You can’t beat it: nun in a dress in her quarterback stance with football cocked back! I had to show my wife, my colleague, my co-workers: anybody I knew would laugh either with me or at me…

As I dug deeper, I found even more interesting stuff going on with this publishing company. In an effort to make a collective effort to promote the work of authors of all levels of popularity, Hail Mary Publishing has various projects in place that make the publishing company and the authors equally active in the process.

http://www.hailmarypublishing.com/index.html

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Fifteen years ago, Iancu hung up his sword and turned his back on his own kind. A Native American slayer picks up where he left off, although she’s haunted by memories of the night her family was slain by evil incarnates. She has fought and killed every vampire that she has come across.

She’s never made an exception-until now, when she realizes that the man who saved her life fifteen years ago is a vampire. Vampires are growing restless. They want to wage war against humans, but first they must go through Iancu and Charlie.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea/inspiration for BloodLust: The Beginning?

Starr Sanders: I have been interested in vampire fiction since I was a teenager. What inspired me to write this particular story is the fact that there wasn’t enough vampire fiction around at the time. I enjoy a story with a fast-paced story, and not many novels fit the bill when it came to that criteria. More than anything, I wrote this story for myself, so I would have a vampire story to read.

JP: What sets BloodLust: The Beginning apart from other novels in the same genre?

SS: As mentioned before, this story has a faster pace than many other vampire fiction novels. This is, in part, because of the amount of action that was infused into the story. This novel is a lot more action-packed than most. I live for well-written action scenes and fight scenes. This novel definitely delivers.

Another factor that contributes to the fast pacing of the story is the interesting cast of characters that I have put together. It is my every intention to immerse the reader in the intricacies of this story. I want the readers to lose themselves in it.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to BloodLust: The Beginning getting out to the public?

SS: One of the keys to my success has been the fact that I’m not afraid to try out new avenues of marketing. I make myself as accessible to the reader as possible. I like to get their input on the story. I like to hear their ideas on where the story should go from here… I am in constant contact with my readers.

Another key to my success has been persistence. In this business, persistence is key because not much comes easy in the literary world. There is a lot of competition out there. There are also those consumers who would rather go out and watch a movie than stay in for the night and get lost in a book. It has been and always will be my goal to persuade the non-reader to love reading.

There are many goals that I have for myself, and those goals – along with persistence and innovation – are two major elements of my success.

JP: As a Black author, how did you come to write in the horror paranormal genre?

SS: When it comes to reading, one of my pet peeves is when I am able to predict the ending of a book. When it comes to romance novels, there is a certain formula that many writers use to create a story. Hero and heroine meet; hero and heroine despise each other at first; event happens that bring hero and heroine closer together; an event or secret tears hero and heroine apart; hero and heroine overcome this event or secret and live happily ever after.

There are exceptions to this rule, of course, but for the most part that is a romance novel in a nutshell. Writing paranormal romance fiction, horror fiction, suspense/thrillers, and mystery novels are a way for me to break away from the formulated structure of the romance genre without losing the romantic element. These genres always keep the reader guessing.

JP: What’s next for Starr Sanders?

SS: In the Spring of 2009, I do have a new novel that will be released. The novel is called Open Book and will be released under the pseudonym Skye Sanders. The story follows a romance novelist named Paige Turner who accidentally submits her diary to be published instead of her latest book.

This is my first romance comedy novel, but many of the people who have had the opportunity to read it have loved it. I, myself, love it. In addition to the release of that project, BloodLust: Resurrection will be released in the Fall of 2009. I will be a busy, busy lady this year!

www.starrsanders.com
www.myspace.com/starrsanders

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Chante Chambers is a self-proclaimed princess. What mama wants her ex fiancé, Jason, makes sure she gets. The one task he failed at was being faithful, so Chante moved on. In a pursuit for love, happiness, and monogamy sometimes mistaken for sex, she encounters an array of men. If you took the best traits from them all and combined them, they still didn’t create the perfect man.

