Straight from the Mouth of 'Not All Americans Are Racist' Nicole Weaver

Nicole weaver is an award-winning author. Her first trilingual book Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle was published in 2009. Her love for languages and other cultures resulted in publishing the award-winning book, My Sister Is My Best Friend which was published in 2011 by Guardian Angel Publishing and has won numerous awards. 

My Brother Is My Best Friend, published by Guardian Angel Publishing, January 2014, earned the 2014 Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval, and the 2014 Children's Literary Classics Gold Award. The book also earned a bronze medal in 2014 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards.

Nicole Weaver’s latest book is Not All Americans Are Racist. 

About the book:

In Not All Americans Are Racist, Nicole Weaver recounts her experiences with racial discrimination and the non-racist white individuals who made it possible for her to attend and finish college. As an immigrant from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, she is thankful for the opportunities America has offered her.

Find out more on Amazon. 

Questionnaire:

Thanks for letting us interrogate you!  Can you give us a go-for-the-gut answer as to why you wanted to be an author?

I love reading and writing became my main way to address the depression I experienced when my second child left for college. The rest is history. After I wrote my first book, I was hooked. I mainly write children’s trilingual books . I believe in exposing young children to a foreign language early on.  I teach high school French and Spanish and know from firsthand experience how important it is to study a foreign language at an early age.

Now, I am really having a ball writing nonfiction on topics that are very important to me.  Racism in America is real.  Eric garner and Trayvon Martin killings left me in total disbelief.  It whisked me back to a time in my own life I soon forget forever.  But the dormant feelings occupied my thoughts and took revenge by writing a nonfiction book titled, Not All Americans Are Racist. I hope my story will be an inspiration to all who have experienced any types of discrimination.

Tell us (we won’t tell promise!) is it all it’s cracked up to be?  I mean what are the perks and what are the demands?

The competition is steep. I am still trying to learn the art of marketing. Right now the only perk that resonates well with me is the joy I derive from sharing my stories with readers.  It takes time to brand yourself as an author, I will continue to work on that and hopefully I will eventually reach all of my long term goal of selling a zillion copies of my books. One can only dream, right?

Which route did you take – traditional or self-published – and can you give us the nitty gritty low down on what’s that like?

I self-published, because I can get my book out faster.  I am set to continue to self-publish my nonfiction books because I have a great editor, a great cover designer, and a great individual who can format my books.  All three are very important in order to be successful in the self-publishing world. 

Tell us for real what your family feels about you spending so much time getting your book written, polished, edited, formatted, published, what have you?

My three kids are grown; I have one   living at home temporarily.  My husband does not bug me much.  Writing is how I deal with the stress of teaching high school.  He watches TV, and I sit next to him on my recliner while I write. 

This is for plant lovers.  If you don’t own a plant, skip this question, but if you do, are they actually still alive?

Yes they are!  I have plants all over my house. I have the plants that eat toxins. I have some next to my bed and in every room in my house.  It is easy to take care of my plants; I make sure to water them at least once a week.  I used to have a garden, but gave that up so I can have more time for my writing.

In writing your book, how did you deal with the phone ringing, your family needing dinner or your boss calling you saying you’re late?

I cook enough to last me a few days. I write for two hours each before my husband gets home. I get up every morning at five AM to go to the gym, so when I get home, my time is spent writing.  As for my boss, calling, that is not something that will ever happen.  I have to be at work on time to open the door to my classroom, or else, my students will be standing out in the hall. Definitely do not want to piss off my principal!

What was the craziest or insane thing that happened to you in the book publishing process?

I had hired this person to edit my book, only to find out that the manuscript was riddled with errors. I learned my lesson, and will not subject myself to that ever again! 

How about the social networks?  Which ones do you believe help and which ones do you wish you could avoid?

I hate social media, and I wish for all of them to go away. I am still clueless on how Google plus and Pinterest work. 

Book sales.  Don’t you just love them (or lack of?)?  How are you making the sales happen for you?

Honestly, I am still working on that one.  There is so much to learn, so I am not letting myself get stressed too much. My motto: One day at a time!

What is one thing you’d like to jump on the rooftop and scream about?

I am an award winning traditionally and self published author! 

Okay, too much sugar for you today!  Here’s a nice cup of Chamomile tea and come on over and sit under the cabana and watch the waves roll in.  Now…can you tell us what you love about being a published author and how all those things above doesn’t matter because it’s all part of the whole scheme of things and you wouldn’t have it any other way?

I love getting my thoughts on paper. Writing is very therapeutic for me, so being able to write my books gives me an emotional high that is better than anything I have ever experienced. I find writing is the doorway to my soul, and sharing my writings with readers enables me to make an important contribution to the world.  Writing to me is like teaching high school.  I help my students develop a love for other cultures and languages, which in turn will help them become better world citizens.  I hope my books will help people understand my perspective on how important it is to appreciate others. There is no greater joy than that!