{"id":4927,"date":"2013-07-24T10:00:45","date_gmt":"2013-07-24T14:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sistahsontheshelf.com\/?p=4927"},"modified":"2020-05-08T06:14:13","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T10:14:13","slug":"turn-me-out-by-t-ariez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sistahsontheshelf.com\/?p=4927","title":{"rendered":"Interview & Review Chat | Turn Me Out by T. Ariez"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Publisher\/Date: <\/strong> Amazon Digital Services, June 2013
\nGenre(s): <\/strong> Romance, Stud 4 Stud
\nE-Book Short<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> \"★\"\"★\"\"★\"\"☆\"\"☆\" <\/p><\/strong><\/p>\n

After reading T. Ariez’s TURN ME OUT<\/em><\/strong>, I had thoughts — and questions — about the characters and Ariez’s motivation for writing this book. This resulted in an interview\/review chat, and the transcript follows below:<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Hello \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b><\/span>: Hello!<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> How are you??<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>:<\/span> I’m great and yourself?<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>:<\/span> I’m lovely.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Thank you for agreeing to this interview\/chat.<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> oh no problem at all, thank you for thinking of me.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>:<\/span> You’re welcome. I did enjoy your book.<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> Cool. May I ask where\/how you found the book at?<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> I was searching Amazon.com for black lesbian books (as I often do) and came across it there. I purchased it that morning.<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>:<\/span> Oh okay. That’s cool. I know I haven’t done as much advertising as I should, so I was really surprised when I saw that you were reading it.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Well, I troll for new books, so… \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Okay, I have a few questions for you…<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> Okay, shoot<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Give readers a small background about you as an author.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Author T. Ariez<\/b>:<\/span> Well, I like to think of myself as someone who is not afraid to talk about the hard issues. I pick things that can be considered taboo or away from the mainstream because I know the real world, at least my real world, doesn’t work that way. Also I have been writing all my life, but it only been in the last 5 years, that I began to write for an audience.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf: <\/strong><\/span>What other books have you written or been featured in?<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span>Zane’s Busy Bodies: Chocolate Flava 4<\/a><\/i> and Stories in the Key of Erotica<\/a>,<\/i> which will release November 25th.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Sounds like you’ve been very busy. What does writing mean to you?<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>:<\/span> Yes, I stay busy. Writing is like breathing for me. Even when I am not physically writing (or typing) I am always in my head thinking up another story. I have one project that I hope to have published by the end of this year and another that I am currently working on as we speak.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Is it a sequel to Turn Me Out<\/i>, perhaps?<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> Hmm, well… There is not a sequel, but I do bring the characters back in another book. It was important for me to let readers know what Ace and Angel are up to.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> I definitely agree. I feel like Angel and Ace’s story has not ended yet.<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> No it hasn’t. These characters mean a lot to me because they live a life a lot of people cannot live in peace. They have a conflict within themselves that many of us will probably never explore solely because of the “rules” in this game.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>:<\/span> Very true. I really felt the conflict Angel felt in not fitting into the femme\/stud box. But tell readers more about Turn Me Out<\/i>. What\u2019s it about?<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b><\/span>: Turn Me Out<\/i> is about a lesbian stud or a masculine of center female, Angel, who is starting to realize that she has developed feelings for her best friend, Ace. Ace is also a stud and for the two of them, their relationship has always been strictly platonic. When Angel realizes that her feelings are more than she should have for a best friend, she decides to risk losing it all and go for what she really wants, regardless of what anyone else might think about it.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> And she does go for it. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> She definitely goes for it.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Lol.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>:<\/span> Yet she does have reservations: about being in a relationship with her best friend, but mostly, being with another stud.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span>Stud-4-stud relationships are becoming more common, but we still have a way to go to acceptance of any relationship that doesn’t look like the mold not stud\/femme model.<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> She does. I don’t know if it is as bad now, times have changed, but 1, it could have been a really dangerous situation for her, and 2, being with another stud, for Angel meant doing things in bed that she wasn\u2019t used to.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Did you think about this while writing TMO<\/i>?<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span>Yes, I did. Writing TMO<\/i> was honestly, a hard, but very exciting write. It was difficult writing from a first-person POV and having to put myself in the role as Angel. Initially I thought about what others would think of me, if they would think that I was also S4S. But by the time I finished I realized that it didn’t matter what others thought of me. The only thing that mattered is that maybe I could help someone who might be having these conflicting stories. When I first wrote it, I sent it out in an email to about 10-15 people. Most told me how good it was, but one said the story made her cry because she had struggled with being a stud and feeling more like she was fem.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Wow.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> One of the things that I thought while reading was how true this story was, and how many “studs” struggle with their roles like Angel did.<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> Yes. There are these unspoken rules that I have only noticed in the African-American lesbian community. It is really sad that we constrict ourselves to what I know now is hetero-normative roles, and we are, simply said, NOT heterosexual people. So why follow their gender and relationship roles?<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Very true. It’s still hard for some black folks to see, and our own black lesbian community can be judgmental at times.<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> Yes, we are extremely judgmental and that needs to change. We need to learn to be more open and accepting so that we can be a more happy people.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Shoot, we could be happy if we just minded our own business and lived by the expression “to each his own.” Or in Angel’s case, her own.<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> Right! You will get no arguments from me on that one. Lol<\/p>\n

