Behind the Book is a series in which I give you a behind the scenes look at one of the latest installments of The Diamond Collection. For this round, I will be focusing on Diamonds N’ Roses: Part Five of The Diamond Collection.

Diamonds N’ Roses was released on December 25, 2016 and is available at the following online retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million.

Other Available Titles in The Diamond Collection: Diamonds in the Rough, Diamonds are Forever, The Ace of Diamonds, Black Diamonds, The Diamond Tiara (Part Six) and Dirty Red Diamonds (Part Seven).

CHAPTER TWENTY: DON’T HURT YOURSELF

In Chapter Twenty, Jay confronts Kane at his condo because he (Kane) told Carmen the truth about Casa de Sangre. Now, of course, Jay has to do it the Jay way, which is why I have him break in Kane’s condo, pull out a gun, and put it to his head. He even pistol whips him. As a writer, I’ve learned you have to stay true to the character. It wouldn’t be Jay Santiago if I just had him knock on the door, and say, “Hey, can we talk?”

But what is true to Jay’s character aside from violence and aggression? The love he has for his children. This is why when Kristian, Kane’s daughter, and Jay’s soon-to-be stepdaughter, starts screaming in her sleep, it shifts his whole mindset. Jay remembers how he felt when he heard his own daughter screaming when he was getting attacked by Blu. (this is a reference to a scene in Book Three: The Ace of Diamonds). It affects him so much that not only does he leave without causing anymore harm, he also apologizes – twice. I say all this to say, two things can be true of a character and people, in general. They can be lovable and violent, but the reader has to be taken on the journey to understand how both can be true.

Behind the Book is a series in which I give you a behind the scenes look at one of the latest installments of The Diamond Collection. For this round, I will be focusing on Diamonds N’ Roses: Part Five of The Diamond Collection.

Diamonds N’ Roses was released on December 25, 2016 and is available at the following online retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million.

Other Available Titles in The Diamond Collection: Diamonds in the Rough, Diamonds are Forever, The Ace of Diamonds, Black Diamonds, The Diamond Tiara (Part Six) and Dirty Red Diamonds (Part Seven).

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: TRINI DEM GIRLS

Chapter Eighteen kicks off at Jay’s bachelor party, which takes place at his club, Sapphire. To give a brief refresher, Sapphire was a part of Jay’s inheritance and was previously owned by his father. It was a gentleman’s club, but Jay turned it into a hip-hop club. However, for his bachelor party, King has turned it into a whole strip joint, which angers Jay. King is able to calm him down, and he even refers to Jay as Pops in this scene. I did that on purpose to show readers that King is coming around and their relationship is improving.

In this same scene, Jay has a weak moment and he almost cheats on Carmen. And I say almost because the girl turned him down. Now I inserted this part for a couple of reasons, but the first being that there really hasn’t been like another woman in Jay’s life other than Carmen since book one. Infidelity has always been Carmen’s thorn. So, in this chapter, I decided to play around with it being Jay’s. And next week, when I discuss Chapter 19, we’ll see how that goes.

Behind the Book is a series in which I give you a behind the scenes look at one of the latest installments of The Diamond Collection. For this round, I will be focusing on Diamonds N’ Roses: Part Five of The Diamond Collection.

Diamonds N’ Roses was released on December 25, 2016 and is available at the following online retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million.

Other Available Titles in The Diamond Collection: Diamonds in the Rough, Diamonds are Forever, The Ace of Diamonds, Black Diamonds, The Diamond Tiara (Part Six) and Dirty Red Diamonds (Part Seven).

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: SORRY

In Chapter Fourteen, Jay learns about his sister, Eleise, a product of a brief affair between his father and his fiancée’s mother. When we get to Chapter Fifteen, Jay meets his sister for the first time. Jay describes her as a dead ringer for Paula Patton. Did I choose Paula Patton on purpose? Yes, because in a perfect world, these books will become a TV show on STARZ and Paula Patton will play the role of Eleise Santiago.

Their conversation could’ve gone in a number of directions, but I decided to let them have a negative interaction. I chose this route because Jay wants to protect Carmen from this news as he fears it will end their engagement. His anger, his negative attitude, the cold shoulder he gives Eleise better supports him wanting to keep Eleise a secret than him welcoming her with open arms.

