LaToya:
Hi Danyelle thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about
yourself and your background?
Danyelle: My
name is Danyelle Scroggins. I was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. I
have lived whether years or short stay, in Japan, Corpus Christi, San
Francisco, Philadelphia, and Jacksonville, Florida. I guess you can say I’m
well rounded thanks to the United States Navy. I am the Senior Pastor at New
Vessels Ministries North and I am married to the Founder of New Vessels
Ministries, Pastor Reynard Scroggins. I have a degree in Psychology, in
Psychology & Biblical Studies, and I am presently working on a Master’s in
Religious Education. I am the mother of two daughters who are college graduates
and are both working on Master’s and a son, who will be graduating college in December
2016, I have two sons by marriage, and expecting my first grandchild this year.
I have been writing since I was a little girl and published my first book in
2003.
LaToya:
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
Danyelle: My
greatest ambition concerning my writing is to reach those who may have
questions concerning whether Jesus is Lord. My books are an extension of my
ministry, written to touch the hearts and minds of the saved and the lost.
LaToya:
Which writers inspire you?
Danyelle: The
late Danielle Steels & Francis Raye inspired me, and now I really look up
to Author Victoria Christopher Murray & Joyce Meyers.
LaToya:
What are you working on at the minute?
Danyelle: I’m
working on two books which are sequels to stories in The Power Series: Pain, Restoration, Love, & Forgiving and I am
promoting Put It In Ink, my latest
release.
LaToya:
What genre are your books and why?
Danyelle: My
genre is Christian or Inspirational Fiction and I write in this genre because
my books are again, an extension of my ministry. I love Romance and my books
often show how love transpires between those who love God, but I decided I wanted
to give people what I needed when I was a single woman, a book with minimum
references to sex.
LaToya:
In 10 words or less can you create a quote that describes you and your writing?
Danyelle: “My
life revealed, so others, can be healed.”
LaToya:
Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your
most recent book?
Danyelle: The
lead actress would be Emayatzy Corinealdi.
LaToya:
When did you decide to become a writer?
Danyelle: When
I was in the 5th Grade at Queensborough Elementary, reading Amelia
Bedelia books by Peggy & Herman Parish, I knew I wanted to write. Anything
that made me as happy as these books made me, I wanted to do the same for someone
else one day.
LaToya:
Do you write full-time or part-time?
Danyelle: I
would consider myself a full-time writer, because I write every day except
Sunday.
LaToya:
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
Danyelle: When
I wake up, after morning hygiene routines, prayer, and breakfast, I go to work
(write). I try to do an eight-hour day. If I need to do some church activities
during the week, I make up the time I lost after 10 PM.
Danyelle: I
learned that word counting was not a good goal for me, but rather to finish a
beginning or ending to a chapter. Therefore, if I begin a chapter on Monday, I
try with all of my might to be finished no later than Wednesday.
LaToya:
Where do your ideas come from?
Danyelle: I
have gotten book ideas through dreams, through my life, and through situations
that I encounter at church, in class, or in my surroundings.
LaToya:
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes
you?
Danyelle: I
am all things charted. I believe in putting what I have envisioned in a plan. Then,
I try to follow my plan. It is like my new book, if you have a vision or dream,
you need to Put It In Ink.
LaToya:
How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
Danyelle: I
have learned that writing is an art and although it cannot be rushed, it must
be nurtured and presented as art. Your very own art; not like anyone else’s,
but your own.
LaToya:
What is the hardest thing about writing?
Danyelle: The
hardest thing about writing to me is being able to stay within my guidelines
and not be so all over the place.
LaToya:
What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
Danyelle: The
editing of my latest book, Put It In Ink was the hardest. I took classes and
went over and beyond to make sure it flowed and was free of those catchy errors,
I missed in other books.
LaToya:
What is the easiest thing about writing?
Danyelle: The
easiest thing about writing is embracing my characters. I have learned to treat
them as if they are a part of my family.
LaToya:
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
It truly varies, but I try not to
spend more than two to three months on a project.
LaToya:
Where can you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
In 5 years, I would like to have put
out at least six more books and be a published children’s author as well.
LaToya:
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Danyelle: Be
authentic! When God created you, He had purpose in mind. You were the piece of
His puzzle meant to perform and fit exactly, where you were created to fit.
When you embrace someone else’s life instead of your own, you destroy the
puzzle as God has created it.
LaToya:
Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
Danyelle: One
day, I will be so enthralled to meet Jesus. You know it is like having the
smartest person you’ve ever known sitting before you, and the only question you
have to ask may seem stupid to someone else, but is your best shot at
understanding that which you have questioned.
LaToya:
If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been
and why?
Danyelle: I
would have loved to be one of the authors of a book of the Bible, written from
the point of view of a liberated woman, who loved Jesus.
LaToya:
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Danyelle: I
would tell them, never, ever give up. I was denied by all kinds of publishers,
but I never gave up. I created my own publishing house and now own my very own
catalog. To someone it may seem crazy, but to me, it proves no one can stop you
but you.
Connect with : Author Danyelle
Scroggins
Website: www.danyellescroggins.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authordanyellescroggins
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pastordanyelle
Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/Danyelle-Scroggins/e/B004513RVY
Purchase Links:
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