Hooked On Onyx Unpacked

We sit down with author Adrian Thomas to talk about her nine-year writing hiatus, her return to indie publishing, and why Hooked On Onyx hits so hard even when it makes you mad. We unpack dark urban fiction choices, reader expectations like trigger warnings, and the craft behind characters who feel too real. 
• stepping back from writing because of procrastination and discouragement after leaving a publisher 
• the shift from publisher support to indie self-publishing and learning the new industry 
• trigger warnings as a courtesy and how the “new batch of readers” changes book culture 
• how Adrian creates characters at random and why King’s obsession drives the story 
• nature versus nurture in Onyx’s mindset and how family influence shapes her choices 
• jealousy, hidden motives, and side characters that bring comedy and chaos 
• writing tropes after the draft rather than chasing tropes on purpose 
• mental health themes, drugs, and how trauma can speed up a breakdown 
• dramatic endings, cliffhanger reactions, and whether book two is coming 
• where to start next with Adrian’s books and what she has coming up 
"if you go to my page you'll just you'll see like the forms to submit for the read for the readers and they can win like you know free copies and a gift card as well" 

outro

Transcript

Welcome And Meet The Author

SPEAKER_02 0:02

Hey y'all, hey, you are watching and listening to Lex Between the Lines, and I am your host, Lex. For the most part, I try my best to stay in between the lines. But today I already know that someone will be crossed. So this is your trigger warning that there will be cousin. And if you go and scoop up hooked on onyx by this author right here, you will know why. But first, I am and I want to let y'all know that I don't know this lady, so I don't know how she's gonna take this. Whether she comes out of the bag or what Shirley has said to Barbara. So I'm still gonna be okay.

SPEAKER_03 0:57

Okay, sure. I'm author, Adrian Thomas, and I've written and published, I think, like a total of 13 books, but I only re-released four of them. The rest of them you may not see unless you see them on the white pad. And I'm like national, I'm national best, the national best-selling author of two titles, Money is the Motive and Real Sisters. And I'm just getting back into writing again. I took like a nine-year break. I like to say break to make it sound good. I prefer to do it for nine years, but um, I sort of like a break and back writing again. I only write like erotica, urban fiction, and I cuss a lot. So yeah, if you like those type of books, those are the books that I write.

SPEAKER_02 1:54

So yeah, you you're gonna fit right on in then. So

Why She Quit Writing For Years

SPEAKER_02 2:01

hooked up, and I'm no, I'm nosy as hell. What you took a break for, Miss Angel. Was it from the writing? Because did it get tiresome? Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:14

Procrastination. That was it.

SPEAKER_02 2:16

So nosy. Procrastination.

SPEAKER_03 2:19

Procrastination, and I did get discouraged because I was writing under um a publisher initially, and it's different, it's totally different because when you're self-publishing, you're pushing yourself. So I was used to being like under like the wing of someone, like under the umbrella. I didn't know how to, you know, function by myself like as an indie author. So that was like discouraging.

SPEAKER_02 2:43

So oh, hold on, because that's a whole so you were under a publisher who wanted to be writing, kind of telling you a certain way from how you wanted to write it.

SPEAKER_04 2:56

Pretty much, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:57

So I wanted to I'm a Gemini. I don't like it, it was nothing wrong with the pub. The publisher was great, but I'm a Gemini, so I like to do things my way. And I wanted to venture off on my own. And when I ventured off on my own, I I didn't have any guidance. I didn't know what you know direction to go in, and it discouraged me, so that's why I stopped. Another reason.

SPEAKER_02 3:27

Got you. So when you started back, did you find like a group or a mentor? How did you get back into it? How did you ease back into it?

SPEAKER_03 3:36

I found the mentor, but no, first I just got back into it. I had the mentality, which I that was something that I started on the incorrect note. I had the mentality of the 2016 or 20, no, 2018, I'm sorry. 2018 when the last time I was writing, I'm like, no, it has like the game has changed a lot. The publishing industry, everything is different. So I had to pick up from there, like an old lady. Like, okay, everything is different. You gotta learn like the new waves and new readers. You have a whole new batch of readers. So I had to pick up on my own from here.

Publisher Life Versus Indie Reality

SPEAKER_02 4:15

Whoa, we ain't gonna talk about this new batch of readers.

SPEAKER_03 4:19

I don't say I come from the old school, like where you know we didn't have triggers, and I come from that wave.

SPEAKER_02 4:27

I was talking to a book bestie the other day about that. Like when I was first started reading and stuff, like you didn't know besides the synopsis, like what was going to be going on in a book. There were no triggers to tell you something that could trigger your mental, or so I didn't grow up, I didn't come up reading all of that either. And then now it's like if you don't have them, it's this big thing. That's like a courtesy.

