A: I wrote my first book when I was ten. It was called Snowdrift, a novel about a black girl wanting to be white. I’m not sure how I came up with the title, but as a child I often dreamed about how different my life might be if I were white. Now, that I’m older, I realize that I could’ve still been abused, poor, and shunned as a white girl.

Q: How has your writing career evolved? Who were your mentors along the way?

A: You say evolved, as in past tense. I say evolving. It seems like every day I’m finding new opportunities and challenges for writing. It’s exciting, and anxiety-provoking. I have two writing mentors, my father and Jacquelin Thomas. My father, Gibran Ali is a novelist and is brilliant. He can sit at a computer and characters and material come out of nowhere for him. But, when I sit down to write, it’s like characters and material go into hiding. Jacquelin Thomas, a very successful Christian fiction writer has taken me under her wing. She keeps me from getting discouraged and doesn’t mind dropping everything for me when I need something. I can’t wait to be that way for the author who will need me one day.

Q: How did you get your debut novel published?

A: My father sent me a newspaper clipping on Walk Worthy Press when Denise Stinson launched the company in 2001. He inscribed a message encouraging me to write a book for her. I didn’t find the courage to do so until 2003. In preparation, I read as many of her books as I could to learn what she liked and to see what she was looking for. I wrote Good To Me in five months and sent it to her. We struck a deal two weeks later.

Q: Who did the cover art for Good to Me?

A: Walk Worthy has its own artists. When I first saw it, I thought it was too different, too churchy, but I was drawn to the artwork. It works for me at book signings because people love the design.

Q: If you were to give a struggling writer some advice, what would it be?

A: When I’m struggling to write, I notice that I’m doing one of three things—I’m either trying to be too perfect, or I’m not being my character, or I don’t have enough research. So, my advice would be “don’t be too hard on yourself. Lighten up. There is no such thing as a perfect piece. Just make it good, and the editors will do the rest.” When writing, don’t ask, “What would I do if I were this character?” Say, “I am this character, what am I doing? What do I see, smell, and hear?” And, if you’re still stuck, do more research. But, my biggest piece of advice would be to grow “thick skin.” You’ve got to be tough to make it in this business. You can’t take things personally, and you’ve got to be able to stomach criticism. If you can survive editing, editing, editing, and reader’s reviews, you can make it!

Q: What is your favorite book?

A: I have several, but one of my favorite books is Erasure by Percival Everett. I think it’s a clever read.

Q: What is your next favorite past-time other than reading and writing?

A: Having pity parties with my three best girlfriends. We throw pity parties like they’re celebrations. The one we had last month was awesome. Two of us dumped our boyfriends at the same time and it was time to party. We headed to the grocery store for a feast of our favorites: crab legs, banana pudding ice cream, apple pie, microwave popcorn for the rented movies, and plenty of soda. Waking up physically uncomfortable is better to us than being emotionally uncomfortable.

Q: Is there something about yourself which is not commonly known that you can share with us?

A: I am adopted and I have an adopted daughter. She is my biological cousin. I found her six years ago at a daycare I’d enrolled my boys into. Once, when I visited the classroom, I saw Ivey, my maiden name printed on a child’s cubby. It’s an unusual name so I asked the teacher about the child. I learned that the child was one of three boys in foster care and in the process of being adopted. The director of the facility was their foster parent. When I saw the boy, I knew we were kin. He had the same dark complexion, wide grin, and big eyes as me. When the director told me his mother’s name, I was sad to learn that it was one of my favorite cousins. Two months later, the director told me that she was fostering my cousin’s infant daughter because she’d tested positive for cocaine at birth. I stepped in and legally adopted her. Her name is Destiny.

Q: What upcoming projects do you see on the horizon for yourself in the coming months? Will your future novels be set in Charlotte?

A: Now that I’ve gotten my foot in the door, I plan to continue writing. I’m on a national book tour promoting Good To Me and am also working on another novel. So far, my books are set in Charlotte. I have so many plans, but my biggest plan is to help aspiring writers fulfill their dreams. I have done workshops teaching the basics of publishing. I review manuscripts and give feedback because I want people to make it. But, I see a great need for classes on the process of writing. I would love to have a writing school. For more information about me, people can visit my website www.latonyamason.com or www.walkworthypress.net.

Interview Date: 2006
Profile and questions compiled by Megan M., Main Library