The Fabulous Beverly Jenkins…where to start, where to start?  Just first let me say that she is truly fabulous:  fun to talk to, personable, friendly, gracious, humble….ok enough.  I’m getting myself all worked up again, and it took my honey a good two days to make me stop acting like a groupie at a basketball game.  I’ll try to do this interview in a civilized way, but I’m not promising anything.

Well, if you thought that her characters were diverse, let me tell you, they don’t have a thing on this lady.  Beverly Jenkins wears many hats.  Most of us know her best as a Historical Romance writer, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.   Beverly also is a lay-minister with the Episcopal Church, performs extensive community service (She is the 2001 YWCA Western Wayne County Woman of Achievement Award Winner.), and is the mother of two teenagers.  Whew!  Since beginning her writing career, Beverly Jenkins has written  eight historical novels, including her latest, BEFORE THE DAWN is due this month, and should be available at your local bookstore.  In the meantime, or perhaps just for your own knowledge, you may want to read this article to learn a little bit more about the woman behind the pen. 

Beverly at a Glance:

Name:  Beverly Jenkins

Pen Name:  “If it was a book, my book, then I want to see my own name on the shelf.  I never even considered a pen name

Home:  Born, Bred, and Living in “the mitten” (that’s Michigan)

Profession:  Writer, Minister, Community Volunteer, and Mother

Most Romantic Song:  “Ooh Ooh Baby” by Smokey Robinson.  “Oh,” she just remembered another song and gets excited, “You’re my Everything, by the Temptations.  That song will just about melt you.”  [Side note:  When the queen of knowing how to make things melt says that, that makes me say that I’ll be sure to pick that song up as soon as possible.]

Beverly Jenkins’ writing career began in elementary school, as editor of her school newspaper.  Journalism, however, was not the career that she would ultimately choose nor was it the final spark that lighted her fictional writing fires.  “I’ve been a reader all of my life, but none of the stories had anything to do with me.  If we were featured, we would be relegated to the background,” she says, remembering the American Classics that she had grown up reading.   As an adult, Beverly found a similar lack of African-American characters in everything she read, including romance novels, and soon became so frustrated that she decided to do something about it.  “There were a lot of African American women reading romance novels,” says Beverly.  “Like me, they were looking for stories that reflected their values, had people with their skin color, and featured their churches.”  Beverly wanted a book about her people, and without hesitation, decided to take up the challenge. 

The Beginnings of the Beginning

Beverly began to write her first novel, NIGHT SONG as a hobby in the mid-seventies.  Undaunted by a lack of predecessors Beverly wrote with the intent of giving African-American women and men a voice of love and tenderness in a genre that muzzled them.  “Publishers never thought of Black women as having a voice,” she recounts, “Avon books [Publisher of Night Song] was the only company with the testicular fortitude to accept my first story.”  Though giving African-Americans a voice of tenderness in her novels was one of her main intents, it was not the only reason that she decided to write historical romance.  Beverly took full advantage of the romance genre’s emphasis on historical romance in the nineteen seventies, seizing the opportunity to showcase African American history, “African-American history is so inspiring.  They [African-Americans during Reconstruction] did not wallow in slavery as we do today,” she says.  In her perspective African-Americans during these times continued to live, to persevere, and hope for a better future.  What these people did to make African-American lives possible today strongly resonates with Beverly Jenkins, “I used to sit and just cry about what I read.”  But, she says, “I cry so you don’t have to.  I try to put history in such a way that the reader can feel the pain, but that it isn’t too painful to read.”  For the most part, Beverly has kept this promise.  Excluding the first scene in NIGHT SONG, Beverly does not mention the violence associated with hatred until the gruesome scene of torture in ALWAYS AND FOREVER.  When asked if she had been avoiding such scenes, Beverly responded that she never intentionally keeps such scenes out.  In her words, “You can’t let the violence keep you from what you are going to do.”  In fact, relating the history as closely to truth as possible is not only a requirement for her own piece of mind, but also one which she feels is due to her readers, “I don’t want to write a book that’s just fluff, I’d like to give you a meaty Twinkie.” 

BEFORE THE DAWN - The latest Twinkie in the lunch pail

Beverly’s latest book, BEFORE THE DAWN, hit stores on October 1, and is already flying off of the shelves across the country.  Her latest romantic tale, which features all new characters, but retains her characteristic sassy woman and a hero who doesn’t know quite what to do with her, does not disappoint.

The premise of the story is this:  Leah Barnett, a recent widow, travels to Colorado to make settle her late husbands affairs with the two sons that he abandoned thirty years ago.  Upon learning of her existence, Ryder Damien, the youngest son, scorns her existence, taking her for a gold-digging hussy.  Despite his assessment, however, he can not help but feel an attraction to his father’s young widow.  Will fighting his feelings prove futile?  We sure hope so!  [Note from the peanut gallery:  This romance is good, really good, and I am only on page 70.]

Beverly says that this new novel holds a different flavor than her previous ones.  For starters, it has a murder and a thirty year-old mystery contained within it.  She also says to all of the ladies who started to wear Vanilla after reading INDIGO, that you may want to go to the store and stock up on canned peaches before they sell out.  I’ve already got a can.  You may want to read the book to find out why you need one too. 

Don’t read it too fast….oh, well… there’s more coming

For all of you out there who wait on pins and needles for October to roll around, I have some relief for you.  Beverly’s first teenage romance, BELLE AND BEAU  is expected to be released in May 2002.  “It’s an Indigo type story,” she says.  Belle, a sixteen year old girl, is an escaped slave who gets separated from her family on her way to freedom.  Alone and with no where to go, Belle is rescued by a free black family, with a very handsome son of eighteen years, Daniel.  Beverly assures me that this romance is very sweet, and focuses more on the romance, than the, uh, passion, shall we say, yet retains all of her devotion to African American history.  Her second book with this Harper Collins series is due in May 2003.  The title is unknown to me, but I’ll let all of you know as soon as I fin out. 

Back in the world of passion, Beverly continues to work on Lorali’s  story [Character featured in THROUGH THE STORM and ALWAYS AND FOREVER].  This novel is sure to be full of fire.  It is due next fall.  As for other projects, next Christmas everyone who is a fan will be getting an unexpected present.  Beverly’s first novella is due from St. Martins in Christmas 2002. 

If you would like to get into contact with Beverly, you can do it one of three ways:  attend one of her book signings, post a note for her at her book club on Yahoo, or write to her at P.O. Box.  If you are interested in attending the Pajama Party in 2003, you can contact her for information at either the yahoo address or the P.O. Box. 

Book Signings

·        Los Angeles:  10/14 at Eso Wan Books at 3655 S. La Brea from 4-7 PM

·        Detroit (w/Cindi Louis):  10/19 at the Walden Books in the Renaissance Center; 11-1pm

·        Ann Arbor, MI:  10/19 at the WaldenBooks at the BriarWood Mall.  Call for times

·        Detroit:  10/20 at Apple Books; 2pm -Close.  

Yahoo Club Address:  http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/thebeverlyjenkinsromanceclub  

P.O Box Address: 

Beverly Jenkins

P.O. Box 1893

Belleville, MI 48112

Well, alas, I have run out of space, but certainly not of things to say about this writer.  If you have questions or would like to discuss some of her earlier work, be sure to contact her.  I have heard her say that though she may not get back to you right away she will get back to you.  For now, though, be sure to check out Beverly’s latest book BEFORE THE DAWN.  I promise that you will not be disappointed. 

Note: BEFORE THE DAWN was awarded a 4+ rating by Jeanette Cogdell...