SPEAKER_03 4:55

That's a courtesy, absolutely, and this is urban fiction. We have to be realistic, people, urban fiction, but yeah, it's different, like you're learning, like you have to learn like the new ways, but I did find like mentors and stuff.

Hooked On Onyx Spoiler Deep Dive

SPEAKER_02 5:14

This just released not too long ago. It was is this one of your re-releases or something completely new?

SPEAKER_00 5:21

Completely new.

SPEAKER_02 5:23

So this is completely so you just so you just came up with these characters. So King was just born.

SPEAKER_03 5:33

King was just born two months ago.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

So I'm gonna say that if you have not, this is another spoiler in the queen that if you have not read it, I need you to pause this, I need you to save it and then come back because there may be some spoilers. Because I got some questions for this lady. Like, ma'am, first of all, where did these characters come from? How did you come up with these characters and their mentality? Because King who who birthed him?

SPEAKER_03 6:07

King. King was just like a free, just like a random. I don't, I don't know how to I don't know how to explain how I come up with my characters. He was just like random. Like he was a random, he was random. Yeah, just I don't, I don't, how do people like, is there a certain way people like he was random? Like I was up like at three in the morning. I'm like, okay, this is what I'm gonna do do for keen. This is how keen is gonna be. That's how I created though.

SPEAKER_02 6:42

You wrote this. This man went from being a silent, mysterious type to being obsessed to this man thought it was okay to get with they they wasn't sisters, but he thought it was okay. They were, but they weren't. They were steps, they were stepsisters, but he thought that it was okay to to get with them, and he had a little pixie cut helpful that he was running them behind because when I read that I said, Hold on, I know you is lying to me. So not only do you have a situation, but you went out with two sisters, but you really had your eye on one. So, what would have happened if Onyx when it came out? Okay, are you saying like what if the book wasn't released or she wasn't no, no, like when they went out to the when he called what's what's sister and they went out there and drove out to that little to the empty parking lot?

SPEAKER_03 7:58

More than likely, he would have just what what the young folks said he would have just cracked her, but he would have been disappointed because he wanted onyx. But if you throughout the story, he keen king does like he he started that's where he started, like with trying to get close to onyx. That was the start of that obsession. That was the start.

SPEAKER_02 8:29

He went from like the silent type to the type to be around the shod. Is it Nashad? Did I say that right? Okay, so he was the silent type to be around the shod and just hang around, not saying anything, to actually be a mad and vocal, like you take some good morning texts and stuff. Boy, you wouldn't say two words at first when we came around and stuff, and then you then bow you dig out with me and my sister and onyx. What like Jenna say uh with that song, sweetheart? This was your first, this was your first time, but her mentality too, like man, the street. I don't even it wasn't even the streets that birthed them, like it was the people they were around, like their family influence, like nature versus nurture.

SPEAKER_03 9:23

Ain't that what that what it's called? Right, yes, her brothers and her dad, like well, not brothers, her brother and the son and June were her influences, so she saw how they were coming, and she's like, Okay, all men think like that.

SPEAKER_02 9:42

So that's why she thought it was okay to be out there in the woods with her sister because a man gonna be a man.

SPEAKER_03 9:48

Oh no, she was too young and naive. She was just she just, you know what? No, she was following Miss Lulu. I saw somebody say Lulu was gonna leave, lead lead her to hell if she followed.

SPEAKER_02 10:03

So she really was like Lulu and Lulu, you hussy, you see what your mama, see how your mama out here living, and you oh child, baby, but let's get back to King. Okay, me you thought it was okay to even before you got to, even before he got to me. Miss Adrian, I know why you can tell me that you wrote this man at three. What is his sign? When is his birthday?

SPEAKER_03 10:40

You know what? I forgot to mention that he was a Scorpio. King was a Scorpio. They are Scorpios can be dark and mischievous. He was a Scorpio. Is that an October birthday? He was October, he was October Scorpio.

SPEAKER_02 11:04

Ciao. I don't say that because my wife was Scorpio, but either way, King, the this I'm trying, I'm trying to breathe through it, and then I'm trying not to tell too much. I'm trying to give them something to look forward to, but it's just so hard to break him down because when he showed up, like how you show concern for her, but you have a whole situation and you thought she didn't see you, and then you mad because she was with somebody else, and you had the nerve to text and tell her that she was fouled for that. Boy, you had a whole situation, and you got with me and my sister. What are you talking about?

SPEAKER_03 11:51

Exactly. See, that's why Annex was she wasn't naive to a certain extent, but she was like realistic. She's like, okay, let's be for real. Like under this circumstance, and then you were just with, you know, Miss Pixie with the fact it's like, come on, let's be realistic.

SPEAKER_02 12:11

So the fact she wasn't tripping on it at all, it was like she was a dude, she had like a dude mentality, like how these guys be.

