Bookwild - Yasmin Angoe: They Come at Knight

Episode Date: October 21, 2022

On this episode, I talk to Yasmin Angoe about her newest thrilling installment of the Nena Knight series They Come at Knight.You can also watch the episode on YouTubeAuthor LinksInstagramGoodreadsCheck out the book hereThey Come at Knight SynopsisFor elite assassin Nena Knight, eliminating dangerous players on the world stage is part of the job. The Tribe, a powerful business syndicate in Africa, ensures that she has those opportunities. But for Nena, the Tribe is more than just her employer; it’s an organization that supports the African people—until it turns on itself.As Nena embarks on a new mission, a violent siege by a paramilitary group throws the Tribe into chaos, and mysterious acts of violence plague the Tribe’s territories. As the attacks escalate, Nena suspects a different kind of enemy at play: someone on the inside, determined to undermine the Tribe’s leaders.As this new threat closes in on her own family, Nena enlists a team to root out the danger. But as she gets closer to the truth, she will have to risk everything to protect the future she holds dear—even if it means facing off with an enemy she never expected. Get Bookwild MerchCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackCheck Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian 

Hi, my name is Kate and I love to read. Like, I was carrying books around with me before Kindles were a thing. So I decided to start a podcast where I interview the authors of some of my favorite books, ask them all of my questions so that I can read between the lines of the books. So this week, we are back with someone that some of you might remember because she was one of my first guests. I am talking to Yasmin Ongo about her second book in the Nina Knight series. So thanks for being on the podcast again. Thanks for having me again. Yeah.

So I wanted to kind of catch up with you first and then we'll talk about the book. But what has been the biggest change in your life since publishing your first and now your second book? Oh, that's a good question. I guess the biggest change in my life has been just the, I guess, the amount of people who have read the first one right here and have told me how, you know, they liked it and being able to attend like the conferences and conventions and things like that and talk to readers. That's been like the biggest change and like a much needed change because I needed to hear that from them and kind of see where everybody was. And that's exciting. That makes me excited about the second one and the third one coming to. Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. I did see, like, you posting pictures at all the, like, book cons and stuff. So that was really cool, seeing everybody together. Yeah. So did you approach your writing process any differently for this book?

Yeah, well, because I had a deadline for this book. And so I had to be a lot more disciplined. The first one, I was just able to write, you know, when, you know, whenever I felt like it and there was no pressure from anyone to like get it done or anything like that. Well, nobody pressured me for the second one either. I pressured myself. So it's really pressuring myself, sorry, to get it done and everything like that. So, yeah, that was, I think, the difference between the first and the second with my writing process.

I just really had to be disciplined and give myself a schedule that I didn't adhere to. so I'm my worst boss and employee. I'm really horrible. So I think I need to have like some sort of like discussion with myself as an employee and probably put myself on an improvement plan. That's funny. I mean, you still got it written. So the goal was generally accomplished.

So I'm happy about that at least. Not without a lot of angst. There was a lot of angst going on. That's funny. What was your favorite part about writing this? one then. My favorite part about writing it was that I knew the characters so well. And so I was able to make, you know, I was able to go places with them and really enjoy,

you know, the evolution from the first one to the second one and things like that. So I really just felt really good about the characters and about where they were going and what they were doing and um and so yeah like yeah that would be it yeah um what's your favorite thing about writing action thrillers then my favorite thing about writing action thrillers um is i really feel like i can just have a whole lot of fun and i can you know have my i can just be all out with you know like the the um the shootouts or or however she's gonna find i can get all my aggression out i think physically, which is something that I can't do in real life because, you know, I don't know how to fight that well. Well, I've never been in one to know how I am. So, yeah. So, like, I just get

to, like, do all those kind of fun things, but, like, I like to make it make sense for me. But I think anything that I write, I would get an enjoyment out of it. It just depends on what I'm feeling at the moment. But the action scenes and the thriller, I like to be able to ramp that up for the reader and the tension and the suspense. And so if I'm able to do that from myself, then I think that that translates to the, you know, to the page for the readers. Yeah. I really feel like it did because I was reading and like was like sitting more and more straight up like during the or like leaning forward like when I would get to the really intense scenes and I was like, wait a second. I can relax.

