It is not lost on me that mainstream book marketers struggle to keep sales up. One only have to look on the other side of the fence to witness another market thriving and building momentum as books about black romance, black professionals, and black themes are reverberating from experiences close to the center of their passions. First time authors are taking advantage of this wellspring to churn out offerings left and right. And being the bibliophile that I am, my passion for evaluating and collecting books will always endear me to those brave souls...the tried and true aspiring writers who will defy all odds to get that first novel published. That's why when I was contacted to review Thadine Quick's book, 'Addicted To You' there was no turning her down! After engaging her in conversation, and her enthusiastically answering my intrusive 20 question onslaught, I'm convinced that I've found an author that adheres to the above, who is dedicated, and destined for wider appeal.

Thadine Nanette Quick is a Chicago native, who has written several collection of poems, numerous short stories and documentaries. Her resume also include screen & scriptwriting courses as she aspire to own, direct, and write for sitcoms and the big screen. For now, she's settled for a healthy publishing contract and looking forward to an upcoming book tour.

Alvin Romer: Share with us the correct enunciation and significance of your name. You must be the only person in the world with a moniker like this, and there MUST be a story behind it!

Thadine N. Quick: Actually it’s funny you should ask, but yes there is a story behind my name… You see my Stepfather, who literally was there the day I was born, wanted to name me after him, despite the fact that I was not his biological child. His name is Thaddeus, which in Greek means “Gift of God.” Now the female version of Thaddeus is “Thadea,” but since it didn’t have a ring to it, he changed it to Thadine – which means Courageous.


Alvin Romer: Why was it such an obsession for you to write a novel?

Thadine N. Quick: Well, I wouldn’t necessarily call it an obsession for me to write a novel, but I would say that it was a passion and a deep craving that brought immediate “peaceful” results. That it was a true cleansing of my soul, which in the end produced more rewards and benefits than any high priced physiatrist could. It’s funny too, because as a child, I remember always having a way with words, and always being the one that could tell a funny story, or the best story; but it was my imagination that truly captured and brought my family and friends to their knees and after a while, I started to capitalize on that gift. So whether it was 4 o’clock in the evening or 4 o’clock in the morning, when an idea or story ran across me, this ten year old was getting up and writing it down.


Alvin Romer: Who are some of your literary influences, past or present?

Thadine N. Quick: Author’s Maya Angelou, Iyanla Vanzant, Terry McMillan, Danielle Steele, Toni Morrision, E. Lynn Harris, and the late Iceberg Slim.


Alvin Romer: What are your views on the availability and popularity of the African-American publishing and writing phenomena today?

Thadine N. Quick: Oh! Clearly the opportunities for us in the African-American community, with regards to publishing and writing has soared to new levels and reached new heights. I believe that although we have a long way to go, we have clearly arrived in a new era where we are not only listen to by the media and higher level executives, but our voices, our perspective and literary contributions are finally taken seriously. Oprah Winfrey, Terry McMillan, Will Smith, Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence are clearly examples of how we have come so far and they have all contributed to the writing phenomena today, with their sitcoms and/or television shows. They have not only opened doors by employing African Americans on their show, but they have given us the opportunity to build a resume by allowing us to produce, direct and collaborate with many well established producers/writers on their show, who would otherwise never look our way. Today we are writing and reading more, developing our own scripts, novels, and sitcoms thus building a solid foundation for our younger generation and I believe that this is only the beginning, the best is yet to come. Should we own more publishing and production companies? Absolutely, it’s a must for the advancement of our writing and film careers, but I believe that as long as we continue to write and deliver great novels, the ownership of these publishing companies’s is sure to come.

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