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 Who is Xavier Knight?
Xavier Knight is the Christian fiction pseudonym for C. Kelly Robinson. He is a native of Dayton, Ohio and magna cum laude graduate of Howard University and Washington University in St. Louis. Robinson is a marketing communications manager by day and has a long record of volunteer experience across organizations including United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Mentor St. Louis, and Student Venture Ministries. Author of five previous novels including the best-selling No More Mr. Nice Guy and the critically acclaimed Between Brothers (Random House), he lives outside Dayton with his wife and daughter. He is hard at work on his next novel and on a nonfiction project. |
Q&A - “Literary Buzz” newsletter, March 2008
First, it has been a couple of years since your last release. You’re back now, writing Christian fiction under the pen name Xavier Knight. Why the pen name and switch in genres?
The switch in genres was really overdue. I have always tried to weave my Christian faith into my books, though the intensity of the message varied from one story to the next. After THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, I was ready to tell stories from a more mature place and without limiting the portrayal of spiritual faith in characters’ lives. This move gives me the chance to do that.
The pen name was a call made by my agent and publisher. I think the idea was a new name for a new genre, but eventually the decision was made to promote the fact that I am C. Kelly Robinson for the sake of my loyal readers.
Tell me more about The Things We Do For Love.
This is the story of two women who are faced with terrible betrayals in their marriage, and have to decide whether their Christian faith is leading them to stay with their husbands. Dionne and Suzette’s husbands are lead singers in a gospel group, and despite being sincere Christians each has fallen in a way that brings great scandal to the group.
What did you find most challenging about writing in the Christian fiction genre?
You mean it’s supposed to be challenging (smile)? It was really freeing for me, frankly, to write about characters who are reading scripture and praying to God even as they deal with very real sin in their lives and the lives of those they love. I will say that I had to be more rigorous about using scripture references and communicating a coherent spiritual message than with my other books. Simply spinning an entertaining story is insufficient when you’re trying to nourish the soul.
Are you hoping to expand your fan base by writing in a different genre?
I have really had to move beyond concerning myself with expanding my fan base. One thing I learned after years of touring the country and taking out a home equity loan to fund promotional activity, is that I can’t meaningfully control my sales volumes without promoting full-time and spending money that should now be invested in my daughter’s college fund, not to mention my 401K! I leave the size and shape of my fan base to God.
Will you ever publish under C. Kelly Robinson again?
I expect that I will. For one, the door is opening for me to do some ghostwriting and co-writing, so my nonfiction books at least will carry my “real” name.
Of all of your novels, which is your most and least favorite, and why?
The sentimental favorite will always be BETWEEN BROTHERS. You never forget your first. It still amazes me to recall how thrilled I was when I first drafted that book. I had always believed I would write a book someday, but to know the talent was really there was life-changing knowledge for me. As far as a least favorite, I don’t have one – they’re all special to me in some way and I know I worked hard to make them quality books.
What personal challenges have you faced during your literary career?
The simplest way to answer, is that there is no professional joy I get like that I get crafting a story. From the day the books ship to the stores, though, it gets very challenging. You have to compete with hundreds of thousands of other publications, you rarely get a large promotional or touring budget, and you have three months at best to make your mark. I love writing and will encourage my daughter and any other children to pursue it, but I will also warn them against ever relying on the literary field for full-time, long-term income. Financial security in this business is like winning the lottery.
What is hardest part of writing a novel? What comes first, the character or the plot?
I think honing the plot, especially with respect to management of suspense, is the most important step. Beyond that, the hardest phase is doing that final rewrite, when you’re trying to question everything without becoming paranoid.
What are your thoughts on the African American literary industry? Does it seem like it’s more focused on quantity vs. quality?
I’m probably as conflicted as most of my fellow commercial fiction writers and literary writers when it comes to the prevalence of hip-hop and street books out there. I guess it beats putting a gangsta rap CD in a kid’s hands, but it’s still sad seeing the things readers tend to gravitate towards.
Why do you write, and what inspires your writing?