So it definitely came through for me. Good, good. That's exactly what I wanted to. Good deal. Yeah. So this one, obviously you kind of already had your inspiration for the characters since this was the second book. But how did you, like what gave you your inspiration for like the plot in this one? So I think that when I was first thinking about how to make this into a series, I kind of had an arc that I wanted,

Nina to kind of go through. The first one was very personal and, you know, something that she had to achieve for. herself within herself, you know, regarding her past and everything. The second one I wanted to delve a little bit more into the tribe and their workings and how things may come or may not come about with an organization of so many different powerful people. There are always going to be people in there that, you know, kind of are not for all as they're supposed to be. And so I wanted to kind of make it like, you know, what was going on like within the tribe, this thing that her dad cares about and believes in so much.

And also wanted to, you know, continue on with the growth that she had started from the first. And then, you know, when I'm moving to the third, the third will be more of, you know, the tribe on a global scale and how they help others and where Nina fits into, you know, her positions within the tribe. If she's really, you know, because she's always been like a reluctant leader in the sense of, like politics and things like that. So, you know, when faced with that, how will she do? Will she just kind of go with it or will she stick to just wanting to be on dispatch, that kind of thing?

Yeah. I am so excited for that third one. So that's fun to hear. What would you like, how would you briefly describe the book if someone, you kind of did there, but how would you describe it if someone didn't know what it was about? Wow. Okay. Well, so for the second one, the second one, There is a threat that is looming or not even looming. It's coming for Nina. And not only Nina, it's coming for her family and the whole entire tribe. So that's the title for they come at night because they do come, you know, for her and her family and threatened to dismantle everything that, you know, her father, Noble has created and the

true goal of the tribe. And then they want to unseat him. and, you know, take over and things like that. So she's got to figure out who is attacking the tribe and their property and who's really coming for them and kind of get rid of that so that she can keep this family that she has found and has grown to love and care for. Yeah, that sums it up really well.

It is you won't, you're not going to be able to guess the ending as someone who read it. So it is very fun. So we are going to talk more in depth about the book now. So if you haven't read the book, just pause the episode. And otherwise, you can keep listening. So at the beginning of the book, Nina is talking to one of her teammates or one of her team members, Sierra, about how they have to work so much harder to succeed in a man's world as women of color. What was your experience bringing Nina's story to a genre that's kind of dominated by men

as well. And then on the flip side, what was it like knowing that you got to bring a powerful woman of color to the genre? Yeah. Oh, my gosh. That's such a great question. And I definitely had to put that in there because it is true in my life, in what, in anything that, you know, women in general, you know, do, especially if you're, you know, a woman of color or from any, you know, marginalized group. But like, just getting into, you know, any kind of field that has been male dominated is it's very tough and and and I knew that coming into a genre that is so male dominated um and so and I mean I'll be all honest like white male dominated right white males yeah right and so you really you know you see a lot of like psychological thrillers and mystery you know from from women and everything

but maybe not so much the action thriller that I have but those are the things that I loved and so putting that into, you know, I try to have some sort of conversation that's like setting on my mind. So in the second book, you know, I've had, you know, I've talked with people with the first and everyone is so surprised, really surprised, you know, at, you know, what Nina can do and, you know, that she's black and that the person who wrote her was black, you know, and a female, you know what mean? So, so I wanted to bring that conversation into the book. Like, you know, we're in this male-dominated thing, as Nina is, as Alpherson. tells, you know, likes to tell her all the time, right? And, you know, I go to the conventions and I see

all, you know, my counterparts who are, you know, writing in this kind of genre or, or espionage or spy, military, stuff like that. And they certainly don't look like me. And so, and they're great. You know, they're so nice and everything like that. But, you know, it makes, it makes me kind of like a surprise. Like, wow, look at you. Like, I can't believe you're doing this. And I'm, and I'm like, why can't anybody believe it, you know, because, you know, women, have all sorts of interest. I don't want to just be like romance and women's fiction. I don't want to be bottled into things that people place on me.

And so that's what Nina's conversation is with Sierra, that I have to work harder, right? I have to. When I'm writing this, I go over like the scenes over and over. And I'm thinking even though I don't want to have, I don't want to get like verification from a guy necessarily because I don't go to a guy to say, did I do this right?

