JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Lisa Maria Carroll, author of Confessions of a Gold Digger: She’s the Woman You Want to Hate, but Can’t
(I Define Me, LLC)

Confessions of a Gold Digger chronicles my dating life from a time when I was ready to throw in the towel because I thought all men were no-good to a place where I found happiness in my dating life. I was so fed up with men whose idea of a great date was hanging out or kicking it at my place, eating my food, or sleeping in my bed that I donned my independent woman crown as a way of showing them that I didn’t need them. And I got everything I bargained for by attracting men who expected me to pay for dates and buy them gifts.

But I eventually realized that I was the problem, and that I needed to stop trying to change men and change myself. I had set my expectations of men so low out of fear that I wouldn’t get one. I was also afraid that I would be seen as high maintenance or a gold digger if I had standards. But once I got over those fears and did the work on myself, I began to attract men who possessed the qualities that I desired in a mate.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Confessions of a Gold Digger: She’s the Woman You Want to Hate, but Can’t?

Lisa Maria Carroll: I host a relationship radio show, and I also have a relationship group page on Facebook. And everyday I hear from women and men who talk about their relationship problems, but don’t take responsibility for their choices. From there, I knew I wanted to write a book on relationships, but didn’t know where to start because I couldn’t narrow the topic.

Then I was brainstorming with my accountability partner one day, and she said, “Confessions of a Gold Digger,” and I was like, that’s perfect because I had recently reconnected with an ex that I hadn’t talked to in almost five years. When we talked, he called me a gold digger and said that I only broke up with him after he ran out of money.

At first I was offended, because I thought our relationship was built on love. But after I thought about it for a while, I realized that wasn’t the first time I had been called a gold digger. I usually got that title hurled at me anytime I decided to put my own interests first. I also realized that there are some women, namely white women, who don’t get called gold diggers as often as black women do, because they’re raised to have certain expectations of men that black women aren’t.

JP: What sets Confessions of a Gold Digger: She’s the Woman You Want to Hate, but Can’t apart from other books in the same genre?

LMC: Most people read the title of my book and expect it to be about a woman teaching women how to get over on men, or how to dress and where to hang out in order to snag a rich man. But that’s not the case at all. I teach women to not set their expectations of men low because that’s all they believe they can have or deserve. I want them to know that good men abound and having standards does not make them high maintenance. And if other people think it does, so what?

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to Confessions of a Gold Digger: She’s the Woman You Want to Hate, but Can’t getting out to the public?

LMC: I am a lover of all things social media, so I use my networks to get the word out.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish Confessions of a Gold Digger: She’s the Woman You Want to Hate, but Can’t?

LMC: I’m not very disciplined in my writing process, so I write whenever I feel inspired. Once I finally organized my thoughts and decided to sit down and put them in print, it only took two weeks. However, the revision process was much longer, probably about four months.

JP: What’s next for Lisa Maria Carroll?

LMC: I’m currently working on a fiction series called Even Thugs Love Jesus. The first book by the same title is due out in Spring 2012. I’ve also drafted the outline for the second book, which is Single, Saved and Searching for a Wife.

http://www.confessionsofagolddigger.com

http://facebook.com/lisamariacarroll

http://www.twitter.com/iamlisamaria

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Aaron Douglas passed away February 3, 1979. He was an African American painter and a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. When given the title of Father of African American Arts, he stated,  “Do not call me the Father of African American Arts, for I am just a son of Africa, and paint for what inspires me.”

 

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
George Wier, author of The Last Call – A Bill Travis Mystery
(Flagstone Books)

The Last Call is the first in an action/adventure mystery series called The Bill Travis Mysteries. In this first book, Bill Travis – an investment counselor rapidly approaching his 40s – assists Julie Simmons in her flight from the henchmen of quarterhorse racer and illicit liquor baron, Archie Carpin.

Carpin’s men are as ruthless as they are stupid, and their penchant for high-powered firearms and rigged explosives is matched only by their doggedness in either capturing or killing Julie. Enter Bill and his good friend Hank – also no slouch in the explosives department.

But what did Julie do to get all this attention? And how can Bill save her? Fortunately for the reader, this book is free on Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Nobles Nook, as well as other ebook readers. To quote Bill Crider: “Get it before last call!”

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write The Last Call – A Bill Travis Mystery?

George Wier: When I moved to Austin, Texas, in 2002, I did a great deal of reading. I didn’t know a lot of people and books were very much my constant companion. I looked around, however, for a book or a series of books that personified my new home town. Also, I looked for a character I could not only identify with, but one that could give me a clue as to how to act, or basically, how to be. Finding none, I sat down and began writing.

