Lex.Btw.TheLines...
Lex.Btw.TheLines...
The Rise of Selena Brooks: Behind the Scenes of Southern Sizzle and Scramble
In this episode, we explore the creative journey of Selena Brooks as she discusses her latest projects, including "Southern Sizzle" and the upcoming "Southern Scramble." Her insights provide a unique look into character development and the spice of Southern drama.
• Introduction and trigger warnings
• Background of author Selena Brooks
• Overview of "Southern Sizzle" and its impact
• Insight into "Southern Scramble" and character relationships
• Discussion of drama and romance intertwined in storytelling
• Exploration of reader expectations and tropes used
• Engagement with marketing strategies and influencers
• Selena's thoughts on balancing personal experiences in writing
• Future projects and where to follow Selena Brooks
outro
hey y'all. Hey, you are watching and listening to licks between the lines and I am your host licks. Of course I am. Before we go ahead and get into it, let's go ahead and get into these trigger warnings. We all know I tried to stay in between the line, but sometimes I tend to cross them. I don't think I may cross them today, but you just never know how the conversation is gonna go. Trigger number one there may there will be custom, there will be adult language discussed, there will be adult situations discuss. There may or may not be mentioned of BDSM, because I have a lot of questions for miss Selena today. So just take this as your trigger warning. Trigger warning this is the trigger warning. So if you decide to continue on with us, stay tuned. Without further ado, I'm going to let my co-host introduce herself. This is her second time back with us. I'm so excited Her new book is getting ready to come out, but I'm gonna let her tell you guys about it, ok.
Speaker 2:Hi everybody. My name is Selena Brooks. I am a one time published author. My first book is called Southern Sizzle and it is out now. It's been doing pretty good Matter of fact. I was at a recent event and sold eight copies, so that was pretty good. My next book, which we'll probably be discussing's called southern scramble. I anticipated to be out this year before november 1st or on november 1st, depending on how life goes. So be looking out for that and thank you for having me you are welcome.
Speaker 1:I'm just gonna go ahead and dive in, because even the southern scramble is about reese and her football player. But before we even get into that, even though I am not a football fan, let me see your shirt. Let let us see your shirt, okay. Okay, you got on us, we here, because I'm in Louisiana and you and Mississippi, so we kind of know just college cuz.
Speaker 1:Like I said, I'm not even I'm not a big football fan. I had a cousin I used to play for the Saints and he's real old right now, so Rufus Porter. But um, why? Why we playing for the Cowboys? And I grew up all of my family are big Saints fans and, like I say, it could be because our cousin played for the Saints and then he went to the. It could be because our cousin played for the Saints and then he went to the Dolphins back in the day or the Seahawks. Yeah, he went to those different teams. But the Cowboys I know enough for my family. The Cowboys I know some of y'all and listen, if y'all watch this and try and call for me, just know, I like to go back and forth in my spare time because I see what I see why you make him play for the Cowboys.
Speaker 2:Okay, so boom, when I was writing the story, the character of Terrence went to the University of Southern Mississippi for school and you know was a standout player, or whatever you have to be in order to get drafted. I was like it just seemed too coincidental for him to go to the team that was most likely his hometown favorite, or you know. Whatever have you?
Speaker 1:I don't know why I picked the Cowboys, because I can't stand the Cowboys and look, this is going to give away about when we, because I always I batch record and I be telling people I want to let you follow along on my influencer and podcast journey. So sometimes I pre and batch record a lot of these episodes. So just recently the Cowboys and the Saints played. Who won that game?
Speaker 2:who that? But I will say I think where it came from was at the time I was living in Dallas. Where it came from was at the time I was living in Dallas and I think it just was naturally like a progression of like. Okay, I don't, I think it's too coincidental for him to play for the Saints, but I'm in Dallas, I have access to this information, so let me make him a cowboy we gonna let you slide with this.
Speaker 1:You skipped over a whole state to get to cowboy nation. I ain't gonna hold. I ain't gonna hold it against you.
Speaker 2:I will say at least I didn't make him a falcon cause.
Speaker 1:That's blasphemy, you gotta do your, you gotta do your. I would never tell us more about Terrence in his high well, not high school, because he went. He was from Mississippi, right, right, and then he went to Southern Miss oh no, no, no, I'm sorry he went to.
Speaker 2:He went to college at Southern Miss. He is actually from Dallas.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, I let him slide. Since he's from Dallas, I'm going to go and let him slide a little bit, even though he still could have went out for the Saints. You don't have to play for the home team. That made me forget. Oh, this is what. I was about to ask when he was in school, did he have like a love interest, or are we gonna see him like a first love or anything while he's in? Hot, oh you. Tight already, she tight already.
Speaker 2:Y'all look at her lips I would say there is some drama that is revealed from his past at Southern Miss Involving a girl.
Speaker 1:Oh Lord, it's going to be a secret baby, get your face, your face turned so red.