I write in order to explore the ways that we as humans react to life’s conflicts and challenges. A big inspiration tends to be the conflicts that I and others face in real life – for me, the “fiction” comes in depicting the many different ways in which people react to those conflicts and the resulting consequences. One of the things that keeps me at my desk is the ongoing feedback from readers who thank me for telling stories that help them in the handling of their own life’s challenges. It is a real blessing to greatly enjoy something that serves others that way.
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SST Q&A with CK
Q. How does The Strong, Silent Type compare with your previous works?
Although the initial inspiration for this book is my most personal one yet, I think the story is true to what my readers expect – an entertaining, true-to-life story with elements of humor, suspense, and romance. With that said, SST is probably my most ambitious work to date, because I’m laying out struggles central to my own life.
A. As one who has a history of stuttering, did you base Deacon and his difficulties on your life experience?
Deacon is his own creation. He and I have a few things in common–the stuttering, being from high-achieving families, surviving moments of self-doubt. The similarities pretty much end there. With Deacon, I wanted to create an attractive, heroic figure whose one shortcoming was this rare, misunderstood disability that he had the ability to hide. That was really never an option for me.
Q. Do you know many women like Maria who are separated from their children?
When I began writing the manuscript, I knew I wanted to connect Deacon with a woman who had her own hidden battles, a fellow wounded soul. I don’t personally know any women who are hiding their identity from their children like Maria was, but I know some who have put them up for adoption or have lost custody for various reasons. When you consider the unique gift that all mothers receive in their children, I think being separated from them for any reason is an undeniable tragedy.
A. Like many authors, you’re on record about who some of your favorite authors have been through the years. Have you ready anyone recently who particularly inspired you?
The past couple of years I’ve made strides in finally making time to read some authors whose names I’ve always heard but never read in detail: Pearl Cleage, James Patterson, Richard Price, and Nick Hornby are good examples. I always like to challenge myself, looking for lessons across genres.
- Will we ever see any of the characters from The Perfect Blend again?
Count on it. I don’t have all the details yet, but I predict that O.J. and Tony will appear in future works of mine, and you never know when Mitchell and Nikki will pop up as supporting characters. |
Five MORE Questions with C. Kelly Robinson
Q: So, THE PERFECT BLEND features a few familiar faces . . . how did
that happen?
A: If you're referring to the lead characters in THE PERFECT BLEND,
you're right. Mitchell and Nikki Stone were the protagonists of NO MORE
MR. NICE GUY, and O.J. Peters was the guy people loved to hate in BETWEEN
BROTHERS. This book grew out of NO MORE MR. NICE GUY, because when that
story ended I knew that Nikki and Mitchell were going to get married,
but that their battles with Gina, Mitchell's ex-fling, were far from
over.
I got to thinking about how many of us wind up with children from empty
relationships or one-night stands, and how that makes things tense when
we finally settle down with Mr. or Ms. Right. Sometimes a well-meaning
spouse with a baby's mama/daddy can feel like they're caught between
a rock and a hard place. I thought I could illustrate some of that through
Nikki and Mitchell, in a way that would entertain readers and get them
thinking about how to make blended families work.
Q: So would you say the book has a self-help angle?
A: I'm no psychologist, just an observer of life, but
I'd like to think people who are part of any blended family – as a stepparent, stepchild,
baby's mama or daddy, etc. – will relate to the character's struggles.
I think everyone will find their experiences to be true-to-life and
page-turning, but if the issues are relevant in people's lives there
will be an extra connection.
Q: Who's more at fault for the marital struggles that Nikki and Mitchell
face in this story?
A: There's plenty of blame to be shared. As the story opens, they
are really talking past each other – she's feeling threatened by Gina's intrusions
on their lives and her childlessness, while he's consumed by the new
responsibilities of fatherhood and his professional struggles. As a result,
when Nikki tries to talk to Mitchell about what she's feeling, he's not
able to clearly communicate back to her, leaving her to formulate her
own plan about how to “fix” things.
Q: For people who read BETWEEN BROTHERS and were too
through with O.J., is he still up to his old tricks?
