A.    I was reading an article in which the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was quoted as having indicated that more white people do drugs than black people. However, in New York approximately 90 percent of those who are incarcerated for drug use or sales are African-Americans and Latinos. After further research, I discovered the prison industrial complex and thought the story needed to be told and would make an exciting novel.

A.    In some instances, writers draw on their experience. A friend of mine approached me and said that an executive at a company for which she worked asked her to be a "black face" for a company he was establishing. To be sure, he didn't use the word black face but she did. In other words, on paper only she would appear to have a majority ownership to secure government contracts. She declined.

A.    Yes. As I write, I include statistics from my research because it gives me and others a point of reference. The statistics may have changed, however. More minorities are being incarcerated and the number of black women sentenced to prison is increasing.

A.    In the novel, the nightingale is explained as follows: “The nightingale is a bird that retreats to Africa during certain periods of the year. The male birds are known for melodious songs during mating season, a time of year during which they coo—a sign of their innocence." The word, "nightingale," is a symbolic term use to denote the innocence of children who have roots in the continent of Africa and the extent to which the innocent is being abused and exploited.

A.    You only get The Nightingale Call if you are a member of an elite, secret society, a society comprised of judges, members of academia, politicians, including the current President of the United States and past Presidents of the United States, just to name a few. Judge Hunter is an insider who has been wronged by the society, and, therefore, is vulnerable and willing to talk.

A.    There is a direct correlation between chattel slavery of the seventeenth century and modern day slavery, a phrase which people tend to dismiss too quickly. Justice Hunter understands the connection. As a lawmaker, he understands that the Thirteen Amendment, which officially abolished, and prohibits, slavery, could also be used to re-establish chattel slavery. For instance, the Thirteen Amendment reads, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." There's an exception clause.

A.    Both novels are written to entertain and enlighten. Many people have told me that they learned from reading both novels, and they indicated, more importantly, that they also find them to be enjoyable reads. And, remember, the The Nightingale Call is a sequel to Against A Brick Wall but written in away that the people can read them out of order without missing a beat.

A.    Yes. It will be finished shortly.

A.    I don't want to reveal too much, but suffice it to say, consistent with my first two novels, it will inform and entertain. If you enjoyed the first two, I hope you will wait with eager anticipation for the third.

A.    People need to understand how their past affects their future, keeping in mind that old saying, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."