New York Times Best Selling Author: Teri Woods
Sunday, 01 November 2009 14:37 Written by Samantha BattleNew York Times best selling author, Teri Woods is back on the scene with her new book, “Alibi.” With much success from her first novel, “True to the Game,” Woods decided to switch it up this time.
“Each character is different. I wanted to focus on Daisy who is someone that comes out to be an amazing survivor and women could relate to her,” Woods said. “I wanted her to be a little different and still have a street element to her.”
It took Woods about three to four months to really develop the story but once she got it, typing it was a breeze being that she can type 90 words a minute.
“It’s like starting all over again with this book. All my girlfriends actually think ‘Alibi’ is better than ‘True to the Game,’” Woods said.
With being an established author, Woods isn’t really getting any negative feedback from her follow-up work as she did when she was first coming out.
“I haven’t really gotten that much backlash from ‘Alibi,’ but I have from other books,” Woods said. “It is sort of fading now because there are so many urban books out there. The backlash isn’t the same as in 2002 when I was the only urban lit author.”
Woods started out as a legal secretary with personal injury lawyers before she became a best selling author. She didn’t attend college and really didn’t write much, but she had a story that she wanted to be told.
“I had this concept for ‘True to The Game,’ and I had always been into poetry,” Woods said. “I had a story in my head, but I wasn’t really a writer and I didn’t go to college. No one wanted to publish it, and it took me five years to finally get it published.”
Coming from a background of being a secretary and not going to college, Woods is very humble and proud to have made it on the New York Times Best Seller List.
Woods is now working on “Alibi” Part Two and “Dutch” Three. Along with these, she is also working on trying to develop her film company and one day making one of her books into a movie under her own film company. Until then, she is just promoting her new book and continuing her calling in urban literature.
“‘Alibi’ is the best book ever but nothing can replace ‘True to the Game.’ The books have affected many people and many people can relate to them,” Woods said. “I feel my books can help young people and it is giving them the chance to open a book and actually read it. It helps open up a line of communication for anyone such as parents trying to talk to their kids.”
Wood’s advice to up-and-coming authors is to “write what you feel and feel what you write.”
Samantha Battle
Samantha Battle is a recent graduate from Columbia College Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. She was born and raised in Chicago. She has a passion for writing but also aspires to be on television one day as a reporter.
Follow her on Twitter: @SamanthaB089
Website: samtellsall.blogspot.com