All posts by Joey Pinkney

5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, interview

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Sherlyn Powell, author of Something Desirable

12 Comments

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Sherlyn Powell, author of Something Desirable
(iUniverse)

Adrienne Baxter is a brilliant, young, beautiful and successful African American architect on the fast track to the top of her field. When she reunites with her college sweetheart, she’s ready to begin a new chapter in her life. Brian Stevens is steady, dependable and successful and seems to be everything Adrienne wants and needs. She convinces herself she and Brian are meant to be together. Then Dexter Hughes walks into her life. Dexter was not supposed to happen!

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

Sherlyn Powell: I decided to look at the story I started several years ago and see if I could develop it. I made major changes and with the two characters named Adrienne and Brian. Today there are many strong women in our society, yet there are some women that don’t feel they can be independent. Or they don’t want to be alone.

I wanted women to read my novel and identify with Adrienne and her success. The message to all women is you are beautiful and you can do anything you set your mind to do.

JP: What sets Something Desirable apart from other novels that features a torrid love triangle?

SP: Although there is some sexual tension between Adrienne and Brian and Adrienne and Dexter, the real challenge she faces is trying to be the strong independent woman she was raised to be and to understand the difference between love and desire.

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

SP: Word of mouth has been helpful. Something Desirable has been read by women of all ages, and they have shared their enthusiasm with others. I also network online and at various events, such as the National Black Book Festival in Houston, Texas.

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

SP: I don’t actually use a formal outline.  I just write, and I couldn’t wait to get a pen and paper. It took me approximately a year and a half to finish Something Desirable. I get ideas anytime, when I’m driving among other places. Recently the two main characters in my new novel had a tense conversation in my head which got me really excited.

JP: What’s next for Sherlyn Powell?

SP: I am writing a romance novel that has a mysterious beginning about an older, wealthy, sophisticated woman and the difficulty she faces even within her own family as they throw obstacles in her path to love.

http://www.sherlynpowell.com/
sp@sherlynpowell.com
540.207.3965

P.S. Join the Joey Reviews Newsletter at http://joeypinkney.com/joey-reviews-newsletter.html.

Please click on the banners to learn more about each JoeyPinkney.com sponsor:

You need to advertise with JoeyPinkney.com! (Click here for more information.)
5 minutes 5 questions with, interview

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Jarod Powell, author of Inheritance and Other Stories

5 Comments

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Jarod Powell, author of Inheritance and Other Stories
(Outskirts Press)

Inheritance and Other Stories is a collection of short stories that features the struggles and victories of men from all walks of life. A hopelessly dysfunctional family holds a formal debate and fights through the cliché.

An agoraphobic teenager finds the gumption to enter the world he observes in a single moment of guttural rage. A homeless man harasses a stranger with his visions of the San Fernando Valley as The Garden of Eden.

In the title story, a high school turns into a Biblical village square when a drug overdose turns a nobody into a mythical being.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Inheritance and Other Stories?

Jarod Powell: I’m at a stage in my life where the intersection at boyhood and manhood is physically in the rear-view. I still feel the need to revisit it, because I didn’t enjoy it the first time. None of us do. It’s the final, most excruciating growing pain a man faces. It’s inevitable. It’s universal.

Inheritance and Other Stories explores men and boys at pretty much all stages of psychological and emotional development. I really wanted to capture the image of that fork in the road and throughout those often-clumsy journeys.

Every prominent character in every story is some aspect of myself, moderately fictionalized. They could be you. They could be my dad. They could be any man you know or will know. That’s the thesis of the book.

If nothing else, I just needed to exorcise those demons on a personal level. I think the result is an honest look at growth, for better or worse, that’s accessible to everyone.

JP: What sets Inheritance and Other Stories apart from other novels in its genre?

JR: When I read books of similar themes, I either find them in the “young adult” section–which as a genre, in my opinion, generally pitches the intellectual ball way too low for its audience. Or you find some thinly-veiled autobiographical recollection by an author who is too detached or too many years removed from that experience to offer the type of visceral account that the intended audience craves.

As a teenager who loved modern literature, it was frustrating to find the well so dry. This book is written by a guy in the transition. I’m still in it. Young men need a book about the experience of being a young man and what people those young men grow up to be. They need it to be written from the trenches. I think that’s pretty rare.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Inheritance and Other Stories getting out to the public?

JR: First of all, for a small press author with basically no means of marketing, the internet is essential. I work full-time, and I’m a full-time student. I have neither the financial resources or the time to properly promote this book in traditional print media, which is unfortunate. In my case, the internet is it–myspace, blogs, facebook. They simply aren’t optional when it comes to promotion.

Aside from that, my hometown newspaper was kind enough to feature the book on its front page. I come from a small town that I hated growing up, but let me tell you, those folks are my biggest fans. I’d say that half of my readership thus far came from that one small article in the Standard Democrat based in Sikeston, Missouri.

