His books have steamy covers. Enticing love triangles. Phrases like “certifiably gorgeous.”
Still, author Carl Weber notes, “A lot of people don’t look at my books as romance.”
The novels, which boast titles like “Player Haters” and “Something on the Side,” are just as much a glimpse at contemporary African-American culture, he said.
Weber signs books at Barnes & Noble in Columbus Park Crossing at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
“Please bring all of your books because I will sign anything that has my name on it,” he said.
Weber has attracted an audience with relatable relationship stories.
The alluring book covers — say, a woman and her shirtless partner locked in an embrace — probably don’t hurt, either.
“I don’t consider myself a writer,” Weber said. “I consider myself a storyteller.”
His most recent novel, “Big Girls Do Cry,” follows members of the Big Girls Book Club — a group Weber devised in an earlier novel.
Members of the BGBC must be at least a size 14.
Weber wrote “Big Girls Do Cry” primarily from a female perspective, a style he’d used in the past. He sought inspiration from real-life interactions.
“I’m the kind of guy that studied women for a few years,” said Weber, who is married.
With degrees in accounting and marketing, he wasn’t formally trained as a writer.
Weber said a lack of formal training helped him be less guarded in soliciting opinions of his work prior to publication.
But the author isn’t immune to literary roadblocks.
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Weber admits he’s not an amazing typist, and says he often procrastinates while working on a novel.
“I’m almost like a student in college,” he joked.
Weber is also the publisher and editorial director of Urban Books, a publishing company that features a variety of genres aimed at an African-American audience.
With his role at Urban Books, Weber has had a firsthand look at the often shaky publishing climate.
“It’s tough. The book industry has a lot of challenges,” he said, citing a recent transition from paper books to electronic readers.
Yet Weber said determined authors shouldn’t lose hope.
“Perseverance is a great thing,” he said.
Sonya Sorich can be reached at 706-571-8516.
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