ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Status: Married

Children: 3, ages 4 - 11

Books: 21

ReShonda Tate Billingsley is the national bestselling author of 21 titles. She has won numerous awards for her journalism, fiction and poetry writing skills. ReShonda always did have an active imagination. From making up stories to crafting award-winning poems, the national bestselling author has always maintained a love for telling stories. After numerous rejections from publishers, she stepped out on faith, established her own publishing company, and released her debut novel, My Brother's Keeper. The book caught the attention of a literary agent, who secured a deal for ReShonda with Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books.

A former television and radio news reporter, ReShonda has been in the journalism business for more than two decades. Currently, she is the co-host of From Cover to Cover literary talk radio show, a freelance reporter, an editor for the Houston Defender Newspaper, as well as a professional editor, ghost writer and literary consultant. ReShonda has worked as a reporter for The National Enquirer and as an anchor and reporter for NBC, ABC and FOX television stations in Beaumont, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Houston, Texas. She left her job at FOX 26 News in Houston in 2007 to write full-time.

BEHIND THE BOOKS

What is a typical day in your life like? I get up and get my kids off to school, then hit the ground running, doing promotional work, consulting, editing, and working for the newspaper, where I'm an editor. Then, I cook dinner, do the whole family thing, put everyone to bed and write until three or four in the morning. I try to write during the day, but my muse doesn't like visiting until it's dark.

How supportive is your family when it comes to a deadline? My family is supportive all the time, especially when I am under deadline. But I think it's rare that I'm NOT under deadline. They give me my space, are understanding when I need to go underground and just generally support my whole literary career.

What do you wish to accomplish with each book? I want to inform, entertain and inspire. I love it when people say not only were my books entertaining, but it made them think about some particular issue.

Knowing the path you took to where you are now, what is one thing from your experiences that you wish to save other authors from experiencing (OR hope all authors experience)? Writing is a business. Yes, you can write this fantastic book, but if no one sees it, what good is that? You have to develop a sound business and marketing plan to get your books into the hands of readers. And no matter what, don't give up. When you can't go in through the front door, find another way in, just keep at it.

What female authors have influenced you? I am an avid reader, starting back with Maya Angelou's I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. As a teen, I loved V.C. Andrews and Mary Higgins Clark. Now, I love reading my friends Victoria Christopher Murray, Pat Tucker, Tiffany Warren, Kimberla Lawson Roby.....I could go on and on....

We do hope you've enjoyed our celebration of Women's History Month as we highlighted four phenomenal women! Whether at home, work or behind the pen, these women are getting it in and we salute them!!!



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