While I haven’t yet explored a relationship between these two characters (Jay and Eleise), I do hope to showcase it in a future book.

Behind the Book is a series in which I give you a behind the scenes look at one of the latest installments of The Diamond Collection. For this round, I will be focusing on Diamonds N’ Roses: Part Five of The Diamond Collection.

Diamonds N’ Roses was released on December 25, 2016 and is available at the following online retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million.

Other Available Titles in The Diamond Collection: Diamonds in the Rough, Diamonds are Forever, The Ace of Diamonds, Black Diamonds, The Diamond Tiara (Part Six) and Dirty Red Diamonds (Part Seven).

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: LEMONADE

Chapter Fourteen is called Lemonade because something stronger than tea was spilled. Here’s the backstory – Jay headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico, his birthplace, as Carmen needed space due to the miscarriage.

When he gets home, he finds evidence that someone other than his butler, Silvas, has been there. That person ends up being a new character by the name of Eleise Santiago, who is, drum roll, Jay’s sister. However, she’s not only Jay’s sister, she’s also Carmen’s sister as Eleise is the result of a brief affair between Jay’s father and Carmen’s mother.

Did I do this on purpose? Yes. It’s just one more thing to make the reader question if this wedding is going to happen and this thing is a big one. While Carmen and Jay do not have any biological relation, come December 25^th, she may be marrying her sister’s brother.  

Behind the Book is a series in which I give you a behind the scenes look at one of the latest installments of The Diamond Collection. For this round, I will be focusing on Diamonds N’ Roses: Part Five of The Diamond Collection.

Diamonds N’ Roses was released on December 25, 2016 and is available at the following online retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million.

Other Available Titles in The Diamond Collection: Diamonds in the Rough, Diamonds are Forever, The Ace of Diamonds, Black Diamonds, The Diamond Tiara (Part Six) and Dirty Red Diamonds (Part Seven).

CHAPTER TWELVE: ANACONDA

I am so excited to talk about this chapter because it involves one of my favorite characters, Cesar. Cesar was introduced in Book Three: The Ace of Diamonds, and in each book, his role seems to get bigger. Hopefully, in his scenes, you can see how loyal Cesar is to Jay and the Santiago family as a whole.

In this chapter, Cesar has returned from Africa where he was doing some digging on Jay’s business partner. Now, this chapter is very important because this is the seasoning for the meat, you’re going to get in Book 6: The Diamond Tiara. I titled this chapter Anaconda because that’s what Jay’s business partner. He’s a snake, figuratively, of course, and he’s one of the biggest ones.

Also, I never wanted Jay to be a character who showed fear. He’s supposed to be able to take down anything and anybody. However, I did feel it was time to show some vulnerability. The vulnerability does come, then it disappears when Jay remembers a conversation he had with his mother. Over time, it comes back, specifically, in his conversation with Grendel. What also comes back? The one thing that should be his first priority: his wedding. Yes, there’s a lot going on, but I’m always going to circle back to the wedding.  

Behind the Book is a series in which I give you a behind the scenes look at one of the latest installments of The Diamond Collection. For this round, I will be focusing on Diamonds N’ Roses: Part Five of The Diamond Collection.

Diamonds N’ Roses was released on December 25, 2016 and is available at the following online retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million.

Other Available Titles in The Diamond Collection: Diamonds in the Rough, Diamonds are Forever, The Ace of Diamonds, Black Diamonds, The Diamond Tiara (Part Six) and Dirty Red Diamonds (Part Seven).

CHAPTER ELEVEN: BUY A HEART

In Chapter 11, we are finally at King and Coco’s wedding. The chapter begins with the wedding party getting dressed. To be more specific, Jay is helping Malachi put on his cufflinks. Malachi does not have any biological relation to Jay but will be his stepson by marriage once he and Carmen tie the knot. So, why of all people is Jay helping Malachi? I could’ve easily put Kane as he is Malachi’s adopted father. Well, I wanted to show that over time, these two have formed a bond.