With this particular thing, like I feel more pressure so that, you know, nobody says, oh, well, this is definitely something that, you know, a girl wrote, and this is very girly and no guy would do this. And so I want to have the same level respect of respect as, you know, the male authors who write in this genre. So I put that in my book and I live it every day. And they've been pleasant. I've not encountered an alpha, which is great.

That's good. I want to normalize women writing in these genres so that, you know, guys can read it. Anybody can read it and feel like, wow, this is just a great character, not necessarily, oh, this is a woman character or this is a black woman character or this is a woman from, you know, some country that we never even thought, you know, would think about doing things like this. You know what I mean? I went really, really long on your question.

I'm sorry. No, I loved it. I was like, I'm so glad that this was a good question. And you, did you grow up in Ghana? Is that what it said in your, or your parents did? I saw that in your bio. Yeah, my parents were born and raised. And I lived there for a couple of years while they finished school.

But I mostly grew up. I was born and raised here for the most part. That's cool, though, that you got to, like, write about it in this book more, especially. Yes. Um, yeah. So the, one of the core struggles between, court and Nina is that they have really differing views on justice. And Nina points out how court's definition of justice would probably be different if he had stayed in Haiti. Like he might not have

just been on the side of the government all the time. And so she asked him, is your definition of justice determined by where you live or by who you are and what your belief system is? So who's a point of view do you most agree with? Oh, yeah. That's a good one. Um, So I would have to say that mine is a little bit more so, um, Nina. Now, and I don't, I'm not saying that people should just go out and have like vigilante justice and like just kill off people. You know what I mean? But I do believe that, um, laws, you know, created by government are not always like thinking about everybody. I mean, let's, you know, be honest.

Me, as a black woman, you know, in America, I know that there are. And there are in many cases in which, you know, the same. rules and laws that apply to, you know, um, you know, certain demographics and in white people or whatever are not the same as they might apply to, you know, me or someone else, um, who looks kind of like me. And so, um, I feel like sometimes you have to kind of think about like this, you know, the way court is, he's, he tries to be so black and white. This is just by the, you know, by the books. And I definitely, I'm a rule follower. And so when people don't, you know, follow rules, I'm like, oh, my.

gosh, he didn't do, you know, what he was supposed to do. But then if I under, if I see and think about why they did what they did, I can understand it a little bit more. And I think that's what, like, Nina is trying to say with, with him. She's trying to say, you know, hey, you need to really take things on a case-by-case basis. Like, you can't just say he's wrong and she's right or, you know, send them to jail forever because maybe there's a reason behind it. And so you've got to kind of take things as they are and not just try to attribute them to some set standard because those set standards probably did not have you in mind when they were made. Yeah, it's another one of those things, too, where it's tempting to wish the world could be black and white. Like, I think it's like that seems

safer. So, like, I'm a very black and white person in certain situations or I would definitely prefer to be black and white in more situations in life, but it's just not. Like, ever and even if it seems safer it's not necessarily true that you can make it black and white right right exactly yeah um so when considering her relationship with georgia nina is reflecting on it and says i liked having some or nina likes having someone uh see nothing ugly about who she was or what she did georgia witnessed both echo and nina and accepted them both um And it also kind of feels like the both of the books in the series are allowing the reader to see both sides of Nina and Echo and you still end up on her side. So how did you approach making Nina so badass but also still accessible?

Right. Well, so it's, I think my goal is to always, you know, have the reader try to be sympathetic and empathetic to. to Nina and I started that with the first and it's very much like what when we were talking about like what's black and white Nina's not black and white but initially when you see oh you know she's an assassin you want to say oh that's black and white like that's not good you know killing people for money but like Nina believes which is the conversation she always has with with court because her own personal you know um story is is something that he can't take as black and white and if he did, then he shouldn't be with her, right? And he should be wanting her to go to jail because she is, you know, in the sense of his justice, a criminal. And so what I wanted to do with the reader,

because, you know, I'm like, well, these readers have to come with me on a ride for three books. And they can't have these three books, you know, hating her. They could definitely hate some of the things that she does. But I want them to be able to see why she does what she does. And then from there, determine whether or not they can root for her or not. You know what I mean? And so what I just really tried. And I did that by opening them up in the first book to, you know, what she's been through. So it's like her origin story.

