Author Interview with Debut Author TozaneĆ© Smith as We Talk About Her Upcoming Release āBag Girl"
- Cass Paredes
- Oct 10, 2023
- 3 min read
CALLING ALL READERS to check out my newest author interview with debut author TozaneƩ Smith.
Last week, I had the privilege of sitting down with TozaneeĆ© Smith to talk about her upcoming debut release and memoir āBag Girl: Home Is Where the Bag Is,ā her writing process, her upcoming projects, and more!
To watch the full author interview on YouTube, check out the link below
The Inspiration Behind "Bag Girl"
In our interview, TozaneƩ discussed how certain moments throughout her life ultimately inspired her to write her memoir and debut novel "Bag Girl."
TozaneƩ explained that she wasn't a big reader until she stumbled across "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Wall. This stunning and emotional read reminded TozaneƩ of aspects from her own childhood, planting the seed in her heart that maybe one day she could write her own memoir.
She also recalled how in school, there were very few black authors that they would read from and always wanted to be an author who's work would live on forever and be remembered.
This dream of hers was put to the side as she pursued a degree in criminal justice before switching to the nursing field. TozaneƩ was the first in her family to graduate college and now enjoys working in a doctor's office as a clerical staff member.
While TozaneƩ often joked with her cousin for years about her crazy childhood, laughing about how she could write a book about her life one day, her cousin was one of the first people to encourage her to actually write her memoir.
TozaneƩ started her writing journey seven years ago, dabbling in the writing process for her book, but it wasn't until three years ago that she committed to writing "Bag Girl" and decided on self-publishing.
Now "Bag Girl" is complete and being released on October 22nd! It's available for pre-order in ebook and paperback on Barnes & Noble and Amazon. To hear an emotional and powerful excerpt from TozaneƩ's debut novel and upcoming release, watch our author interview on YouTube.
What's it about?
"Bag Girl is a memoir of strength, courage, survival, and resilience. Trying to survive in an emotionally challenged world of being the eldest of my family comes with its own baggage.
On top of being diagnosed with diabetes and PCOS at a young age, all while dealing with a bipolar sex-driven mother, who cared more about men than her own children, was a whole different fight I wasn't prepared for."
Donāt forget to pre-order āBag Girlā (coming out on October 22nd) on Barnes & Noble or Amazon, links below!
What's next for TozaneƩ?
While TozaneƩ is excitingly awaiting her upcoming debut release, she's already started working on part 2 of her memoir, set to hopefully release a year after "Bag Girl" since there is a cliffhanger at the end of her memoir. Until then, she'll be getting her book out there and sharing it with the world, hopeful that it finds the right audience and that it will help at least one person who really needs to read it.
If you live in Maryland, consider supporting this indie author at the Black Author Expo in Largo, MD on November 11th. If you're unable to attend, at least check out her social media pages to follow her author journey and keep up with her book releases!
Follow TozaneƩ on social media!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tozaneeshanteese/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tozanee.smith.7
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tozanee_smith
Hope you enjoyed your stay at The Poet's Corner. Thanks for reading and come back next week for another author interview! For daily writing and author content, follow me @thepoetscorner_ on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube :))
