A CONVERSATION WITH SAN CULBERSON (Interviewed by The RBM)
The RBM: What inspired you to write "The Nick Of Time"? Was it a real-life situation, a result of a
creative mind, or a little bit of both?
San: It was really a little bit of both. It seems to me as if marriage and divorce go hand in hand, and before I
started writing the “Nick of Time” I knew of several marriages that were faltering or ending (including my
own). I know some women who were decimated by divorce and weren’t even aware of it. I thought, what
could happen if a sexy smart woman made the decision to put her divorce in perspective and move forward
without looking back…the end result was “The Nick of Time”.
The RBM: How much fun did you have writing this book?
San: Writing the book was so much fun! I still smile when I think of some of the things that Fiona said and
some of the situations that she found herself in.
The RBM: When you write your novels, how much research goes into your characters? For example
in "Nick", one of the main characters is Nick Nathaniel, so did you probe the brain of a Man to
effectively develop his character?
San: Probe a mans brain…are you kidding? Do you know how difficult that is for a woman? My
characters are developed mostly from my imagination and my observations. I wanted to invent a man who
would be a perfect foil for Fiona (strong, laid back, experienced). Nick is actually my favorite character in
the book. He’s very steady and he’s mature enough to see the essence of Fiona. I’ve had several women tell
me that they wish their “Nick” would come along.
Nick /nik/n - a man who sees and appreciates the essence of a woman.
And some of my characters are like a goulash (a little bit from here and a little bit from there).
The RBM: Is "The Nick Of Time" geared towards any specific group of people, or can the average
male reader enjoy this novel, OR is it more for your Women fans who may be able to relate to
"Fiona" in different ways?
San: Okay, and I’m not just saying this because I wrote it, but I think that it has appeal for both men and
women. It’s sexy; it’s funny…what’s not to like? I think it’s a great book for a man and a woman to read
together because we’re wired so differently we view things differently. A male friend of mine told me that a
man would never allow himself to become so involved with a woman that would have sex (not the term he
used) with him hours after meeting him. What do you think?
The RBM: What other projects are you currently working on?
San: I recently finished my second novel; which hopefully will be out by the end of 2007. Of course I plan
to write a 3rd novel and a 4th. My next project may well be a series of books for very young children.
The RBM: When I researched you, I was pleasantly surprised when reading your bio because of its
honesty and lightheartedness. When I search for authors to interview I'm so used to reading cold,
emotionless, and well-rehearsed author bios. Would you say that you are generally laid back, and
having a personable personality?
San: I view myself as very laid back, flexible, giving…(although the people who live with me may disagree;
in fact they do disagree). I’m often outrageous, there are very few things I can’t laugh about, I try to
respect others and I insist on the same. I don’t think that anyone would describe me as “serious”. I’m not
organized enough to be rehearsed. I think that I’m a very likeable person, so I’m always surprised when I
encounter people who don’t like me.
The RBM: In that bio, you wrote about your uncle Bubba and how he purposely sat you, your
brother, and sister down to read important Biblical scriptures. I also noticed that he was the only
family member that you really mention in any type of detail. Did he or those moments with him
influence you as a person? If so, how?
San: I remember that moment with my uncle because I was so caught up in the story. My family, of
course, played a big part in who I grew up to be, particularly my mother who died 2½ years ago. Maybe I’ll
have more to say about my own family if I ever write a story about family.
My family right now consists of my husband, my three sons, my sister, bother, nieces and nephews, my
husbands family, and my friends…all of whom are fair game in my goulash character development.
The RBM: What authors do you enjoy reading?
San: I love the authors I mentioned on my website. J. California Cooper, Alice Walker, Eric Jerome Dickey.
In order for me to say that I like an author, I have to have found at least a couple of their books enjoyable.
So I tend to say I like the “book”. One of my favorite books that I didn’t mention on my website is “Soul
Kiss” by Shay Youngblood.
The RBM: What does writing in general do for you? Has the effect changed since you began writing
professionally?
San: I’m a storyteller…I like to pretend. Writing allows me to pretend and to live vicariously through my
characters. Like a lot of writers I wish that I were more disciplined. And also like a lot of writers I wish that
I could tell someone the stories that I have in my head, have them write the stories, and still get paid.
I feel more pressure to get things done.
The RBM: In Mecca, we have about 50 writers who continually inspire others in many writing
genres, and many of whom are wanting and waiting to be published. You being a professional
author, what should they expect as some shop their manuscripts to author houses? What's your
opinion on self-publishing?
San: I think that authors trying to be published should be very sure of their project. The project should be
polished, and complete before they allow agents or editors to look at it. Everyone says that authors trying to
get published for the first time should expect rejection; that’s true, but I also think that we should believe
that it will happen for us. But don’t expect Eric Jerome Dickey or Terry McMillian treatment until you sell
books like them.
Self-publishing is a lot of work and can cost quite a bit of money, and then once you have your book in hand
you have to get it out there. But a self-published book that’s edited and marketed properly can be the start
of something beautiful.
The RBM: Finally, what can we expect from San Culberson in 2007?
San: In 2007 you can expect that San Culberson will continue to write (hopefully, another book in stores
towards the end of the year) read, look for someone who can arch her eyebrows in a way that is
consistently pleasing to her, laugh, reach out to readers, and take care of her family.
You can read more about San by visiting her official website: SanCulberson.com
The RBM: What inspired you to write "The Nick Of Time"? Was it a real-life situation, a result of a
creative mind, or a little bit of both?
San: It was really a little bit of both. It seems to me as if marriage and divorce go hand in hand, and before I
started writing the “Nick of Time” I knew of several marriages that were faltering or ending (including my
own). I know some women who were decimated by divorce and weren’t even aware of it. I thought, what
could happen if a sexy smart woman made the decision to put her divorce in perspective and move forward
without looking back…the end result was “The Nick of Time”.