\"tariez\"Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> So here’s the million dollar question: How much of yourself did you put into character Angel?<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> Lol, that a good one. A sprinkle here and there. Even if I try to mold a character completely after me, they end up taking over and telling me who they are. So, probably just the stud part LMAO<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> You mean the stud-on-stud part??<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> No, I mean the stud part lol. I am not stud-for-stud, and in a great relationship of 8 years tomorrow. She couldn\u2019t be stud if she tried lol<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> LMAO…well, that answers my next question! j\/k<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> haha, really, I think my personality alone may be way too dominant for another stud, even that of a soft stud.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Speaking of personalities, what are your perceptions of what a stud really is?<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> Well that depends because you have a whole range of studs, from soft to the very hardcore and touch-me-nots. I think that what I have learned over the years is that there really is no one perception or description really. Now when I think of another stud, then I usually expect them to be masculine of center and more “masculine” personalities and dress. But again, that isn\u2019t the hard and fast rule anymore so there is a wide variety.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> There are so many variations of both studs and femmes, and everyone has different definitions. I just wish people would accept that.<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> I agree.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span>Okay, final question. What do you think a story like Turn Me Out<\/i> does for lesbian visibility?<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> Well I hope that it would bring much more visibility to the community and at least on a positive note. It certainly sheds a light on stud-for-stud relationships that that is something to me that can be akin to down-low brothas. We know about them, but we don’t talk about them much. I want people to start having that conversation and at the end of it, realize and understand that one person’s choice does not make or break you. Just let people live and let them be happy!<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> AMEN!<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> Well, thank you so much for this interview\/review\/chat.<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> Well you are welcome and thank you. It was really a pleasure.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> For me, as well.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> And early Happy Anniversary! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Author T. Ariez<\/b>: <\/span> aww thank you.<\/p>\n

Sistahs on the Shelf<\/b>: <\/span> –End chat–<\/p>\n

Reviewed\/Interviewed July 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Publisher\/Date: Amazon Digital Services, June 2013 Genre(s): Romance, Stud 4 Stud E-Book Short After reading T. Ariez’s TURN ME OUT, I had thoughts — and questions — about the characters and Ariez’s motivation for writing this book. This resulted in an interview\/review chat, and the transcript follows below: Sistahs on the Shelf: Hello \ud83d\ude42 Author […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"NEW SOTS REVIEW: Turn Me Out by T. Ariez http:\/\/wp.me\/p3r7qG-1ht @TAriez12"},"categories":[11],"tags":[37,401,471,474,473,485],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sistahsontheshelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4927"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sistahsontheshelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sistahsontheshelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sistahsontheshelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sistahsontheshelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4927"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.sistahsontheshelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7209,"href":"http:\/\/www.sistahsontheshelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4927\/revisions\/7209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sistahsontheshelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sistahsontheshelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sistahsontheshelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}