I didn’t know what was going to come of it; I just knew I would be creating the character and the situations I wanted to read about. And that, I believe, is the chief ingredient in any good story. Is the character true, not only to himself and his ideals, but to everyone and everything around him? Just how authentic could he be? So, that’s where Bill came from. And in those early days, I already had the titles for the first 10 or so books picked out, and very largely, I have stuck with those titles and those first story ideas.

Thus far, there are 7 completed books and more on the way. But the writing of them… That has gotten better. And Bill, he’s gotten a great deal better as well. His wit, like mine, is perhaps a little more wry. His predilection for action, like mine, is the highest it could be. (It may surprise you to know that I have lived some of these adventures – and maybe that’s why I’m prematurely gray).

I am still, however, gaining inspiration for this character, his friends and family, and even his enemies. It’s around me every day here, and like Bill, I’ve never stopped observing. I suppose a real writer must always be willing to look and experience. A real writer must be willing to get his feet wet or his hands dirty. And if he’s not ready and willing to do those things, why, I don’t believe the inspiration will ever come.

Ultimately, I guess you could say that my inspiration comes from life. But that sounds a bit trite. Maybe I could say it better by saying that if you plug in the other definition for life there (not the thing that means “what goes on around one”, but instead “one’s own existence”) then possibly it makes a little more sense.

People forget sometimes that THEY are life. I guess that’s what I mean. That’s a little bit truer, too, as far as this protagonist is concerned. George is not now the Bill he could have been. Not that he’s really me. Just that we’ve had some shared experiences, that’s all. Yes, I’ve had people point guns at me. Yes, I’ve had some high-speed chases. All that stuff.

It’s far better, though, to write about them than to have them, let me tell you. But sometimes… well, there’s just no substitute. There’s a definite ringing-in-the-ears that one gets after having fired a high-powered rifle. Try describing it without having experienced it. Shoot, I can smell the gunpowder in my nose right now.

JP: What sets The Last Call – A Bill Travis Mystery apart from other books in the same genre?

GW: Well, it sort of is a “genre” book, and it sort of isn’t. As a good friend of mine, Joe Prentis, said, there are too many protagonists that are too… (fill in the blank). Meaning, they’ve got a problem with alcohol, or they’ve got problems with women, or they’ve got this or they’ve got that… yada yada yada.

Bill is different. He’s Everyman. And in The Last Call, I’ve done my best to paint him as indistinctly as I can, yet at the same time I made it easy to get to know him – how he thinks, how he reacts, what his dreams are like. And in the final analysis, that’s what identifies us all – not what we look like, but who we are.

I wanted no less for Bill Travis. I wanted him real, just as you are, just as I am. Also, I wanted him in a completely impossible situation. I wanted to test his mettle and at the same time push the reader to the edge, if not over it. I don’t, however, find many other books that do this. “Of course,” I’m probably hearing you say, “you’re touting your book here, buddy.” Well, you got me there. But, please find for me a character or a book like this?

The closest I can come to that is John Dunning’s “booked” character in his classic Booked to Die, and its sequels. And Dunning is a true master. There are a few I strive to do better than, and he’s one of them. But there’s one last element I’d like to call your attention to: it’s the action. When I was a young fellow (I was once, you know – really!) I read a lot of action and adventure books. Most of them were a bit campy – I know because I’ve tried to go back and re-read them, and I just can’t get myself through one these days. But back then I had a white-knuckle grip on the page and the story would grab me and I’d read until two or four in the morning!

That’s what I wanted with these books, and particularly this first one. I wanted that white-knuckle/on-the-edge-of-your-seat feel. I wanted to give that to my readers. And I’ve had more than a few tell me that I succeeded. So, I suppose I did well. I that way, this book (and its sequels) is decidedly different.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to The Last Call – A Bill Travis Mystery getting out to the public?

GW: First, I never took no for an answer. Many, many times I was told that I should stop, that “we don’t accept this kind of manuscript” (which I took to mean: “you scare us kid. Nobody should write like this.”) I’ve heard it all. Not once did I ever give up.

As my wife, Sallie, says, no matter what is going on with me – death close by, taxes, 12-hour shifts, whatever – I’m always writing and I always will be (and I think it’s one of the reasons I think she married me: I’m always handing her something to read!). I can’t stop writing, so if I’m going to write, I might as well write what I want to read and what some other people will want to read.

