Following find an interview with authors Karen E. Osborne.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Reckonings, July 2022, Black Rose Writing.
What’s the book’s first line?
“Roxy sat in the kitchen, the table and chairs taking up most of the space.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Roxy, her husband, four kids including a pregnant teenager, and two rescue dogs, live in a two bedroom, one bath, cramped apartment. The local community theater is staging her play, which she believes is the ticket to a nicer, bigger home. But when an old boyfriend, Spider, moves back to town, he threatens to upend Roxy’s life. And worse, the secret she’s kept for years could cause her close-knit family to fall apart. This fast-paced suspense novel traces the treacherous path between good intentions and poor decisions rooted in the shame of toxic secrets.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
I write a lot about ordinary women who suffer from trauma and fight to get themselves and their lives back on track. Which is my story. The characters come to me first. They speak to me. Roxy had a powerful story to tell, and I had to find the best way to write it. I like novels that move quickly, so Reckonings takes place over 10 days and all the chapters are short. The characters and settings include snippets of people I’ve met and places I’ve been. I include a diverse cast in my books because that is also important to me.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Roxy is determined to find a path forward no matter how impractical the road she chooses appears. Kind, and generous, she loves her family but can also be oblivious. Her singular focus causes her to miss what else is happening around her. Often, our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness and that’s true for Roxy.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
If you like fast-pace, suspense, stories with a relatable but flawed female protagonist, this book is for you. There are themes of justice, forgiveness, and redemption. I hope Reckonings inspires readers to speak up and reclaim their story, rather than have their story own them.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
I’d love Reckonings to be a movie. Dominique Fishback, who did an amazing job in Judas and the Black Messiah, would be an awesome Roxy. Lashana Lynch, who had a significant role in James Bond, No Time to Die, would bring something special to Dallas, Roxy’s best friend. Ryan Gosling is a bit older than the villain Spider, but he’d be great. I have a theme song, “I Can See Clearly Now,” song by Johnny Nash. I’d like that in the movie’s soundtrack. Do you think the actors I mentioned might read this and contact me? LOL
When did you first decide to become an author?
This has been my dream since I was little. But it didn’t come true until I was 69 years old. Now, four novels later, I’m living my best life. It’s never too late, you’re never too old, or too young, or too anything, to realize your dreams.
Is this the first book that you’ve written?
My first novel – Getting It Right, 2017, Akashic Books, is also a suspense family drama. It takes place over two weeks in March on the cusp of spring. Essence Magazine called it a Best Read that summer. Tangled Lies, 2021, Black Rose Writing, is my first murder mystery. It won three awards and made the Kindle Top 100 several times. Reckonings, the book we’re discussing now, came out last year, and True Grace, my first historical novel, drops September 7, 2023. Inspired by real people and events, it takes place during the Roaring Twenties and Harlem Renaissance.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I’m a serial volunteer. Right now, I chair the board of Easterseals Florida, a nonprofit that provides life changing opportunities for people with disabilities. I’m a leader at my church, and I continue volunteering for two professional organizations – one focused on education and the other on all types of nonprofits. I host a weekly video podcast – What Are You Reading? What Are You Writing? Plus, I’m a wife, mother, auntie, grandma, mentor, and friend.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
There’s so much to do. I’m currently writing my fifth novel, another murder mystery. Then there is time spent marketing. I’m also writing and querying short stories. I continue to work on my craft, and belong to a writing group, and several writing organizations. Whew!
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
This isn’t an issue. Reagan Rothe and his team at Black Rose Writing are great to work with. They are smart, loyal, and supportive. From what I’ve learned from other writers, unless you’re a top name, no matter who you publish with, you must market and work hard at helping readers find your books. I love being part of a small press. We’re a community of writers and support each other.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
I’m a Shakespeare and August Wilson nut. I love Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Kristin Hannah, Michael Connelly, and Nora Roberts. So many excellent writers. It’s hard to choose.