Speaker 2:My face is naturally red red.
Speaker 1:I'm reddish hued you were extra red.
Speaker 2:I match my um, I match the pink right now, but I would, if I have to answer that I'm, I'm going to be.
Speaker 1:It's going to be too much tea.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's going to be a spoiler.
Speaker 2:Because, I'm telling you, this book is 10 times more dramatic than the first one.
Speaker 1:It's 10 times more dramatic than the first one. It's ten times more dramatic than the first one.
Speaker 2:I would say the first one is more spicy, like with the romance, but this one it's a little bit spicy, but the drama off the charts.
Speaker 1:And I live for drama Now is is this drama gonna happen before or after or during can you tell us that? Or during the marriage?
Speaker 2:oh, it's during oh, so they married already well, you know, at the end of the last book. Well, you know, because you read it, that he proposed. So the book Southern Scramble picks up after they're married.
Speaker 1:I feel I want to ask is this going to be Reese getting her karma from all the men that she did? Why would I ask these questions? Your face turned the color of your headphones. Oh wait, you like this bitch asking all the good questions and she ain't gonna be the spoiler of the book no, it's.
Speaker 2:I mean it's all good because you know everybody, it was like everybody hates Chris but everybody hates Reese when first book. So I wouldn't say this book is her redemption, but I'll say that it's a lot that she's going to gonna go through so it's hugging her karma.
Speaker 1:Perhaps is that give us some trope insights. What kind of tropes can we expect?
Speaker 2:um, in this one it almost teeters the line of why choose? Because there is a new male love interest I love a good, why choose not? But I would say it just is just teetering.
Speaker 1:It's teetering on the line so they don't what the hell is teetering the book.
Speaker 2:The book is not a full-blown like okay, I got these two dudes, you know. Like, because why choose is usually like, the two dudes know about each other. They, they going for the same girl and the girl is like, okay, well, let's just all be in this. That's not what my book is, so somebody cheating, so somebody cheating.
Speaker 1:Oh, I know how to ask some questions to get around some shit. That cause what honey? Okay, let me buckle up my seatbelt right quick. Okay, so we say we don't get like, so that mean we're not gonna even hit any like man-on-man action because it ain't even you already like. I love a good book.
Speaker 2:I mean, hey, who doesn't? But I felt like they wouldn't have come back from that.
Speaker 1:Nah, ain't no way oh my god, I gotta know, because when you start when you start bringing that extra person, you know.
Speaker 2:But I will say there is a throuple in the book. I can't say no more than that because I can't talk about it.
Speaker 1:I will say, though, there is a throuple is it between the main characters or side characters?
Speaker 2:It's some side characters.
Speaker 1:God damn it, you not giving up shit.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean because you know I gotta let the book come out first and you gotta wait all the way until the real book.
Speaker 1:You already know I ain't the book come out first and we gotta wait all the way until the real book.
Speaker 2:you already know I ain't too proud to be but I already I told you send me your email. I will send you the art copy.
Speaker 1:I'm about to, soon as we hang, soon as we finish this, I need this in my hands. Like yesterday I was supposed to start another arc, the missing girl um that I got from book influencers. I don't know if you know about bookinfluencerscom, but it's a place where um and it gave me the option to sign up as, like a book influencer or an author. So I'm guessing you can go on and you can put your book and it pushes it out to so many different um people who are signed up for it and you can offer like different incentives and stuff. And then how the website works is it gives you direct communication um with the influencer and you put your stipulations in there of like how you um want it posted, um how often you want it posted.
Speaker 1:If you want to um offer like an incentive I think the one, uh, because I got like three of them and look, now I can say I'm a paid book influencer um the the things are like really small, like some of them are like uh 15 or 20 dollars um, they give you if you're some, and then you can be selective. So you get to go on and select, like look at all the different influencers and stuff that signed up to do it, so you can go look at their pages, look and see if they actually give reviews. I think this helps to weed out the people who you send arcs to and they don't leave reviews.
Speaker 1:That's so fucking trifling to me because if these people send you a free book and the least you can do is leave a review or wait if you didn't like it, so that you know they can still have a review, but it doesn't interfere. So I think this kind of cuts all of that red tape and stuff out to kind of, and then if, if the um influencer doesn't do your requirements, I'm thinking that they go on the list so at least you would know okay, that sounds awesome.
Speaker 2:Actually, I'm gonna look into that book influencers calm.
Speaker 1:So I, if I get my hands on that, I'm gonna put. I hate to say that, but I'm gonna push this one to the side for just a second because you know I eat a book up in a day. I had did um a guy that I'm gonna get ready to interview. It was crazy. Before I came on he must have seen my um instagram post and he messaged and said hey, you do realize you posted like book two and I was like I know I already read book one. I bet you looking like yeah, when it's good or it's messy or drama, I eat it up like.