So I made the break when my good friend, Milton Burton, suggested to Bobby Byrd over at Cinco Puntos Press that he should get a short story from George Wier for his upcoming Lone Star Noir anthology. So, in about thirty minutes I took a former Bill Travis story that seemed to be going nowhere, chopped it off around page 30 or so, changed the character names and the ending a bit, fleshed it out a little, and fired it off.

And those were the most well-spent thirty minutes of my life! I then went on the book tour around Texas promoting the book (I was the only author in that anthology that went to ALL the book signings, no matter how far-flung, and I took Sallie with me to boot!). You can say that I got lucky, and you’d be right about that. But it’s my belief that people make their own luck. You have to be a bit of a mule, you know. You have to make up your mind and NOT CHANGE IT when the wind blows the wrong way. That’s pretty much it.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish The Last Call – A Bill Travis Mystery?

GW: For my writing process, I take Stephen King’s advice in his wonderful book On Writing: I sit down and write. I let a hole open up in my computer screen and I see this other world and I report what goes on there. I just do that and only that.

And really, all along I have maintained (and still do so) that I have very little to do with the whole process. You just write. The story either comes or it doesn’t. It’s sort of a silly illusionist trick, you know? When you know the secret to it, it’s sort of spoiled. But, you asked.

With regard to how long this one took me, I’d say about a month, start to finish, maybe a little more. I didn’t clock myself on this one. I did on Arrowmoon, Book 8 in the series. That one took 29 days, start to finish. And all the while, I was taking classes and working a 40-hour week job. So when people say “I don’t have time to write,” and give me this sad look, I think to myself “Just keep thinking that and that’s what you’ll get: a lot of blank paper!” Sorry to sound so harsh, that’s just the reality of it, at least from my point-of-view.

JP: What’s next for George Wier?

GW: Well, finish this series, for starters. I just sent off a manuscript to a traditional publisher after he said he was interested in publishing it. Fortunately, I know the guy. I’ve got a number of other completed novels waiting in the wings. They’re not dusty or anything – they’re all fairly fresh and pretty much ready to go.

And when I say “finish this series”, I’m talking about 16, 17 more books. I can do no less, actually. It’s been the plan pretty much all along. I do hope that this body has from 50 to 70 more books in it. I’m 47 now, and I plan on a long run. Hopefully, you’ll be there interviewing me at the far end, and we’ll look back on that little interview we did once, and we’ll laugh. Okay, is that it? Say, thanks!

http://www.georgewier.com

http://billtravismysteries.com

http://facebook.com/ search George Wier

http://twitter.com/GeorgeWier

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Clenora Hudson-Weems was born on born February 2, 1949. She is currently a Professor of English at the University of Missouri. As an African American author, she coined the term “Africana Womanism” in the 80s.

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Patricia A. Bridewell and Faatima Albasir-Johnson, author of A Generation of Curses
(NCM Publishing)

Khadesia Hill’s life could not be better. She is the wife of the debonair Assistant Pastor, Malcolm Hill, youngest son and first choice to succeed his father as pastor of the mega church, Solid Rock Christian Ministries. Obedience to the Lord led her to California twelve years earlier where she met and married Malcolm and gave birth to their daughter.

Her world shatters when a detective shows up at her business one day. He claims to have evidence that could possibly link her to an ex-boyfriend’s murder ten years ago in her home town. Secrets about her past unfold and cast shadows over her pure reputation in the church and with Malcolm’s family.

When the news is revealed, Malcolm’s older brother Corbin and his wife Stacie step up efforts to win Corbin his father’s seat as the next pastor. Stacie’s friend Maxie, who has a long-time attraction to Malcolm, enters the picture at the wrong time and causes a love triangle by trying to sway Malcolm her way. Will Khadesia s and Malcolm s faith and trust in God remain steadfast through the crises in their lives?

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write A Generation of Curses?

Patricia A. Bridewell: My inspiration came from knowing that some of the facts in this book were based on true events. I experienced an overflow of excitement when we started writing what I call a “Reality Adapted to Faith-Based Fiction” novel.

Faatima Albasir-Johnson: What inspired me was that it is a fiction story loosely based on some actual events that happened in the past. We both were able to entwine fiction and facts to pull the story together.

JP: What sets A Generation of Curses apart from other books in the same genre?

FAJ: I think the book has something in it for everyone; it is an interesting story that will appeal to many readers. We want to reach not only readers who enjoy reading Christian Fiction, but those who enjoy reading good stories.

