I Love God

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Local woman’s novel tells of love gone wrong

Women have a lot to say when love goes bad; but sometimes, it takes a long time to get those words onto paper.

That’s the odyssey Marsha Jenkins-Sanders, an Inkster-born author and songwriter whose contemporary romance, The Other Side of Through (Strebor Books/Simon & Schuster, $14), took when she divorced R & B crooner Keith Washington several years ago.

Her book, she explained at a launch party in Inkster Saturday, was finally completed after 10 years, and seven re-writes. Jenkins-Sanders stops short of saying the book is based on the circumstances of her divorce, but said much of what she felt during that time in her life is tucked neatly into the 222 pages.

“I really lost myself in the process (of the marriage and divorce),” said Jenkins-Sanders, who graduated from Inkster High School as a salutatorian in 1972. “I stayed in the relationship way too long; it took some time for me to leave. I realized it years later that it was a book.”

The book follows Katlyn Kincaid, who has been married to Justin, who has found success as an entertainer. Two years into the couple’s marriage, cracks begin to emerge – in the form of a former exotic dancer named Nikki – and Katlyn finds herself going through all of the emotions involved in severing the relationship.

“Through” is Jenkins-Sanders first novel, but she has been writing for many years. Mostly, her writing has been in the music industry – she penned Washington’s biggest hit, “Kissing You,” from his 1991 album, “Make Time for Love.” She has received honors for her musical talents, including recognition from ASCAP for publishing many successful R & B hits.

Jenkins-Sanders said writing a book is the outflow of writing songs.

“It’s a natural extension,” she said. “Writing a novel came natural to me.”

The author was signed to Strebor, a special imprint of Simon & Schuster, in 2005.

The contemporary romance genre was created by publishers to introduce that specific form of fiction to younger readers. In the past, romances novels have taken place in far away places, and often in another time (think Barbara Taylor-Bradford). But contemporary novels stick with real-life situations.

Jenkins-Sanders said the genre is evolving to include a sub-genre that targets African American readers.

“(Publishers) are looking for young, African American writers,” she said. “They’re looking for our perspective.”

With a day job as a recruitment specialist for an alternative school, Jenkins-Sanders is remarried with two young sons and lives in Westland.

She is working on another novel, tentatively entitled, “Jealousy: A Strange Company Keeper.”

Now that the book is officially launched, Jenkins-Sanders wants other women with a desire to write to get busy.

“My book collected dust for a long time,” she said. “I literally had to dust off the manuscript. I would tell people they should dust off their dreams, too.”

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