The Write's Inn: Thank you so much for allowing us this interview, Marlon. So tell us, when did you decide that you wanted to become an author and have your books published?

Marlon: It was my wife, Sheena, that encouraged me to pursue a career in writing. I was writing screenplays and she said I should try and turn my movies into books.

The Writer's Inn: What was your journey like to becoming a published author? Was it a rocky road or smooth sailing?

Marlon: I wouldn’t call it smooth sailing. I received about 13 rejection letters from different publishers and film companies before I got my book deal with Triple Crown Publications.

The Writer's Inn: How does it feel to be published with Triple Crown Publications, one of the leading African American publishing companies?

Marlon: I feel so blessed that Triple Crown, the largest Independently owned Black Publisher in the world decided to give me a voice so I could be heard. I guess in some ways it hasn’t all completely sunk in for me. But there are so many authors that want to be published by Triple Crown and I was actually picked. It’s a wonderful feeling.


The Writer's Inn: Do you have a specific writing style?

Marlon: Every writer has a unique voice or style or writing. When you think about it we all tell stories that are alike in many ways but it’s the way we tell that story that makes it unique. I prefer to write first person from that characters point of view and bring the reader into the characters mind.

The Writer's Inn: How long did it take for you to complete “The Pink Palace”?

Marlon: It took me about six months off and on to finish The Pink Palace. I think I stopped writing it for about a month and a half before I finished it. I wasn’t under any deadline so I just wrote at my own pace.

The Writer's Inn: Now, Marlon, we’ve read the synopsis of The Pink Palace and it definitely sounds HOT. Please tell readers a little about your novel.

Marlon: The Pink Palace is the story of a young lady named Janelle Mo'Nique Taylor that goes through some traumatic events in her young life and ends up dancing at a strip club called The Pink Palace. The story is also told through the eyes of three other characters: Nikki Bell, Janelle's cousin that got her into stripping; Tommy aka Jayson, an undercover cop that Janelle falls in love with and Damien a New York drug dealer taking over Atlanta. Originally it was just going to be a cop story but it just grew from there. I was thinking of what was the most dangerous job a cop can have and working undercover came to mind. I was thinking what if your an undercover cop and you fall in love with somebody? What would you do? Is that person in love with you or the character your pretending to be? The story evolved from that premise.

The Writer's Inn: Is there a message in your novel, The Pink Palace that you would like for readers to grasp?

Marlon: I guess just don’t judge a person by what you see on the surface alone. Like in Janelle’s case, that was just what she felt she had to do (becoming a stripper) but there was more to her than that. But I think that’s something we all should be careful not to simply judge people before we know them.

The Writer's Inn: Will you be doing any book signings in the near future and if so, what cities do you plan to visit?

Marlon: I’m currently doing local signings in the Atlanta area but I hope to travel around the country in the future.

The Writer's Inn: What are some of your views on the new authors coming onto the literary scene these days?

Marlon: Well, being a new author myself I feel like it’s a beautiful thing seeing more authors in our genre get into this game. Especially black men, because there’s some kind of misconception that we don’t read books. So the growth is letting people know that yes we read and write books.

The Writer's Inn: What advice do you have for new and aspiring authors that are just getting started in their literary career?

Marlon: This is a business and I stress the word business and it’s about grinding hard once your book is out. Your Publisher isn't going to do it all for you. They open the door but it's up to you to run through it.
I look at it like this. I'm a baby in the industry now. The Pink Palace has only been out for a few months. When I was at the National Book Conference, that's when I saw the true superstars of this game like Eric Jerome Dickey, Vickie Stringer, and Walter Mosley and it was humbling. It just showed me how much harder I have to work to get to where they are. All I'm saying is when you get your deal, that's when the real hard work begins. Writing the book is the easy part!

The Writer's Inn: What can readers expect from you in the future?

Marlon: I’m going to give you all some more drama. There are a couple of spin offs from The Pink Palace with different characters that I want to explore a little further. Look for me to do other genres other than Urban Lit also. I also write screenplays so I’m also looking to turn some of my stories into movies.

The Writer's Inn: The Writer’s Inn would just like to thank you for allowing us this interview with you, Marlon, and wish you nothing but continued success in your literary career. We know that you will go far and can't wait to see more of your work in the near future!

To find out more about Marlon McCaulsky, you can visit his Myspace page at www.myspace.com/marlon29