by bonita lee penn, The Soul Pitt
SP: Portia share with our readers a little about your new book "Too Little, Too Late."
Portia: "Too Little, Too Late" is the first book in the Situations and Circumstances series, and it is a story of decisions and consequences. Tameka James, the main character, chronicles her life over a period of two years, pulling the reader into her head and her heart. You can’t help but feel like she’s someone you know as you endure the rape with her and receive the HIV diagnosis when she does. Her story is a testament that every choice we make in life is detrimental to what happens in our future, no matter how small it is.
SP: Where can your book be purchased?
Portia: "Too Little, Too Late" is available through Barnes & Noble.com, Lushenabks.com, CushCity.com, Amazon.com, and of course of my website and myspace page. I’m hoping to have it in stores soon, but if you go to Barnes & Noble, request it! Demand that they order it. Since it’s in their database, they should be able to.
SP: What gave you the idea to write a book about covering such a controversial issue within the community?
Portia: Back in 1994, I saw part of a news report about a lady who was raped. I don’t think I paid attention to the details, but immediately, I thought, “What if a black girl was raped?” In our community, we usually don’t discuss that type of crime. The majority of our reports involve shootings and drug dealing. I wanted to show that we deal with those issues but deliver it in a way that wasn’t preachy or uninteresting.
SP: What do you hope your readers will come away with from reading Too Little, Too Late?
Portia: There is one universal message: One simple decision can change your life forever. We only get one chance at life, so we have to choose our relationships and actions wisely. I want my young female readers to recognize themselves or someone they know in Tameka or Alexis and understand that they can easily find themselves facing some of the circumstances those ladies encounter in the book.
SP: In your Bio it states you wrote a screenplay in the 9th Grade, what was that subject?
Portia: The screenplay had the same basic storyline as Too Little, Too Late, only with a bunch of unnecessary characters. Back then , when one of my friends requested a role, I created one!
SP: What personal satisfaction do you receive from writing?
Portia: I love knowing that someone can relate to the characters I put my all into. It amazes me when I hear readers discussing the characters like they’ve known them forever. All the readers who have contacted me so far have expressed how emotionally involved they became with Too Little, Too Late, and that gives me the most satisfaction. I want my readers to care about what’s going on.
SP: You have attended the Full Sail Real World Education to learn the film industry, are you working to bring your book to the big screen?
Portia: Definitely. I went to film school because of this book. I wanted to learn how I could bring my story to life on the big screen or at least know how to convey what I want to a director or producer in the future. I have a first draft of the screenplay finished, but I’d like to go back and polish it before I shop it around.
SP: Do you have the actors picked out for the characters?
Portia: Yes! I pray that I’ll be fortunate enough to get these actors for the roles. I want Lauren London or Zoe Saldana as Tameka, Lamman Rucker as Craig, Laz Alonso as TJ, Kirk “Sticky Fingaz” Jones as Smoke, and Vanessa L. Williams as Regina (Tameka and Alexis’ mother). I have ideas for the other roles, but no definite choices.
I’m so ready for this movie to be a reality. I already know some of the songs I want for the soundtrack, how I want the sets to look, everything!
SP: Have you made any short films?
Portia: I was on the filmmaking team for two short films we completed while we were in school. I’ve written a couple short films, but I don’t have the equipment or the time to produce them right now.
SP: Are you working on a new book?
Portia: I’m working on Supposed to Be, the next book in the Situations & Circumstances series. It picks up right where Too Little, Too Late left off, but has an independent storyline. Alexis narrates this one, and her friend Tiffany has a shocking storyline that parallels her own.
Writers Spotlight 
