BET Arabesque Author Francine Matthews

ABOUT ME...

"As You Wish"-December 6th, 2004 Release Date
"Time Will Tell"-October 3rd, 2005 Release Date

My name is Francine, but my friends call me "Frenchie". I am the proud mother of three gorgeous children ages 18, 17 & 13. I sometimes have to pinch myself, because I cannot believe how fast the years flew by from babyhood to independent teenagers. I have been married to my husband for twenty years as of October 20, 2004.
I was raised an Army brat. I was born in Orleans, France, and have lived in many other fascinating places. I recently moved back to the mainland from Hawaii, where my husband pastored a church for a few years. I now live in Oklahoma and am constantly in awe of my environment.
It always amazes me to see people riding horses down the street right in front of my house as if it were normal (actually, here, it is-smiles).
I hope, someday, to own a ranch of my own out here with a few horses, and more dogs than I can count. I love animals!

When Did You First Know You Wanted To Be A Writer?

I cannot recall a moment in time when I made the declaration "I want to be a writer." I have written since the first time a pencil was put in my hand...as a matter of fact, I was mentally writing stories even before then.
I wrote my first poem when I was nine years old. I wrote my first story when I was eleven, and I started my first novel (a historical African American Western), when I was fifteen.
For me, writing has always been a part of me. I write long letters, notes, cards, and whatever else presents itself. I keep diarys, journals, character notepads, taper recordings and have more discs, CD's and saved files near and on my computer than I could ever begin to count.

Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams...

My advice to anyone who desires to become an author is this:
-STOP TALKING ABOUT WRITING, AND GET BUSY DOING THE DEED...JUST WRITE.
-IF TIME IS AN ISSUE TO THE POINT THAT IT KEEPS YOU FROM WRITING, YOU AREN'T SERIOUS ABOUT THE CRAFT. EVEN IF YOU WRITE A CHAPTER A MONTH, THAT'S BETTER THAN WRITING NOTHING, AND WHINING ABOUT THE LACK OF TIME.
-AS EXCITED AS FAMILY AND FRIENDS WILL BE WHEN YOU'RE PUBLISHED, DON'T LOOK TO THEM TO ENCOURAGE YOU IN THE BEGINNING. IF THEY DO, FINE, BUT REMEMBER; UNTIL YOU GET A FAN BASE, WRITING IS A LONELY CAREER.
-YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS YOU!
-IF YOU'RE IN IT FOR THE MONEY, GET OUT NOW! IF YOU AREN'T WRITING BECAUSE YOU FEEL DRIVEN TO DO SO BY THE PASSIONS OF YOUR HEART, THEN YOU'RE IN IT FOR THE WRONG REASON(S).
-JOT DOWN EVERYTHING THAT INTERESTS YOU (NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE) ON PAPER, OR MAKE MENTAL NOTES. LIFE IS A STORY, AND EVERY STRANGER TELLS A TALE.
-HAVE FAITH IN GOD, AND IN YOURSELF.

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