Beverley East is the author of three books – Reaper of Souls: A novel of the 1957 Kendal Crash, Bat Mitzvah Girl: Memories of a Jamaican Child, and Finding Mr. Write: A New Slant on Selecting the Perfect Mate. “One [Reaper of Souls] is an historical fiction based on a true incident that happened in Jamaica, the second [Bat Mitzvah Girl] is my childhood memoir growing up between two families and between London and Jamaica and third [Finding Mr. Write] is a handwriting book on how to find your mate by looking at his handwriting.”
East was even featured on Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer!
Special thanks to author Beverley East for taking time to answer a few questions from the team here at Booked for Review!
B4R: Where do you get your ideas for your books?
Beverley East: I tell stories that need to be told. There are so many stereotypes of Caribbean people. I am always asked I didn’t know there were trains in Jamaica?!!!
B4R: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Beverley East: I am researching all the time. Reaper of Souls was a project of over twenty years of research and it was only when I moved to Jamaica that the best research was done when I could actually interview people. Google searches are not enough and that’s where a lot of writers go wrong.
B4R: When did you know writing was your passion/gift/calling?
Beverley East: I was about seven years old. I was a lonely child so I would write to myself and my mum. I always lived away from someone I loved so I was writing letters to them very early.
B4R: What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?
Beverley East: Finding the time. Making sure my message is understood and authentic.
B4R: Who are some of your favorite authors?
Beverley East: Colin Channer, James Baldwin, Zora Neal Hurston, Toni Morrison, Kei Miller
B4R: What advice would you give to other writers?
Beverley East: When you cannot write read, so much can be learnt from other authors especially best selling authors
All of Beverley East’s books can be found on Amazon.
shawn@shacagurus.com