I also wanted to show that King and Jay had addressed and healed from their issues, which is why there is the scene in the church’s walkway. Then, what happens? Their conversation is interrupted by Gully, who announces there is a visitor. Yes, it is the return of Cesar. He enters into the book to complete an assignment for Jay. Jay is sending him to Sierra Leone to put eyes on his African business partner.

Once the assignment is given, Jay is ushered right back into the church for his eldest son’s wedding. The processional begins with Ed Sheeran’s, “Thinking Out Loud,” which is a song I heard for the first time at my sorority sister’s wedding. So, yes, that’s how this song made it into the book.

King’s wedding is an emotional time for Carmen because she remembers when her son was a troubled adolescent. She refers to him as her angel with broken wings, which is a phrase I got from a tweet singer Chris Brown’s mother, Joyce Hawkins, made about him.

Behind the Book is a series in which I give you a behind the scenes look at one of the latest installments of The Diamond Collection. For this round, I will be focusing on Diamonds N’ Roses: Part Five of The Diamond Collection.

Diamonds N’ Roses was released on December 25, 2016 and is available at the following online retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million.

Other Available Titles in The Diamond Collection: Diamonds in the Rough, Diamonds are Forever, The Ace of Diamonds, Black Diamonds, The Diamond Tiara (Part Six) and Dirty Red Diamonds (Part Seven).

CHAPTER TEN: FOUR DOOR AVENTADOR  

Although my book is set in a fictional city, it is still set in New York.

While there is mention of weather in the series, there has never been a snowstorm. Well, this chapter was the perfect place to put one.

For one, it’s Christmas Day, so why not have a white Christmas?

Two, Jay is trying to have a private conversation away from Carmen. And what screams private more than a person having a conversation on a balcony where there are remnants of a recent blizzard?

And of course, Carmen knows something up. However, since it’s Christmas, she doesn’t call him out. Jay does wear his thoughts on his face, so Carmen tries to get the truth out of him. Since it is Christmas Day, the conversation gets interrupted.

Speaking of Christmas, Jay gifts Carmen the blueprint for a brand-new mansion. Now this gift ties back to the previous chapter and shows how Jay is making strides in getting away from Casa de Sangre.

In this same chapter are two major announcements – one, Kane and Monifah are now married. I remember a reader once told me, when she read that part, she thought, well, everyone is getting married except Carmen and Jay (remember, King and Coco are getting married, too). Carmen also announces her pregnancy, and I placed that news here on purpose because I thought it was the perfect Christmas gift−new life. She also gifts Jay a Lambo, hence the name of the chapter.

While scoping out the Lambo, Carmen and Jay take a little walk down memory lane to the first time they met. Since they are getting married in this book, I thought it would be good to flashback to the beginning. Plus, you can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been.

Behind the Book is a series in which I give you a behind the scenes look at one of the latest installments of The Diamond Collection. For this round, I will be focusing on Diamonds N’ Roses: Part Five of The Diamond Collection.

Diamonds N’ Roses was released on December 25, 2016 and is available at the following online retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million.

Other Available Titles in The Diamond Collection: Diamonds in the Rough, Diamonds are Forever, The Ace of Diamonds, Black Diamonds, The Diamond Tiara (Part Six) and Dirty Red Diamonds (Part Seven).

CHAPTER SEVEN: DADDY LESSONS

In the last entry of Behind the Book, I discussed how Carmen wanted King to mend his relationship with his father, Jay. The purpose of that conversation was to plant a seed in King’s mind.

When Chapter Seven rolls around, Jay has invited King to breakfast to try and fix their relationship. I did this on purpose to show the seed being watered. Both Carmen and Jay are on the same wavelength when it comes to their son. I chose the diner as the place to hold this conversation because of its significance to the series (this is the site where Carmen and Jay first met).

In this scene, King shares that his pain stems from his jealousy towards Jay’s relationship with his younger brother, Rakim. I planted this on purpose as a prelude to a future book. In Book 9 (tentatively titled: Diamond Princess), there is a storyline where King and Rakim, who are now both adults, are on the warpath. Their constant arguments, fights, and battles have a major effect on the rest of the family and even leads to a murder. After finishing Book Seven, I do not know if I will keep this as a storyline as it no longer fits the series.