Speaker 1:I am, I am the mess, I am the drama so that's why I need my hands on this scramble Soon as we hop off of here. I'm sending my email over.
Speaker 2:And this one. This one is only about half as long. The Southern Sizzle, I had a lot to talk about, but Southern Scramble, it was more focused, you know. So it's not as long.
Speaker 1:It's not a bible it's not hold that thought. We will be right back y'all after this commercial break and then, when we get back, we're gonna dive into what you just did. When we get back on commercial stay tuned if you or a loved one have been the victim of medical negligence, we're going to dive into what you just did. When we get back from commercial. Stay tuned, if you or a loved one have been the victim of medical negligence or drug injury, we can help Do what thousands of satisfied clients have done Call Jeff Guerrero, the injury attorney, and go Guerrero. All right, you guys, we are back from commercial break. I'm gonna go ahead and dive right on in because I want to get back to this throuple. Listen, I ain't gonna say why are you looking like that already? I'm gonna stay in between the lines. Okay, I ain't gonna stay in between the lines. I ain't going to stay in between the lines. I ain't even going to lie. So this throuple is there going to be like some BDSM? Is there going to be like some primal play some?
Speaker 2:yes, sir, good girl, I'm going to say I'm going to say, okay, the throuple is not for the spice, the throuple is for the drama. So not so much with the spicy stuff, but when you find out who the throuple is, you are going to wish that you didn't know oh my god, now that you say that, why am I picturing the mom or the daddy and the girlfriend?
Speaker 1:oh my god, I can't like you know what we don't. Oh okay, oh, that might be. I'm jumping. My mind is jumping to conclusions. It may not even be dead. So my, like I said, my mind is jumping to conclusions. It may not even be. But why are you looking like this, selena?
Speaker 2:I'm just, I'm listening.
Speaker 1:Jesus. That made me forget my goddamn next question. You had to go. You had to say the side characters. With the situation, I'm thinking that we finna get like some nasty kinky. I ain't gonna lie my mind, be in the gutter and I be getting ideas from these books.
Speaker 2:I mean, I don't. I would love to write more Spice than I do, but it's something in the back of my head that's like my mama gonna read this.
Speaker 1:Your mama be reading yourself.
Speaker 2:Yes, she do. She already read Southern Scramble. And her exact words Reese is a stone hoe.
Speaker 1:See, just from that, I feel like you should have brought Mama in on this interview, but I ain't gonna Because, mama, I feel like you should have brought Mama in on this interview, but I ain't going to. I ain't going to Because, mama, I want you to elaborate.
Speaker 2:Next time. But you got to read it first.
Speaker 1:But your mom said that Reese is a stone hoe.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:She said hoe, not whore.
Speaker 2:Yeah, hoe Garden tool.
Speaker 1:Mama is my type of lady, because you know there's a different type of person that says hoe and who says whore. There'll be two different type of people. The whore people be so proper. And those are the pearl clutchers.
Speaker 2:and you know, oh, no, like, like mama, like I know that if I were to be as spicy as I want to be, my mama might clutch a pearl, like she'd be like, oh, selena, but see, I kind of hold back. I don't quite take it there now.
Speaker 1:Maybe I might in the future, but I just tell mom you can't read this one because your writing is so phenomenal, I feel like we need, like I want you to tap into it so bad.
Speaker 2:I mean, I want to, I want to, but it's just it's. It's something in my self-conscious that's like my family is the type that if you do something like like put out a book, they gonna read Whether you ask them to or not.
Speaker 1:And you don't write under a pen name. Oh, maybe you might have to do a pen name.
Speaker 1:I could do a pen name. That's an idea. So our nasty books have a pen name but we don't tell the family and then our wholesome books that the family can read be under Selena Brooks. Because we need the nasty books, we need this much. I could just, I could just imagine what you would write if they didn't know. And then I was going to ask you about were there any reservations about writing? Like what were the fears? I was going to say let's break that shit down so we can get this book. Look at me like I'm dr legs like that.
Speaker 2:You, you, you are giving me a therapy session right now so, look, do we need to brainstorm pen names?
Speaker 1:because, honey, I could get you a little.
Speaker 2:We can start brainstorming I might have to, uh, I, I might have to think of something.
Speaker 1:Now I understand why people write on their pen names. You think they will say something. Are they, like, really religious?
Speaker 2:It's not that I just I know that if something makes them uncomfortable, that they're going to tell me that if something makes them uncomfortable, that they're gonna tell me. So it would be like it reflects what you do, kind of reflects on them gotcha that's why we need a pen name.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so y'all won't know. Oh, what if they? I can't, we can't see, we can't be giving away too much, because then you go.
Speaker 2:I could just picture you I got it and I'll keep it under yes, if they go, we can't.
Speaker 1:We can't even tell people your pen name. How the hell I'm gonna interview you under the book? We're gonna have to talk in circles like we're just coming I'll wear a mask, the mask.
Speaker 2:Author.
