Informally known for having “The Books That Keep You Up All Night,” Avon’s Beverly Jenkins has put in over 2 decades of sex, suspense and soul into dozens of fictional novels and earned a loyal fan base because of it. Fans already know she has a new book out, but what about the process she uses to pick new characters? How does she really feel about her readers and how much of her actual self is poured into every heroine? The answers were all given to Knowshi.com, so for the curious, read on…..

KNOWSHI: We fans certainly have our favorite couples, like Sable and Raimond LeVeq; Katherine and Dixon Wildhorse; Hester and Galen Vachon and Olivia and Neil July, to name a few. Some of those stories were generated from reader’s ideas, so how much does that figure into your creative process?

Beverly: “If it was left up to them, I would write about nothing except the Julys and LeVeqs: They would have me writing 24/7, 365, with no dinner, showers, church, nothing (laughing). I take their input and love that they’re invested and want what they want, but I write for me also, so I want to write the type of books I like to read. If those ideas can come together with mine, great, but if not, I know that if I use my gifts for good, they’ll still enjoy what I come up with.”

KNOWSHI: What’s next for us readers to look forward to?

Beverly: “Book 6 of the Blessings series will be out sometime next year and the third book in my new Destiny series, Destiny’s Captive, is coming out in October. It focuses on the 3rd brother, Noah: he’s a captain who gets his ship stolen by a descendent of pirates and it takes place in Cuba. [The heroine] Pilar is Afro-Cuban and he’s African-American and Spanish, of course.”

KNOWSHI: Do you ever incorporate yourself into any of the characters?

Beverly: “There are little pieces of me in all of them: Viveca Grayson, the one who gets lost all the time going home? That’s me—- I can get to where I need to go, but I can’t find my way back, which don’t make no damn sense. Katherine Wildhorse and her snoring? That’s me. And Sarita Chandler the one who likes to cook, that’s me too.”

KNOWSHI: Well as a fan of your work, I just want to thank you for your time and for being so receptive to us readers, it means a lot.

Beverly: “I am who I am because of my readers. I owe them the house that I live in, the car that I drive, my daughter’s college education, the coffee that I drink everyday. If they didn’t buy my books, where would I be? I still have every fan letter from every fan who’s ever written me….(click here for the full chat with Knowshi.com)