We chat with author Briana Cole about her new novel The Marriage Pass, book recommendations, writing, and so much more!
Hi, Briana! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Absolutely! I am known as The Literary Drama Queen because of my work in both the literary and film industries. I am the author of the nationally-acclaimed Unconditional series and I’ve also penned several novels under an alternate pseudonym. I am the co-Screenwriter and Associate Producer for the pulp noir film, Gutta Mamis: Money Bag Tales and I am currently writing, producing, and starring in my own feature film, Pseudo. In addition to this, I am a motivational speaker, Atlanta native, mother of three, and active member of the illustrious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated organization.
After the chaos that was 2020, have you set any goals for this year? If so, how are they going so far?
My biggest goal was to make a movie. Ambitious, I know but I really wanted to venture into filmmaking so I could merge my two passions: acting and writing. I’m proud to say we have finished filming the movie and are currently in post-production! My other goal was to have a successful marketing campaign for The Marriage Pass, which I did. I still hope to attend some virtual author events and get some more acting credits under my belt. So far so good!
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
The first book I ever read that moved me was probably Omar Tyree’s Flyy Girl. It was so relatable and so authentic that I connected with the main character and she became like my best friend.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I have always been a creative person and I have been writing since I was about six. From that point, I knew my purpose was to tell stories. Being a writer allows me to have so much fun. I can really exercise my creativity, spin crazy plots, and make memorable characters. There is no limit and I love that freedom.
Your new novel, The Marriage Pass, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Engaging, Scandalous, Unexpected, Emotional, and the top word I have seen in all of the reviews, MESSY!
What can readers expect?
The best answer I have for this question is, expect the unexpected. I am known for my plot twists and memorable characters, so The Marriage Pass is no different. It’s going to be a page-turner, for sure!
Where did the inspiration for The Marriage Pass come from?
The inspiration from this story originally came in the form of a book cover someone was selling on Facebook. The woman had her finger over her lips, and it was something about the cover that just stuck with me. My mind started working on a series of ‘what-if’ questions, trying to figure out what secret this woman was keeping and why. Infidelity is a common concept but the scandal behind a hall pass and giving permission to step outside of a relationship crossed my mind and I knew that would be something worth reading.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
My biggest challenge was finding the time to write. I have my hands in a lot and between all of my business ventures, my full-time job, being a mommy, and everything else in between, I had to squeeze in every second I could for my book. Thankfully, I have a phenomenal support system and I buckle down to get it done because I know as soon as it’s finished, I can relax.
If it’s not too spoilery, were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
One of my main character’s is Reagan, the sister-in-law that Dorian uses with his hall pass. I cannot stand Reagan and the irony is, her manipulative nature is my favorite thing about her because it made her story so much fun to write. Any time Reagan had to make an appearance, I already knew it was going to be a wild and crazy scene.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
The best advice I received was to ‘vomit on the paper.’ I heard my Soror Victoria Christopher Murray say that and it’s something that took me a while to learn. It doesn’t matter if the first draft is terrible. In fact, it will probably be terrible. But just get the words out and you can polish it later. I feel if I had learned that a lot sooner, it would have saved me a ton of discouragement later. The worst writing advice I received was to stick to genres people like, even if I didn’t want to write it. I feel this stifled my creativity, not to mention I was so unfulfilled writing to make everyone else happy and not myself.
What’s next for you?
I have already finished the sequel to The Marriage Pass. I won’t reveal the title just yet, but that book is releasing in November of this year. I also have a novella releasing in September and I just finished producing a movie. It’s called Pseudo and we are hoping to release that this summer. So, I have a lot of creative projects in the works for 2021.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Absolutely! All of Brandon Massey’s catalogue. He is a psychological thriller and suspense author, and his stories are definitely one to keep you up at night. Start with Frenzied and then The Quiet Ones. I would also recommend The Chain by Adrian McKinty. Whew! That was a mind game.