Just as Chante was ready to admit defeat in her quest for love in walks Keith, a caramel Adonis. Chante has plans of living happily ever after with Keith. That is, until Jason re-enters the picture. A lunch hour spent in between the sheets with Jason can complicate things, or can’t it?

What’s a girl to do when she’s torn between two lovers? Does she grab her panties off the floor and vow to never drop them again? Or does she go back for seconds?

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Chante’s Song?

Donneil D. Jackson: Back in 2000, Chante Moore had a hit single got called Chante’s Got a Man. I was on the phone with a good friend of mine Shauntae, and she was singing the song. I liked how it sound. I took the concept and began writing. As time progressed, I took all of my feelings and poured it into my writing.

JP: What sets Chante’s Song apart from other novels in its genre?

DDJ: The way the story is told. I tried my best to be as descriptive, candid and realistic as possible. I think we all have read a “Chante’s Song” before, yet we have never read the story being told in the manner in which I tell it. That’s what sets my novel apart from other novels in genre and same subject matter.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Chante’s Song getting out to the public?

DDJ: The keys needed for me being a successful writer are determination, the ability to tell a great story and a strong support system. Determination is the Number 1 key to my success. I am determined to make this happen for me.

I believe you have to keep your readers entertained and coming back from more. This is achieved by being able to tell a great story. I pride my self in reeling the reader in as if they were a fly on the wall.

The next key is a great support system. My family is very supportive in getting the word out about Chante’s Song. My father stands outside of the bookstore and passes out bookmarks. My family is my street team. They are very good! Even, my daughter goes up to her friends’ parents like, “Do you enjoy reading?”, with a bookmark in her hand. She has watched me enough to know how to spread the word about “Chante’s Song.

I have recently enlisted the services of Dana Pittman of Nia Promotions to help take Change’s Song to the next level.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Chante’s Song?

DDJ: In a perfect world, I set the atmosphere, slow music, the computer and me. Prior to my seven year old going to bed, it’s me, the computer and my munchkinneck asking me fifty million questions. It works. For the most part, I have something on paper. I can always go back and tweak it. I also get a lot of writing done at work (don’t tell my employer-LOL).

Chante’s Song was started in 2000. I finished it in 2004. I transitioned a lot since I first began writing Chante’s Song. I went from living with my mom, to living on my own, to becoming a mom and just being a full-fledge adult. During that transition, Chante’s Song sat on the shelf for a while. But once I picked her back up, there was no stopping me from seeing it to a finish product. And although it took 4 additional years to get it out, it’s out!

JP: What’s next for Donneil D. Jackson?

DDJ: Only greatness! I want my name to be a name that will be around for a while, if not forever. I want to be up there with the Terry McMillians and Lolita Files. I know I am not on their level yet, however, my goal is to one day be where they are.

Currently, I am working on my second novel, Happily Ever After. It’s a sequel to Chante’s Song. I am also getting my thoughts together for my third novel. I haven’t decided on a title yet. I have, but I don’t think I am going to go with Fairytale Bullsh*t. It’s a book about a scorned woman’s broken heart and her need for revenge.

www.pureblisspublishing.com
www.myspace.com/donneildjacksonthewriter
http://www.urban-reviews.com/insideout-donneildjackson.html
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/AAMBC/2008/10/11/Author-Exposure-w-Donniel-D-Jackson

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Mike and Daquan are cousins by blood, but become brothers by circumstance. In a New York minute, Mike is exposed to the death of his uncle Will at an early age. That same death equally affects Daquan, whose father (Mike’s uncle) was snatched away without warning. Daquan and Mike take to naturally take to hustling in the streets of Jamaica Queens in their late teens.

Their crew is rounded out by Sean and Kevin. The four teenagers find a dead spot on 118th and begin to turn it into an empire. The only problem is that they are cutting into the profits of the nearby drug gang known as the Young Gunz. Fronted by drug lord BK, Mike and his crew are hungry to make it happen. With BK as their supplier, they have the materials and the clout to take over the block. Things are moving, and money is being made hand over fist.

In a game of kill or be killed, eat or be eaten…can they survive the game long enough to get out of it? Or will they live up to the saying, “Live by the gun, die by the gun?”

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Redrum?

