Answers to Q&A My publicist has sent me a list of questions for interviews concerning “Black Wolf: Lakota Man”. I published the list a few days ago and thought about the answers. Here they are: A Conversation with Author Magnolia Belle Q: Give us a brief synopsis of your new book Black Wolf: Lakota Man Black Wolf, an Austin, Texas rock band of four Lakota Sioux brothers, has just signed with a national label. Caleb Black Wolf, oldest of the brothers, has the world by the tail. Studio work on their new CD is going well. Their fan base is growing. More and more concerts are selling out. Getting women has never been easier for the young player. Until he meets Sara Bradford, a woman he wants but who doesn’t want him. Trying to find the high road in an industry full of loose standards takes all Caleb has. Sara, with her own music career, doesn’t need another musician in her life. Past mistakes have cost her dearly and Caleb has all the markings of another heartbreak waiting to happen. Old habits die hard for Caleb. Touring schedules keep Sara on the road. A publicist, who wants him for herself, deliberately sets out to keep Caleb and Sara apart. Caleb suffers a breakdown on stage in front of thousands of fans. How could the one woman he’s ever truly loved walk away from him? His brothers watch him spiral into an alcoholic nightmare as he refuses all of their desperate help. But, a family’s love, a father’s wisdom, brings him back. Love, it’s been said, conquers all. Q: How did you come to write Black Wolf? I had the opening scene clearly in my mind and wrote it down. I showed it to a group of friends and they insisted that I keep writing. Five books later, Black Wolf is done. Q: What inspired you to write of the music industry? I love music and am somewhat familiar with that industry. The overwhelming advice for writers is to write what you know. Q: Have you had experiences dealing with conflicting cultures? Yes. Living as a military dependent, there were times I was the minority race, culture, religion. I have had first hand experience in living through cultural differences, most of them nice, but some not. I’ve had rocks thrown at my school bus for being American and I’ve been slapped for being white. My grandmother (through whom I inherited my Native American genes) refused to discuss her Native American heritage because of the stigma she still felt even as late as the 1980s. Q: Where you ever in a band? Yes. In the 1980’s, I was in a local band in Washington State. We played a little bit of everything from rock to country to jazz to blues. All of our material was original. I was one of the songwriters as well as vocalist and rhythm guitarist. Q: Are there any sequels in the works? Yes. Black Wolf is a series of five books, each one about the life of one of the Black Wolf brothers. Q: How did you find your publisher and what was the process working with them for this book? I searched the web and asked around about publishers and finally found one who made sense to me. The process is fairly straightforward. I was responsible for finding the editor, illustrator, etc., while they are primarily responsible for printing, selling and opening sales venues for my book. Q: What problems did you have to tackle to complete the book and what process did you undertake to finish the story? I really didn’t have any problems finishing the book. Once I got started writing, it seemed to pour out of me. I’d put on my Los Lonely Boys CDs, grab the laptop and write and write and write for hours. Q: What advice do you have for first time writers? Find people who aren’t friends or relatives to read your work for an objective opinion. Q: What else would you like to tell us about your book? While it is a romance, it is not a sexcapade. It’s a story of people being brave enough to change and take a chance on really finding and giving love. Q: What else would you like to tell us about you? I’ve been happily married since 1977 and currently have three dogs (who aren’t spoiled at all). While I’ve lived in several states and countries, I consider myself a full-blood Texan.