Pray You Catch Me

Thirty Two| Discover

Santana

This was the fifth city on this book tour and I really couldn't wait to get the other half over with so I could take my ass home and get some real rest. I purposely set Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, and Houston as my last stops. It was only right I returned to my hometown to finish it. That city inspired me so much. It didn't make any sense.

"Do you think your book helps push the narrative that Black women are expected to "rescue" or "raise" grown men into being better people? Do you think it pushes the fact that Black women are expected to teach men how to love themselves more and how to treat us better as women?" That question had taken me completely off guard. All of the questions I got about my book pertained to the relationships between Amir and Deja or Deja and Chase. People wanted to know about a sequel, spin off, or prequel. This was the first time I got a question pertaining to the theme and I was surprised and excited at the same time.

"I wouldn't say it pushes the narrative but I guess in a way in does. Deja has to teach Chase a lot. However when it comes to Amir, they grow together. It isn't strictly up to her to teach him. He teaches her a lot about herself as a woman. But they both expect her to stick through all the bull and she shouldn't have to. They're grown men and should know what is right and wrong. Period. Sorry can only carry so much weight. Men tend to associate putting someone through a bunch of drama and them staying as the equivalent to love. Not true." I shook my head and got back on topic. "Is being a nurturer or rescuer a bad thing tho? I want to motivate my partner. I want him to know he can't do with me what he did with the last chick. He has to step his game up and I am more than willing to help him. I just want the actions to be reciprocated. I want him to help me level up as well."

The young woman smiled back at me. "That is all I want too. All of the work shouldn't be left up to us. They need to put in as much effort. However there were times in the book that I felt like Amir and Chase got too many passes because they are men. It was expected for Deja to put up with it and ride with them when some of the obstacles thrown in their way could have been avoided, if either of them made better decisions."

"I feel that but Deja wasn't always handling situations properly. Her attitude was on another level. She would spazz, hold onto that anger or act like it didn't happen without talking about it. That isn't healthy in any relationship. With Chase she was definitely trying to raise a grown ass man but you heard what K. Michelle said." I playfully shook my head. "She wanted to see him change so bad. She wanted him to get it together for their son so bad but all he wanted was their relationship to get back on track. He didn't care about their child and I think that hurt her the most. As far as Amir is concerned, she was burned out by the time she got to him. So when he messed up, she was over it. She loved him but she had nothing else left to give because Chase sucked all of her energy. But Amir fought for her and helped her grow as a woman. He stepped up in a way Chase hadn't." Tilting my head to the side, I smiled. "So yes the narrative was pushed when she was dealing with Chase. When it came to Amir, they rescued each other. They helped each other grow."

Vivian stood up and announced that the Q&A was over. I thanked everyone for showing up and grabbed my purse before exiting out the back of the Barnes and Noble. "You handled that question very well."

"Those are the type of questions I want." I admitted. "That lets me know my readers are actually understanding the themes of my books. They're comprehending what I'm bringing to the table." She nodded her head before answering her ringing phone.

I sighed and made myself comfortable in the back of the car. It felt like I hadn't gotten eight hours of sleep in weeks. But I had the next two days off, so sleep was the only thing on my agenda. We were flying straight into Charlotte. I wasn't leaving that hotel room unless it was a necessity. My body was so tired.