I had the pleasure of interviewing singer and author Tanille. Tanille let’s us know who she is and what she has going on in this exclusive interview.
You are an author and a singer, is your passion for both equal, or do you think you have a favorite? I have to say I do think I am a little more passionate about music. You can express emotions and tell a complete story within a three or four minute song. It takes me years to finish a book, because it has so many steps, and there is a process before you get to fully to tell your story, music is more of an immediate expression, nothing can replace the feeling that music gives you.
You wrote your first screenplay at 16, what was it about? More like a teen slasher type thriller. The main girl was very edgy, and outcasted. The reader has to really get to know her for her to grow on you. It was almost like a prequel to Cameo, in the early stages my first few drafts of Cameo inspired the screenplay. The storyline of the screenplay and Cameo are similar. When you’re that young, it’s hard to open up your expression to be able to write. It took me a while to develop Cameo to where it is, like a three year process. I am always developing music in between so it’s a different process from someone that does it all the time.
Cameo is a novel for teens, what age range are you targeting? Pre-teens like it a lot so the primary target market is 11-17, we have had some adults to purchase it through amazon, a secondary market would be young adult, young women maybe 22-35. That is a market that has been interested in the book.
Is your novel Broken complete? Yes, it is a finished manuscript. Publish dates will be somewhere between March and May of 2014. I am in a place where I want to look at it again to see if there are any last minute things I want to do before we finalize it.
Cameo seems to be a suspense type novel, what inspired you to write it? I do like thrillers, as a teen I was very into slasher films and they came about and resurfaced. I was really into that and felt Cameo was a mix between clueless and Scream. You have this thriller piece but the coolness of a teen movie. I do enjoy reading thrillers, that is a genre that I love.
What upcoming events can we expect to see you at? My next event is Baltimore Book Festival, a huge event of over 40, 000 people I will be a part of that in September. The weekend of the 21st, I will be there on the 22nd. In terms of music I don’t have any upcoming events, I am in the studio working on a mix tape and trying to get that finished.
Are you working on any new projects? Yes, the mixtape is my primary project. What I have available right now is pop music because I love dance. This will give me a chance to show skills for R&B and balled, and ballad songs that are inspirational. I am really excited about it, more dance songs but also ballads and more ways to expand and let my audience get to know me and understand my sound overall.
Is there anything that Tanille would like to tell her fans? I’d really like to say that you should always be willing to fully accept who you are. Early on in my career I wanted to do soundtracks with books and was told that wouldn’t sell. Be willing to hold on to your dreams and through my work I want people to get to see you are a main factor in if your dreams see fruition, and not what people tell you, you can and can’t have.
What’s the most important thing that you want people to know about you? I’d like them to know that I really work very hard at my craft to bring out the best in my work and to inspire, really being able to entertain people and be the best at that and weave into my work some level of inspiration.
To check out the latest information on Tanille check her out at www.tanille.com for more updates. For more exclusive music, fashion and interviews follow us on twitter and instagram @rnbmagazine.