Charazz: Being incarcerated for many years, I began to see myself as a liability to my family. I wanted to do something I felt would benefit them financially as well as make them proud in spite of my incarceration. I remember one day while in the “box” another inmate had written a book, and I told him I wish I could do that. He said “you can”. From there, I felt my story of my life should be told.

JP: What sets Redrum apart from other novels in its genre?

C: Redrum is a fiction novel based on real facts and events from my life! I’m telling a story from personal knowledge, not research or second hand. It’s raw and gritty. It’s the realest you’ll get to being indicted. (Ha ha.)

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Redrum getting out to the public?

C: The key to my success lies in strong family support and my belief in a higher being other than myself. It was the commitment, the trust and the dedication of a woman named Michelle Lee York who believed that Redrum was a story that should not be kept a secret. She worked by my side to see how Redrum could be published while being incarcerated,and connected with C & B Book distribution which has provided the exposure I need in becoming a successful author.

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

C: Well let me say I have no formal writing training or education in becoming an author. Everything I taught myself through countless hours in the library doing research on perfecting my skills. There are two ways I begin the process. One is being with a basic outline of my thoughts, then plugging in ideas as they come to mind. Second is just simple free-flow. I like to think it’s like a movie in my mind and scenes is created as the day goes by. Remember, I have a lot time to think about all kinds of stuff behind these concrete walls.

JP: What’s  next for Charazz?

C: Man, I’m just going to keep writing and the hope to be able to interact with my readers soon. Coming out in late January is the release of my second novel Caught In The Game. I am working on a third, but I would like to finish that upon release.

Joey “Thank You” for this opportunity and I’m glad you enjoyed reading Redrum. As my skills improve, I promise to keep my readers coming back for more! Get your copy of Caught In The Game now!

Charazz York, born and raised in South Jamaica, Queens. He found his hidden talent to write a story while he serves time in a New York Correctional facility. Redrum is his first self-published fiction novel, soon to be released is his second “Caught Up In The Game.”

Charazz is a certified Braille transcriber from the Library of Congress. He is a facilitator of Vassar College program called ” Bridging The Gap” at Otisville Correctional and a board member of the Glam4Life organization which is a community outreach program for minorities suffering from mental illness and suicide prevention San Diego, CA. Charazz also holds a associate degree in business.

Charazz welcomes letters from his readers.  Letters can be sent to:

Charazz York 94A5091
Box 8
Otisville, NY 10963

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A book chock full of an eclectic collection of politically progressive poetry and short stories swathed in cultural awareness with original photography woven throughout.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Turiya: A Collection of Wordizms?

Kendra Wisdom Durand: The structure of the book was loosely inspired by Jean Toomer’s Cane. The ingredients combined to compose most of my short stories was taken from my study of folklore, psychology, and the way in which traditional black communities tolerate change. However, my poetry covers everything under the sun. I use people, places and things that I am familiar with to create fictional tales of life experiences.

JP: What sets Turiya: A Collection of Wordizms apart from books?

KWD: I have been told that the structure of this book is unique. Combining poetry and short stories in one book is risky for a first time self published author, but one that I undertook with joy.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Turiya: A Collection of Wordizms getting out to the public?

KWD: Authorhouse offered assistance in getting the book in the hands of online distributors, however getting the book on the shelves of bookstores was left solely up to me. As a first time self-published author, I am still learning the trade of marketing my book. I am looking to hire an agent for future projects. Until then, I will continue to sell my book on 125th Street in Harlem, at Venice Beach in LA, attend book fairs across the country, get my book on the tables of street vendors who sell books all over the city and use the internet to boost sells. Cultural events like Kwanzaa can also be used as a resource.

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

KWD: My writing process consists of filling up the page with stream of conscious thoughts then going back to revise. I use my Blackberry to type in poems that come to me as I ride the subway or walk down the street. I began this book project on April 1st and it was completed by June 13th.

JP: What’s next for Kendra Wisdom Durand?

