| Trice Hickman's
sophomore novel promises more sizzle just in time for the summer
By Leah Mullen
 As soon as I
turned the last page of
Trice Hickman’s novel Unexpected Interruptions, I went back
to the title page to see who’d published such a wonderful book.
I suspected that it was Genesis Press or Kimani Press
(Harlequin) but it wasn't quite a romance so I thought perhaps
it might be Dafina (Kennsington). Instead I saw the name of a
publishing company I'd never heard of before, Platinum Books.
Of course I immediately Googled ’Trice Hickman’ and discovered
two very interesting things. First Platinum Books was her own
creation and secondly Unexpected Interruptions was her first
book!
Thrilled with this new discovery, I contacted
Troy Johnson of AALBC.com right away and told him a fresh
talent was on the rise and I wanted to write about this author.
He agreed and on a chilly day in mid April, I spoke to Hickman
for an hour about being a self-published author and her upcoming
release slated for June, Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies,
the anticipated sequel to Unexpected Interruptions.
Choosing to Self-Publish
Most writers who self-publish usually don't start out
with that end in mind. When Hickman finished writing
Unexpected Interruptions in August 2004 she sent the
book out to various publishers and agents only to discover
that there was very little interest in the manuscript. ’It's
not only that I was rejected,’ says Hickman. ’But I was told
some very discouraging things.’
Despite the negative feedback, Hickman found the courage to
continue on. ’It's something that is instilled in me,’ she
said. ’My mother is a cancer survivor. My father was a
minister and an entrepreneur.’ While Hickman admits she
found the rejection discouraging her confidence in her
abilities never wavered. ’I made up my mind that I would
prove them wrong.’ So she set out on a mission. First she
did tons of research, next she put together a timeline.
’From there I never looked back,’ she said.
Hickman released Unexpected Interruptions November 2007. The
rave reviews on
amazon.com are evidence that readers are certainly happy
that Hickman persevered.
A Cover Like No Other
 With
many publishers using the same photos for various books, if
you're a voracious reader sometimes at first glance it's
difficult to know whether you've read a certain title.
Hickman will never have that problem with her books. ’No
other cover will look like mine,’ she said. That's because
the svelte beauty on the front of both Unexpected
Interruptions and Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies is
her sister. Having more control over the entire process is
one of the biggest perks inherent in doing it yourself.
Trice says self-publishing has shown her the different sides
of the business she might not have discovered if she’d taken
the traditional route.
An Unexpected Interruption
’Everything I've done in my career has prepared me for
this,’ says Hickman who has dreamed of being an author since
she was in college. Only then she suffered from what all
would-be authors fear’the dreaded writer's block. She’d
write a few pages, get frustrated then put the story away
opting to focus on reading instead.
After graduating from Winston-Salem State University Hickman
worked in higher education before earning a masters degree
from Wake Forrest University. Armed with a graduate degree
Trice began a fruitful career working in management for both
nonprofit organizations and private corporations. Then one
day she received her own unexpected interruption. She was
laid off from her job.
Always the optimist Hickman took advantage of the situation
and resurrected an old but not forgotten dream’to write a
novel. She sat down to write and to her amazement the block
that had stopped her from writing previously had dissolved.
Five months later Unexpected Interruptions was complete.
Unexpected Interruptions is the story of Victoria Small, a
professional African American woman who has plans to leave
her current position with a technology firm and pursue her
own business full-time. That is until Ted, the CEO of the
company makes her an offer that is difficult to refuse. Ted,
who is white, is interested in Victoria both professionally
and romantically. Victoria is completely unaware of Ted's
personal interest in her and begins to date Parker a
successful black surgeon. Complications ensue as Victoria
struggles to make choices that will impact the rest of her
life. The twists and turns’not to mention the steamy love
scenes’keep the reader eagerly turning the pages until the
very end.
A Word From the Sponsor
As any contemporary novelist will tell you writing is
only part of the job of the author. The other part is
marketing and publicity. Hickman is proud to say that in
addition to being available through bookstores both off and
online, her book is also offered through Black Expressions
Book Club. And she's been able to attract corporate
sponsors. She secured one sponsor’Godiva chocolates’by
approaching them with a proposal. Victoria, the heroine in
Unexpected Interruptions loves Godiva chocolates. So it was
a perfect fit.
Another sponsor Hilton Hotels in Winston-Salem, actually
contacted her. A director read the book and passed it around
to a few colleagues who also enjoyed the book. Finally one
Hilton staff member emailed Hickman and asked when she would
be in town. It just so happened that she was scheduled for
an upcoming speaking event in Winston-Salem, which is where
she went to college. The hotel sponsored a full-day book
signing to coincide with her visit. Godiva provided
chocolate and other gourmet treats. Around 90 women attended
the event, an extraordinary number for a book signing with a
new author.
For the next book, Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies, a
character volunteers with a non-profit organization called
Dress for Success. When Hickman tours locales with a Dress
for Success chapter, a portion of the proceeds from book
sales will go to the organization.
Balancing Act
With the new book Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies
scheduled to go to the printer Hickman gets her morning
started about 6:30 am every day after maybe four or so hours
of sleep. ’I think when you're an entrepreneur you're always
working,’ she said and added that she's worked much harder
and longer hours on her own than she ever put in with her
former employers. However she was prepared for the rigors of
entrepreneurship after watching her father and her husband
run their own businesses.
Much of Trice's day is spent answering emails and other
administrative activities. How much does she write?
Everyday. During BEA one year Hickman heard
Walter Mosley say writers should write everyday even if
it's just for an hour. Hickman had already adopted the habit
of writing every day, so hearing this advice from one of the
greats confirmed her resolve. Writing for Trice also
includes rewriting. The only time she takes somewhat of a
break is on weekends. That's when she puts her office in
order and prepares for the week ahead.
Another frequently asked question of the self-published
author is whether or not they would sign with a major
publisher at some point if offered a lucrative contract.
Hickman hasn’t ruled out any possible future scenarios, but
one thing is for sure, she says she’d like to take Platinum
Books to the next level by publishing other writers.
’As African Americans we need to support each other,’ she
said. There are enough readers to go around.’
An Affordable Vacation
While Trice is mindful of the economy in terms of books
now being luxury items for many, she says she’d rather look
at the bright side of the situation. ’For $15 you can go
into a different world and return there again and again’A
good book is a great inexpensive way to give yourself a
luxury.’
With a large number of Americans taking ’staycations' this
summer instead of traveling the release of Keeping
Secrets & Telling Lies in June is right on time. For
more information visit
www.tricehickman.com.
Related Links
Trice Hickman on AALBC.com
http://authors.aalbc.com/trice_hickman.htm
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