Sila Long

WOW! It's a different world since I last visited my profile page. I've been missing-in-action due to life's interruptions. It's a new year, time for a renewed focus.

Where are you from, and do you have pets?

I am a native New Yorker, a first-generation American with Jamaican roots.

Yes, I love dogs and have had dogs throughout my childhood with the last one being a Dalmatian. The plan was to have two dogs when we moved to a warmer climate. I had even selected the names. Well, we did move. No dogs yet.

Tell us your latest news?

At the time of this interview, I had just returned from beautiful Costa Rica. I wrote- 'Our villa had a spectacular view of the ocean with unfamiliar sounds of wild-life providing a constant soundtrack. I was able to carry out my fantasy of writing while looking out on the ocean and pausing from time-to-time to watch the sunset.' That was in March 2019 and since then, as I mentioned, we relocated to a warmer climate, I completed the book I was working on, I started painting, and I am well.

What inspired you to write A Brush with Fate, trilogy?

My passion for writing found its expression throughout my life. But it was while writing a book in the academic arena that I could not shake the feeling of needing to say more. I had for a long time written short stories and loads of poems for my own creative release and enjoyment, but this time was different. I was writing on an important issue involving women of color in the academic sphere that required a tight focus on research and factual data. It was satisfying but also frustrating. I knew I had had plenty to say, but how do I integrate important issues and themes primarily about women into stories that excite, provoke, and entertain? This was the driving question as I started to write the A Brush with Fate, trilogy.

Women talk a lot about relationship issues, and we think and talk about sex. It is a natural part of the intimacy that should be celebrated. I was disappointed to learn that if I wanted to include sex in my stories in ways that were real, it came with an industry label–erotic. I feel that this label dissuades a host of readers from reading the A Brush of Fate, trilogy. Nevertheless, I wrote book 1, a suspenseful hot romantic tale about two complicated individuals, brought together by fate. It is through their story that their insecurities, secrets, pain, and humor were all laid bare as their tale of love unfolded maybe providing lessons for us all. A story I needed to tell.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I start out needing to say something. It haunts me. Much of the main parts of my stories are written in my head long before I commit any of them to paper. This becomes even truer as each chapter develops. I know the premise, and usually how I want to end the book, but the specifics of the story take on an amazing life of their own. I am constantly asking myself, ‘who is this person/character?’ I am fiercely attached to each character knowing who they are, their motivation, their secrets, their pain, etc. All of this helps me to create identifiable and authentic dialogue for each character. I find that this helps in story development. For example, I may have an idea to take a scene in one direction but may find that it is not consistent with my belief in who the character is, so I adjust.

Storytelling is an ever-evolving process. I am learning, reading, stretching but more importantly, believing that I have something meaningful to say and trusting my instincts while developing my own voice for what it’s worth.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes. There were things on my mind when I finally decided to sit down and start to write book one– A BRUSH OF FAITH trilogy. Like how unresolved pain can jail us to our past infecting our relationships and changing the trajectory of our lives forever– if we let it. Or what it means to really love our life partner, and our capacity to forgive. These are all very real and important relationship issues that I wanted to explore in my storytelling.

Are experiences based on someone you know or events in your own life?

Yes. My stories are a compilation of people, events, situations, places in my own life sprinkled with a whole lot of fantasy, and suspense. My stories also integrate issues surrounding relationships that were consistent themes revealed in my other professional work.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

It is a story about the indomitable human spirit. True stories are represented in one woman’s plight, who has sustained the most horrific life trauma that any person should endure, and her journey in finding herself again in a world now foreign to her. It is filled with twists and turns, lots of suspense, and, of course, love interests.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I am interested in fusing together important issues with exciting, provoking, and entertaining stories. I want folks who read my books to walk away with something that ignites a question or makes them want to learn more. I want my readers to feel that they've received something very personal to them after reading my work. I’ve given myself a high bar to reach.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

For me telling the kind of stories I want to tell takes time. I have not yet, and perhaps I will never, be able to pump out book after book, after book in a short amount of time. Perhaps it is an issue of my style, or my ‘ever-evolving’ writing process needs tightening. In any case, this is a challenge, especially with the lag time involved in the final publication.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

I would prefer to call it useful 'observations.'

I believe your writing should come from a persistent voice inside your head that just won’t shut up. Without this nagging force, it is difficult to pursue writing with any seriousness and consistency. It is a story that you must tell.

You also must get to a point in your life that you are willing to be bold enough to trust your own instincts. Of course, you should consider advice from the “experts” but don’t let other voices dissuade you. Just write!


A Brush with Fate, Crazy Love, and Always, are now all available.

For more information please visit:
www. silalongbooks.com