Q&A with Tamika Christy

 

 

 

Tamika Christy is the author of the new novel Roux. Her other novels include Any Time Soon. She is based in the Bay Area.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Roux, and how did you create the Chavis family?

 

A: I write stories about generational trauma and complicated family dynamics. I challenged myself to introduce a new family to my audience. I have roots in Louisiana and explored those roots through the Chavis family.

 

Q: On your website, you write, “Love, in its myriad forms, takes center stage in Roux.” Can you say more about that?

 

A: In Roux, we see how a family is divided through secrets, insecurities, jealousy and mental illness. One of the messages in Roux is that regardless of our struggles as family healing, redemption, and love can prevail.

 

Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I didn’t know how the book would end initially, but I figured it out soon after I started.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: That we are all imperfect people, as are our family members, but with love, healing, and therapy we can overcome obstacles together. For some, family is all we have.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have several books that I’ve started. I think my fourth book will be the third book in the Anaya’s World series.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb