NK Chats To…Thomas Leslie McRae

Hi Thomas, thank you for joining me today. Your book is called Pimp in the Pulpit. Can you tell me a little about it and what inspired the story?

First please accept my gratitude for granting me the honour and privilege to be doing this interview with you. Secondly Pimp in the Pulpit is a book based on a dysfunctional family that has very limited spiritual and moral foundation. This book has some person experiences of my life along with other people I know and even quite a bit of fiction to give the story a little more flair.

What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?

I don’t have any rituals. I just write whenever I’m feeling in the mood or inspiration instantly hits me. I write about life, family and friends some personal experiences of my own and even scenarios that may have happened in the past that I wish I had handled differently.

Can you tell me a little about your route to publication.

I’ve been trying for some time to get published with no success in the traditional sense. So I decided to go the self-publishing route and it was challenging at times and it even took me a while to get my confidence all the way up. But with this book I feel great and determine to officially make a name for myself in the publishing industry and hopefully all around the world.

Which authors do you admire and why?

I admire Nikki Giovanni, Langston Hughes, Maya Angela and W E B Dubois. Because they are some of the unforgotten heroes in today’s and modern literature. People like them help paved the way for individuals such as myself and that is why I will always honour our unforgettable heroes.

What’s your favourite word and why?

I don’t have a favourite word because I like to say what’s on my mind all day everyday. But sometimes under certain circumstances I will sugar coat it but only for certain individuals. But to answer your question I don’t have a favourite word.

Which fictional character would you like to meet for the day? What would you do?

What fictional character would I like to meet. If you’re referring to movies then I would say Danny Glover and Mel Gibson characters in Lethal Weapon but if you’re referring to books I honestly don’t have an answer I’ll have to get back to you on that one.

What is the editing process like for you? What advice do you have in regard to editing?

When it comes to editing I like to be hands on but I also prefer to allow my publisher to do whatever they think is necessary to make the book as professional as possible. However seeing its self-publishing and most of these publishers are focus on the dollars and not the full commitment to the product. It’s my advice you monitor everything until you are satisfied.

What’s the most challenging element of writing a book?

In my honest opinion writing a book is easy as long as you have an idea of what you want to write. The real work truly begins when you’re out there trying to promote and market your book and reach a fan base. Especially when you’re doing it by yourself because most of the self publishing companies will not market or promote. Some give you specifics on what they will and won’t do and others such as my first publisher will lie to you just to take your money and get as much out of you as possible. So please do your research and ask questions and check complaints on anybody and everybody you’re considering doing business with.

Do you have any other advice for someone who is thinking of writing a novel?

My advice for any writer is be patient, be persistent and be prepared. Because it may not happen overnight, it may not happen next year but if you do your research and give it your all you will succeed. And also remember success isn’t measured by how much money you have but by how many people you have touch and inspired in this world.

My verdict on Pimp in The Pulpit:

Pimp in the Pulpit is a short story filled with unique characters. Each has a different outlook on life and how they treat family and friends. What is acceptable to some is nothing more than the devils work to the others.

The large family has met on several occasions for gatherings, parties and reunions, some went OK but most didn’t.

Nobody was sure what went wrong to cause such chaos when the family gathered. There was speculation that when Minister Tierra Joy become involved in any family event planning it quickly turned into a hot ghetto mess.

Pimp in the Pulpit is not a book I would usually pick up if I am honest. However, I found it to be a very interesting insight into the lives of a dysfunctional family (and when I say dysfunctional, I mean it.)

I think the characters in this book are kind of written to an extreme but I am sure everyone will spot at least small traits of their own family members and relate to it in some way.

The plot and themes are not light and it can seem quite a bleak, dark novel but the author has cleverly injected a thread of humour into the plot. I found myself laughing out loud in a few places.

I have seen another reviewer mention the fact that this would make quite a good sitcom and I have to agree. I could see the chapters as episodes – each with their own events, conflict and family drama.

It is only approx. thirty-five pages long so if you have a spare hour, then this is something that is quirky and certainly different.

Thomas has managed to convey a lot in such a short space and this takes some serious writing skill.

There is a sequel on the way and I am looking forward to finding out what is next for this group of people.

(Pimp in the Pulpit was released by Eber & Wein Publishing in December 2016.  I was provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review.)

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.