Fifty looks good on Yahrah St. John. The prolific author is stopping by today to talk about the release of her golden book, Break Point.
Fun fact: I signed St. John to her very first book deal.
Tell me about your latest book.
Break Point is the sixth and final book in my Six Gems series. Teagan Williams and Dominic Fletcher were once rivals, sparring on and off the tennis courts. Those sparks turned to love, until Teagan was injured and could no longer play. She believes Dominic pursued his dream of tennis stardom after she confronted him publicly and was ostracized by the media. Years later, Dominic is a tennis legend, and they reconnect for a charity tennis tournament and realize the passion is just as strong as it once was.
Why did you decide to write it?
The idea for Break Point came from a girls trip I took to Gatlinburg in 2021. While huddled up in a cabin laughing and talking with six friends, I realized a series about six besties would make for great reading. I brainstormed ideas on interesting careers that would be different from any I’d written before, and those careers would be a dream that each one of the Six Gems were chasing. A fairy godmother comes along the way and helps ensure each of them has a shot at pursuing their passion.
Who is your favorite character in the book and why?
The heroine Teagan Williams. She’s a strong Black woman who bounced back after life handed her a bag of lemons. I knew her because she’s me. I used my own hardships in life and overcame them to channel it into the character. Teagan’s love for her girls shone through the previous five books, but this time I was able to delve into what made her so headstrong and independent. She’s complex and has flaws, but in the end just wants to be loved.
What was the hardest part about writing the story?
The hardest part was the tennis element. I knew absolutely nothing about tennis, and I wanted to make sure I could write about the technical side intelligently without offending any fans. I leaned on a friend who plays tennis as well as my research on Serena Williams and many more tennis legends to help craft the heroine and hero: Teagan Williams and Dominic Fletcher.
If you were to write a book about your life, what would be the title and why?
Never Break or Unbreakable. I endured many hardships growing up in a deeply religious household, which robbed me of my childhood, but I didn’t break. Instead, being sheltered helped fuel me to become a writer because I wrote about things I could never experience. My autobiography would talk about how I overcame my start in life to have a lasting career in property management industry for the last 25 years in which I’m now a general manager, while simultaneously becoming the first black president of a property management organization, all the while being a successful author for 20 years despite the ever-changing face of the publishing industry.
What would you tell your 16-year-old self?
Don’t give up. There are brighter days ahead. You will get your chance to live like Denise and Whitley in A Different World and have a great time at college to make up for these miserable high school years.
What is something readers would be surprised to know about you?
I can’t ride a bike. Due to being in a religious household, they didn’t allow us outside the house, much less wearing a long dress while attempting to ride a bike would have been dangerous.
I also didn’t know how to swim. I was afraid of drowning. However, when my husband and I decided to build a house, we wanted a pool. Once it was built, I had swim lessons, and I now know how to swim. I won’t win any championships, but I can swim and float enough to save my life.
Tell me about a book that changed your life and why.
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover. I had stopped reading a few years ago because I was so busy working full-time and writing part-time. There was no time for enjoyment of a hobby I once loved. This book started me down the path again. I know there’s a lot of drama around the movie now, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it was a good book. Or at least not in my humble opinion.
What’s next for you?
A hiatus. Unfortunately, what’s come with a 20-year published author career while working full time is burnout. I need some time for self-care and reflection and to reignite my passion for writing. The candle has gone out on that love, but I’m hoping it returns, and when it does, I’ll come back stronger than ever.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
I want to thank all my readers and loyal fans who have followed me throughout the years. Although, I’m taking a hiatus from writing, I’ll be pursuing my second love, which is travel. I recently started a YouTube channel with my husband, and we’ll be posting vlogs of our travel adventures. Fans of YSJ can follow me on there: http://www.youtube.com/@yahrahandfreddie.
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase you copy of Break Point by Yahrah St. John.
To learn more about author Yahrah St. John, visit her website or connect with her on social media.
Website: www.yahrahstjohn.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YahrahStJohn/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yahrahstjohn/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/yahrahstjohn/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/yahrahstjohn/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/yahrah-st-john
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/715998.Yahrah_St_John