Speaker 1:No, mama, you know what? I have some authors that write on their pen name. I'm going to have to ask them now. Do you guys want to do a disguise? You know what? I actually had an author. She just had a picture of her own Instead of video, it was a picture and she didn't show herself because she writes on their pen name. So maybe I'll have to offer like a Mac, but I missed the face-to-face interaction and I want to see some of her like cuz I don't know I have. He exits some off-the-wall stuff and I wanted to see her facial like you'd be turning red and like I know her and I know she probably was red as a pebble on some of the stuff that I asked her and I was like now you could tell me, you know, if she writes like dirty stuff too, which is another reason why she goes under the name that she goes under. But I feel like I need to redo it where I can at least see her eyes and I could be.
Speaker 2:She could wear a ski mask.
Speaker 1:That's a TikTok thing. Have you seen those TikToks, the mask TikTok? I think it's called mask TikTok. They be in my feed sometimes.
Speaker 2:Oh.
Speaker 1:Well, hey there you go.
Speaker 2:I'm going to have to figure that out well I know a lot of times people will just use a pen name because they just don't want or they don't like their name. But I like my name. So I was told many years ago my name sound like a porn star name and I was like, thank you, what the hell?
Speaker 1:who the hell told you that cause what?
Speaker 2:one of my co-workers. He said that it sound like either a stripper name or a porn star name. Now I don't watch porn, but now I gotta go look up.
Speaker 1:He said that it sounds like either a stripper name or a porn star name. Now, I don't watch porn, but now I got to go look up some of the names of the people because what? And I want to ask, how do you know? Look, we were working, Selena, because we would have had to ask.
Speaker 2:It was a woman or a man. Oh, it was a man, of course.
Speaker 1:Of course. I was just going to say of course.
Speaker 2:How do you know that? Well, I know how you know how my name sound like a porn star, how, I guess, because it's it's not just this the everyday running the mill name maybe, I don't know I don't know.
Speaker 1:anytime I hear the name selena, I always want to say Selena. It's like anything for Selena, like porn star, like the fact that that was the first thing, that like that's what you think of Sir. Maybe that was a hint, selena, like he was trying to. I have no idea. People come on to you different ways. Are you married?
Speaker 2:No, I'm not, I'm single.
Speaker 1:He may have been shooting his shot.
Speaker 2:Nah, he was gay. He's exempt. He's exempt. And before y'all start, if y'all see this, I'm gay too exempt, he exempt.
Speaker 1:And before y'all start, if y'all see this, I'm gay too. So do not try, cause you know people will try and comfort you over the smallest little shit.
Speaker 2:I am gay too he was the sweetest person, but you know it just wasn't us. You know his dad wanted me to be his girlfriend so bad. But his dad did not know at the time.
Speaker 1:He was in the closet.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so yeah, but you know he's happy. Now he's out and proud.
Speaker 1:I know that's right. Ain't no other way to be Baby. So last time we were on we got cut short. But since we were talking about Spice, have you watched me and Copa? Yes, why you say it like that?
Speaker 2:Because I didn't want to who made you watch?
Speaker 1:Who made you watch? I have been hearing all the hype and stuff about it and, like I said, I be wanting. One thing about me is I can't really like to watch it. Sometimes Be so cringe to me, but I can read it. Like to watch it.
Speaker 2:Sometimes be so cringe to me, but I can read it all day, but watching it is just like well my thing with it is I feel like I like Tyler Perry, but I feel like he stretches himself too thin trying to do too much.
Speaker 1:But I feel like he stretches himself too thin trying to do too much and I feel like his work suffers a lot because of that, and so I tend to stay away from his work, just because I already know until he change up his routine it's going to be the same thing over and over when I watched Mia, I said it could have been so much more than it was he has great ideas and I think maybe you were one's um cure Casey, you, nina hi, a few other authors and I was like I felt even Octavia Grant and Caitlin hunt I think if you got, if he pulled even some of these indie authors and writers and stuff, if you would have input, because all of those people are like different ranges, from like thriller to dark romance to urban fiction to even just black romance and stuff, like he could have took all of those different people and meal could have been so much Cause it was parts up in there that should have been elaborated on.
Speaker 1:There are parts that should not have been up in there. The scenes what really made me watch it was the um, the scenes that everybody was saying was like oh my god, oh, it was so spicy. It was like. And then what really made me go watch it is because I started seeing people saying, oh, the book girlies are gonna love this, the book girlies are to love the dark romance aspect and stuff to it.
Speaker 2:So I ran to it and I was like you know, I wouldn't have classified that as dark romance Because I don't feel like he was in control, in control of her.
Speaker 1:she was just kind of dumb she really was and he didn't even have like a. When I think of dark romance and stuff, I think of like a anti-hero, because sometimes a lot of times, dark romance and stuff get misclassified and some of the stuff that, um, people be saying is dark romance, be horror. And when I say horror I don't even mean like scary horror, I mean the situations and stuff that be put up in there like a lot of the grape sings a lot of the grooming, that's not dark romance.
