Juicy Peach: So the name Phoenix Williams is that your author name? How did that come about?
Aiyla: That is my author name. It is not my real name but I wish it was my real name because it sounds nice. It came from a really good friend of mine, we were talking one night and I was telling him about some things that I wanted to make changes on and he was like you’re just like a phoenix re-inventing yourself. So that’s where that came from.
Juicy Peach: When did you first get the idea to write your first book?
Aiyla: When I was in college I had a blog and I used to put a lot of poetry on there so when I left school I came back home and I was trying to figure out what the heck I want to do with my life. I woke up on 4/20 (giggles) I am not a smoker by the way, well not that kind of smoker. So yeah I woke up that day and I called my best friend and I was telling her that I think I have enough poems to make a coffee table book. She was like girl you should go on and do it. So I put all the poems together in a book and I realized I didn’t have enough to publish an actual book so I thought maybe if I added in some short stories I could make it long enough. So I added in the short stories and it ended up being my first book “Running” which has all short stories and no poems. Everyone who read it liked the short stories better than they liked the poems.
Juicy Peach: Are any of these short stories based off true events?
Aiyla: Everybody asks me that. With any author I would say that you probably draw from personal experience. Everybody’s been in love, everybody that I know have had sex people have done things that they aren’t necessarily are proud of. I would say in that sense yeah there were true emotions behind every story whether or not some of these stories are actually real I will not say (giggles) only because there are other people involved in those stories. I would say I have some real life experiences from this myself.
Juicy Peach: What are your views on sex?
Aiyla: It’s a great thing. Here’s the problem that I have with some people, some people are very prude and saying things like “sex is a bad thing” and blah blah blah.. but we all got here because two people got together and made you. So obviously sex is a good thing otherwise you would not be here and I find the who protest the loudest has the most freakiest shit in their closet.
Juicy Peach: I do have to be honest reading your books will make someone feel some type of way cause that’s how I felt lol Do you get turned on while writing or rereading your material?
Aiyla: When I reread it and I feel myself getting turned on them I’m like this will be a good book. I have a lot of stories that I’ve written that I have not put out only because it doesn’t have that effect. If I can’t imagine myself in that situation and feel some kind of way about it and I don’t wanna be one of the characters or do the characters then it’s not going inside the book.
Juicy Peach: I’m a witness of how everyone at our job loved your books including me but what is the overall feedback that you are receiving from your books?
Aiyla: I’ve received nothing but good feed back. There are a few that said some things that at first I took personally but I realized that this industry is not made for heart. If you’re trying to be a writer you can’t always wear your heart on your sleeves because reading is objective. What I write you may not like it and what you write I may not like it so most of the feedback that I have received has been really really good and I was really honestly surprised because I wasn’t expecting anybody besides my two best friends to complete the book. I didn’t think that anybody would read it at all.
Juicy Peach: Will there be a book tour soon? How are you reaching out to your fans?
Aiyla: I’m trying to schedule a book tour soon. Many people don’t know that I am a single parent so trying to schedule a book tour is very difficult when I have to make sure he gets to school. So most of the time I reach out to my fans and I travel to try to see them when school is out so summer break spring break and winter break because I want to make sure that I’m here for him. So my number one job is to be here for him. I do have a few things planned for the summer. Once I get something definite than I will go ahead and post it. I have a facebook and a twitter. I don’t have an Instagram yet only because I’m extremely cheap and don’t want to buy a new phone but I feel like that’s probably going to have to change soon. I definitely will be trying in October to go to the black book festival down in Houston. It’s a lot of different things going on in Chicago for writers, there’s book week and Publishers Role going on. So I will definitely try to make more of an effort to reach out but I am available through email but for as seeing me face to face I want to come out and do that soon.
Juicy Peach: What things are you currently working on?
Aiyla: I’m working on a few different things if you read Red Door you’re probably very upset with me because I left it on such an extreme cliff hanger. But I think I’m known for that leaving you hanging for more. I do that because I like to make books. I like to make you guys read them so I leave you hanging. But “Red Door 2” is going to be coming out soon. Lady Bird Chronicles 2 and I know that everybody has been waiting for. Every time I see people they ask me what’s happening with the Lady Bird Chronicles that will be coming out in August. I have another book that I’m working on called the “Common Set” it’s another book with short stories. It’s a different view it’s not like my regular work like lets all get naked ( laughter) it’s completely different and that will be coming out hopefully in April and I just finished my 6th book called “Chocolate Orgasm” I love that book it’s like some of my favorite short stories in that book and it just came out a couple of weeks ago.
Juicy Peach: Anything you want your fans to know about you?
Aiyla: I’m a very shy person so going out and meeting my fans is very difficult. And I know it doesn’t seem like it but I wanna do it but I’m very scared. But I’m going to make that happen soon. I would love for my fans who have been rocking with me since “Running” to get together and we discuss the book and what you want from me. I think that most authors don’t take the time to see what the fans want to hear they just assume but I really want to know it. So I want to set up something with the girls from the previous job to come together so you guys can let me know what you want to hear from me because I really am open for feedback.
