Comments on: #Zettasbooks Group Discussion

By: Zetta Elliott

Zetta Elliott — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 17:23:27 +0000

In reply to Elizabeth. Thanks for stopping by, Elizabeth, and for sharing your perspective. People make snap judgments on a daily basis and that kind of bias is costing Black and Brown folks their lives. I hope more readers will consider the ways they prejudge others so we can expose and eliminate prejudice.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 19:14:58 +0000

I havent read the books yet (I’m not a very fast reader)
but I still witness some discirmation in my state.

it makes no sense 2 me, sounds teribly unfair but lots of stores + buses won’t let you enter if you have locs.

hoodies are also forbid on some city bus. its like there juging
people on there clothes. or there skin. or hair.

stead of getting 2 know person + see what they like.
probly more often then not, they good person.

just maybe think, dress, pray etc in diffrent ways.
but somtimes you learn nice things from new POVs.
or you understan why they do certan customs.

~Elizabeth
PS I hope your books sell good Ms. Zetta Eliot. they sound advance but important.

By: Zetta Elliott

Zetta Elliott — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 18:06:54 +0000

I am SO honored that you all took the time to read my two novels–esp Crossroads, which is a long haul at 400+ pages! I want to thank Lyn also for shedding some light on Judah’s personality. It was REALLY hard to make him so unlikable! And that’s not how I initially envisioned the outcome when it is revealed that Peter is gay. But after consulting with my Rastafarian friends, it became clear that I could not realistically have Judah suddenly abandon his partriarchal Old Testament beliefs…for Judah, sex and sexuality is tied to masculinity and procreation and that’s also why he rejects Genna–she’s far too independent! That was hard, too, and the colorism conversation made me want her NOT to choose Paul, but Genna and Judah aren’t done with one another…there’s a 3rd book in the works; it will be told from Genna’s daughter’s POV. I was so inspired by Octavia Butler and wished I could have discovered KINDRED back when I was a teen instead of after graduating from college. I’m so glad folks saw the parallels between 2001 and 1863–time travel allows us to compare 2 eras and see just what has and hasn’t changed. The time travel device was tricky and I think it’s easiest to explain with visuals…I was basically trying to recreate the ultimate, more traumatic travel experience of Black people, which is (for most in the US) the Middle Passage. Genna essentially recreates the elements of that horrific journey from Africa to the Americas. If you’ve ever seen the movie Amistad, you might have seen one of the few film representations of the Middle Passage. So Genna needs salt water and coins/currency, and blood, and terror–her adrenaline has to be pumping. I will definitely explain further in the 3rd book because Genna’s daughter doesn’t understand her mother’s power either…thank you again for giving this indie author a chance! There’s so much history that remains buried and I truly love digging into the past.

By: Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Lyn Miller-Lachmann — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 16:39:07 +0000

Thank you for this thoughtful discussion! I’m glad you appreciated these two outstanding and groundbreaking books as much as I did. I would like to comment more on Judah’s hostility toward Peter when he found out Peter was gay, and the wedge that drove into his relationship with Genna. Judah is, like all of Elliott’s complex characters, flawed, and along with his determination and heroism is a stubborn conviction that he is always right and in control. He struggles with change in the present (which is why Peter has hidden his sexual orientation from Judah though they are best friends) and in the past. Judah’s flaws also add another aspect to Genna’s dilemmas as she travels through time, because she comes to realize that the person she loves and for whom she has sacrificed so much may not be worth the effort. I waited a long time for The Door at the Crossroads (which was 100% worth the wait!) and am looking forward to the next installment in the series.