PULL Blogger Discusses her Debut Novel

Many of you know Tamieka Briscoe as one of our bloggers who often opines about her life as a single woman balancing her career, children and love life . However, its her writings outside of PULL Magazine that is causing a buzz.

PULL Blogger Tamieka Briscoe is now a published fiction author

Briscoe, 30, will debut her first novel, “Like a Moth to a Flame,” during a public book signing event/ party  in suburban Washington D.C. on Saturday.

“Moth” is a story centered around a Tiara Banks, a sexy and street smart 18-year-old who is caught up in a love triangle with the captain of her high school football team and a young teacher who just graduated from college.

With less than 24-hours remaining from her novel debut, Briscoe sat down with the senior staff of PULL Magazine to discuss her book and how she has grown as a writer and businesswoman.

PULL: Thanks for talking to us, we realize your schedule is tight.  My first question is why did you write this book and what do you expect your audience to gain from reading it?

TB: I wrote this book because it has been a dream of mine to become a published author. Writing is a passion for me, and has been for as long as I can remember. I wrote ”Like a Moth to a Flame” specifically, because I often joke that my life could be a Lifetime movie one day. I say this because some of my experiences seem like scenes from a made-for-t.v. film. I wanted a creative and entertaining way to take some actual events and combine it with creative fiction to showcase my talent as a writer. I believe my readers be thoroughly entertained and intrigued from cover-to-cover. Though it is an urban fiction novel, all readers will be able to relate. We have all been teenagers in love, or at least what we thought was love.

PULL: The premise of the book is obviously a controversial subject: An 18yr old student in a love triangle with the school’s star athlete and a 20- something teacher.  So tell us, Ms. Briscoe, is “Moth” fiction or reality for you?

TB: Good question, I guess the initials give it away. The great thing about fiction, is that it provides an escape from reality. When you are curled up engrossed in a good book, you become the characters, and the characters become you. So, in that sense, I could say that “Moth” is a reality for me. I wouldn’t mind being a Tiara Banks.

PULL: Interesting response, we’ll leave it to our readers to interpret your answer.  So, we’ll move on. As a first time author, what are some of the obstacles you faced and how did you overcome them?

TB: The obstacles were many. The first was finding the time and discipline to commit to writing the book and doing what was necessary to complete the project. Others were staying motivated, funding the project, and finding ways to market myself so that people would even care that I wrote a book in the first place. I have been blessed with a circle of very supportive people. All it took was mentioning that I wrote a book, and my friends and family jumped aboard and put me in touch with reputable people that could assist me in my efforts. My biggest challenge was fighting through personal issues that took place during my journey of creating this project. I found myself putting it to the side and coming back to it. As much as I regret putting it to the side, I am glad I actually ”got back to it”. Through it all, my obstacles became opportunities. As they say hindsight is 20/20, so now that I have overcome those challenges, I am better prepared as an author/publisher for future projects.

PULL: How have you grown as a writer and a businesswoman during this process of writing and promoting your book?

TB: I have grown immensely. I am certainly networking more. Since I went the self-publishing route, it forces me to become a businesswoman. Where as the writing comes naturally, and was something I once did for fun, it is nice to see it manifest into a successful business. I am growing in this profession, and my mind is going a mile per minute. I am creating new stories, while coming up with marketing ideas. It is really great!

PULL:  What’s your next move?  Are you planning a sequel?

TB: You can absolutely expect a sequel. I am already in the lab so to speak. “Tiara” has many stories to tell. “Like a Moth to a Flame” is truly just the beginning.

To learn more about “Like a Moth to a Flame,” or to order a copy of the book,  visit http://tamiekabriscoe.com