If aren’t familiar with authors Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant or it’s been a while since you’ve read some of their works, then you’re in for a treat. I recently spoke with them about the re-release of three of their books.
Tell me about your latest book.
Our latest book news is that three of our novels are being re-released this year. They have never been out of print, but now they are available with redesigned covers to a new generation of readers–so exciting!
Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made (available now) tells the story of Pat (the Brains), Gayle (the Beauty) and Marcus (the Jock), three friends who meet in grade school. An after-school tragedy changes all their lives and sets them each on a path to forget that terrible day, make amends for it, or thrive in spite of it. Throughout their lives, their friendship is tested. Will it remain true?
Better Than I Know Myself (available now). This novel opens with two friends standing at the grave of the third. Carmen, Regina and Jewel meet as college freshmen. They came to this crossroads with different motivations: Carmen, survived a rough childhood with a single-minded determination to rise above it. Regina, the child of upper middle-class “normalcy” can’t wait to shake off the suburban blandness and wake things up. Jewell was a child star who is looking for a “real” life. They become an unlikely trio. But how would they go on if one of them is gone?
Far From the Tree (Coming March 19). This is a story of two sisters, who could not be more different. Ronnie is a little past her prime, but still struggles in New York as she strives to become famous. Celeste, the know-it-all big sister crafts a life that appears picture perfect, but is it? Their mother, Della, inherits a family home, which she has no intention to claim. Each of her daughters, however, have very different ideas about what this legacy could mean to them. In the process, they uncover secrets about each other—and themselves.
Why did you decide to write it?
We have always told stories of family and life-long friendships. We didn’t meet as children, but we have been great friends for more than 30 years. The way we put it—“Friends are the family you get to choose.” So often women are pitted against one another in fiction and movies. We wanted to show how deep, supportive relationships are the foundations of our lives.
What do you want readers to learn from the story?
We have received thousands of messages from readers through the years who tell us they can’t put our books down. Pat, Gayle and Marcus became “real,” and they had to know “what happens next.” Carmen, Regina, and Jewel celebrate the friendships that are foundational to many of our lives. And Celeste, Ronnie, and Della confront the mother-daughter relationship and how that changes when we are all grown women. Readers have said they stayed up all night, called in to work (oops!), muted their phones, all because they were compelled by our stories. We hope that new readers will also find themselves on the pages of our books.
When did you fall in love with the written word?
Neither of us can remember a life before books. Storytelling is the way that humans have communicated truths, dreams, fears—pretty much to each other since the beginning of time.
If you could pick another profession, what would it be and why?
We have each had a variety of jobs, some of which we created for ourselves (we were editor-in-chief and managing editor of a short-lived magazine for plus-sized women called Maxima). Virginia is partners in The New Brunswick Jazz Project, which presents established and up-and-coming jazz musicians and singers.
What’s the best part of being an author?
Weaving a story that keeps the reader needing to turn the pages to find out, “What happens next?” And, knowing if just for a brief time, we have provided a little meaningful entertainment.
What’s the worst part of being an author?
The days when the words don’t flow.
What books have you read lately and loved?
Bernice McFadden offers a wealth of stories to get lost in. Whether you start with her first, Sugar, her latest The Book of Harlan, or somewhere in the middle, McFadden enfolds you in another time and a different way of life. Karla F.C. Holloway’s A Death in Harlem is a wonderful mystery novel that takes place at the height of the Harlem Renaissance. We also highly recommend The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. This is a period novel based on a true story about a brilliant woman forced to pass as white at the turn of the 20th century in order to succeed.
What’s next for you?
There is movie buzz that’s getting louder, but that’s not a story we can tell fully—yet.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
Happy reading!
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made, Better than I Know Myself, and Far from the Tree.
To learn more about authors Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant, visit their website or connect with them on social media.
Website: deberryandgrant.com
Facebook: facebook.com/deberryandgrant
Instagram: instagram.com/deberryandgrant
TikTok: tiktok.com/@deberryandgrant