Speaker 1:To me, that is like put that in another classification. Now if well, if it's off page, you know, and it's intertwined a little bit, then that's different.
Speaker 1:But if the majority of the book is that, that's that dark romance yeah, if there's no consent, that's something else and I just felt like he was there, like he wasn't an anti-hero, he wasn't coming in to do something that we know that was wrong but is right in a sense, because we understand what he was trying to do, what he was trying to say. Like there was none of that, like there was none of that aspect up in there. So I was like, where is the dark romance part? And then I was like where is the spice that y'all was talking about? It was spicing, it was cringy. Rolling around in goddamn paint y'all wasn't even I ain't.
Speaker 1:I can say what I want to say shoot, wait a minute when that other lady was there though what was?
Speaker 2:that wait which one remember when he had that other lady there and she was like then I don't know what that was.
Speaker 1:Foolishness, and then it was just like you. It wasn't any connection of to what like this is why she was here. This happened, it was just like a quick scene.
Speaker 2:It was like shock value, but shock value only work when you explain it and it was not explained, and even the night.
Speaker 1:did you remember when they showed them, when they went down to the different rooms? And it looks like a sex dungeon.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And they just walked through like they didn't even that. They should have elaborated on a little bit more, because you know, we see that in the books and stuff with the different levels and the different phases, like there's a warrior, the warrior room, and then there's a room where you can participate, and then there's a room if you want to take it a little bit extra, or you know, like I feel like you should have expected, but had he brought people in or you know who write or delve in that kind of little thing, I think it could have been like so much better than it was. And then if it was a series instead of a movie or if the movie was a little bit longer, I think it definitely would have like been out of the park.
Speaker 2:But yeah, and you know he he has really good concepts, like even the um movie was a, divorce in black was like the last one. I think there the concepts are great but the execution is not. And just for example, like I don't want to give away no spoilers, but in mia coppa they made such a huge deal about this lady's blood being on his floor, but she's still alive and she was um, this is gonna be some spoilers she not only was she alive, but, mia, you saw her in a whole, not another country.
Speaker 1:And then it was like after that we heard nothing else on it, like she was found no explanation about she, nothing and see.
Speaker 2:That's the things that a writer that's really into the craft will catch, and be like this does not make sense. We need to make this make sense. Like it's missing the plot, because I'm like if you don't spill gallons of your blood on somebody's float, you are not alive, wherever you are.
Speaker 1:And how did you get out Like it wasn't no explain. You know, normally in the books if something like this happens, it's like they explain like how they took blood, like over time off of like girl gone when they took blood when she had been pumping her blood and stuff like over time yeah, yeah like. Get that to show us that process of like, where the blood was drawn and for it to be that much blood that there's no body but it's enough blood for the person not to be alive because they lost so much.
Speaker 2:Show us that process of how or was the blood tightening and it wasn't all of her blood like and you know tyler perry has has this thing with a murder without a body and I'm like, do you know how often that does not happen because you, you cannot. I mean I can't say you cannot, but it is nearly impossible to prosecute somebody for murder without a body, because how do you know the person dead?
Speaker 1:And I almost wanted it to be like a double jeopardy type situation where even if she was alive and he was tried for it and stuff, and by some miracle he got off and got out on probation, and then he felt like she popped up again and he did murder her probation and then he felt like she popped up again and he did murder her, but he couldn't come up, they couldn't come up with it because you can't be tried for the same thing twice like I was, like it was so much that I wanted to see that just yeah, and and you know that's why I mean research is is important, because when you're an author, that doesn't mean that you need to know everything.
Speaker 2:You have to reach out to resources Like a lawyer, perhaps, or a judge that would actually know the law and could explain it to you in a way that made sense for whatever story it is you're trying to write but you know what I'm wondering, like he, I'm pretty sure he has a lot of resources and stuff, but who else hands did this go through?
Speaker 1:or who else screened this? I wonder, do they have like beta, like do they have teams that go in and watch or either read like his manuscripts and be like okay, so we can do expand on this a little bit more. There's, this plot is missing a little bit, or like I wonder, are there teams?
Speaker 2:There ain't no way. It ain't no way he got a team. There's no way. There's no way you had a team and that is the product that came out. There's no way well his. He got the team of me, tyler perry. There's no way that that went through multiple hands, unless they're afraid to challenge him, maybe see you, you have to come around from me too.
Speaker 1:And yes, people like if. That's why I say I always, if I fuck up and I do something wrong, like tell me, don't try, don't sugarcoat nothing. That's why I don't. I be feeling like when people, when I arc and beta read for people and I'll be sending back feedback some, some of the people that I arc and better read for I never heard anything back and I felt like and I like, I know, just like, well, I guess they that was a bit much for him, but I didn't want to lie and I only want you to give your best and I'm giving it to you from, like, a reader's point of view, and like this is missing, or what was the purpose of this? Because this wasn't mentioned anywhere else, like in the book, like so what was the purpose of this? Or you just gave this scene and you you rushed it and like art, like well, you know what I'll tell you.
