Get ready to listen to author Pat G’Orge-Walker in a different way. I recently spoke with her about the audiobook release of Fire in the Water.
Tell me about your latest audiobook.
Fire in the Water
Smooth-talking musician Sanjay Thomas’ “hit it and quit it” past has caught up to him. Like a Mack truck, it will flip him and leave him waffling, wondering if Jesus was only kidding about forgiving him. Falling in love with bestselling author Celeste Francois was unplanned. That romance placed him in a situation where a “lie” will force him to make another life-altering decision—if he leaves her, he will save Celeste’s fragile self-esteem and her amazing literary career from being destroyed, staying is no longer an option. Sanjay Thomas makes the sacrifice to abandon her…but for how long?
Celeste Francois, a single mother with a pair of ten-year-old high-spirited twin girls, Jonnay and Jeannette, is on a mission. Celeste is seeking revenge on the man who told her he didn’t care if she thought she was overweight. He didn’t care if she was more successful in her writing career than he was as a struggling musician. He said he just wanted her for her. She knew he lied when he suddenly disappeared without a word.
Nothing has prepared her for the shock of learning the object of her hatred will return from the shadows fifteen years later until the church hires him to be the musical director for the masterpiece she works hard to put in production.
Why did you decide to venture into the audiobook world?
Actually, it was my publisher, Kensington Dafina, who initially placed all of my books, especially the Sister Betty series, on audio. They are still available in that format as well as the usual print and ebook ones.
As for my Independent title, Fire in the Water, it was Carol Mackey with Recorded Books along with my agent, Naleighna Kai, who secured the audiobook deal for this title. J.L Woodson of Woodson Creative Studio designed the book cover.
Which character could you relate to the most and why?
I related quite a bit with the female lead, Celeste. She was an author who faced so many challenges which could have derailed her career, and for a period of time, [they] did. She also wanted revenge and tried rewriting scripture to carry it out. That part I didn’t do but I had wondered what was taking God so long to show up for those who wronged me. I, like Celeste, learned…the teacher never talks during a test. God kept quiet because, behind the scenes, He worked it out for my good.
As for the why.
I wrote comedy, performed comedy and all my readers and publishers expected comedy—and then both my husband and I developed cancer. He was given eighteen months, and God gave him seven years. When he passed away in my arms, for a long time, I couldn’t find the humor in life. In the same month of his passing, Kensington released, Sister Betty Says I Do. In that story, one of the characters also faced cancer, but I’d written it before I had to face my own cancer battle. I was given a possible five-year survival, and in June of 2025, I celebrated sixteen years. God is good.
A follow-up was needed to the Sister Betty Says I Do novel, but my grief was too overwhelming, and I couldn’t do it. Fortunately, Naleighna Kai stepped in and gave the support I needed along with my Tribe Called Success [TCS] team, and I began to write again. I pinned a short story, “Heaven Can Be Hell.” The female lead’s name just happened to be Heaven. She was hellish to the tenth degree.
How are you celebrating the audiobook’s release?
I celebrated Fire In the Water by giving credit where it was due. The idea for the story came from a sermon preached by my pastor, Reverend Phil Pearson. He preached about revenge and how it impacted lives—Christian lives in particular.
I also gave away free audiobooks as well as participated in a promo events celebrating many popular narrators. Actress Patricia R. Floyd narrated Fire in the Water. And of course, there was always word of mouth.
Who is your author best friend (either in your head or in real life)?
There are several, and I don’t want to omit a name, however, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Stephanie M. Freeman, Rhonda McKnight, and Naleighna Kai.
What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve received?
The most valuable piece of writing advice I’ve received came from the late Dr. Maya Angelou. I met her back in the ’70s at the Broadway musical, The Wiz, starring Stephanie Mills. My young daughters were acting like they’d never seen a tall woman before. They kept staring and whispering. They caught Dr. Angelou’s attention. She chatted with them and me. I mentioned I “dabbled” in writing, and with a knowing smile, she told me to always be real. “Be honest,” she said. Those words still stick with me. She meant I should never try to write like someone else. Let my God-given talent flow, and the blessings will return. She also mentioned that the readers would know if I was faking it.
What books have you read lately and loved?
I read and loved Bernice McFadden’s Firstborn Girls. It was fabulous. I must also say that Rhonda McKnight’s The Thing About Home: A Lowcountry Novel caused me to lose sleep. I couldn’t put down that book! I was so excited by each chapter and jealous of her writing ability at the same time. If she never writes another book, I will always be her admirer.
What books are you excited to read?
Evidence Uncovered by Jacquelin Thomas and Vanessa Riley’s upcoming title, Fire Sword and Sea. I love historical pieces.
What’s next for you?
I am currently writing a story “Anniversary Hell” for an upcoming Romance Comedy Anthology penned by other TCS authors and with Steven Barnes writing the foreword. I am also trying to finish a three-book series, which has garnered interest from a movie producer. It is titled, Certifiable. A narcissistic black retired NYPD detective, his erratic Afro-Latina sharpshooting wife and their best friend, a playboy South Korean millionaire; they open a private investigation agency called Certifiable. It is located in Harlem, New York. The crazy crimes take place in both Harlem and Seoul, Korea. It will take certifiably crazy folks to solve them. They fit the bill.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
I want to thank my Tribe Called Success. Naleighna Kai and the Tribe members religiously check in on me, pray with me, and offer writing support when life is overwhelming. I can never thank them enough for all they do and have done.
I also want to express my appreciation to everyone who prayed, called, texted when death swept through my family in 2025, and in so many other ways as I fight health battles. Every time I want to lay my pen down, they nag until I put my fingers on the keyboard. Please continue the loving nagging. I need it.
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of Fire in the Water by Pat G’Orge-Walker.
To learn more about Pat G’Orge-Walker, Essence and national bestselling author and Christian comedian, visit her website, www.pgorgewalker.com https://sociatap.com/sisterbetty