KWD: My work has been selected to appear in the anthology “Voices, a collection of poetic works” by White Oaks Publishing. I have a second book of poetry waiting to be published. I have ½ a book written called Still Standing based on a fictional New Orleans family trapped in the attic during Hurricane Katrina. I am determined to one day be listed in Oprah Winfrey’s book club. Until that day comes I will keep pushing forward to get my voice in print.

www.turiyacollection.com
www.myspace.com/kendrawisdomdurand
turiyaink@gmail.com

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This show was a great experience. I talked about:

• how book reviewers can help authors sell more books
• guerilla marketing tactics to gain more exposure
• why building a following is more important pursuing large publishing houses

Check it out here:

Listen to it and let me know what you think.

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I was on the show with:

• Author Starr Sanders
• Agent/Publicist/Author Chamein Canton-Smith
• Editor Kathleen Johnson

I talked about my website, my take on Urban Fiction and my book industry friends. Check it out here:

Listen to it and let me know what you think. I’m going to try to make it on the show on 12-20-08.

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Urban Lit is DEAD! by Joey Pinkney

Yep, I said it… Urban Lit is dead. Done. Finito.

Flatline…

Who am I to say that? I don’t have the same status in the Urban Lit industry as Nas has when he said the same thing for his music. I don’t have to. I read a lot of Urban Lit, and it’s dead.

Why do I speak such blasphemous words? This sentiment stems from an email conversation I had with Therone Shellman after reading and reviewing his novel No Love Lost. (Read my review of No Love Lost, click here.) His novel was atypical and his approach to life after the streets was refreshing. Another one that comes to mind is Erick Gray’s Crave All Lose All. (Read my review of Crave All Lose All, click here. Read my interview with Erick Gray. Part I, click here. Part II, click here.)

In brief, we discussed how Urban Lit doesn’t do justice to the situations that people are relegated to in hoods across America and beyond. The immorality and reality of the streets isn’t present in a lot of stories on the market today. Without going into detail, that book was the first one that I read in a long time that actually shined the light on the side of the game that most people see but few want to talk about.

Call the Coroner…

The Urban Lit genre is pumping out books with the same book covers and the same stories. Most of the authors have to boast their jail experience to get the attention and respect they think they need to sell their stories. (Sounds like rappers who have to talk about their hood exploits in order to be respected, instead of being lyrically proficient.)

The Urban Literature landscape is taking the natural life cycle of all cultural trends. It’s just like Hip-Hop, born from desolation and neglect. Just like the Hip-Hop that influenced its current direction, Urban Lit has gone from being an obscurity to being shunned to being assimilated into popular culture. That’s why the larger publishing houses are following suit and creating imprints to cater to ravenous readership that Urban Lit definitely has. That’s why you can go to Barnes and Nobles or Borders or even Wal-Mart and see the latest and greatest in the (unofficial) Urban Lit section. It’s selling.

Before it got it’s name, authors like Omar Tyree (who recently stopped writing Urban Lit), Sistah Souljah and Teri Woods wrote books that spoke to a group of people who couldn’t get the time of day from the larger publishing houses. The prevalent thought at the time was that “those people” don’t read. Urban Lit has now been digested and regurgitated by the large publishing houses just like Master P did to rap music during his hey day. And just like his albums covers, words are blinged out, the men look mean and the women look horny.

From the Cradle…

With a “for us, by us” mentality, what would later become Urban Literature was strictly a person-to-person enterprise. Authors were printing up there own books and selling them out the trunk, on the corner, mom-and-pop stores and beauty salons. Full of sex, violence and grammatical errors, these books and the readers who loved them were looked down upon by the mainstream book industry.

Then the book industry got hip. “Those people” were buying those books terrible books. “Those people” were requesting sequels and anything else their favorite hood author put out there. Why? Because those books were entertaining, but they also had an underlining message. Readers could relate.

Fast forward a couple of decades. Now every book cover either has a young black dude with braids, two ear rings, tattoos, sagging jeans and a mean mug or the book has a young female in her early twenties wearing something that makes it easy to figure out what the birthday suit is like. The stories are still about the hood, but nowadays there is a twist. The money, clothes, hos, jewelry, expensive cars, huge houses and the swagger runs the stories.