Speaker 2:Like I'm human. When somebody say my book suck and they tell me why, my feelings get hurt. But but and I'm just, you know I'm taking it to the extreme. Yeah, but if somebody tells you something Constructive and not judgmental or Negative, then take it and learn from it. Yeah, your feelings gonna be hurt, you might be embarrassed, you might be mad. Take a day, take a breath and then move on and learn right, because I'm not gonna lie. If you was to read my book and be like sel Selena, this is trash.
Speaker 1:I would be like oh, I would never tell anybody.
Speaker 2:But then I would come back like, okay, well, what made it trash and how I need to fix it.
Speaker 1:You know what I would never say because anything. That's why I never give anything. People be like, well, what's your rating system? Or anything like that. If it's a good book, it's a good book, and even if it's missing a few things, it's a good book, but it was missing a few things.
Speaker 1:I never just called anybody's work just trash, or I'll be like it wasn't really entertaining or it wasn't really like something that I would read like all the time or I would. If it's a series, it's not something that. But I wouldn't call it straight trash because it came from your mind, your thoughts, it came from something you know within you. So I would never, you know, call anything trash, but I will say like, okay, I didn't understand this part or this happened and we needed more of it. You know, just break down. But I would want somebody like if somebody saw my podcast or they came or they looked at any of my episodes and they'd be like girl, this shit, a hot mess like you, this is what you need to do and this is like I've learned but it took me a minute because I ain't get this way, you know. But I've learned to take constructive criticism and know that it's meant to better me and I can tell when it's constructive criticism and somebody talking shit.
Speaker 2:So oh yeah I can't.
Speaker 1:Like I've learned to differentiate between the two. Like I say, I have a spa business and I have like business coaches and stuff, so I can tell the difference of when somebody's coming from a good place and they want to see you grow. And that's how I am, when I tell or give my honest reviews and opinion on things and stuff, and especially when the writing, when the authors that I'm reading and stuff the right. First of all, I'm only going to ask for ark and beta for you if it looks like it's a book that I'm going to enjoy or if I've read some of your other work, so I kind of know what you capable of. So or I've read the synopsis. Are you giving me the synopsis of what it's about and it sounds interesting enough for me to cause? There's some things I'm just like I don't think that'll be my cup of tea, but I'll pass it along and I've passed it to people who may be like this genre but, I would never just like tear some.
Speaker 1:But, like I say, I only get my honest opinions and stuff because I know that you can do this shit, know that you can do this shit and I know, like from from the other stuff that I've read, or even from reading some of the book, like you need to go back to this part. But hey, yeah, everybody don't look at it that way. I get it yeah, that.
Speaker 2:That's why I say you know, I have to give Tyler Perry credit. He has a very creative mind. He just needs to humble himself and let people help him make his vision come true.
Speaker 1:Or like you say, people maybe are helping but they just like, yes, people, and maybe scared to get on his bad side or maybe scared to give their honest opinion, and you know. Yeah, it could be, and you know, yeah, it could be, I don't know, but I hope 2025 is where he brings more fresh stuff. But like I'm going to support you anyway because you're a black man, you know you're black and you do it Right, but he gives opportunities to people that wouldn't necessarily get one.
Speaker 2:Absolutely so you. You know that's awesome, but if you having them in this movie that is going to get destroyed by critics, it's not going to help their career. You're not giving them a fair chance to show what they can do right, it's like.
Speaker 1:It's like, on one hand, we like what he's doing and we can see the direction that he's going in and stuff, but then I just want him to pull some of these black indie, like to just go on black tiktok, just put in not even just black tiktok, just put in indie authors. And pull some of these indie authors or some of these authors and get them, get them in on it. All right, make books out of some of these, you know, make movies and shows out of some of these books and stuff that are out here and start going their route.
Speaker 1:I would like to see him make a book of some of the books that I've made, a movie of some of the books that I've read.
Speaker 2:I mean, he already did. They did a great job with Push. You know when they put Precious out.
Speaker 1:With Gabrielle Sidibe. Yes, I didn't know that he directed. I didn't know that was his.
Speaker 2:I'm not sure if he was the director or he was a producer, but I know he was involved. I did not know that. And I mean, that was a great movie. It was Oscar winning movie, so he got he asked other movies or shows got any Oscars?
Speaker 1:I'm not sure and I would like to see him more. What is it? What's the Oscar awards?
Speaker 2:yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't think or.
Speaker 2:Academy, academy Awards maybe.
Speaker 1:I don't think. Or Academy Awards, maybe I'm not seeing, I'm not seeing.
Speaker 2:Because I know he, oprah and Lee Daniels were involved in that.
