becomes a movie.
What’s next for you?
Next for me is of course continuing to release books, but my ultimate goal is getting one of my series made into a television show or movie. I think my fairytales (Thickerella, Sleeping Cutie, Trapunzel, and Charming) would be an amazing miniseries, so I’m crossing my fingers while also doing the work to make that happen soon.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
Yes, I would like to thank you, Chandra, for all the hard work you do for Black Fiction Addiction. I’ve found countless great reads from this platform, and I look forward to the new releases posts because I know there will be another future classic in there. I would also like to give you credit for being inclusive to indie authors and treating us the same as traditionally published authors. It has not gone unnoticed, and we appreciate you more than we can say with words. And of course I’d have to be a complete Scrooge to not laugh every time I see one of the silly BFA Instagram posts about books.
To learn more about author Tanzania Glover, visit her website (www.tanzaniaglover.com), or connect with her on social media (@TanSaidWhat).