5 Questions for Nikki Turner

The wait is finally over. Forever A Hustler's Wife, the long-awaited sequel to Nikki Turner's best-selling 2003 novel, A Hustler's Wife, hits the bookshelves this month. When readers last read about Yarni, she was working hard to help overturn the life sentence of her drug-dealing husband, Des, who was wrongly imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. Now, in Forever A Hustler's Wife, Des is out of prison and struggling to keep his promise to Yarni, a prospering defense attorney, to steer clear of his hustler ways. Instead, he finds an even bigger hustle as a prosperity preacher in a plot full of twists and turns that leaves you wondering what can possibly happen next. Turner, the so-called queen of hip-hop literature, answers 5 Questions for Ebony.

1. A Hustler's Wife was such a huge success and fans have been waiting for a sequel to Des and Yarni's story. What was it like to finally finish? Since A Hustler's Wife was such a success, I put a lot of pressure on myself to make Forever A Hustler's Wife even better. Writing this novel really was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Des and Yarni have become beloved characters in the urban lit world, and I know that my fans were as protective of them as I am. When I was finally done writing, I was happy, but also disappointed that I wouldn't be working on their story anymore. So, I'm debating whether or not to write a third novel about Des and Yarni. Their world is too intriguing to stay away!

2. There has been a lot of controversy over the use of the "N-word" by Blacks and Whites alike. A lot of urban lit writers like you use it liberally in storytelling. Would you ever consider discontinuing its use? I try not to use that word in narration, but my characters may use it in dialogue and in their internal thoughts. My readers depend on me to give them true-to-life stories and until society stops using it, you'll find it in my novels. Personally, it's not a word that I use in conversation.

3. Where do you get ideas for your novels? Are they based on your personal experiences? To be honest, some of my own experiences occasionally make their way into my novels. Out of all of my novels, A Hustler's Wife most closely resembled a small piece of my past. But many of my ideas simply come from my imagination and inspiration from the colorful characters I come in contact with every day.

4. You're launching your own line of urban fiction with Random House called Nikki Turner Presents, and you're one of only a few authors to have their own book line with a major publishing house. What is your vision for this project? There are three major things that I ideally want to accomplish with Nikki Turner Presents. First, I want to encourage people who wouldn't normally read for fun to do so. Second, I'd like to help other writers publish their work. Third, I want to tell stories that show a variety of different urban lifestyles.

5. Now that Forever A Hustler's Wife is finished, what's next for you? All my energy is going into Nikki Turner Presents. I'm excited because we've just signed a fresh new writer for the debut novel. Also, I'm editing Girls In The Game, the next volume in my short story Street Chronicles series, which will be released in June. I've put together a roster of some of the hottest literary divas in the game! I'm in the middle of writing my next novel, The Black Widow, which will be released in 2008. Also, I'm hoping to shift into film since A Hustler's Wife and Death Before Dishonor were optioned for film. And there has been talk about a reality TV show.

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