5 Questions For . . . Shelia Goss

Today Shelia Goss is answering five questions. Shelia (pronounced Sheel-a) is a popular author whose latest novel, Double Platinum, was just released. Although Shelia has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, her passion for writing has always been there. Shelia decided to pursue her lifelong dream after being downsized from a fortune 500 company. She’s received many accolades since embarking on a writing career:

§ 2008 BlackWebAwards.com - Best Female Author Site

§ Disilgoldsoul 2007 YOUnity Guild Award - Most Outstanding Book Debut Promotions -

“Paige’s Web”

§ Infini’s Outstanding Author 2006

§ Literary Divas: The Top 100+ Most Admired African-American Women in literature

§ Essence Magazine's Bestsellers List

§ #1 Black Expressions.com Bestseller

§ Honorable mention in a New York Times article

§ 2004 OneSwan Productions Female Author of the Year

§ Three Shades of Romance Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards

§ Dallas Morning News Bestseller

She’s the author of the Essence Magazine and Black Expressions Bestseller My Invisible Husband and Roses are Thorns, Violets are True. Her third novel, Paige’s Web, was released in October 2007 under the Kensington Publishing imprint Urban Soul. Her fourth novel, Double Platinum, was just released this month. (For an online media kit, click here.)

Besides writing novels, Shelia is also a freelance writer. She writes articles on relationships and interviews celebrities for various print and online media outlets.

Now, for the five questions:

Bettye: Tell us about your new release, Double Platinum. I know it's about the music industry. Was it difficult to research?

Shelia Goss: Double Platinum was written to celebrate my love for R & B music. Besides books, music is my passion. Over the past several years I've gotten a chance to interview multi-platinum music artists in various genres and talk to people behind the scenes of the music industry. When I got ready to write the book, I just pulled from that experience. The book is about R & B megastar Parris Mitchell. To the world, it seems like she has it all. But with a decling career, she has nothing left but disappointed fans and growing depression. Hit maker and playboy Casper "CJ The Hitmaker" Johnson is looking for a new sound. He needs her voice. She needs her career back. Their drama from groupies and people from their pasts becomes the source of plenty of print for the paparazzi.

Bettye: It makes it a lot easier to have the knowledge in play before writing a book, doesn't it? Double Platinum dropped just 6 months after your most recent book, Paige's Web. That's impressively prolific. Will you continue to have new books published at that rate of frequency?

Shelia Goss: The publication dates are determined by the publisher, so I don't know. I hope so (smile).

Bettye: You spell your name a little differently, but pronounce it traditionally. So naturally, I have to ask you where the song Oh, Sheila ranks on your list of favorites?

Shelia Goss: That's my theme song. Thought you knew...lol. I was in high school when the song came out. At that time, hardly anyone would say my name without adding the "Oh" in front of Shelia. Don't be surprised if you hear the song when you visit me on my MySpace page.

Bettye: Sounds like the perfect theme! Now, for a little something about Shelia that readers want to know. What would you say is your best culinary creation?

Shelia Goss: I actually have several. My lasagne, macaroni and cheese, banana pudding and peach cobbler are delightfully delicious. I credit my mom with the recipes for the lasagne, banana pudding and peach cobbler, and my friend Lisa Mitchell with the macaroni and cheese recipe. Your interview question reminded me that I'm supposed to be making some macaroni and cheese for my book club (The Sister Circle Book Group) meeting this weekend. Good thing you asked the question, or I would be showing up with a healthy appetite and no dish :) Our February book of the month was If He Hollers Let Him Go by Chester Himes, and our March book of the month is Sin No More by Kimberla Lawson Roby.

Bettye: I like how y'all mix up the classics with more recent novels. We mustn't forget the writers of an earlier time. Shelia, will readers (and myself) be seeing you at this year's Slam Jam? Will you be attending any other conferences?

Shelia Goss: I know it's only a few weeks away, but right now the decision to attend is still up in the air. Reference other conferences, I don't plan to.

Bettye: I do hope you decide to come. We've chatted so much over the Internet, I have to remind myself that we've never met face-to-face. I've got a big hug for you if you do make it!

Shelia, in conclusion I want to tell everyone about your wonderful web site and blog and to inform them about the entertaining, appetite-whetting series of "interviews" you conducted on your blog with characters from Double Platinum just before it was released. Do check it out, y'all! And here's a link to Shelia's Amazon page, which in turn links to pages for all four of her novels.

Shelia Goss: Thanks, Bettye, for allowing me to invade your piece of the internet.