SPEAKER_03 12:20

I told you that's where her her dad and her brother listening to them. That's why she acted the way that she acted.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

And then Onyx, you onyx, we grew and then we regret, like we slid back, but we see why she slid back because Mish took her up. Meach took her up. I said when they was at this dinner and she was being sneaky, I said something right, something in the milk is unclean. Why would you do that? Why was it jealous? Was it jealousy? Because I don't think they treated her pretty fairly when they were friends, like when they were coming up and stuff.

SPEAKER_03 13:02

Right? You wouldn't you would have never suspected that, but you never know. People have motives. Like Mish was jealous of just like how people perceived. I really didn't go into it, but she was jealous of how people perceived Onyx. And then she had she had like that weird, like, you know, how that friend sees how other people treat you, how you're loved by like other people. And then she saw, you know, how King was attracted to her, and and you know what happened with King, the reason he pursued that that was the dumbest.

SPEAKER_02 13:40

I I wanted to pop him upside his head because that is the dumbest shit. What do you mean? What do you mean? That makes no sense at all. And then after the first few years, when you seen that they wasn't coming around, sir, sir, King.

SPEAKER_03 14:01

He could have left it like there was your opportunity.

SPEAKER_02 14:05

And then are we we just not gonna tell Cortez that we smashed, that we just not gonna tell brother. He never told his brother and everybody just we we just gonna hang around our brother like that, and he don't know our history.

SPEAKER_04 14:24

And brother is so messy.

SPEAKER_02 14:30

He was the reason that they found out the way I said I love how it balanced out with the comedy because the way you wrote him and Lulu and you put him and Lulu together.

SPEAKER_03 14:45

That is crazy.

SPEAKER_02 14:47

Do these characters resemble anybody like in your real life? Like any friend, any traits from any friends or anything?

SPEAKER_03 14:58

That's a great question. No, I'm I'm telling you, like, my cat literally. I randomly I'm up like on a random Thursday at 3 a.m.

SPEAKER_04 15:07

Like concocting these people, they're random. Is this the first new? Because what do you mean that these people are random?

SPEAKER_01 15:20

I'm not understanding.

SPEAKER_03 15:22

They are random, they're very random.

SPEAKER_02 15:26

Because these people, these like Nishad never really acting like my cousins, because that's all like where are you getting these people? Where are you from, Adrian?

SPEAKER_03 15:39

First of all, I'm from Georgia, I'm from Albany, Georgia, the deep south.

SPEAKER_02 15:46

Okay, I was gonna say that's still South Southern, because I'm from South Louisiana, and when I tell you these Negroes acting like my cousins, you see, it's a lot of the suns and a lot of kings, and it they exist, and the dumb shit they be saying. I'm like, Boy, what you got, you you you trying to tell me about somebody, and you got a girl pregnant, and you're gonna try and tell me how somebody out here doing, and he's talking about something that's how I know. Boy, shut up, shut up.

SPEAKER_03 16:22

I'll tell that's that's how most men and boys think. Like, I do pick like little pieces from like, you know, men, like family men, like I pick little pieces like from yeah, but other than that, these characters are 100% random. Like how, you know, Tyler Perry will sit there and concoct different things. Like, I'm the same way. I'm up at three in the morning. I'm like, oh wow, this this would be funny if I make him like this, and I have a time, honestly. I have a ball when I'm writing. That's why like I can't write like serious, it's serious to a certain extent, but I still I have fun writing.

SPEAKER_04 17:12

I do have time for you. You break you're breaking up. Uh-oh. Hang on.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

How about now? Technology knows how to so I was asking, are you a full full-time um author?

SPEAKER_03 17:35

I am not just yet. Hopefully I can be one soon because I'm really I'm ready to dedicate my time again to writing. I miss it like a lot. So not right now.

SPEAKER_04 17:46

Looking forward to the do you think do you think you'll ever get you another publisher? No. You think you we're gonna say the indie route? I'm a Gemini.

SPEAKER_03 17:58

I like to say that a lot. Yeah, so no.

SPEAKER_02 18:03

What's one thing? Because when you were when you were with the publisher, they published, did they do all your marketing, all of your editing? Did they do everything for you?

SPEAKER_03 18:14

Um it's they pretty much they did everything, you know, did a little marketing here and there, but outside of that, they did everything. That's why, like I said, I didn't really, you know, I didn't know how to operate by my like function by myself, like without that guidance. So yeah, they did everything.

SPEAKER_02 18:33

So, how is it different? Like, how or how did you find your resources from going from publisher to indie?

SPEAKER_03 18:41

I recently I found a lot of good people, a lot of people, you know, put me in the direction of like just different resources that I didn't have before because we gatekeep a lot. Us as, you know, like we gatekeep a lot. So I recently met like a lot of women like that were willing to help me, like, and they got me in the right direction. And ever since then, I've been I've been on it because I'm really grateful for it. Grateful for it. I can author Kazura Kazura. She I give 100% props to her because she she's awesome. She got me.

