Joyce Brown

Interview by King Brooks

I have known Ms. Joyce for about 5 years and it has been a pleasure to watch her grow as a author and writer. That’s why I had to interview her for my December 2021 column. She just released her new novel ‘My Soul Cries Out’ in October of the year. So sit back and enjoy my interview with her.

King Brooks: Who is Joyce A. Brown as a person and as an author?

Joyce Brown: I am a retired business owner (community researcher, grant writer, evaluator), mother of two and grandmother of two. I attended Bradley University, earning a bachelor’s degreein Psychology and a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling. I earned a PhD in Research, Measurement, and Evaluation from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Prior to owning my business for 10 years, my 40-year career was spent in human services organizations. I worked as a rehabilitation counselor, college/university counselor, family counselor, agency director and foundation program officer.

In 2011, I ended up in a hospital emergency room with heart failure as a result of overwork and a doctor’s misdiagnosis. My doctor said I had asthma; the emergency team diagnosed congestive heart failure. Six months later, I had a cardio defibrillator placed in my heart. The stipulation was that I could not return to my highly stressful life or to work. You can read my journey to restored health in an anthology produced by Vanessa Miller. Love. Hope. Faith. Stories that uplift, inspire, and enlighten.

I am currently “in between” assignments. I was caregiver for my mother from 2013 until her death in July 2021. During that time, I focused on improving my writing skills. Currently, I have seven or eight manuscripts that need to be dusted off, reviewed, and readied for publication.

KB: Tell us about your new novel ‘My Soul Cries Out?’

JB: My Soul Cries Out begins with a violent murder, immediately pulling the reader in to discover who and why. This tale of the tragic death of a young mother helps us see the impact of domestic violence on our families and communities, and the hypocrisy of apathetic police departments. The reader is guided through the days after, making youempathize with the victim’s spirit as she demands justice. Strong characters and a fast-moving plot make this an easy read. If you like a good love story or a great mystery, this is a book you do not want to miss.

KB: Where did the idea for this story come from?

JB: Throughout my career, I have been fascinated by the lives of women and girls. So much of the complexity of their lives does not get told in romantic fiction or biographies. My stories begin with a fictional character either asking a question or demanding I write about issues I care about. In the case of My Soul Cries Out, the lack of a realistic plan to investigate and solve murders in Battle Creek, MI a small-town where I resided from 1987 to 2013 felt like a betrayal to the citizens. Domestic partner abuse was one cause for murder. The other was the proliferation of drugs.

At one point, there were over fifty (50) unresolved cases. Families of the victims formed an organization and drew attention to the ever-increasing number of murders. There were multiple issues involved including witness intimidation,

KB: How long did it take you to write ‘My Soul Cries Out?’

JB: The book took about a year to write. However, it sat around for two years because I was not sure I wanted to publish it because the “spirit of Anna Marie” was problematic to sort out. I eventually decided to let go and tell her story.

KB: How different is ‘My Soul Cries Out’ from your other books and stories?

JB: This book is darker and more intense than my other books. There is not a happily ever after resolution to this story. However, Anna Marie’s spirit is fighting for vindication and to help other women understand the consequences of misplaced trust in the wrong people.

KB: What do you want readers to take away from ‘My Soul Cries Out?’

JB: Domestic partner violence is a pattern of abusive or coercive behavior used to gain and maintain power over another person. Most domestic violence is psychological abusewhich does not leave physical evidence, except despair, depression, and rage. The black eyes and broken bones come next. One in four women and one in ten men experienced contact physical violence and stalking by an intimate partner in 2017.

The National Coalition of Women Against Domestic Violence reported victims are murdered by the person they know, love, or are in relationship with. According to the Violence Policy Center, which uses Bureau of Justice statistics in annual reports about female homicide victims, three women are murdered every day in the U.S. by current or former romantic partners.

KB: When did the writing bug hit you?

JB: For the past forty years, I have authored short stories for my consumption, newspaper editorials as part of my advocacy and youth development articles. Authoring a novel was on my bucket list. Those early unfinished projects are still lying around. If COVID lingers around for another year, they might get dusted off and published. Writing is therapeutic.

Twist’d Dreams and My Moment My Turn were published by a small vanity press company. I learned a valuable lesson about publishing during that experience. Since then, I’ve self-published What You Can Get Away With, Getting Away With Everything, Winter’s Lament. I have authored short stories for four anthologies: Baring It All: The Ins and Outs of Publishing; Signed, Sealed and Delivered: I’m Yours; Love, Hope, Faith: stories that uplift, inspire, and enlighten; and All I Want for Christmas.

KB: What keeps you coming back for more? (i.e., writing, telling stories)

JB: The tipping point for writing down my stories came when my sister, Cheryl, was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer in 2004. I cut back on work to become her caregiver. As her illness progressed, the two of us spent our time together. Our first project was finishing her dissertation. She had already completed the research and had written the first chapters of the document prior to her first surgery. From her hospital bed or sitting up on the couch at home, Cheryl dictated, and I wrote down her words. She received her EdD in Education from the University of Illinois in 2005.

After that she encouraged me to write, to tell my stories. I started novel writing during the last year of her life as we moved between doctors’ visits, chemotherapy, and radiation. Cheryl ‘s death is what finally pushed me out of my wanna be writer to writer. She is my muse.

KB: How can readers contact you and find your books?

JB: Readers can find my books on Amazon in both eBook and print or contact me directly. Website: www.livethedreampublishers.com

Social Media Links Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joycebrown.73345048 Twitter: @livethedreampublishers Instagram: @PublishersLive

KB: What can we expect from you in the future?

JB: More novels.

Cleavester ‘King’ Brooks Publisher/Editor www.blackpageturners.com