In this scene, King also shares his original idea of having Kane serve as his best man. In response, Jay says, “I know all about the role Kane played in your life…I will never take away what he’s done for you. He was your father when I couldn’t be. What I will attack is his character. There’s nothing authentic about him. He’s like a bootleg…”

The, “he’s like a bootleg,” line came from a conversation I had with a former friend. He was sharing a conversation he had with his mother about an older woman who was like a mother to him. His mother told him, jokingly, “she’s not the real thing, she’s a bootleg.” I was writing this scene at the time and told him I was going to use it, which is how it made it into the book.

In conclusion, I wanted this scene to take place because I wanted King and Jay to be in a healthy place before Carmen and Jay tied the knot. I thought it was important to their love story that they were both on a good page with their firstborn.

Behind the Book is a series in which I give you a behind the scenes look at one of the latest installments of The Diamond Collection. For this round, I will be focusing on Diamonds N’ Roses: Part Five of The Diamond Collection.

Diamonds N’ Roses was released on December 25, 2016 and is available at the following online retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million.

Other Available Titles in The Diamond Collection: Diamonds in the Rough, Diamonds are Forever, The Ace of Diamonds, Black Diamonds, The Diamond Tiara (Part Six) and Dirty Red Diamonds (Part Seven).

CHAPTER FIVE: ONLY

There are two major things to dig into when it comes to Chapter Five. The first is mother/daughter relationships. The action and dialogue between Carmen and her mother, Patricia, show how their relationship is strained. Patricia has no filter as she takes shots at not only Carmen’s parenting (because her oldest son has impregnated his teenage girlfriend), but also at Carmen’s illegitimate children with Jay (Rakim and Nyla).

This torn relationship between mother and daughter is becoming a generational curse as Carmen isn’t in the best place with her oldest daughter, Kristian. While not heavily discussed in this book, the animosity between the two stems from Carmen’s affair with Jay (Kristian blames both her mother and Jay for breaking up the family). However, Carmen still remains Mama Bear and is worried about her daughter’s safety as she took an impromptu trip to Georgia to see Victor Fontaine.

This leads me to the second thing I want to dig into…

When I wrote this book back in 2016, I believed Victor Fontaine was going to be a character that would be heavily present in the rest of the collection. This is the reason I had him pop up in this book. I thought he would be a good love interest for Kristian as he was her knight in shining armor in Book 4, Black Diamonds, during her kidnapping. Even in this chapter, he comes to her rescue when she has a night terror. I wanted readers to become familiar with seeing him.

I can honestly say as I type this that I am torn on what to do with his character. For one, Kristian has another love interest, Dijuan Harrison, who was heavily present in Book Two, Diamonds are Forever. I feel like he needs to make a grand return and Book Eight: Diamond Life, would be a good place. If he comes back, Victor has to come back, too, but I don’t want another love triangle. I feel like I have enough of that with Carmen, Jay, and Kane.

Oh well, I’ll have it figured out by next year.

Behind the Book is a series in which I give you a behind the scenes look at one of the latest installments of The Diamond Collection. For this round, I will be focusing on Diamonds N’ Roses: Part Five of The Diamond Collection.

Diamonds N’ Roses was released on December 25, 2016 and is available at the following online retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million.

Other Available Titles in The Diamond Collection: Diamonds in the Rough, Diamonds are Forever, The Ace of Diamonds, Black Diamonds, The Diamond Tiara (Part Six) and Dirty Red Diamonds (Part Seven)

At the time I was writing this book, I had two friends who were looking to create an event planning company. I added them to the book as the characters, Veronica Freeman and Patience Nelson, because Carmen needed event planners for her wedding. In fact, DreamGirlz, as named in the book, was going to be the name of their company.

This particular chapter was entitled, “Want Some More,” because more drama was brewing. The relationship between Jay and his eldest son, King, which has always been rocky, was taking another plunge. Kane also hints to Carmen in this chapter that he still has a soft spot for her when he asks for “one more night,” before their divorce is final.