Urban Lit authors still have to get on their grind, print up the copies and sell them by any means necessary. The difference now is that they have to compete for shelf space with the larger publishing houses. A lot of times, they have to compromise the integrity of their story to fit what the readers will buy. It’s no longer a novelty to have a book with the hood as the backdrop.

To the Grave…

The immorality and reality of the streets isn’t present in a lot of stories. This article actually stemmed from an email conversation I had with Therone Shellman, author of No Love Lost. Without going into detail, that book was the first one that I read in a long time that actually shined the light on the ___ side of the game. (Another one that comes to mind is Erick Gray’s ___.) Shellman is a person is has been there and done that, and it shows in his approach to his story.

A lot of people complain that most of the Urban Lit books are the same three or four stories with a different title and character names. For that matter, most of the authors have the same felonious background story in their bios. It’s just like Hip-Hop nowadays. You could take a black male between 16 and 36 (because you know we stay young looking for a while) and give him a grill, some tatoos, a fitted, a throwback (or white tee), some sagging jeans (and boxers), a gold necklace with some goofy pendant, a diamond encrusted watch, and some Air Force Ones. Then put him in front of a mansion with a couple of Lambourghinis and Escalades with a buch of women in their early 20s in bikinis. Throw on some music, let him pose and point around aimlessly showing off that goofy pendant. Oh yeah, I almost forgot let him rap…

That’s similar to what you see in Urban Lit. Most Urban Lit books has the guy that’s a drug dealer with all the name brand clothes and cars. He has enough jewelry to finance a small army. The problem is that that guy gets robbed and/or killed in real life.  A perfect example is all of these rappers getting their chain snatched left and right. They talk all that stuff on the albums and still get robbed when they leave the studio. Where are the guns? Where are your boys?

On top of the hood watching you, the cops are watching harder. Most of the dudes that make it to BET’s American Gangster get an episode because of one big mistake, being too flashy. Make a solid gold crown if you want, the cops will do everything they can to take that and everything else, including your life.

Eulogy…

I understand what’s going on. People don’t read Urban Lit to get the scoop on reality. Like my girl Davida Baldwin said it, “You don’t read Street Lit for self-help and motivation, you don’t read street lit to help out the community, you read it for entertainment.”  If you put the average thug n!gga or hoodrat on the book cover, it wouldn’t sell. It would probably make it hard to sell the book right next to it, too. (LOL!) If it takes a model on the cover to get noticed, then sex has sold again. To be honest, authors don’t spend months and years to write a book for it to sit in a book store. They write it to hopefully put money in their pockets.

The larger publishing houses are in the game to sell units. If you like it, they love it. Business is business, but we the readers should expect more from Urban Lit authors.

Leave a comment and let me know how you feel.

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(Click the pictures to see reviews of this book on Amazon.com)

Tameka James has always been a confident, outspoken, strong-willed woman with her one weakness being her ex-boyfriend, TJ. That weakness soon becomes the catalyst to a new life of fear, disease, and pain when one of TJ’s enemies rapes her and threatens to kill her if she goes to the police. Now with a police report on file, an HIV diagnosis in her medical records and the rapist running free, Tameka fights to maintain normalcy and save her new relationship. As tensions mount and stakes are raised, some lives are threatened while others are taken. The phrase “too little, too late” becomes a reality instead of a cliché when last minute efforts are made in vain.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Too Little, Too Late?

Portia A. Cosby: In ninth grade, I heard a story on the news about a woman that had been raped. I don’t remember the details, but it made me wonder how she got into that predicament. From there, my imagination ran wild. Tameka was born, and from day one, I knew her character like we were best friends.

JP: Rape and HIV drives the tension in Too Little, Too Late. Did you have any reservations about writing this novel that way?

PC: I had no reservations at all. All of my storylines are hard-hitting and deal with serious or controversial issues. I want my fiction to feel real. I specifically wrote the novel that way because there are so many young ladies that could easily be Tameka.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Too Little, Too Late getting out to the public?