PAB: The book is a mix of inspirational romance offset by the kind of drama that will keep readers wondering what will happen next. Parts of the book are somewhat edgy, but not much, and I think readers will enjoy the storyline. The story exposes imperfections as well as positive aspects of characters’ lives, which are what we see in the real world today.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to A Generation of Curses getting out to the public?

PAB: The book will be released in May 2012, and we have been getting the word out through people that we know, social media, advertisement, planning for events and book signings. Our publisher has also been promoting the book.

FAJ: Even though the book has not yet been released, we have tried to create a buzz by using all forms of promotional methods. We are also connecting with various book clubs, trying to come up with creative, nontraditional avenues for promoting our book, plus our publisher recently did a great book trailer.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish A Generation of Curses?

FAJ: I tend to write in a free-flow style. It allows me to express myself freely, and it doesn’t inhibit my creativity. When the characters speak out, I write.

PAB: When an idea pops in my mind, I immediately write down facts—whether I’m at home, work, or driving somewhere. As soon as I get to a computer, I begin listing character names, appearances, personalities, plot information, whatever I can think of. From my ongoing notes, everything begins to flow.

We started the book almost two years ago, but both had tragedies occur and had to put it on hold for a while. But through prayer and determination, God put us back on track, and for the past six months we have collaboratively focused on finishing the book.

JP: What’s next for Patricia A. Bridewell and Faatima Albasir-Johnson?

PAB: My goal is to write more books that will hopefully encourage, educate, and inspire people. I have a deep passion for lifting spirits, and I believe words are powerful. The gift to pen genuine stories has been a blessing.

FAJ: I hope to continue my journey in the literary world, writing meaningful and enjoyable stories.

http://www.patriciabridewell.com

http://www.fatimaalbasirjohnson.com

http://twitter.com/PABridewell

facebook.com/search Patricia Ann Bridewell or Faatima Ingrid Al-basir

http://www.ncmpublishing.com

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James Mercer Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902. Best known as an American poet, Hughes was also asocial activist, a novelist, a playwright, and a columnist. One of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form “jazz poetry”, Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance.

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Michael Meyer, author of Covert Dreams
(Amazon Kindle)

Is the mysterious disappearance of an American in today’s Saudi Arabia somehow linked to a terrible murder in Munich back in 1984? Is B.J. living a nightmare, or is it reality? How can he dream the same dream night after night and know intimate details of Munich, a city in which he has never been? How can he speak German in his dream, a language he does not know? Why does everybody think he is losing it? Is he going crazy?

How can a woman suddenly disappear in the Saudi Arabian heat, along with every trace of her very existence? Why is there absolutely nothing, not one single detail in any records anywhere, to prove that she is indeed a living person and that her spouse is not crazy for thinking so? Why do both the American government officials and the Saudi Arabia authorities insist that she has never even existed?

What is real, and what is not? Who is really who, and why? What is behind the murder, the kidnappings, and the nightmares all leading up to what end? The mounting suspense moves from Munich, to London, to Rome, and to the burning sands of Saudi Arabia. What is the horrifying link between these two alternating stories?

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Covert Dreams?

Michael Meyer: I love a good mystery. I like to be thrilled. There are few locales in the world more mysterious than Saudi Arabia. In addition, Munich has been one of my most frequented vacation spots. That is how I chose the two primary locales.

As for the plot, the strange relationship between the very Western American government and the ultra conservative Saudi government has always intrigued me, so the plot was born. As I wrote the thriller, not knowing where it would lead me or how it would end, I was like a reader myself.

I have lived in both Germany and Saudi Arabia, the two most prominent locales depicted in Covert Dreams, so the authenticity of the setting appealed greatly to me.

JP: What sets Covert Dreams apart from other books in the same genre?

MM: I don’t see myself competing with other writers. I am not very good at tooting my own horn. What I can say, though, is that I strive to be only at my very best when I write. I am a strong critic of my own writing. If I don’t like something, then it does not find a permanent home in my work.

I love language, and I spend an enormous amount of time just trying to get every sentence to convey precisely the right sounds and images. In other words, I think of myself as a perfectionist when it comes to my writing.

One reviewer said the following about Covert Dreams, “The dialogue in the book was completely realistic. It was not cliché or overly dramatized as we sometimes see in thrillers.” That meant a lot to me.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to Covert Dreams getting out to the public?

MM: I rely heavily upon word-of-mouth advertising. I have been fortunate to have gathered great reviews of the book, and many from pretty prominent people. I seek out interviews on blogs, and I participate in a wide variety of forums. The bottom line, however, is that the quality of my work has to speak to others, and they, in turn, have to speak about it for me. Thus far things are going quite well.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish Covert Dreams?