SPEAKER_02 19:28

What do you where do you find these authors at? Is it from groups or like if someone was coming out and they were trying to get help or a little feedback? Where did you go looking, or did you just kind of stumble upon them?

SPEAKER_03 19:42

I just stumbled upon them.

SPEAKER_02 19:45

Um Facebook, TikTok?

SPEAKER_04 19:48

Um Facebook.

SPEAKER_00 19:49

On Facebook.

SPEAKER_04 19:50

Facebook exclusive art. I'm sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 19:57

Oh, you're good. Um, just like uh, I would say Facebook. Facebook random, like okay, I you know, saw her one day. I'm like, okay, I this book looks interesting. I read her book and read like it wasn't anything that I was looking for. Like, I I was just like, I'm like, okay, if I keep promoting myself, I'll, you know, hopefully I'll, you know, excel. But I'm like, okay, no, I need some help. But at that time when I came across her, I wasn't thinking about help. I just saw her book. I was like, oh, that looks interesting. And after that, it went for barefoot. Yeah, she was a she was great help. And it was just strictly from Facebook, nothing deeper than like go over here into this group work. That was it.

SPEAKER_02 20:45

I was just asking, because there are a lot of Arthur writing groups and stuff out now. And I know a lot of people are looking for a community, and maybe some people are going from publisher or to indie. Now, there are indie publisher, indie publishing companies. Do you think maybe you would go that route if the chance came up?

SPEAKER_03 21:14

Possibly I would.

Sequels, Tropes, And Writing Flow

SPEAKER_03 21:36

Well, 2017 actually, but I think I released it in 2018. And I did just completed part two and part three this year. Don't judge me. But I could not listen. Hold on. Cause did you just say I did I hear you right?

SPEAKER_02 21:53

You said from 2018 and then you went in and picked up from 2018.

SPEAKER_03 21:59

I did.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

You know what? I'm not gonna even say anything because what is it 2026? There are a few books. This gives me hope because there are a few books that I have read and I've seen that they came out years ago. And when I started talking about them, people have been like, Oh, I've been waiting on those for like eight years now. And I'm like, I'm I'm I just read this, and so that means I'm out here looking for the next part. So that is hope that maybe the author will go back and scoop it back up.

SPEAKER_03 22:37

I need the same grace that Sister Soldier got. I need that same grace.

SPEAKER_02 22:48

Easy to pick it back up with that.

SPEAKER_03 22:53

Actually, it was because I was really invested in those characters. So I'm like, all I have to do is go back and read part one again, and I can just pick back up. And when I tell you it it flowed, it flowed, it was like butter. I'm like, I remember these characters. Like I had a time with them. I those are like my favorite. I don't like to have favorite characters, but other side of the game characters were my favorite, so it was easy, easy to me.

SPEAKER_02 23:24

And I'm like, now I gotta I gotta go put that in other side of the game. Is it a three-book? Did I hear you say it? Is it a trio?

SPEAKER_04 23:34

Three book series, yes, ma'am. Are there any specific tropes that you like to stick to?

SPEAKER_02 23:45

Or do we do are we trope? Because you know, that's like I'm not gonna say a new thing, but that's what a lot of the readers will pull me. I I ain't gonna lie. I'm an old school reader that do be going by the look here, enemies to lovers, look, love triangle. I ain't gonna lie.

SPEAKER_03 24:01

That's one of the stories. That's something else I'm trying to get into, like the trope thing. I don't, I'm like, trope, I just write, and that's it.

SPEAKER_02 24:12

I'm like, now that I think about it, hooked on onyx was like a forbidden brother's best friend. I wouldn't say enemies to lovers because he wasn't really an enemy, but he wasn't even an op, but he was, and then it was an age gap.

SPEAKER_03 24:36

Morally cray.

SPEAKER_02 24:38

Definitely, so we had some we had some tropes up in there, but that's not your goal when you write to uh stick to a certain trope.

SPEAKER_03 24:51

You just write freely, just the right, but yeah, you know what? After I write, that's when I realize I'm like, okay, that fits into that trope, that fits into that trope, but I never write with like a specific trope in mind. I just like I be I just write, I be right. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 25:09

Oh, with the intention to grab someone just by this trope.

SPEAKER_05 25:14

Right.

Mental Health Themes And Brutal Endings

SPEAKER_02 25:15

Can we talk about mental health? Because how do you weave in this mental health and because June what was the was there a diagnosis?

