Roses - A Distinctive Anecdote

From idly typewriting as a youngster, to typing her very own novel. Naomi has completed her first publication titled, 'Roses: A Distinctive Anecdote'. She saw a gap in the market, one of which she thought to fill by giving urban adolescence's something to relate to, as well as enjoy to increase reading amongst the younger generation. Although the book will appeal to teens, it’s primary audience are young adults aged 18, to 24. The novel is cultivated in the fabulous backdrop of 21st century East London and told with the realest UK urban flavour, ROSES offers a light hearted insight into the flamboyant world of fiction’s cheekiest sweetheart Mz. Bumper Queen. The $1000000 question is: Will Marcia Burton’s love life ever be a harmonious bed of roses? I thought I'd catch up with the author herself to find out a bit more about the Novel.


What do you and when did it all start?

I’m an aspiring author and marketer. My love of writing started as soon I was able to read and write. I'm fortunate as I’ve always had a lot of support and encouragement from my family and friends. As a child I was over the moon when my Mum bought me a typewriter one Christmas and a word processor a couple of Christmases later. About five years ago, my Dad gave me a plastic folder of stories I’d written when I was around six. I was so surprised that he’d kept them all that time and well it reminded me of why I love writing. My keen interest in marketing began when I was studying media and sociology at college which led to me taking up a Media Studies degree at university. I’ve always been fascinated by the way we communicate with each other further more the way media conveys messages to its intended audience.

What does writing mean to you?

This might sound cheesier than a block of Edam, but honestly writing for me is like breathing. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than entertaining the reader as well as fuelling their imaginations. No matter what kind of situation I’m in at any given time, I always find writing whether it’s on a personal level or for a story helps me to relax.

What is your book about and does it reflect anything specific?

ROSES: A Distinctive Anecdote: (synopsis)

A girly summer holiday to the raving capital of Ayia Napa ends with self confessed party animal Marcia taking a wallop from food poisoning and bumping into one hell of a chocolicious stranger, Marlon Reid.

Back in London, life for quick witted Marcia better known as Mz. Bumper Queen spins on the carousel of a corporate career, university, sparkly nights out on the town with the girls and those reoccurring kick ass superhero dreams.

Tossed into a blossoming haze of bouquets, slow jams and flirtatious dates with the ever scrumptious Marlon, Marcia’s anxious to bury the recent love traumas of her past but when fate makes a cameo appearance she’s left wondering if the chances of fresh love will bloom with a rosy ending or wilt with dreadful consequences…

Not only is ROSES 100% FREE DOWNLOAD but it also positively reflects modern UK urban culture. I think that this representation is crucial given the rise in gun and knife crime amongst British Urban teenagers and young adults. It’s also the realness of the characters that helps the reader to relate to this debut e-tale taken from THE URBAN TALES OF MZ. BUMPER QUEEN fiction series.


Which authors have influenced you and why?

I’ve been influenced by a number of different authors but my favourite have to be Eric Jerome Dickey, Andrea Levy, Sister Souljah, Leone Ross and Khaled Hosseni. I love the way Eric Jerome Dickey, Sister Souljah and Andrea Levy bring their characters to life in the following three books: Friends & Lovers (EJD), The Coldest Winter Ever (SS) and Small Island (AL). As for Leone Ross, it’s the gripping way in which she recounts researcher Laurie’s Gunst’s reportage on Jamaica’s political and gang history in Born Fi Dead . It’s so well written you actually feel like you are there as the events unfold. Khaled Hosseni’s The Kite Runner is also written in such a powerfully beautiful style, I was almost in tears by the time I’d finished reading it.

What are the do's and don't to making a good book?

I’m still learning the do’s and don’ts of writing a good book but I’ve found that having honest feedback (professional if possible) during the drafting process is fundamental. Letting someone else review my work gives me a chance to see it from an alternative perception. The feedback allows me to see what works within the story and amend what doesn’t, even if I have to revise it a million times over before I get the flow on point.

What problems have you faced and how have you overcome them?

It’s been shown that some of my intended target audience don’t enjoy reading and this has always been a big challenge. Feedback from market research so far has shown several reasons for this, ranging from reading being boring, not being able to picture the story in their head to the person not being able to relate to the story being told. The marketing team and I are keen to show that ‘ROSES’ furthermore ‘THE URBAN TALES OF MZ. BUMPER QUEEN’ is more than just another fiction series. This is because the stories cleverly epitomise a lifestyle in which our target audience British and international, male or female will very much be able to relate to as they experience it everyday. As a result of these findings, we are currently working on marketing strategies to help promote ROSES to that particular audience early next year.


How important is it for a writer to read and what books would you suggest?

I think that reading is paramount if you are a writer. I’ve found that reading all kinds of material from blogs, newspapers, leaflets, to different genres of books have helped me to develop my writing style so I’d definitely recommend it to others. As an aspiring author, one book that has been very helpful is Jack Bickham’s The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes.

What is the weirdest story idea you've thought of?

Considering ROSES falls under the chick-lit genre category, I wanted to show versatility in my writing style so I featured the fantasy genre to add a twist to the story. This is seen when the main character Marcia leaves reality to find herself living in her own dreams. The reason why this happens, I can’t reveal but you can find out the answer by reading ROSES.

Where is the best place your writing has taken you?

Like most writers, I have a very active imagination, so depending on what it is that I am talking about, I can be taken all over the place. For anyone that has read ROSES, they’ll be familiar with the name Kingsley Levi Johnson better known as the Jamrock royality ‘King’. I’m currently working on his debut story ‘MR CHINN: KING OF THE HILL”. At the moment, the writing’s transporting me from South London’s Streatham Hill to Jamaica’s Portmore. This is more than appreciated considering all the snow and freezing weather conditions we’ve been experiencing lately.

If you would like more from Naomi, you can log on to her blog Namsta's Blog. For the latest info on the fiction series please check out 'THE URBAN TALES OF MZ. BUMPER QUEEN' blog.

Marcia also has her own Facebook page which can now add.