Speaker 1:And that's a powerhouse combo in itself.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:You know who I would like to hold deliverance? Is that Lee Daniels on this deliverance movie? Yeah, I would like to see him and Lee Daniels work a little bit more together.
Speaker 2:That's an idea, but I think they would probably Butt heads because they both Wear the same hats.
Speaker 1:You think so?
Speaker 2:You know, it's like he's a director producer. He's a director producer. I think they they probably have their own way of doing things probably, so it probably would take a lot of compromising oh yeah, definitely. And you know, when you take a book and turn it into a movie, I think it's a lot easier to find a vision because you already have it, you already have the book, like when you just coming up with a concept straight from your head and putting it into a movie. I think that to me that seems a lot harder.
Speaker 1:and putting it into a movie I think that to me that seems a lot harder. And you know sometimes they who I hate when I watch the movie and it's nothing like the damn book.
Speaker 2:See, that's because the writer probably didn't have enough say-so, or the writer was just like y'all, do whatever you want.
Speaker 1:I need these writers. Matter fact, I hope. I don't know if you read the list by yomi atagoki or yomi. I know it's yomi.
Speaker 1:I may be pronouncing the last name wrong, but I know that the book got picked up to be a tv show. I really hope that they have some say, because I would hate to see it changed up so much and the things that we actually love about it. And it's not a movie, it's supposed to be a series on HBO. I want to say I read it, it's supposed to be a series on HBO, so I hope they have a lot of say in the writing part of it, because I would hate for them to lose that aspect of the book that we all love our hates for them to lose that aspect of the book.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and we all love some well, and you know, I don't really know how the whole Hollywood thing works with books and rights and all that, but it seems like a lot of the times somebody with the money and the power is like okay, I'm gonna commission this book, which to me means you gonna take it if you gonna own it and you gonna do what you want with it, and so it's it. Really, to me is no wonder that a lot of the times you go and you see a movie based on a book and it's nothing like the book oh goodness, I just feel like you wrote this as your baby and you probably at some point saw a vision for it, and I don't.
Speaker 2:I look I mean you. You know it's kind of like the Matrix. You know there was a black woman that wrote the Matrix, but you would never even know that because they never acknowledge her in anything.
Speaker 1:I did not know that at all. I didn't even know the Matrix was a book.
Speaker 2:She had to sue them and that's why I say you know, it's like they'll come to you and they offer you this money. And maybe you're not making that much from your book, Maybe it's not popular, but this one director read your book, like your book, and decide they're gonna make it into a movie.
Speaker 1:all of a sudden it didn't turn into a blockbuster and they done paid you a hundred thousand dollars and they done made a hundred million off your story since we're on movies and talking about um book deals, going into movies and shows, we're going to go to commercial right quick and when we come back, it's one in particular that I want to ask you about, and y'all just stay tuned. After this commercial break, you already know who I'm about to say. Huh, it's been a hell of a book talk. Her book is getting picked up into like a movie. Netflix has picked it up and not colleen hoover, no, not her. Oh, okay, tilly cole. Oh, have you, have you been seeing that?
Speaker 2:Mm-mm. But you know like most of my stuff online is like BIPOC stuff, so I don't I see some like the big, big names, like Colleen Hoover, but like I haven't seen hers.
Speaker 1:It sparks so much controversy, I'm going to bring us back from commercial break. Hold on, thank you guys for staying tuned. We're going to go ahead and jump back in it. Controversy I'm gonna bring us back from commercial break. Hold up, thank you guys for staying tuned, we're gonna go ahead and jump back in it.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you have heard miss Alina, but it was a big thing all over book talk about this one, arthur, who wrote a book and the book is now. I always say don't judge a book that you have not read and don't give it backlash and stuff because you haven't read it. But I say this big. But I just don't see how you can romanticize being in a certain hate group and the male character is in this certain hate group. He's like the heir to this, to the throne, and the female character is, um, in the Mexican cartel, like the family is in the Mexican cartel. So I can't have you seen it on BookTok. Booktok blew it up. She got a name. Is there a name for it? The book? Oh, my God, let's go on and pull it when I tell you BookTok, this is all I have been seeing for I don't know how long. Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 2:That sounds like this person is going to be in some hot water.
Speaker 1:And I have a few of her books on my TBR. But when I um seen it I was just like I don't know if I want to support her. And then I was like, well, remember, you said that. And see as I'm pulling it up and stuff um that. And and see as I'm pulling it up and stuff um, is it darkness embrace? I was like what in the world I kept seeing what? That's why I was like books that have become like movie deals and stuff now I had a question this hate group does it start with a k?
Speaker 2:it?
Speaker 1:does and ending two more. Okay, I don't even want to, I don't even want to give any more. I'm just saying. I'm just talking about like books. I hope that this is one of the books that gets changed up a little bit.
Speaker 2:I just don't see romanticizing so the love, he's the love interest and I'm, and I'm.
