Alicia Singleton - Dark Side of Valor - Author Interview

Author Interview

1. Who is your favorite character?
My favorite character in Dark Side of Valor is a secondary character named Aunt Lou.

2. Why is he/she your favorite?
Aunt Lou is outrageous! The bright yellow tee-shirts, neon orange basketball earrings, high top sneakers and Kente Cloth skirts she sports match her boisterous, outspoken personality. Who wouldn’t love her?

3. How did you come to create him/her?
After doing research on the culture of several tribes living in the jungles of the Congo, I needed a character that was strong, adventurous and intelligent to be the heroine, Lelia’s teacher, while Lelia was hiding in the jungle. That teacher needed to be well versed in her tribes traditions, be able to thrive in the Congo as well as any modern day metropolis. That is when Aunt Lou’s character started to materialize.

4. When did he/she first enter your mind?
I was at the grocery store one day and a woman stopped me to ask my opinion about a product. In her mid-sixties, very eccentric in her dress, over the top with her accessories and colors, she was an oddity. Confidence, intelligence and boldness radiated from her. I liked her immediately. Her personality was so outrageous and delightful, she stayed in my mind. When Aunt Lou’s character needed to be written, my grocery store buddy came to mind. Her characteristics were perfect for Aunt Lou.

5. Where was he/she given life in the creative process?
Aunt Lou’s character doesn’t come to Dark Side of Valor’s stage until halfway through the novel. But, she is well worth the wait.

6. What do like the most about him/her and what do you dislike the most about him/her?
I love Aunt Lou’s confidence, wisdom and her intelligence. The one thing Aunt Lou needs to work on is her sensitivity to other people’s feelings. She can be ruthless when she goes after what she wants and she doesn’t mind trampling on your feeling to get there. She loves deeply, but sparing your feelings isn’t her concern.

Book Summary

“A well-paced novel of suspense that veers into romance and ends like a thriller.”
- Kirkus Reviews

Child advocate Lelia Freeman saves children for a living. As the director of ChildSafe Shelters, she ventures to abandoned squats and crackhouses to rescue teens from the hellish streets of Los Angeles. When she is summoned to Washington to serve on a committee that aids the children of a war-torn African nation, Lelia is kidnapped and becomes a political pawn in a sinister conspiracy. Oceans away from everything she knows, she must trust a mercenary to save her life, or die in the clutches of a psychopath.

Hunting, combat and staying alive are Elijah Dune's specialties. Vengeance is his passion. Haunted by past demons, he travels to the Motherland to collect a debt. A debt that demands one payment. Death.

Caught in the crosshairs of a madman, Lelia and Elijah must survive the jungles of Zaire and the horrors of their pasts or be forever consumed by the DARK SIDE OF VALOR.

price - $15.00
number of pages - 352
genre – suspense thriller
publisher –Simon&Schuster/Strebor
release date – February 7, 2012
buy links – Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound

Click here to enter The Dark Side of Valor Contest for chance to win $125 in Visa and Amazon Gift Cards!

Author Bio

By her sophomore year in college, Alicia Singleton knew she was born to be a writer. Too intimidated to change her major, she continued her nursing studies and received her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing in 1987. Many years later, the dream deferred became reality when her debut novel, Dark Side of Valor, won the Sistah Circle National Book Club Best Thriller Award. Alicia was also awarded the National Association of Women Writers Award of Excellence from the Maryland Chapter.

Alicia resides in Maryland with her wonderful husband and son and is hard at work completing her next suspense novel.

Connect with Alicia

Facebook
Twitter
Web Site
Email
YouTube