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Crisis Mode
by Michelle Larks
Crisis Mode is a book of novellas which offer an in-depth look at what happens when people reach "zero hour." In "What’s a Woman to Do", Sharita Atkins is faced with the dilemma of whether or not to have an abortion. Determined to break the cycle of dependency in her family, she attends a trade school, hoping to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. She is on the verge of pulling her life together and getting out of the projects, on the south side of Chicago.
In, "Family Secrets," Jeanine Meyers is struggling with guilt over the injuries her seven-year-old son, Jamal suffered at the hands of her abusive husband, James. Jamal is now a comatose patient at a Chicago children’s hospital. So distraught is Jeanine that she attempts suicide, then later moves in with her parents. During family discussions other things come to light about Jeanine and her suspicions of being adopted.
"Letting Go," introduces Desiree Cooper, who is on cloud nine about her upcoming marriage to Andre Jackson. While preparing to take his tux to the cleaners she discovers a lady’s phone number in his pocket. AND…an opened package of condoms. Desiree leaves Illinois and travels to Arkansas to seek counsel from Mia (her estranged mother.) Although he’s had moments of indiscretion in the past, Andre swears he’s innocent.
"Family Meetings" deals with the impending death of Anna, a family matriarch, and her adult children, Marsha, Marty, John, and their families. Marsha Douglas and her husband, Howard, live in the house with her aging mother. After Anna suffers a stroke the family schedules meetings to determine how they’ll manage her continued care. They’re stunned when they realize she doesn’t want any measures taken to prolong her life. At times emotions are strained between Marsha and her sister, Marty, but then the confessions take place!
These stories share the common thread of sisterhood and extended family. This work will definitely hold the reader’s attention.
DT: The characters in "Crisis Mode" were very identifiable, were they people you've known? Or was that purely coincidental?
ML: The people in Crisis Mode, are based on stories men and women have shared with me, over the years. So not someon's story specifically, but more a combination of their stories and mine.
DT: Each of your stories contained deep-seated issues. What was the main theme you wanted readers to grasp from "Crisis Mode?" How long did it take to write?
ML: I want people to learn from my stories, how women face multiple issues at the same time, and how difficult it is to work through them. I also want readers to understand my character's thought's and dilemmas from an emotional standpoint. The book took me six months to write.
Crisis Mode
by Michelle Larks |
DT: The title, "Crisis Mode," perfectly fits your body of work, which came first the stories or the title?
ML: The title Crisis Mode, came before the stories.
DT: The cover ties everything into a tidy package, was it close to what you envisioned as you were writing "Crisis Mode?"
ML: I'd originally envisoned the cover, with snippets of pictures reflecting the themes of the stories. My graphic artist sent me three samples, and when I saw the graphic that ultimately became the cover, I knew immediately she reflected best, the suffering the women experienced in the book.
DT: If you were stranded on an island with only two books what would you want them to be? Why?
ML: That's a hard question, if I were stranded with 2 books, which ones would I choose, since I'm an avid reader. My choices would be, The Darkest Child, by Delores Phillips, and This Bitter Earth by Bernice McFadden.
DT: Please discuss some of your upcoming projects.
ML: I've completed two manuscripts, one is titled "Peaches and Cream," it's the story of a middle class teenage mother who abandons her child in the hospital a few days after giving birth, her bi-racial daughter, who's raised by nuns. The story spans 40 years, and is a narravtive in the first person. the pair's lives as the result of the mother's actions. The second manuscript is titled "Mirrored Images," and explores sibling rivalry between twin sisters, there's a good twin and bad one. The bad twin sets her sights on good twin's fiance. I am about halfway done with a third manuscript, untitled, and it's the story of a woman who meets her soulmate and love of her life, a week before her scheduled wedding to another man.
DT: Any final thoughts?
ML: In closing, I'd like to reiterate that I love writing, and I hope my efforts will tastefully reflect the emotional struggles women face, as well as the family's interaction during tribulations.
DT: Well, Michelle, we thank you for this interview and we wish you all the best!!
Michelle's website: http://www.MichelleLarks.com
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