They said she wouldn’t make it!
Eighteen years old and pregnant, the odds were against her and time wasn’t on her side. Refusing to believe that she was anything less than excellent, Tiphani Montgomery, moved from Rochester, NY to Raleigh, NC at the age of twenty-one and enrolled at Saint Augustine’s College. That move seemed to be the answer until her Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D) kicked in.
“I had been diagnosed with A.D.D at an early age and it seemed to have stuck with me into adulthood. I was always that stubborn kid that refused to take the “smart medicine”, which it was referred to me as. I was convinced that I was smarter than the pills and I wanted to prove it!”
Tiphani left college after only attending for a couple of months and choose a different route. A route of passion. In 2005, Tiphani jumped out on faith and self published a book of poetry, selling over twenty five hundred copies in less than thirty days. Following her first release was her sophomore book that made its debut in 2006.
“I totally exhausted myself with learning about the publishing industry, marketing, and selling. I read every book I could. There were no options…I had to succeed!”
Tiphani’s proven sales record and marketing techniques, caught the eye of author, Tonya Ridley, who opened the doors of bigger possibilities. It was when Tiphani met Tonya did she ever consider writing fiction novels. Tonya put Tiphani’s work in the hands of Life Changing book publisher and the rest is history!
Tiphani’s first fiction effort, The Millionaire Mistress, sold out everywhere within the first four months of its release, landing it a spot on Essence Magazine best sellers list for: March 2007, April 2007, May 2007, June 2007, #1 in July 2007, and March 2008. Still A Mistress, the successful sequel of her first novel, made its debut on Essence Magazine best sellers list, taking over the #2 spot for March 2008 and April 2008. Her third novel, Expensive Taste, was released in bookstores nationwide, December 2008 and her fourth novel, The Millionaire Mistress 3, was released in bookstores nationwide December 2009.
In addition to being an accomplished author, Tiphani Montgomery is a motivational speaker focusing her energy on developing outstanding leaders and encouraging her generation to defy the odds. Tiphani currently resides in Raleigh, NC with her ten year old daughter, Jaedah Kiss, where she is penning her fifth novel, a screenplay, and establishing a non-profit organization to encourage financial literacy to teenage mothers.
Lollipopnews.com is proud to salute Tiphani Montgomery for all of her hard work and literary flyness! Writing with the skill of a literary queen, Tip as I call her, makes no apologies for her epic and larger than life pen game. When the odds were stacked against her she accomplished her mission possible. Always one to encourage her peers, never short on her flavorful personality, and as busy as she is took the time to chop it up with us for an elite and insightful exclusive interview. Join us and walk through this interview with #1 Essence Bestselling Author Tiphani. She gives it to you straight up with absolutely no chaser! And, we didn’t expect anything less!
I know you have been writing forever- when did you finally decide to pen your first Urban Fiction novel?
I self published two poetry books in 2004 and wrote my first fiction book in 2005. I was pretty content writing my poetry books, but a few people saw more potential in me and talked me into the world of fiction.
What was your thought process in deciding to self-publish or seek out a publishing deal?
I have two poetry books that I self published before getting my book deals. The reason I didn’t reach out to major publishers at the beginning was because I did my research. 99.9% of publishers DON’T publish poem books and since I HATE rejection, I decided to spend my own money to produce my product. I worked at a nightclub at night and I knew my customers would buy the book just to support me.
My publishing deal actually came to me. An author named, Tonya Ridley, heard of my books and the buzz they had on the streets and asked me to write 3 chapters of a fiction book. She said that she could hand it straight to my publisher, but couldn’t promise me anything. I figured I had nothing to lose, so I wrote it in a few days, sent it in, and got a call from the publisher of Life Changing Books, the same week.
Self publishing and getting a deal both have there pros and cons and thankfully for me, both worked out!
Where did the inspiration and storyline come from with Millionaire Mistress?