So you can kind of see where she came from and how she came to be. And then use that in the back burner of why she's this. Why is she like, you know, so cold to people? You know, why doesn't she joke around or laugh? and, you know, all this other stuff. Why doesn't she want to be more like her sister and, you know, cool? She's a rich girl, whatever. There's reasons for that.

And she has standards and she has a code that she lives for, which is, you know, her family first. And so that's what I think, you know, most people can relate to is, you know, whoever is in their tribe, whether it is their, you know, biological family or a found family, whoever is most important to them, you know, they would do whatever. and they also know everybody knows that sometimes you may do a little something that you shouldn't for that person that you love whether it's like you tell a little white lie or you know whatever it is that you're doing um so i wanted them to just really see that she is a human and that she's been through some stuff and that's what molded her into what she is and so what she does is you know

just an extension of that but i also wanted them to appreciate that you know even though she has a job that, you know, people might not agree with. She's very proud of how well she can do the job. And so that doesn't mean that she's proud of, you know, the job. She doesn't take pleasure in killing people, right? But it is just a job. And so she's able to disconnect and compartmentalize and things like that, which is something we have to do a lot of in the workplace and be able to take emotions out

and just do the job well. And whether we like it or not. So I think that's the, that people can relate to. Plus, she's just fun. Yeah, that's a good. She is. She has her own versions of it.

And I do, I think you're right that like, you don't, you don't have to be an assassin to compartmentalize your work self and your like home self. So I think, I think it is really accessible. You mentioned found family, which is what she has for sure. And the nights are really close knit. They're really caring feeling. And they really welcome court in Georgia into their family in this book. And it says because family to them wasn't only from blood, family was anyone for who they cared.

And so how do you think kind of this, this like found family or family of choice affects like both Nina and Georgia? Well, so Georgia and Nina, you know, both lost a parent. Nina lost both, but Georgia has definitely felt that loss. And it's only been really her and her father throughout all these years. And her father has been very career driven. So there are things that, you know, she was missing out on that. She felt, you know, she was missing out on. And she was going through, you know, at school and things like that.

And so Nina saw that loss and that, you know, that person that's lost. looking for something in in Georgia. She saw herself in Georgia, which is why I, you know, she, she saved her and, and, um, and why she kind of like brought her within, you know, the family and things like that. And then also Georgia surprised the hell out of Nina when Georgia barely batted an eye. When she, you know, she took out those guys in the first one right in front of Georgia. And Georgia was basically like, bleats, can I have some more? And so that was like, really surprising to her.

And I think it's surprising to a lot of people. you know, kids these days, and I even see it with my teens, my kids, that, you know, things will go on and they'll just be like, huh, okay, because they kind of understand all those different, like, you know, there's reasons for things. And so that's how Georgia is. And Georgia, you know, has wanted someone in her life that is just so like her in like-mindedness in thinking, you know, beyond the, this is wrong and this is right, like of her father. And then she also sees like this woman just like owning. the things that she does and being able to do all of these things and not being afraid because, you know, court is very protective of Georgia and always wants to kind of bottle her up, you know, because he's so, because he's seen, you know, the horrors of the world and he doesn't want that for her. But Georgia very much wants to experience all of that. She sees, well, geez, if Nina can do it and even Aline, who doesn't go out and kill people, but she's so badass in how she is, in in owning her sexuality and in owning her fashion and being such a boss, you know, business lady,

Georgia sees all of that in these women and she wants, you know, to have more of it. And Nina is like, loves the fact that she doesn't judge. And so that's why they get along so well and she's able to come forth into the family. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I love the all. It's an action thriller. So you know you're not going to have your heartwarming scenes for long.