PC: I just believed. Since 1994 when I wrote the original piece, I believed. I didn’t envision what it could be until 2001 when I rewrote it. After all the rejection letters and near hits, I decided not to wait on someone else to validate me as an author and I started Distinct Publishing. Success is a learning process and a time-consuming process. Since writing is my passion, though, I don’t think twice about it.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Too Little, Too Late?

PC: My writing process usually involves music. I am a lover of words. I may be writing a chapter and think of a song that relates to it. Next thing I know, I’m pulling the CD out and playing it. Or, I’ll hear a song that relates to a character of mine and immediately find the nearest piece of paper so I can jot down a few sentences.

As for the order I write in, Too Little, Too Late was written straight through. I’ve been all over the place with It Is What It Is. At one point, I had the first three chapters done and then chapters eight, nine, and ten! I just write the material that wants to come out. I don’t care where it falls in the final product.

The rough draft for Too Little, Too Late was completed in seven months. I think it flowed so well because I had been familiar with my characters and their stories seven years prior!

JP: What’s next for Portia A. Cosby?

PC: It Is What It Is, the second installment in the Situations & Circumstances Series will be released soon – within the next couple months. I’m also looking to revise my screenplay for Too Little, Too Late so I can shop it around.

www.portiacosby.com
www.myspace.com/portiacosby

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(click the link to see this book on Amazon.com)

On Da Corner highlights new urban talent in this short story anthology. Dare to say…it has been done with a keen eye. This is just the beginning for these young and talented authors. The authors put you in the room with their characters by breathing life into them with both details and truth. Readers will feel as though they are living through some of their character’s experiences.

Some tell a story of coming of age in a battle zone with codes and rules that shatter dreams into a life based purely on survival. There are chilling tales of friendship, drugs and violence. Others are more about love and the loss of love. The bitter reality of how that can alter life and the lessons of such, are laced between the pages waiting to be unfolded.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to become an anthologist and produce On Da Corner?

Kisha Green: As a newbie author I saw it was hard to get exposure, so I wanted to provide authors like myself opportunities to showcase their talent. I simply felt that the authors on the On Da Corner had a voice in street lit. Even though they were unpublished, I believed in their stories and their quest for becoming an author. That was my initiative for my other anthologies If It Aint One Thing…It’s Another (Urban contemporary fiction) and Mental Seduction (Erotica). I saw these writers had a great gift for story telling. I wanted to give them some exposure.

JP: What sets On Da Corner apart from other Urban Lit Anthologies?

KG: These stories are raw. Some may say its horrible or that it is too real-too graphic or sexually charged. If this is what an author is writing about and they are painting a story so vivid, who am I to ask them to change, even if I am the publisher. I am not there to change a story. I give all authors on my anthologies creative freedom.

JP: As an author/publisher, what are the keys to your success that lead to On Da Corner getting out to the public?

KG: Research…network…research…network…you can see where I am going with this can’t you (lol)? On a serious note I am a lover of literature, so I am constantly talking about something pertaining to literary as well as my own literary works. You may not know the face, but you know the name because I have had many dealings with authors – wanting to help and promote them as I would want someone to do the same for me, hence my creation of the literary website Writer’s Vibe and my blog talk show called Writer’s Life Chats. I have a voice. I like to talk, so it is going to be heard one way or another…lol…When I believe in something, trust me I will do everything in my power to make it a success- FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!

JP: What did you learn from publishing On Da Corner that you will use to your benefit with future releases?

KG: I learned to do my research and to educate myself not just on the genre I am going to publish in but also the business side.

JP: What’s next for Kisha Green?

KG: Well, I am working on the re- release of my debut novel And Even If I Did. This will be released in February of 2009.

Author Workshops – Spring 2009
Literary Luncheons by Kisha- Spring 2009

More great interviews for my blog talk show The Writer’s Life Chats (www.blogtalkradio.com/writerslifechats) as well as great book reviews, commentaries, author interviews and etc on Writer’s Vibe (www.writersvibe.com).

Authors looking for exposure email me your jpeg of your book cover and synopsis to writersvibe@gmail.com.

My publishing company DivaBooksInc.- www.divabooksinconline.com.

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