Pages

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Blog Tour- CONTROL by @qsteph With An Interview & #Giveaway! #ownvoices @RockstarBkTours 

 


I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the CONTROL by Stephanie Guerilus Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About the Book:

Title: CONTROL

Author: Stephanie Guerilus

Pub. Date: October 2, 2018

Publisher: Stephanie Guerilus

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 297

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle

Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited Membership!

Control, whose title is lifted from the iconic Janet Jackson song, embodies its name. Theresa Marie Jenkins is a 17-year-old who thinks she knows it all. As the saying goes, a hard head makes for a soft ass and Reesa learns the hard way that she doesn’t really know much about life.

 

Reesa quickly becomes an It girl after speaking up at a Black Lives Matter protest but her activism gets in the way of her career. She wants to be the next pop diva on the charts. For that to happen, Reesa will have to be packaged; smile and wave as though she’s at a beauty pageant. She’ll have to give control to advisers who want her to sing on cue, tap dance on command, no throwing shoes at parties and keeping her mouth shut on the culture. If only Reesa had just sat there and ate her food.

 

Control is a novel that addresses the political climate, #MeToo, identity and what it means when you are a young woman of color who the world doesn’t automatically think to protect.

 

Interview:

Hey Stephanie! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books I’m glad you could stop by for a chat! CONTROL sounds AWESOME and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about the CONTROL and the characters?

Control is the story of Reesa Jenkins, who is biracial, trying to gain some measure over hers. She’s 17, a Gen Xer who thinks she’s ready to be an adult but life has a way of humbling us. I wanted to use the music industry as a way of exploring Black Lives Matter, #MeToo and how one can quickly become vulnerable and fall prey to abusers.

Theresa Marie Jenkins, the main protagonist, is meant to frustrate the reader at times and that is by design. I want to do away with the notion of the perfect victim because one doesn’t exist. She has a range of emotions---fear, courage, loyalty, selfishness, ego and exploring her sexuality---that are anchored by the supporting characters around her, in particular her parents one of whom who is a politician who doesn’t understand the challenges that his Black daughter goes through.

There are so many young girls and women falling through the cracks despite all appearance. Reesa is loved but doesn’t always feel it and seeks out that affirmation in all the wrong places. There’s a price to be paid.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on the sequel to Control. Reesa’s story is far from over. When you decide to seek revenge, happily ever after isn’t what usually comes next.

Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?

Most of the characters were inspired by myself and those that I know in real life. Reesa, Stephanie, Candy and Chanté are different versions of me. Reesa preservers and is the dreamer, Stephanie is principled, stubborn and a writer, Candy is the sweet one and Chanté loves her celebrity gossip.

Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?

My favorite character to write, for the most part, was Chanté. I use her to just say some of my more outrageous thoughts. There’s no need to filter her. I wouldn’t say Stephanie is my least favorite character to write but she is me. I wrestled with how much of my story was reserved for the “Reesa” character and how to maintain the “Stephanie” character as an integral part of the story. I didn’t want to see myself be watered down by heaviness.

Towards the end, Calvin also became an issue. I’m against caricatures because it’s a sign of laziness. Calvin Bennett is by no means a hero and is the central villain but I had to leave some humanity to the character; get inside his head and not let him be this one note cartoon.

What is your favorite passages/scenes in CONTROL?

My favorite scene in Control is the confrontation between the agingDeena Carter and ingenue Reesa. That confrontation was building and I really wanted to thread the needle where both women got their points across.

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

Beyond my own life story, I put a spin on the ins and outs of the music industry. There was no shortage of inspiration.

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend?

I still believe in the hero, even though many audiences relate to those who live in the gray area. The character of Justin Carter Moore is a good guy but with a backbone. Those are two perfect qualities.

What inspired you to write this story?

My own story with an assist from Mariah Carey. I’ve always had an overactive imagination, a love of writing and Mariah Carey. When I was younger, I suffered through abuse and as I grew older, I was juggling a lot of emotions. I wanted to be able to share my story but ironically, couldn’t form the words to speak them. So, I wrote them down and used the character of Theresa Marie Jenkins as a muse. I decided to make her a singer and once in a generation talent living her life in the public eye.


Lightning Round Questions

What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?

I’m currently reading ‘Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Family’ and am eagerly anticipating Mariah Carey’s upcoming memoir. 

Instagram, Twitter or Facebook?

IG: q_steph

Twitter: @qsteph

Facebook: Stephanie Guerilus

Favorite Superhero?

The Black Panther, T’Challa

Favorite TV show?

I’ve been binging so many shows during the pandemic and it changes so often. At the moment, I’ve decided on Euphoria, P Valley and Breaking Bad.

Sweet or Salty?

Sweet

Any Phobias?

I have more than one and work everyday to overcome the spirit of fear. A persistent one has been being fearful of success which sounds weird but it’s quite the feeling seeing the manifestation of your dreams. I’ve been working so hard, too hard at times and I’m afraid of losing what I’m actively achieving and can often miss the chance to celebrate the milestones.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

Brown Skin girl by Beyoncé

Fall/Winter 2020 Movie you’re most looking forward to?

I’ve been eagerly anticipating Batman but I think that’s been pushed back to 2021.

Thanks so much Stephanie for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read CONTROL!


About Stephanie:

Stephanie Guerilus is a multimedia journalist and social media expert. 

She is a native of Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Haitian immigrants. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Temple University and is the secretary of the New York Association of Black Journalists.

Prior to joining the chapter board, she has volunteered with the National Association of Black Journalists. In this role, she helped in functions related to the annual convention, media and organizing various panels that have featured April Reign and Vann R. Newkirk II.

Stephanie previously worked as a reporter at The Philadelphia Tribune, the oldest African American newspaper in the country. Through this position, she was assigned late breaking news coverage in addition to the community, religion and obituary beats. She interviewed such notable names as Rev. Al Sharpton, actress Victoria Rowell, Sen. Pat Toomey, Olympian Dawn Staley, gospel artist Mary Mary, Democratic Strategist Donna Brazile and TV Personality and Professor Melissa Harris-Perry.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads


Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of CONTROL, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/1/2020

Two Chicks on Books

Interview

10/2/2020

Bookhounds YA

Interview

 

Week Two:

10/5/2020

What A Nerd Girl Says

Excerpt

10/6/2020

Oh Hey! Books

Guest Post

10/7/2020

Books A-Brewin'

Excerpt

10/8/2020

Lisa-Queen of Random

Guest Post

10/9/2020

Bri's Book Nook

Review

 

Week Three:

10/12/2020

The Phantom Paragrapher

Review

10/13/2020

Pine Enshrined Reviews

Review

10/14/2020

Nays Pink Bookshelf

Review

10/15/2020

Abbott Can’t Write

Review

10/16/2020

A Dream Within A Dream

Guest Post

 

Week Four:

10/19/2020

YABooksCentral

Guest Post

10/20/2020

Rajiv's Reviews

Review

10/21/2020

tmbacorbett

Excerpt

10/22/2020

Gimme The Scoop Reviews

Excerpt

10/23/2020

Bookswithpaulak

Review


Week Five:

10/26/2020

Rockstar Book Tours

Excerpt

10/27/2020

JaimeRockstarBookTours

Instagram Post

10/28/2020

Jaime's World

Excerpt

10/29/2020

The Bookwyrm's Den

Review

10/30/2020

Onepageatatime88

Review


1 comment:

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.