Naleighna Kai ’ s Chocolate Chats featuring
Donna Hill
NK : Donna , you were known for writing romance for so many years , what made you switch to writing Getting Hers , something with a darker edge ? Where did the idea for putting random strangers together to solve each other ’ s problems come from ? That was genius .
Donna Hill : Quiet as its kept , I love mystery and suspense and always looking for a way to bring it to my own writing . I got the idea from watching Hitchcock ’ s Strangers on a Train . I put my own twist on it with women trapped in an elevator during the NYC blackout .
NK : You captured each woman so well that I felt that I knew and understood each one of them . I rooted for them and wanted them to succeed and actually didn ’ t mind what happened to their enemies . That ’ s major skill . Outside of the Hitchcock angle , how did you ensure that the novel had a spin that stayed true and original to your voice ?
Donna Hill : My thought , I suppose , was that I could show that we , as African American authors , were not monolithic and could write whatever we wanted . I feel that whenever I write whatever it is , my voice will remain the same . I think that holds true for most writers . We can move in and out of genres and still stay true to our voice . You don ’ t change as a writer , only the story .
Christine Pauls : Getting Hers was actually my first read by you . I liked that the women were of different ethnicities and backgrounds in Getting Hers . They all brought something to the table . With such longevity in this industry , how did it all start for you ?