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Threesome:   Where Seduction, Power and Basketball Collide

“I had to create a buzz and then back it up” said the Philadelphia native in a recent interview. Thomas admits to spending upwards of $10,000 to print and market the first run of her book. This figure includes a designer outfit and boots that cost Thomas almost $1000. Unlike the character she created in Threesome who learned to part with cash like water, for Thomas this was indeed a lot of money, an investment, which she hopes will pay off.

The suspenseful opening of Threesome is told through the voice of several different characters and lays the foundation for the rest of the story. Eventually the narrative trickles into one voice, that of the main character, Sasha, a lost soul who perpetually finds herself as the third party in a series of dysfunctional relationships.

Thomas said she’s had aspirations of becoming a writer since she was a young girl making up songs on the playground, but back then at the tender age of twelve, she was interested in writing an autobiography. “Little did I know then, the direction my life would take. Now I have enough material,” she said.

Occasionally Thomas says she keeps a diary and while her debut into the literary world was with a novel, still she hasn’t given up the dream of writing her own life story. Currently she is penning her memoirs entitled “Laying Down My Burdens.”

After spending five years as an assistant to Stephon Marbury, basketball has always been a major influence on Thomas as a writer. When talking about the inspiration for Threesome, Thomas said “I needed a challenge, I was thinking about doing something on basketball and I wanted to write about a strong woman with problems.”

Whether Sasha is “strong” is debatable as she is continually pulled from one bad situation into a worst one. Some readers have expressed to Thomas that Sasha should get “saved” at the end, but Thomas intentionally stayed away from a neat ending saying “sometimes there are problems that just can’t be solved.”

But that’s in her fiction, in her own life there is a problem that Thomas quickly solved and that’s how to create a package that sells. The first time author’s story is similar to that of other self-published writers. “At first I tried the Black agents, then I contacted all of the agents and then I went after the publishing houses directly.” But still no one bit. Then one day Thomas ran across an article about self published authors and interestingly enough, the article touted Philadelphia as the city with the highest number of do-it-your selfers including Karen Quinones Miller, author of Satin Doll. Thomas then concluded, “sh--, if they can do it, I can too.” And so she did.

At the time we spoke in early December, Thomas had sold about 700 of the 1000 books she had printed just the month before. How did she sell so many so fast?

“I did a lot of research,” she said. “I have everything on the writing industry.” Further Thomas has a background in marketing so she knew how to work with designers, develop an eye-catching press kit and arrange radio interviews. Oh, and let’s not forget the launch party, which was held at Bluezette, a Black female owned soul food restaurant in Philly’s historical Old City District.

Judging from the meticulous planning of the party, Thomas seems to be a believer that first impressions count. The sheik setting offered two spacious floors for the 200 guests that responded to Thomas’ invitation, which came complete with a gorgeous headshot of the smiling novelist.

And Thomas, not to be outshone by the fabulous surroundings, carefully selected clothing that would compliment her 5’11” frame. With skin the color of coffee with one cream, and her hair in locs, Thomas sported a pair of tangerine colored wool pants with a matching sleeveless sheer blouse from Joan Shepp and a pair of crocodile and pony hair Mauri mid calf brown boots.

“My platinum and ice earrings were courtesy of Barry Sable jewelers,” she gushed—and why not? After a decade of finding no inspiration to write, it took Thomas two years to complete Threesome. “At first I tried to fight it, but eventually, I listed to Sasha.” There were times when Thomas said she’d reluctantly get up in the middle of the night to write. “Once they have a hold of you, the characters don’t let you go,” she said.

So the launch party was Thomas’ time in the sun, but as any self-published author can attest, most of the work of writing and promoting your book is an arduous, lonely job. There are many evenings when after working a full day, Thomas then goes home and stays in her office until well past midnight responding to emails, mailing out post cards and press releases and performing other less than glamorous administrative tasks.

Also part of the job of a writer is to be an avid reader. On Thomas’ usual reading list are lots of biographies and books on race relations. To keep up with her own genre Thomas said lately she’s been reading novels by Terry McMillan and Bebe Moore Campbell.