SPEAKER_03 25:38

There honestly wasn't, and in the black community, there's really not because we because we we don't really emphasize it. We look over it, we just like okay, they just they're acting that way, like no, there were early signs, like not really big signs, but like in the beginning when she was telling like the story, like how he would explain what happened to her mom and just like where her name came from. And then I don't want to spoil it. There's okay, things that can ignite those mental, you know, breakdowns, drugs. Can I can I say drugs? Yeah, yeah, things like you know, drugs, and a lot of people don't come back. I wanted to, you know, shine light on that, like people that get laced. I'm not sure if it a lot of people that part, but I don't want to.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

I didn't. I I didn't because I said, and I was one, and I said, Am I getting too deep into this? Because I was like, were there underlying issues? And then this just kind of brought it to the forefront. That was one of my questions. Were there underlying issues? And then over time, we probably would have seen it start probably a little later on, but this kind of boosted and speeded it up.

SPEAKER_03 27:09

It did, and that's why, you know, a lot of people that go through things like that, they don't recover from it as quick or you know, like they don't recover from it, like people that's not experiencing, you know, different mental disorders. So it hit him in a different way, so he yeah, it really hit him in a different way.

SPEAKER_02 27:35

That was hard. And then she was, I was like, dang, I feel so bad. When I tell you, I feel so bad, because it was just like, you know how they say, don't say what next or what can happen next. And it literally, it literally was like bam, bam, bam, like thing after thing after thing after like it just kept on power, and I was just like, I kind of and in that moment, I kind of liked that her dad had kind of built her up to how he did, but I was just like, I just wish that she didn't have to use it or have to put up that shield. And then she went to her a family. Don't don't don't look like that. Don't even she found her a home. She did Adrian. Adrian. Yes, ma'am. Were they swingers or was she just or I've got I'm I'm like, I was so confused.

SPEAKER_03 28:59

They were they Anthony was a swinger. Melanie was one of those women. Whatever he wants to do to kill for him to stay, we can be whatever you whatever you want to be. Anthony was the swing. Melanie was whatever it takes for you to stay. That's what she was.

SPEAKER_02 29:23

I said, I know you was lying to me. I know you lying to me. And then the events and parties and gallers and stuff they had. I started the child's house. Was anything else going on? This is not y'all's first time. This was not y'all's first rodeo.

SPEAKER_03 29:47

What it wasn't. Miss Melanie was going to do anything to keep her husband, but yeah, that was that was up um Anthony's alley. That was him. 100%. But there are a lot of Melanies, like where you that's not what you really want to do. You just that's what your husband wants to do, and you're taught, you know, to you know, be an obedient wife, and that's a motherfucker that you do not let lead.

SPEAKER_02 30:25

All this let your husband lead to hell. He's gonna lead you right to hell. Cause what?

SPEAKER_03 30:33

And that's what Anthony, that's what Anthony was on, and then Melanie that ending.

SPEAKER_02 30:47

I was up, I had stayed up all night reading because I had started reading at work, and then I had to keep it and I was mad class facials and stuff that day, and I was listening to my facials, but my facials are only the ones I had 30 minutes, they're like express facials. So I'm listening while I'm up here doing the people's face and stuff, and I know they probably felt me stop because I was like, I know you're lying to me. So then I had to take it out of my ear because I said I can't be giving these people this energy, drive me up tomorrow. So all night until in the morning, and I must have slid and it said the end, it started giving your credits. You lying to me, you did not end that book. Why you eat that like that?

SPEAKER_03 31:47

We had to just show the harsh reality of how situations end like that. I'm sorry I had to do it, but guess what? You didn't think that's how that was going to end. You didn't think that.

SPEAKER_02 32:12

I was like, what? What we was just being messy. How we we was just being messy, we literally was just being messy, like, your nigga don't want you no more he with me type of stuff. We was just being messy, and then now we in the waiting room.

SPEAKER_04 32:37

What it like what do we have a guessament on book two?

SPEAKER_03 32:44

That's a great question. So if the characters keep talking to me long enough, I might listen, but if they don't, I don't we shall see. What?

SPEAKER_02 33:02

Wait, ma'am, you mean to tell me you ain't started writing it? Uh it it what's the word count? First of all, do we have a word count of how many words we got already?

SPEAKER_04 33:16

Um for for what for book two? What do you mean for what?

SPEAKER_03 33:27

I'm not I do not want to tell you guys that that is the end. I'm gonna tell you guys I'm gonna flip the table. Flip the table. I don't want to tell you guys that. I want to say that. But like I said, if you can't keep talking to me, you might you guys may see a part to it. King was devastated, so we we might we we we we might see something.

SPEAKER_01 33:59

We we may see this lady back out the like what do you it did? She said, I want to say that's the end.

SPEAKER_03 34:13

What I want to say it, but I'm not going to say it. I don't I don't want to I don't want to do you guys like that. I don't want to do that.

SPEAKER_02 34:21

So and I have read books with a with a no happy ending, but not like not to this extent. Not to this extent. I have I haven't. I haven't.

SPEAKER_03 34:40

I have a problem. All of my books, like I have to be dramatic, so I have this dramatic thing, so and I said you should say all your books like that.