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

JR: Like I said before, this book was an exorcism of sorts. It was about clearing the junk out of my head, so I can go on and be a grown up. The biggest part of most of the protagonists’ identities is their youth and their maladjustment to the loss of youth. These stories were written in a span of 5 years starting at age 19.

Some were written from simple inspiration; some were written in creative writing classes. The biggest challenge is getting up and doing it, so having a formal deadline helps a lot. In my opinion, “writing when inspiration comes” is a bit of a myth. I’m a big believer in structure, so I write even when I feel completely brain dead. I write constantly, even when I don’t have the words.

Simple exercises help get words on page sometimes. To this day I use a method I learned in high school: Go through photo albums. Take one picture out at random, and write a scene about what might be going on the photograph. I went through several family photo albums when it was difficult to get moving.

JP: What’s next for Jarod Powell?

I’m preparing to move from St. Louis to Los Angeles in the coming weeks, to do a film production internship through the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University. Other than that, I’m actually adapting the title story in Inheritance and Other Stories to a feature-length screenplay.

I’m nearly finished with a book of prose poems, tentatively titled Poor Man’s Imaginary Friend, about a male hustler from rural Indiana. I’ll be done with my Bachelor’s degree next Spring, so I’m seriously considering graduate school. I’m happy to say that it’s only the beginning for me. The future’s looking pretty bright at the moment.

http://www.sickreflections.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/iproposechaos

P.S. Join the Joey Reviews Newsletter at http://joeypinkney.com/joey-reviews-newsletter.html.

Please click on the banners to learn more about each JoeyPinkney.com sponsor:

You need to advertise with JoeyPinkney.com! (Click here for more information.)
5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, giveaway, interview

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Rodney Winters, author of Go Into The House

26 Comments

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Rodney Winters, author of Go Into The House
(Foghorn Publishers)

Go Into The House relates Rodney Winters’ story of disappointment from a failed marriage and the divorce process to the older brother in the biblical story of the prodigal son. The book encourages the reader with the fact that there is indeed hope after life’s disappointments in the presence of our heavenly Father. Rodney writes about issues that few men talk about openly.

Go Into The House is a gripping story about the painful truths of relationships told from a man’s perspective. Whether it’s a failed marriage or some other difficulty, we all face some tough decisions at some point after life’s disappointments. We must choose to either Go Into The House and enjoy the benefits inside, or stay outside and wallow in self-pity.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Go Into the House?

Rodney Winters: The book started out as my personal journal that helped me get through a difficult period in my life. I was dealing with a failed marriage and difficult divorce process. Writing was therapeutic for me. After coming through the pain, I realized that there are other people who can benefit from my story.

I was inspired by the older brother in the biblical parable of the prodigal son. I saw myself in many ways like him. He faced disappointment even though he felt he had done the right things. I ultimately made the choice to “go into the house”, which represents the place where God is.

JP: Writing Go Into the House had to be a challenging and difficult experience for you. Why did you feel so compelled to share the contents of Go Into the House in a public setting?

RW: Yes, it was very challenging, but I have a burden for relationships and compassion for hurting people. I understand that God often allows us to go through things in order to help someone else. There is a purpose that goes beyond me.

Men don’t always talk about certain hurts that occur in relationships, but I know I am not alone in my experiences. I believe there are women and men who really need to hear this message of encouragement to help them experience healing and forgiveness.

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

RW: It was all the work of God. He allowed me to meet a published author who recommended my publisher to me. It was the first and only company I sent my manuscript to. They were very impressed and wanted to publish my book.

I believe God honored my motive for wanting to help others by being real and transparent about some tough issues that occurred in my life. It was important that I did not become bitter. I allowed my negative circumstances to bring God glory.

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

RW: I am also a preacher, so I regularly write sermons. I seek to pull out deeper meanings from Bible stories that are relevant to everyday life. My writing is based on the scriptures and my personal experiences.

I wrote Go Into The House over the course of four years. It was not a full-time project. It was first written as a journal during the process. Then I began filling in the gaps and incorporating the biblical references.

JP: What’s next for Rodney Winters?

RW: I am juggling ideas for my next book. I’m not fully clear on which direction to pursue for a topic. I am also completing a workbook for Go Into The House, that is designed to stimulate discussion for study groups, counseling, and book clubs.

I will begin to travel and speak about Go Into The House and my experiences at conferences, seminars, churches and in group settings. I am actively marketing my book with the goal of helping to bring healing to many people as God uses my experience to encourage others.

http://www.rodneywinters.com/
http://www.facebook.com/rodney.winters
http://www.filedby.com/author/rodney_winters/3580542/

P.S. Join the Joey Reviews Newsletter at http://joeypinkney.com/joey-reviews-newsletter.html.

Please click on the banners to learn more about each JoeyPinkney.com sponsor:

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