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:
Author: Stephanie Guerilus
Pub. Date: October 2, 2018
Publisher: Stephanie Guerilus
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 297
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, 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 giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
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10/1/2020 |
Interview |
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10/2/2020 |
Interview |
Week Two:
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10/5/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/6/2020 |
Guest Post |
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10/7/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/8/2020 |
Guest Post |
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10/9/2020 |
Review |
Week Three:
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10/12/2020 |
Review |
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10/13/2020 |
Review |
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10/14/2020 |
Review |
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10/15/2020 |
Review |
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10/16/2020 |
Guest Post |
Week Four:
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10/19/2020 |
Guest Post |
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10/20/2020 |
Review |
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10/21/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/22/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/23/2020 |
Review |
Week Five:
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10/26/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/27/2020 |
Instagram Post |
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10/28/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/29/2020 |
Review |
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10/30/2020 |
Review |
I enjoyed the interview.
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