SPEAKER_04 34:56

I'm sorry, yes.

SPEAKER_03 35:01

I kind of put myself in the mind of I'm not sure if you've heard of Lemony Snicket before. I I used to read books like that, so I'm like, yeah, this is a series of unfortunate, unfortunate events. I'm sorry, it's not funny, but it's funny. We gotta be dramatic. I like being dramatic, so yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:23

Adrian, you are a new to me author. So you mean to tell me, and I say that this is my first intro to you. This is my first it this is my first time meeting you, lady. This how we this is how we do it.

SPEAKER_03 35:38

I'm not I don't I don't know how to so sorry. Um I don't know how to give y'all to this other, you know. One day I'm gonna give you guys a great ending. One day.

SPEAKER_02 35:50

I'm so appalled because you mean to tell me this is what I got to look forward to.

SPEAKER_03 35:59

Okay, um, I'm okay. I'm not going to say all of them like in other actually, you know what? Other side of the game, three is very hopeful, so I can't I give you that. It's very hopeful. It's hopeful, yes, there's some strategies, but it's hopeful, and you said there's three books in it, yes, ma'am, and it'll it'll have any blue like cloaked dynamics too, but it's gonna it's gonna it's it's gonna take you through there, too.

What To Read Next And Giveaway

SPEAKER_02 36:41

Honey, urban fiction. Uh are all your books urban fiction?

SPEAKER_03 36:47

Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_02 36:49

How did we get to this genre?

SPEAKER_03 36:52

I've always been a fan of urban fiction. I think I tried to like I used to read other genres when I was younger, but as I got older, urban fiction just became my heart. Like that's all I read. Like, and then I start writing. So yeah, that's an erotica. I may like dabble in erotica here and there, but yeah, just urban fiction and erotica.

SPEAKER_02 37:19

When you write, do you write with the intent to put in or fill the gap of things that you read that you felt were missing?

SPEAKER_03 37:28

To a certain extent, I do. I actually I write in the way that I like to read. So this is what I like to read. So I write in that way.

SPEAKER_02 37:39

Are there any stereotypes that you like to either lean into or stay away from when you're writing urban fiction?

SPEAKER_03 37:48

That's a great question. I'm really I'm not against writing anything. I'm I'm like, what would you call it? I have no boundaries to a certain extent. Like when it comes to I don't know, like I I try to keep it like morally. I try to keep it like on a moral note, but outside of that, I I really have when it comes to writing, because I'm not writing from my perspective, I'm writing from these characters, I create perspective. So I really don't I don't have any boundaries because these are their you know their stories, their stories, and and we already see that you just let it flow.

SPEAKER_02 38:41

These that's crazy how these characters just come to you, but I guess when you operating in your gifts, that's what happens, yes, ma'am. Do you have any events or anything that you are preparing for or you're going to this year?

SPEAKER_03 39:00

Um, yes. I will actually be in Memphis in September, and which I think September the 19th. And next year, well, no, this year. You said this year. Um, just Memphis so far. What's going on in Memphis? Um, I will be at the event, like as one of the authors, as one of the authors. I think Kiki Swanson, one of my favorites. She'll be what you call it. I'm sorry. Brank fog. She'll be one of the she's hosting it. Well, not hosting. She's hosting.

SPEAKER_02 39:35

It's her event.

SPEAKER_03 39:36

Oh no, it's not her event. She's one of the authors that'll be there. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 39:43

Got you. I got you. Do you have anything upcoming? A new book that's getting ready to come out.

SPEAKER_03 39:52

Yes. I would say by the end of July. I haven't released the cover for it yet, but I'm still working on it. I know me. I changed my mind like a like the season. So I will be releasing that probably all the cover. What is today?

SPEAKER_04 40:08

Maybe the seventh?

SPEAKER_03 40:10

Is today the seventh?

SPEAKER_04 40:11

Today is June 7th.

SPEAKER_03 40:14

Got it. So maybe like early July or late June, I'll be releasing that cover for my new book. But right now I'm focused on my girl onyx. I'm trying to get onyx out for the people.

unknown 40:28

Lordy.

SPEAKER_02 40:30

I can't wait for the people to get a hold of Onyx. I can't wait to see what they say. So if we started, like if anybody is a new to you, Arthur, like I am, and they started with Hooked on Onyx. Where should we go next? If this is where we started with you, I would say go to the other side of the game.

SPEAKER_03 41:01

And once you read other side of the game, that series, go to real sisters. You'll like that as well. But go to the other side of the game first.

SPEAKER_02 41:11

So hooked on Onyx Yao, and then other side of the game, and then Real Sisters. And then let us know where we can follow you so that we can. So we can tag you. Because I got some good stuff to say, baby. When I tell you hooked on on turning the page, like I did not want to put the book down. I I had to see what was going to happen next. And I laughed and calculed. So when I tell you I was kicking my feet, I love Lulu. Go ahead, honey. Man.

