Linda Dominique Grosvenor is a best-selling author, a respected poet, an advice columnist and a talk show host. Her new television series, The Princess Dominique Show will be airing in the North Carolina area very soon. Dominique's book Fever was published by BET Books and her current book The Hamptons is featured in the catalog for Black Expressions Book Club. Linda Dominique Grosvenor is also the advice columnist behind the popular website Askprincessdominique.com.

When I started my little website Thabiz.com last year, I asked many authors and freelance writers if they wanted to come aboard on a new project that had big potential. Linda Dominique Grosvenor was the only person that seriously took me up on my offer and her syndicated column appears in our ASK section. She is a not only a talented entertainer, she is someone who believes in helping other people. She has given me much great advice.

Tell me all about your new TV show.
Linda Dominique Grosvenor-The title of the show is The Princess Dominique Show. Right now it is set to air locally in the Durham, Fayetteville and Raleigh area on UPN 28. It's a live upbeat talk show and we are going to be having things like make-overs, home design, we will be talking with authors and musicians both locally and on the national level.

How did you know that now was the right time to do the show?
Linda Dominique Grosvenor-For me, I am always looking for innovative ways to promote, not only my books but all of the other things I do. I have an advice column also, so I basically wanted to tie all of that together. I thought using television as a mode of medium I would have a greater response to everything else that I am doing.

Tell me all about your new website askprincessdominique.com.
Linda Dominique Grosvenor-Askprincessdominique.com, that has been a long time coming. I have been giving advice online since about 1998 when I started sharing my poetry with people. I write love poems. I would get responses from teenagers, men, women, just about different aspects of relationships and in using my marketing sense I decided it was time to make one site solely for that.

Were you just one of those people that people naturally came to asking for advice? What inspired you to start giving advice?
Linda Dominique Grosvenor-That's exactly the type of person I was. I was basically the go to person for my friends. Whenever there was an issue or a dilemma they would come directly to me, "Well let's see what Dominique thinks." From there that led to me studying psychology in college. So it all came full circle for me.

Your current book The Hamptons is featured in the Black Expressions Book Club catalog. Were you excited to see your book in there?
Linda Dominique Grosvenor-Yes. Very, very excited. I still consider it an independent release, so to be featured in a national book club like that, yeah its really phenomenal. They contacted me about it directly, it wasn't even something that I was soliciting for. When I submitted the book I wasn't sure that they were going to pick it up and they did. So I was really excited about that.

Of your many fiction novels which would you like to see hit the big screen first?
Linda Dominique Grosvenor-The Hamptons definitely. When I started writing the book I kind of put Halle Berry in the role. I know that's traditional I know everyone wants Halle Berry but I really did see her in the role because she has that classy upscale appeal and that's how I see the character in the book.

You have so many things you are doing. What are your short term goals as an entertainer?
Linda Dominique Grosvenor-Short term goals. Do I have any? The only goal that is not major is to learn to play the guitar.

Are you working on any books now?
Linda Dominique Grosvenor-I'm working on the follow up book to The Hamptons. I'm working on a whole lot of projects. So many it's ridiculous.

What advice would you give new writers who don't know anything about the publishing industry, and they just put a book out or get published and don't know anything about the industry.
Linda Dominique Grosvenor-I think that self publishing is a great place to start. Only because right now the market is so saturated and to learn the business you need to be in the business and self publishing teaches you the business inside and out. As far as growing as a writer, take writing courses, get an established author to mentor you and I highly suggest that authors go out and support other authors whether it's at book signings or wherever they will be appearing.

This is a question spawned from a question that was brought up in the online group you co-founded Prolific Writers. Do you think that new writers should get publicists?
Linda Dominique Grosvenor-I think that if they don't feel that they have the skills or the tools or the connections to make a splash with their book that a publicists could help do that. You have to make sure your publicists does and has connections and can get your book in front of the audience that you want to reach.

Books from Linda Dominique Grosvenor

Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com 2004.