but every time it was like a softer, chiller scene, I was like, oh, I just want to hang out with these people. Me too. Yeah. So Nina, as much as she really wants as an adult to have a normal relationship with court, her sexual trauma, all of her trauma, but her sexual trauma prevents that from happening really easily. and the descriptions in this book of her PCSD coming up were like heartbreaking and really were depicting the struggle of her inner child and her adult self so well how did you approach writing those scenes well um so yeah that one was it was difficult but I had to like I had to like dig in right into myself and be like okay um you know I've I've had had issues and things like

that and how would I feel, you know, if I were in her shoes and this has happened to me. And how do I make it true to the story? Like I can't just have her jump on in and be like, okay, like, you know, everything, you know, is fine now because it's not. And I, and I know that, you know, when things happen to us and then something just, it could be something so innocuous, will trigger, right? And we're taking right back to that moment again. And so something as, you know, as simple as, you know, court kissing her or court touching her, even the thought, you know, of them going further and having sex is like just totally, it's terrifying to her.

That is the thing that scares her because all she knew from that experience was something she didn't want and in pain, right, and trauma. So she can't divest herself of that until, you know, she is kind of shown that. And he's trying to show that. and he's very, very patient, you know, with her because he knows. But that's definitely something she has to work, you know, within herself and try to get herself, you know, comfortable with it bit by bit. So I really just, you know, thought of myself.

And I know, you know, in my experience is that when I'm trying to try something new after having experienced a loss or, you know, a trauma or whatever, it's very hard for me. And I will go back and forth. And I just figure, you know, a lot of people go back and forth before. something finally just maybe clicks for them and they feel okay I can be safe with this person and I'm going to try this thing. Yeah. Yeah. That's really cool insight because it is. Anytime there's been trauma around anything the next time you go to do something, it's so much more intimidating and you have to like practice doing it again before it's easy again. So that's that's really cool

insight. So at the end we find out who is mostly behind everything and it's so sad. Did you know when you started writing that he was going to be the one kind of in the center of it? And did you know in the first book that he would betray her? I absolutely did not know in the first book. And I got to tell you, I'm still mad at myself because I'm like, you know, how did I do it? But I know I had to, and I really wanted, you know, to turn the readers on their heads. You know what I mean? And it's still something because he's one of my favorite, favorite characters. I love him. And deep down, it's, it's not, he, he wasn't doing it again when we're talking about the people's reasons for doing things, you know, and he has a reason. And he

even has like a trauma, right? That has, that has, you know, made him this way or made him make these decisions. And so, so I just, you know, unfortunately, he made the wrong decisions and, you know, in what he was trying to do and forced Nina to have to make a decision that she absolutely never wanted to do, you know, again. And so, like, that builds a lot of resentment for her that's going to go into the next one because now she's thinking, like, why do people keep doing these things that force me, that put me in this position that I have to do this thing that I hate, you know? Yes.

Yeah. And this is someone, you know, that, you know, it's really, you know, a, you know, a, you know, good person, but like I just, I don't know. So I'm still like kind of grieving that and I'm a little sad. I'm a little sad, but I know. It was so powerful. I don't know what that came to be. I think it was, I was writing in, in the middle I was writing and I was like, okay, so it's got to be, you know, this person and this has got to be the reason why. Um, yeah, to really like hit home and devastate not only her, but it, you know, it's going to devastate noble as well and, and her whole entire family. Um, so. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, you've had, you had the focus in both books that she sees her life in befores and afters. And that was like one of the more powerful lines around that was like, this wasn't in her before anymore. And so now it's like, now even as an adult, she's having someone betray her. And I was like, that's not going to be good for her. Let's go bring it all right back up. So, yeah, I'm sure you've got all kinds of stuff. You're working out from that ending. But there is a third one.

I'm not going to figure it out. Oh, nice. Oh, that'll be, that'll be cool. I know I'm going to like that. But you are working on a third one, right? You've mentioned it a couple times. I am. I actually just, I finished it not too long ago. Nice.

And it's gone for the editors. And so we've got to do some revisions and some tweakings and things like that. So I'm just thinking about all of that before I get back into it. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. I'm so excited for that one. Where can people follow you so you can stay up to date? and know when the third one comes out?

Sure. You can follow me on Twitter and find me at YAS, Y-A-S-A-R-E-Rider. On Instagram, I am author underscore YAS, and then Facebook, you can just find Yass Monongo, author, and, you know, follow me there. But, yep, that's where you can find me. Yep, so I will put all of those in the show notes

so everyone can find that. And thank you for being a guest again. Thank you.