Published by Amistad
Orsayor: Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?
Celeste: You’re very welcome and thank you for inviting me to be interviewed. Here’s a little about me. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and I am a graduate of Moore College of Art & Design. I was an advertising Art Director for many years before moving to Virginia, where my artistic talent began blossoming through storytelling. I wrote my first novel in 2002, and since then I have written over 35 romance and young adult novels. One Night in Georgia is my first women’s fiction novel. My stories are realistic and depict strong characters with unpredictable plots reflecting current issues. I have been nominated for and won numerous prestigious awards. I read, write, garden, and enjoy a quiet life in Virginia with my husband, Charles.
Orsayor: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Celeste: It may seem odd, but writing was never on my radar. I love to read, and after reading a novel, I didn’t quite like, a story idea came to me, and I decided to write it down. I headed to the local library and learned everything I could on writing and publishing. That was beginning of my first novel, Priceless Gift, which was published by BET Books Arabesque in 2002.
Orsayor: What advice would you give a new writer?
Celeste: I’d tell a new writer to read and write as much as possible, to listen to their heart and not the naysayers and to learn to love research.
Orsayor: What kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning this book?
Celeste: I’m obsessed with research when I’m writing a novel. Sometimes I think I get a bit too fixated on the details, but for me the details really matter. When I was writing One Night in Georgia, I knew I wanted readers to be transported and to truly live in the moment of summer days in August 1968. So the car, the clothes, the hairstyles, the music, the vernacular, the food, even the phase of the moon had to be exactly on point. For research, I went to the library and searched the Internet constantly. Also, I spent weeks reading and speaking with people about the late 1960s. My sisters, Amanda and Karen were a tremendous help in solidifying the flavor of the time period and my brother-in-law, a Vietnam veteran, was instrumental. The research took several months and even as I wrote, I continued to do research.
Orsayor: One Night in Georgia takes place in 1968, but I found it to be very timely given today’s racial climate. How difficult was it writing about the characters in this book?
Celeste: Truthfully, it was very difficult. One Night in Georgia touches on racial bias and discrimination both blatant and furtive. As I was writing the novel, it seemed each day the local and national news was covering yet another unjustified shooting or African Americans being unjustly targeted for doing ordinary, everyday things. It was and is heartbreaking to see the year 2019 mirror the injustices of the 1960s. We’ve come far, but not nearly far enough.
Orsayor: What was your hardest scene to write?
Celeste: There were several scenes in the novel that was difficult to write. One was the beach scene in Cape May. It was personal. Another was the police holding room scene. My editor and I cut a lot out. The original scene was far more traumatic and emotional. Each time I read the scene I cried. It included Zelda hallucinating about seeing and speaking with her father and him telling her to stay strong. But I’d have to say the hardest scene by far was Zelda and Daniel’s last goodbye in the general’s office. It broke my heart because I knew what was going to happen to them.
Orsayor: How do you deal with the emotional impact of a book while you are writing the story?
Celeste: I don’t deal with the emotional impact well at all. This novel tore me apart daily, repeatedly and I still tear up when I read certain passages. It’s a fiction novel for sure, but I know in reality that the things in the book and those far, far worse actually happened to men, women and children of color. My research bared that out and that knowledge is heartbreaking and horrifying.
Orsayor: How do you select the names of your characters?
Celeste: I have several baby name books I go through when I begin outlining a novel. Ultimately, I chose the names of my characters by their characteristics. Although I could not find the true etymology of the name Zelda, the name felt strong and resilient, characteristics I wanted in that character.
Orsayor: What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
Celeste: I want the readers of One Night in Georgia to read it over and over again then give a copy to a friend. I want them all to feel the struggle in the novel and to recognize that the fight is not over.
Orsayor: Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers?
Celeste: Yes, I’m working on my next two women’s fiction novels. One is a contemporary family drama tentatively entitled, A Million Moments Lost. The other is another African American historical tentatively entitled, Time Amongst the Dead. They’re both phenomenal and emotional reads, and I can’t wait to bring them to you.
Orsayor: Are you on social media and how can your readers interact with you?
Celeste: Actually, I’m not a big social media person, but I do use my Facebook account daily to keep in touch with my readers. I’m still working on getting up to speed on Twitter and Instagram with the help of my daughter, Jennifer and son, Christopher.
About Celeste O. Norfleet
Celeste O. Norfleet is a nationally bestselling author of more than twenty critically acclaimed commercial fiction novels. She is the recipient of six awards from Romance Slam Jam (RSJ), as well as a lifetime achievement award. She was also honored with the BRAB, 2016 Frances Ray Lifetime Literary Legacy Award. She is a graduate of Moore College of Art and Design. She lives in Virginia.