Speaker 1:You can only imagine with it being a hate group and going against. So is this?
Speaker 2:like, like a romeo juliet type thing. Is that what this supposed to be?
Speaker 1:that's what it sound like. But she got her a movie or a show, I don't know. It's gonna be either a movie or a show on netflix and I'm just like, um, I, I hope this is one of those that it's changed up a lot, but when I tell you I just can't wrap my, like I said, I always say I'm not gonna judge anything because I haven't read it, but it's just well, I honestly I have never.
Speaker 2:Well it's, I would probably never watch that anyway, but I've never heard of a character coming from a. I don't know if I could say this word, but it starts with an R, a. Am I allowed to say that?
Speaker 1:We can say whatever the hell we want. This is my shit.
Speaker 2:I've never heard of a character coming from a racist background and being proclaimed as like anything positive. Like you see movies with racism in it but, the racism is always, always, always portrayed as negative, Like you know. For example, like what's that movie American?
Speaker 2:I can't even think of it, but the guy in it was a bald head okay, yeah and they portrayed him as like a psycho, like it wasn't positive at all, like he wasn't in a love, romantic relationship, there was no redeeming qualities about him. So I'm like, is he gonna be the in this particular book? Like that's being made into a movie? Is he gonna denounce where he come from, or he just gonna be in it and crap?
Speaker 1:I'm hoping that if he, if she's gonna put this out, that it's gonna show him cutting ties and separating from that and also something positive of maybe him realizing that this is wrong and his family is wrong and the values that that he grew up on. Because if you, if you are the heir, you've been hearing this your whole life and how are we romanticizing this person with these values? That's been beat down and I I don't know, but she's getting, she got her a deal.
Speaker 2:So like, like it must be some type of twist To it to where, like you say he's, he's gonna cut ties or he's gonna denounce them, and you know Part ways, because I'm like there's no possible way you have any romance when your love interest is Racist and you're one of the people he is racist against I like and that don't make sense and I've seen the comments like oh, but y'all don't say anything about the two mafia families. They are mafia they are both mafia they are not hate groups.
Speaker 1:They're not hate groups at all.
Speaker 2:They are about money. I mean, at the end of the day I could see okay, if you want to say a criminal organization, but at the end of the day they are about crime. They are not about harming other people purely based on who that other person is. They just want money. Usually, who doesn't, who doesn't?
Speaker 1:but yeah, that's one of the things that I wanted to when we were talking about the deals like how did you sit down and pitch this to a room full of people and they okayed and was like, oh, I think this would make a great movie. I wonder what that conversation was like yeah, you know this.
Speaker 2:This kind of sounds like I don't remember the name of this movie I know I want to say it was like bleeding hearts or binding hearts or something like that. I don't know if it was based on a book, but it was a romance. Girl was Hispanic, the guy was white, he was ex-military and had PTSD and she was a singer and had diabetes that she couldn't afford the medication. She couldn't afford the medication and it was like he was borderline racist, like some of the things that he said. I'm like you know this is not for her to have to change him into the man she wants him to be Like him. Saying things like that and her being disgusted should have been the end of the relationship.
Speaker 1:Right Now I'm going to have to go find this movie so I can see what you know what I'm gonna google it while we talk. I was gonna say send it to me.
Speaker 2:I wanna say it's something hearts, but I'm gonna find it.
Speaker 1:I just don't think I would. I'd just be running a flop. Purple Hearts Purple Hearts I've never heard of it. Yeah, I've never heard of it. I'm going to have to go and watch it. It's a Netflix movie and I'll give you an update on it. But I thank you for spending some time and dishing. You know what. I think we may have crossed some lines today, maybe. Just I think we started out tame and then it just started going like shit.
Speaker 1:Just got away but hey, it's all good it is and I'm glad that we got a platform where we can talk about it, where we can talk about it unfiltered and not have to worry about repercussions or being on somebody else's shit where it's filtered or, like I think we're respectful about it. We didn't bash her, I was just wondering. Like I said, I don't want to be a fly on the wall in some of these rooms of some of the deals and discussions that were made, but, like I said, I'm just glad that we have a platform that we don't have to be censored on.
Speaker 2:That's all good, I love it.
Speaker 1:So next time we're going to have Mama good, I love it.
Speaker 1:So next time we're gonna have mama, that's. You gotta read it first, though, the fact that mama called her a hoe, I ain't gonna never leave it. I ain't gonna live that down. Mama called her a hoe. I can't wait to go and die. I'm gonna tell you as soon as I get off of here. I'm about to send you my email so I can go ahead and get this art. I will keep y'all updated and I want to say thank you so much again.
Speaker 2:Let us know how we can follow you and stay tuned for what's to come okay, so I am on Facebook under Selena Brooks, I am on Instagram under Selena underscore B underscore the underscore author and I am on TikTok as Selena B, the author.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, Miss Selena. Until next time, you guys, we are out.