A lot of the book is based on real life. Most of my friends and family are as crazy as my characters, so finding something to write about is never a hard thing (not sure if that’s good or bad)-lol
Now, you know you had some wild characters and serious drama popping off throughout the Millionaire Mistress trilogy. How much fun was that- creating those characters?
I just wanted to introduce the world to people I already knew. My characters are a reflection of the men and women I run into everyday so I thought it would be fun to just use them!!
Several of us came out with Mistress titles within the same year. Why do you that topic just won’t go away?! I think people are fascinated with the woman who is able to make a married man leave his home (even if only for a moment). It makes women sometimes wonder what she’s not doing enough of to make her husband want someone else.
You are doing so much at present. Writing books, doing author seminars, and blogging. How do you balance it all?
Barely-lol. I have a 10 year old daughter, a bun in the oven, and an AWFUL case of A.D.D that I’ve had since elementary school so multi-tasking is something I’ve never done well. Everything I do HAS to be in a certain time limit to ensure I don’t get distracted. Being a stay-at-home working mom is not easy, but with God’s grace I do what I love and get it all done.
As a writer I have never really had a dead line to get a book written. What is that like and how do you make it happen?
A deadline is the only way I would be able to do ANY type of writing. I’m HUGE on starting a project and NEVER finishing, so any type of time management is a life saver. I also write more passionately when I have a deadline. Not sure why, but running out of time excites me;)
You were one that encouraged me to blog and go in hard body. Now, that you have your own blog what are your thoughts at present concerning the blogging industry?
I haven’t really taken the time to look at the industry as a whole, but I do know that it’s sort of like reality TV….it’s not going ANYWHERE anytime soon. So with that being said, its just important to pick a specific niche and find a way to gain readers and monetize. There is a lot of $ to be made in blogging And what girl doesn’t like A LOT of that?
What are your personal thoughts on the number of celebrities now writing books? Or ghost writers I should say. Excuse me.
I guess its just like when all the singers and rappers decided to go into the film and clothing industry. It’s just an extra stream of income and in this day and age, everyone needs that. A celeb has a huge platform already and that’s whats most important in selling books. I think it’s a wise decision, especially if they have a story to tell. Memoirs work best in those situations.
What are you working on at present and when is your next novel dropping?
I’m putting together a HOT, NEW novel and I’m also working on a non-fiction series for women that I’m STOKED about. I’m looking at a February 2011 release for both. Maybe a little sooner in an eBook version!
Any words of wisdom for new authors? Should they self-publish or seek a deal?
I think everyone should self publish at the beginning (and read as many books on the business as they can). New authors are not likely to get deals in the beginning anyway so get out there and sell your own stuff. Then, when the time comes, you’ll be able to negotiate better book deals because you’ll know your worth.
You offer seminars for writers- what are the most commonly asked questions? And, what made you decide to offer the seminars?
The most commonly asked question is: “How do I write a book?” (and let the record reflect how much I HATE that question). As you know, it’s really not that complicated. If you want to be an author, you FIND THE TIME, and you write.
I started the seminar because I got tired of answering everyone individually and realized I had answers no one else had. It’s a great way to make extra money and help people in the process.
Urban Fiction writers get a lot of negative press because certain individuals seem to think our work isn’t really literature despite the millions that are reading Urban Fiction. Your thoughts?
Fuck em! Lol It’s a debate that can’t be won. They’re always going to have their opinion. I write what I enjoy and I SINCERELY can give two fucks who didn’t like it. #NuffSaid
Fun With Tiphani!
What’s your favorite perfume?
Andy Warhol (Bond #9)
Favorite two living rappers?
Jay Z and …….. um……..
Beyonce or Rihanna?
There’s no comparison. Beyonce. Hands down.
High heels or flats? Heels and flats.
I wear them both equally as much!
Small clutch or tote bag?
I’m a small girl who LOooOOves a big bag.
Twitter or Facebook?
They both give me headaches. All the e-thugging has gotten out of control. If I wasn’t an author, I wouldn’t do either!!!