The RBM: How much fun did you have writing this book?
San: Writing the book was so much fun! I still smile when I think of some of the things that Fiona said and
some of the situations that she found herself in.
The RBM: When you write your novels, how much research goes into your characters? For example
in "Nick", one of the main characters is Nick Nathaniel, so did you probe the brain of a Man to
effectively develop his character?
San: Probe a mans brain…are you kidding? Do you know how difficult that is for a woman? My
characters are developed mostly from my imagination and my observations. I wanted to invent a man who
would be a perfect foil for Fiona (strong, laid back, experienced). Nick is actually my favorite character in
the book. He’s very steady and he’s mature enough to see the essence of Fiona. I’ve had several women tell
me that they wish their “Nick” would come along.
Nick /nik/n - a man who sees and appreciates the essence of a woman.
And some of my characters are like a goulash (a little bit from here and a little bit from there).
The RBM: Is "The Nick Of Time" geared towards any specific group of people, or can the average
male reader enjoy this novel, OR is it more for your Women fans who may be able to relate to
"Fiona" in different ways?
San: Okay, and I’m not just saying this because I wrote it, but I think that it has appeal for both men and
women. It’s sexy; it’s funny…what’s not to like? I think it’s a great book for a man and a woman to read
together because we’re wired so differently we view things differently. A male friend of mine told me that a
man would never allow himself to become so involved with a woman that would have sex (not the term he
used) with him hours after meeting him. What do you think?
The RBM: What other projects are you currently working on?
San: I recently finished my second novel; which hopefully will be out by the end of 2007. Of course I plan
to write a 3rd novel and a 4th. My next project may well be a series of books for very young children.
The RBM: When I researched you, I was pleasantly surprised when reading your bio because of its
honesty and lightheartedness. When I search for authors to interview I'm so used to reading cold,
emotionless, and well-rehearsed author bios. Would you say that you are generally laid back, and
having a personable personality?
San: I view myself as very laid back, flexible, giving…(although the people who live with me may disagree;
in fact they do disagree). I’m often outrageous, there are very few things I can’t laugh about, I try to
respect others and I insist on the same. I don’t think that anyone would describe me as “serious”. I’m not
organized enough to be rehearsed. I think that I’m a very likeable person, so I’m always surprised when I
encounter people who don’t like me.
The RBM: In that bio, you wrote about your uncle Bubba and how he purposely sat you, your
brother, and sister down to read important Biblical scriptures. I also noticed that he was the only
family member that you really mention in any type of detail. Did he or those moments with him
influence you as a person? If so, how?
San: I remember that moment with my uncle because I was so caught up in the story. My family, of
course, played a big part in who I grew up to be, particularly my mother who died 2½ years ago. Maybe I’ll
have more to say about my own family if I ever write a story about family.
My family right now consists of my husband, my three sons, my sister, bother, nieces and nephews, my
husbands family, and my friends…all of whom are fair game in my goulash character development.
The RBM: What authors do you enjoy reading?
San: I love the authors I mentioned on my website. J. California Cooper, Alice Walker, Eric Jerome Dickey.
In order for me to say that I like an author, I have to have found at least a couple of their books enjoyable.
So I tend to say I like the “book”. One of my favorite books that I didn’t mention on my website is “Soul
Kiss” by Shay Youngblood.
The RBM: What does writing in general do for you? Has the effect changed since you began writing
professionally?
San: I’m a storyteller…I like to pretend. Writing allows me to pretend and to live vicariously through my
characters. Like a lot of writers I wish that I were more disciplined. And also like a lot of writers I wish that
I could tell someone the stories that I have in my head, have them write the stories, and still get paid.
I feel more pressure to get things done.
The RBM: In Mecca, we have about 50 writers who continually inspire others in many writing
genres, and many of whom are wanting and waiting to be published. You being a professional
author, what should they expect as some shop their manuscripts to author houses? What's your
opinion on self-publishing?
San: I think that authors trying to be published should be very sure of their project. The project should be
polished, and complete before they allow agents or editors to look at it. Everyone says that authors trying to
get published for the first time should expect rejection; that’s true, but I also think that we should believe
that it will happen for us. But don’t expect Eric Jerome Dickey or Terry McMillian treatment until you sell
books like them.
Self-publishing is a lot of work and can cost quite a bit of money, and then once you have your book in hand
you have to get it out there. But a self-published book that’s edited and marketed properly can be the start
of something beautiful.
The RBM: Finally, what can we expect from San Culberson in 2007?
San: In 2007 you can expect that San Culberson will continue to write (hopefully, another book in stores
towards the end of the year) read, look for someone who can arch her eyebrows in a way that is
consistently pleasing to her, laugh, reach out to readers, and take care of her family.
You can read more about San by visiting her official website: SanCulberson.com
Read our other exclusive
Spotlighted Author
interviews!!
June '06
Vincent Alexandria
July '06
Mary Monroe
August '06
Cold August
September '06
L.R. Hatcher
October '06
Various
November '06
Melanie C. Jordan
December '06
Mark Goggins
January '07
San Culberson
February '07
Rhyme Cypha
March '07
Lesley S Munyuki
April '07
Joseph Phillips
May '07
Hannah Drake
June '07
Kateb Nuri Shunnar
Spotlighted Author
interviews!!
June '06
Vincent Alexandria
July '06
Mary Monroe
August '06
Cold August
September '06
L.R. Hatcher
October '06
Various
November '06
Melanie C. Jordan
December '06
Mark Goggins
January '07
San Culberson
February '07
Rhyme Cypha
March '07
Lesley S Munyuki
April '07
Joseph Phillips
May '07
Hannah Drake
June '07
Kateb Nuri Shunnar
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