News & Features » May 2014 » Inside Infamous: A Q&A With Black Lotus Author K’wan
Inside Infamous: A Q&A With Black Lotus Author K’wan
May is publication month for three new releases from Infamous Books: Swing by Miasha, The White House by JaQuavis Coleman, and Black Lotus by K’wan. We’ve asked each of these authors to answer some rapid-fire questions about their novellas and themselves. Today, see what K’wan has to say about Black Lotus, what’s next for him, and what to buy him if you meet him at a bar:
Tells us the plot of Black Lotus in three sentences or less:
Black Lotus is a story of love, corruption and redemption. It centers around a borderline crooked cop running a back door investigation into the murder of a priest, which leads to the re-opening of a cold case about a missing child.
What one adjective best describes Black Lotus?
Dark.
Who would play your protagonist in a movie?
Freida Pinto from Slumdog Millionaire.
What would be a good theme song for Black Lotus?
“Criminal” by Fiona Apple.
Name a favorite line from Black Lotus:
“Blood brings the wolves out.” — Lone Wolf James
What do you prefer about writing a novella over writing a full-length book? What’s harder?
I’m very wordy when it comes to writing. I like to paint a vivid picture, so writing a novella was a bit more challenging than writing a full novel. I had to fit everything I wanted to say into a limited amount of space, so it involved a lot of rewrites.
What are you reading now? Who are you influenced or inspired by?
I’m reading Silence of the Nine by my sister T. Styles and listening to A Song of Ice and Fire (George R.R. Martin) on audio. I’m inspired by a few authors. In my work you’ll see flashes of everyone from Anne Rice, to Walter Mosley, to Donald Goines, but I think I have my own unique style. It’s sort of like a mash-up.
What do you hope your readers are feeling when they finish Black Lotus?
After reading Black Lotus I hope my readers see my diversity as a writer. I’m known for writing “Urban novels,” but I wouldn’t call myself an urban author. I’m just a writer . . . a student of written words.
What one author do you hope reads Black Lotus?
This is something I never really thought of. If I had to pick one, I’d have to say Walter Mosley. I’ve been a long time student of his works and words. He’s in a class by himself and I see myself in the same light. Not as big as Mosley, but being in a class by myself.
If we run into you at a bar, what’s your drink?
Depends on my mood. Could be Hennessy . . . could be tequila. I’ve recently become pretty fond of Jameson whiskey though.
What’s next for you?
Next for me is Ghetto Bastard, which will be my first independent release under my company Write 2 Eat Concepts. That’s being released July 8th. Then I have Animal 3 being released on October 7th under Cash Money Content.
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K’WAN is a best-selling, award-winning author of over a dozen titles, including Gangsta, Road Dawgz, Street Dreams, Hoodlum, Hood Rat, Section 8, Animal, and Animal II. He has been featured in Vibe, King, Entertainment Weekly, and Time magazine. K’wan was the recipient of the 2012 and 2013 Street Lit Book Award Medals (SLBAM) in adult fiction for Eviction Notice and Animal. His credits also include featured commentary in the documentary Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp (produced by Ice-T) as well as a recurring role as an analyst on TV One’s Celebrity Crime Files. K’wan currently resides in New Jersey where he is working on his next novel. Black Lotus is his latest work.
Posted: May 6, 2014
Category: Akashic Insider | Tags: Black Lotus, Fiona Apple, Freida Pinto, Infamous, Infamous Books, JaQuavis Coleman, K'wan, Miasha, Prodigy, Slumdog Millionaire, Swing, The White House