SPEAKER_03 41:56

I was nervous. Like, what were you saying about Lulu?

SPEAKER_02 41:58

I love Lulu and Cortez. They're dynamic. Like, you know how you write.

SPEAKER_04 42:11

You're breaking. Can you hear me?

SPEAKER_02 42:13

Strong? Like. I was saying sometimes y'all write these side characters and they be so strong. And I know you probably be hearing it, but a little snippet of Lulu, like, because are they together?

SPEAKER_03 42:33

They're so toxic. They are. They don't need to be they don't need to be together. Lulu needs to go get help. But um, yeah, I might have made my own side characters just as strong as like the main ones, but yeah, they're not together. They're actually, I don't know what they are. They're just they don't need to be together, though. They don't.

SPEAKER_02 42:58

But them being around each other is just so freaking fun. Like they, whenever it's all of them together, it's always a good time. It is, it's always a good time.

SPEAKER_03 43:10

And I feel like Lulu is the she's she she she always adds just fuel to that, like everything. So she's just like the life of the party.

SPEAKER_02 43:23

She's like a little dynamite. She spark you spark her, and then she just blows, she just blows up.

SPEAKER_01 43:35

That is her. That is her.

SPEAKER_02 43:39

Okay, tell us where we can follow you on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. So we can tag you in our stories, update you on our reading. Um sure.

SPEAKER_03 43:50

So I am on Facebook as author Adrian, just author and then Adrian, A-D-R-I-A-N. And I am on Instagram Instagram underscore.

SPEAKER_04 44:00

and it's spelled B-O-J-E-E-E-E. C O N J.

SPEAKER_03 44:07

And the same thing on TikTok. So it's underscore B-O B-O-U-J-E-E. And then C O N J.

SPEAKER_02 44:17

Where we get that name. Where we get that name from Miss Adrian?

SPEAKER_03 44:22

I have the slide. I think I've had that name for like three years. And now some of my close friends like people now they just said that I get called bougie too, so I have a few names. Bougie is one of them because of that.

SPEAKER_02 44:41

Well I appreciate you sitting down with me today. This was a time and you know what I didn't even go in like I wanted to because man when I tell you I haven't come I'm so glad I hadn't calmed down a few days. Cause Keen had me up here you don't know how many voice notes I've got and how many messages I can just imagine I can imagine and that ending oh my God I can imagine the voice notes and what you what you got because ma'am when I tell you if and I read on my Kindle on my phone I want it to because I know this ain't the end I just know this ain't the end I am sorry I just thank you for even reading it I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03 45:45

I appreciate you for have for having me and for just taking the time to actually read it.

SPEAKER_02 45:50

Like I can tell that you enjoyed it I really appreciate that and I wanted to give them so many I want them to enjoy it but I wanted to I wanted to talk about so much more but I'm not going to spoil it for them I want them to have like I wish I could read it again for the first time like this is definitely a book I would really like you know how you see people say I want to read this again like I wish I could experience this again for the first time that's one of these hooked on onyx is definitely one of those books. And I went in blind I went in blind with no I didn't read when April told me about it I didn't read the synopsis. I didn't read it and then she sent me like she was like hey you want to read like a little excerpt but you can't say anything or I can't it's just gonna be a and I'm just like and then I bet it's good what honey the are that's what I wanted to are there hard copies or paperback copies of these available available in paperback as well on Amazon.

SPEAKER_03 46:54

Okay and I have a giveaway as well so like if you go to my page you'll just you you'll see like the forms to submit for the read for the readers and they can win like you know free copies and a gift card as well for old hook but yeah I have copies as well you can purchase them from Amazon but if you want to anybody wants to answer you know that giveaway do that as well.

SPEAKER_02 47:19

Is this on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok or all across the board?

SPEAKER_03 47:24

Across the board.