A: When the story
opens, O.J.'s already come a long way since we last saw him. He's
no longer a shyster minister; he's a reformed, honorable . . . radio
DJ. He's trying to be more than just a DJ, though. His goal is to be
his generation's Tom Joyner – funny and entertaining, but also
challenging his listeners to become more informed, responsible citizens.
He's no longer trying to front as something he's not, but that doesn't
mean his life is any simpler. He's a responsible father to his daughter
Cherrelle for instance, but he's struggling to connect with her because
he lives hundreds of miles away and has a tense relationship with
her mother, Keesa. So when Keesa suddenly moves to Chicago with Cherrelle
in tow, challenging O.J. to be more of a full-time father and end
his playboy ways, he feels a little threatened. By the end of the story,
though, any ambiguity he feels about fatherhood is gone. O.J. will
never be a saint, but I think he connects with readers because he's
witty, flawed, and just plain real.
Q: What's coming up next from you?
A: Well, once you've purchased and read PERFECT BLEND,
don't forget to pick up a copy of Robert Fleming's INTIMACY anthology,
due out in February. I have a story in there entitled “Coming of Age.” In
January '05, New American Library will release my next novel, THE STRONG
SILENT TYPE. A suspenseful love story, it's one of my most personal
works yet, in that it includes a lead character who stutters. In addition,
I'm working on a nonfiction book of profiles with my brother Russell,
and will get started soon on a new novel idea. I am thankful every
day for the privilege to write. |
Five Questions
with … C. Kelly Robinson
Q: So
where did you get the story for Nice Guy?
CK:
This one arrived through a simpler process than Between Brothers.
I can't claim any noble motives, I just thought it would be entertaining
to do a "what if" based on conversations I've had with friends
through the years. A lot of guys trying to do the right thing by their
women felt they were getting dumped for brothers who had more "Negro"
in them, as one of my female friends calls it.
Q: So
you're saying women's men troubles are their own fault?
CK:
Hey don't ask me, ask the men on the street. Mitchell Stone's journey
from nice guy to player is lived out in real life all the time, it's
just more subtle I think. Men are practical beings, though. We wouldn't
be trying this if it didn't work.
Q: Is
this some female-bashing, anti-Oprah book then?
CK:
Nobody who takes time to read the story of Nikki Coleman, Mitchell's
love interest, should get that message. I put as much work (probably
more, given I don't share her gender?) into creating her as I did with
Mitchell, and I think she's a real but sympathetic person readers can
relate to.
Q: The
chapters bounce back and forth between Mitchell and Nikki, each speaking
in the first person. That's cool and all, but do you think you wound up
favoring one character over the other?
CK:
I'm human, so I had to watch the temptation to empathize more strongly
with Mitchell. However, playing the two characters off each other kept
me from tipping too much one way or the other. Some couples who read
the manuscript said they read the book to each other, the husbands reading
Mitchell and the wives Nikki. I can only dream that experience gets
repeated thousands of times over. It would further my long-term goal
of increasing the numbers of Black men reading fiction.
Q: I'm
cheating and posing two questions to close out. You're trying to sneak
some type of moral or theme in here, aren't you? And once you admit to
that, how much do you personally have in common with Mitchell?
CK:
The theme to No More Mr. Nice Guy? I think it's more of an individual
theme this time around. Are the games and false fronts we employ in
the search for love worth it? Do we even understand what the opposite
sex wants? This story puts a twist on these and more while telling a
fun story.
As far
as my similarities to Mitchell, they're pretty cosmetic. I'd say he's
more neurotic, quick with a quip, and insecure than I am. He's also
much more organized in his pursuit of romance. I was always one to believe
you just played the cards you were dealt when it came to pursuing women;
Mitchell's shaking up the entire deck.
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If
you're looking for information on my wife's nonfiction book, No
Ways Tired: The Public Historically Black College Dilemma, you'll
also find that here on the "Books" page. Kyra received a B.A.
in English from Fisk University in 1993 and a M.S. in Journalism from
Ohio University in 1995. No Ways Tired evolved from her master's thesis,
which examined the forced integration of public black colleges.