MM: I am an early morning person, so I like to get to work right after breakfast. I walk for about an hour six days a week, and on that walk, just before breakfast, while exercising my body, I am also exercising my brain by coming up with ideas for that morning’s writing session.

I sometimes find myself having to hurry home just to be able to jot down a note or two before I lose the idea. I started Covert Dreams a couple of years ago and then after my retirement in December of 2010 from a forty-year career as an English professor, I made it my priority to finally give birth to my baby.

JP: What’s next for Michael Meyer?

MM: I am nearly finished with my second novel of suspense, entitled The Deadly Eyes of St. Croix. I was a professor of English at the St. Croix campus of the University of the Virgin Islands for four years. I hope to have the novel published by Amazon Kindle in the next couple of months. And then I hope to get started on my next book and the one after that. I seriously hope to be writing well into my old age.

My Amazon author’s website:
http://www.amazon.com/author/michaelmeyer

My Goodreads author’s site:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/674626.Mike_Meyer

My Google+ site:
https://plus.google.com/115986313551109065097/about

I have always been fascinated by language. For instance, why would I want my credit card swiped at the cashier’s booth while I am swiping it after a purchase? If you are going to come to my house for dinner, are you coming or going? Do children drink their milk up or down? I love the creativity that can be achieved by getting the wording just right. I am an avid reader, and that has also contributed to my desire to write. I enjoy reading my own work. I still can laugh, or cry, at the scenes I have created.

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Christopher C. Starr, author of The Road to Hell
(Sanford House Press)

You talk to someone about Lucifer, and you already know what they’re thinking: he’s the Devil, Satan, Prince of Darkness, whatever. Truth is he wasn’t always bad; he didn’t start out like that.

In the beginning, he was spectacular, and the Father loved him. But he made a mistake: he got jealous and ungrateful, and then he got defiant. He forced the Father’s hand and all his efforts to make it right only made matters worse. He started a rebellion and a civil war. He broke the Father’s heart.

I figured I’d let him tell it.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write The Road to Hell?

Christopher C. Starr: This is an old idea for me. I’ve always been fascinated with this story, the fall of Lucifer. The idea was captivating—how could an angel decide that Heaven was so unpalatable under God that he foments a rebellion and convince a third of the others that he’s right? It begged to be written.

JP: What sets The Road to Hell apart from other books in the same genre?

CS: There are a few other version of this story, but no other story has tried to understand Lucifer’s motivations. No one else ever looked at it from his standpoint. Most stories are fairly light on the emotional arc such a character brings.

I think we can learn a lot about ourselves and our idea of faith if we look at it from the perspective of the angels. That’s what I want to explore.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to The Road to Hell getting out to the public?

CS: The literary community is incredibly accepting and helpful. It’s like we’re all in it together. Once you join it, they open their arms and resources. Social media have been tremendous—Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Goodreads—but word of mouth has probably been the best. Uncovering resources like this.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish The Road to Hell?

CS: My writing process is a combination of screenwriting and prose. I use Viki King’s How to Write a Movie in 21 Days to write a draft first. It helps me with pacing and dialogue. Then I start writing and break all my rules.

The Road to Hell took me a long time to write—I think I wrote it 4 or 5 times. Actual writing took me only 4 months then I took time off, retooled and revised. Took me a year to complete the revision and another 3-4 months for edits.

JP: What’s next for Christopher C. Starr?

CS: Two things: I have a horror/thriller called Rabid that I’m working on and Come Hell and Highwater–the sequel to The Road to Hell and the next book in the Heaven Falls series.

http://www.christophercstarr.net

http://facebook.com/christophercstarr

http://twitter.com/SuperStarr73

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5159882.Christopher_C_Starr

I feel it is my duty to say what must be said and to say it well.

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Phette L. Ogburn, author of It Can Happen To You
(Phette L. Ogburn)

The 1st installment in the It Can Happen To You series features the three short stories: “S & M: Sexts & Messaging”,” The ID” and “Organized Karma”. The stories follow Sabra, Nya and LaTrease on their journeys as they cope with issues of loneliness, lust, sex, betrayal, deceit and love.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write It Can Happen To You?

Phette L. Ogburn: My inspiration drew from a combination of my personal experiences as well as that of others, topped with some creativity for sensationalism purposes.

JP: What sets It Can Happen To You apart from other books in the same genre?