SPEAKER_02 47:26

Okay. So this will actually drop on this upcoming Tuesday how long is the drawing how how long is it gonna be on for what's the last day to submit the last day is July July the 2nd oh that's plenty time mm-hmm so what is that gonna be today's July 7 8 July 9th is Tuesday so that means you have wait you said the July wait wait wait a minute it's June it's June yes so that's July you got like you there's a lot of time that's a lot of time first of all I feel like we just said happy new year and we already in July exactly literally this was like Christmas like oh my goodness we in June and I'm trying to rush it to July baby it's gonna be June this drops on June 9th y'all if you see this and it say july that's a lie June 9th but it's going to July 2nd so you have from June 9th to July 2nd that's still there's still enough time that's still enough time plenty time for you to go ahead so that you can get you a book you were y'all really need to get y'all hands on this and you and this was your this your first tiptoe back in because you did you did tiptoe this was I would say this was my official tiptoe part two of other side of the game two or three that was kind of my you know I'm I'm knocking a little I'm knocking on the door a little and I don't think this was holding onyx wasn't a tiptoe it was just like I gotta go read these other two because I feel like you lying I feel like you stomped your way back in this was because onyx wasn't a tiptoe so I can just be you stomp your way back in talk about a tiptoe yeah you may you you may be a little disappointed with um with the other side of the game as well but hey the ending is the ending of the ser of the trio or the ending of one or two books the ending of the series the trio is going to you know what it's a little more better it's I wouldn't say better is you have more to look for it it's not as you know cutthroat dark as I's like but it's crazy because you're gonna come back and tell me you lie to you I feel it in my bones I'm trying to make it sound as good as possible I don't want to discourage the wheels you you trying but you know what sometimes we like to be on the emotional roller coaster so take me through there take me through them I'm sorry you was you was trying you was trying so hard like it's gonna be so dear I'm like I'm sitting up here that lady look at them we're gonna go scoop it up because we want to be God take us through there I'm trying to make it sound good I'm sorry y'all trying to make it sound just just beat up on us just like what did I just give me a give me another word that I just read and why did it end I know you lied to me it had to it had to end like that it had to end like that I'm sorry are that books still out from your publishing days only other side of the game went in real sisters too the rest of it oh and envious mistress I wrote that with like a co-author but the rest of them they're not but they're published under me now so I actually got the rights back to them so I was able to re-release some of them some of them now I had planned on letting you go but did you have to jump through hoops to get your I told you I'm nosy you say stuff and then my mind started wondering if we get off of here I'm gonna be messaging you like I had another question but did you have to jump through hoops to get your rights back to the books that were published surprisingly I did not I just woke up one morning literally my look good look at this time he was like I'm just going to give you back all of your books and shutting it down and I was like oh well he was like I'm taking them down I'll see you know everything's over to you in the morning and it was just that simple oh wow because I was eventually but you didn't have to put up a big fight and no pay or get anything or to I didn't not ever not everyone will be that lucky as that one day he just woke up that morning but that was it was easy it wasn't it was it was something personal on it but I still ended up getting all of everything back but it will not be that easy outside of um my situation our situation actually everybody that was with um you know but yeah it won't be that easy so but it was good though that was a blessing for me it really was that really was because I could just imagine going back and forth with a company or what you have to do to to go through the process of getting the rights to your books and stuff so that you can either rewrite them or just re yeah rebrand yeah all of that is it's difficult it it really is but like I said I was blessed to you know go through it that way and I'm like okay you had it easy so just go ahead and take advantage of it and I continue the last book I wrote with the company I said I couldn't leave it just close like well I not close I said I couldn't leave it like that I said I'm going to continue it well finish it for all just close it out and I did like that now did this happen around the time that you started getting ready to write again or did this happen before then this happened way before I think this was like in 2020 was it 2020 I think 2020 like during the pandemic like right before the pandemic around that time okay got you i'm gonna let you go for real because I will sit up here and try and pick your brain and ask you all of these questions but I know that you have other stuff to do on this good Sunday yes ma'am I do but I'm a Gemini this way you thought I thought I don't keep focusing so the people gonna watch this interview they're gonna be like well one thing I do know about her she's a Gemini she's a Gemini I'm gonna go google the Gemini signs and stuff because I need to know baby that may be a little what do you do how they have the little thing how you see people really watching your stuff like what was the qu what do we know about her one of the questions is one of the little answer gift questions is what do we know about her she is Gemini and if you see this that's gonna be a cheat sheet because that way I know you really watch my sheet all the way to the end they say 56 minutes to 12 and then still count on not my family I really hope my family don't be watching my stuff but oh goodness my they know I mine know I could mine do too but sometimes yeah I just really hope I would support I would appreciate the support but you don't have to watch it all the way through they don't have to watch it all the way through right because you know what that's just like my books I'm like my mother likes to support me but I'm like hey you don't have to support this hey don't read you read your books she just ordered the other day I'm like hey you you you don't you don't have to do that you don't need to read that oh that's like we're making content my mama I was like I'm gonna go record this and she was like what's it for I was like for content she was like for your book page and I'm like what you know about my book page because I thought I had blocked you I was like what's your name on there girl because I'm gonna block you not a blocker she cool though so she's like but I didn't know that she had seen my little book page my little TikTok and stuff girl I be reading reverse harems and stuff and they be getting it on and I've been talking about how they be getting it on um mama exactly like hey sit with the sit sit this out which is crazy because my daughter just said do you have a YouTube and I said no why and she was like I was googling you why are you even googling me oh my goodness she said she googled me she's doing a Google search on me why why are you googling me because I done blocked her off on my social medias and stuff anyway let me let you go I have I just said this I don't know how many times I'm gonna let you go and I'm just up here running it I I enjoy you have the most amazing day too you're welcome