{"id":18,"date":"2005-10-01T12:01:04","date_gmt":"2005-10-01T17:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sistahsontheshelf.com\/blog\/?page_id=94"},"modified":"2020-06-05T01:33:53","modified_gmt":"2020-06-05T05:33:53","slug":"toy-styles","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.sistahsontheshelf.com\/?page_id=18","title":{"rendered":"Toy Styles"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>IN TOY’S OWN WORDS…<\/strong>I\u2019m 31 years old, and I live in Baltimore County, Maryland with my lover and our two handsome boys.\u00a0 I\u2019m an avid DVD collector with hundreds in my collection.\u00a0 Outside of being with my family, I spend my extra time pouring my heart out on pages, blogging on www.toystyles.blogspot.com<\/a>, and emailing readers.\u00a0 I\u2019m a Certified Massage Therapist, but have put that on hold, to dedicate time my time to writing.\u00a0 Because working for someone else will always be there, even when you\u2019re gone.\u00a0 But you only get a chance to follow your dreams in your lifetime, once.
\nVisit me at www.toystyles.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How long have you been writing and how did you get started?
\n<\/strong>I\u2019ve had the love of writing in my heart forever.\u00a0 But it was forced out, after a failed suicide attempt.\u00a0 Writing Rainbow Heart<\/em>, was my way of fighting for my own life, and reaching out to save the lives of others who were\/are going through the same things.<\/p>\n

Give a brief synopsis of your debut novel, Rainbow Heart<\/em>.<\/strong>
\nThirteen-year-old Evelyn Kelly, the leading character, throws herself into the problems of her friends, and doesn\u2019t realize why at the end of the day, she feels so different.\u00a0 She has feelings for her best friend May, which are put on hold, while May deals with her own private struggle.\u00a0 Rainbow Heart<\/em> surrounds four young girls in the Washington D.C area, and talks about molestation, drug and child abuse, and what goes on in the mind of a child, when she first realizes that she\u2019s gay.<\/p>\n

How long did it take you to write your first book?<\/strong>
\nAs I mentioned before, I wrote this novel in an attempt to save my own life and the lives of others.\u00a0 So at that particular time, I felt a sense of urgency to deliver my message.\u00a0 I felt if I didn\u2019t get it out then, I never would.\u00a0 So all in all, Rainbow Heart<\/em> took me about six months to finish.<\/p>\n

What kind of feedback have you received about your novel?<\/strong>
\nI\u2019ve gotten excellent feedback regarding Rainbow Heart<\/em>.\u00a0 When I read my guestbook, I\u2019m amazed at how much people can actually relate to my story.\u00a0 The reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble have been favorable, too.\u00a0 And I know the negative ones are coming.\u00a0 But, there are many things I\u2019d like to do over.\u00a0 With that being said, I\u2019ll always keep Rainbow Heart<\/em> true to its current form.\u00a0 My reasoning is because I know I\u2019ll be successful in life, and I believe in myself and have an excellent support system.\u00a0 So by leaving Rainbow Heart<\/em> true to it\u2019s current format, I\u2019d be showing other writers who self-publish, that endurance, a good heart, and a good story, can still lead to perfection and to always learn and grow from your mistakes.<\/p>\n

Tell us about the Evelyn Kelly, the protagonist of Rainbow Heart<\/em>.
\n<\/strong>Evelyn Kelly is a nurturer.\u00a0 She believes in taking on the problems of others, and avoids her own problems, which manifest within herself.\u00a0 In turn she tries to mask her problems using alcohol, and later realizes, that she has no control over what her heart decides.\u00a0 Ultimately she understands that eventually she\u2019ll have to embrace who she is even if it means hurting others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Was Evelyn a character based on your life?<\/strong>
\nEvelyn Kelly\u2019s character is definitely based on my life.\u00a0 We\u2019re the same but we\u2019re different.\u00a0 Now the Evelyn Kelly in the new book titled Trying to Hide a Rainbow<\/em>, the sequel, is closer to who I really am today.<\/p>\n

Can you give advice to our readers who are struggling with their own sexuality as Evelyn did? Do you think a lot of women can relate to her through your book?<\/strong>
\nMy advice to my readers is to deal with how you\u2019re feeling.\u00a0 Don\u2019t run away from it because it doesn\u2019t go away.\u00a0 Embracing who you are doesn’t necessarily mean that you have made a decision to live this lifestyle.\u00a0 But if you acknowledge your feelings, maybe you can determine why you\u2019re feeling that way.\u00a0 It could be that you are lesbian or it could be that you have feelings for someone because of how they treat you.\u00a0 Be strong and remain strong, even when you feel weak.\u00a0 Because in the end, the only person you have is yourself.\u00a0 I certainly feel a lot of women can relate to my story because although the book has been out for less than four months, whenever I conduct book signings, I meet someone who expresses that.<\/p>\n

What was your own coming out process like?<\/strong>
\nMy process was difficult, hard and tumultuous.<\/p>\n

You say that Rainbow Heart<\/em> is the first in a trilogy about Evelyn Kelly. How far have you gotten with the two sequels?<\/strong>
\nTrying to Hide a Rainbow<\/em> is complete and I\u2019m working on a cover to do the book justice.\u00a0 Journey to the End of a Rainbow<\/em> is in the process, and is almost complete.<\/p>\n

Who are some of your favorite authors? Favorite books?<\/strong>
\nI have so many!!\u00a0 Some of them are Wifebeater, My Daughter\u2019s Boyfriend, Fifth Born<\/em> and Fire and Brimstone<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?<\/strong>
\nI see myself heavily involved in suicide prevention, writing more novels and enjoying life through my son, and the happiness I\u2019ll bring to others.<\/p>\n

What piece of advice can you share with aspiring writers?<\/strong>
\nStay the course!!\u00a0 Believe in yourself and never give up.\u00a0 I know it sounds like a clich\u00e9, but there\u2019s a reason clich\u00e9s exist, because they work!\u00a0 Don\u2019t let anyone make you feel like your story isn\u2019t important, because they\u2018re liars!!\u00a0 And remember\u2026dreams will remain dreams, until you make them realities.<\/p>\n

Why do you think it\u2019s important for black lesbians to tell our own stories, like you did with Rainbow Heart<\/em>?<\/strong>
\nI think it\u2019s important for Lesbians to tell our story to encourage those who are afraid to. I choose to talk about my sexuality to inspire.\u00a0 But, we\u2019re writers first and lesbians second.\u00a0 My sexuality doesn\u2019t define my work.\u00a0 I hope by telling our story, we\u2019ll become more visual in the spotlight and in the end, it won\u2019t matter.\u00a0 Maybe we\u2019ll get to a point where a good story is a good story, no matter who we\u2019re sleeping with.<\/p>\n

Interviewed October 2005<\/strong><\/p>\n

Toy Styles Reviews<\/strong><\/p>\n