PLO: I’m finding it difficult to pinpoint a “genre” for my work, aside from that of fiction. The book encapsulates themes from that of drama to erotica. So, I suppose that’s what sets it apart.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to It Can Happen To You getting out to the public?

PLO: A strong support system. I am fortunate to have the backing of my husband, my family and friends, and my mentors. Also, not to mention, the social networking mediums: Facebook and Twitter. They’ve allowed me to reach people I never imagined.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish It Can Happen To You?

PLO: I wrote each short story at different periods in my life. For instance, I wrote “The ID” about three years ago, and ”S & M: Sexts & Messaging” and “Organized Karma” a year ago.

When I truly started entertaining the notion of putting them into a book of short stories, the process took less than six months, including professional editing and graphic designing for the cover.

JP: What’s next for Phette L. Ogburn?

PLO: After getting such positive feedback from the 1st short story: “S & M: Sexts & Messaging”, a local producer read it, and it has now been optioned to be turned into a film. Production is scheduled to start early February 2012.

http://www.phetteogburn.com

http://www.facebook.com/phephi

http://www.twitter.com/phephi

Linked In – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/phette-ogburn/34/503/615

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Qwantu Amaru, author of One Blood
(The Pantheon Collective)

A voodoo curse torments a group of people unaware of their hidden connections. Set in and throughout Louisiana, the story takes the reader on an epic journey from the 1800′s to the early 2000′s. This is a book about family secrets, revenge, manipulation, destiny, and redemption. One Blood grips the reader and doesn’t let go even long after the last page has been read.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write One Blood?

Qwantu Amaru: I always knew I would write a book one day. After years of reading Stephen King and Anne Rice, among others, I decided to put pen to paper. They say to write what you know and what I know is the unique setting that is Louisiana and the kind of stories that only happen there.

One Blood could not have taken place in any other place in the world but Louisiana because of the rich, complex history of the state and its people. And after a creative writing class assignment in January 2000, I started writing and never looked back!

JP: What sets One Blood apart from other books in the same genre?

QA: The complexity of my characters coupled with the effective use of dialogue, excellent pacing and engrossing suspense really set this book apart. The story employs a Tarantino-esque structure that keeps the reader engaged and off-balance (in a good way).

This book qualifies as a horror novel, but it’s far more psychological than gory, and the fear hits the reader in a different place than the average horror novel. Also, there aren’t too many African-American horror writers doing it these days, so that is unique in and of itself.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to One Blood getting out to the public?

QA: Word-of-mouth and reviews are the gateway to success, and I’ve been blessed to be getting very good reviews thus far (the book debuted in December 2011). Also really forging a connection with readers and fans via social media and online reading communities like goodreads, scribd, library thing and shelfari.

My readers facebook chat me just to shoot the breeze and know I’m a regular guy who just happens to write. I think that level of access is a definite differentiator. And last but not least, author interviews (like this one!), blog tours, and innovative promotions (I’m giving away a Kindle Fire to the first 100 facebook fans who bought the book) help further establish and build the movement.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish One Blood?

QA: I was 22 when I started One Blood and completely clueless about the writing process. (Hence the reason it took 12 years to get it done!) I had an idea for a story and just started writing. It didn’t take long for me to write myself into a corner. This happened because I was trying to plot the novel rather than create living, breathing characters and let them tell their story.

It was then that I took a step back and when back to the drawing board focusing on character development. Then everything else flowed from that. I also opened myself to critique constantly. Many people contributed ideas or suggestions that made the story better.

I know many writers avoid the real world at all costs when writing, but getting constant feedback along the way really helps me. So my process for future novels will always start with the characters and then proceed with getting feedback early and often!

JP: What’s next for Qwantu Amaru?

QA: Promoting the heck out of One Blood while completing my second novel (dropping spring 2013) titled The Uneasy Sleep of Giants which can best be described as The Kite Runner meets The Davinci Code!

http://www.qwantuamaru.com

http://facebook.com/OneBloodBook

http://twitter.com/OneBloodBook

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5203044.Qwantu_Amaru

Amazon Author Central: http://amazon.com/author/qwantuamaru

For interested readers there is a FREE 30 chapter preview of One Blood on Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/Qwantu/d/67747510-One-Blood-Part-One

And here is the link to my publisher The Pantheon Collective: http://www.pantheoncollective.com

P.S. To join the JoeyPinkney.com Newsletter, click here.

You can click on each banner as it scrolls by to learn more about each sponsor!

You need to advertise with JoeyPinkney.com! (Click here for more information.)