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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview, the soul of a man

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Eddrick Dejuan, author of The Birthday Gift (The Soul of a Man Edition)

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… (The Soul of a Man Edition)
Eddrick Dejuan, author of “The Birthday Gift”
(Peace In The Storm Publishing)

“The Birthday Gift” is a purely fictional story that was written because of the need to show that there are black men out there who accept the responsibility of parenting and choose to play an active role in their children lives. Even though I do not have any children, I felt as though the story needed to be told from the perspective of someone who is fatherless.

I was not fortunate enough to have my father in my life. I do believe that I have turned out OK, but the trend of leaving women to be single mothers must stop. This story puts the shoe on the other foot and shows the woman leaving the man as a single parent.

In “The Birthday Gift”, it’s Allen who has to deal with the struggles of being a new single parent with a spouse who walked out. He has to feel the pain of being left all alone, and he has to show how strong his faith in God is. I hope this story sheds some light on what it takes to be a single parent and also show how honorable it is to take responsibility for ones family, actions and commitments.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write “The Birthday Gift”?

Eddrick Dejuan: I wanted to highlight the fact that there are men out there that don’t get the credit for being a struggling single dad. Most of the times its the single mom that gets the attention.

JP: What has been your personal experience in being a part of The Soul of a Man Anthology?

ED: I enjoyed being apart of a strong and deep cast of brothers. I felt as though I grew as a writer and man.

JP: What is your most memorable moment of The Soul of a Man Anthology in terms of what has been expressed of you by someone who has had a chance to read this book?

ED: I am humbled that readers came away with the fact that in the midst of turmoil and despair, someone is always praying for them. If they just hold on, better times are ahead.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish “The Birthday Gift”?

ED: When I begin to write, I outline first and then add scenes. I have a very systematic approach to writing. It took me about 15 days to write “The Birthday Gift”.

JP: What is your book, Madam Eve, about? And what has been your journey with that book?

ED: Madam Eve is a romance novel. It deals with Revenge vs. Forgiveness. Evelyn was married to a football player who cheated on her. She got a divorce and decided to take revenge against him and her friends cheating husbands.

As a side note, I have ventured into comic books. You can check us out at http://www.e2comics.com/. I have a very active imagination and I feel as though comics give me the freedom to do whatever as far as story goes.

http://www.eddrickdejuan.com/
http://www.e2comics.com/
http://www.myspace.com/eddrickdejuan

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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview, the soul of a man

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Joey Pinkney, author of Like Father, Like Son (The Son of a Man Edition)

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… (The Soul of a Man Edition)
Joey Pinkney, author of “Like Father, Like Son”
(Peace In The Storm Publishing)

“Like Father, Like Son” follows the trials and tribulations of Terrence Greene, his wife Mary and his step-son Andre. In addition to dealing with teenage sex, drug use and criminal behavior from his teenage step-son, Terrence is also dealing with navigating step-fatherhood and gaining proper respect from Andre.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write “Like Father, Like Son”?

Joey Pinkney: The foundation of “Like Father, Like Son” came from my personal experiences as a step-father. There are a lot of mixed emotions and thoughts that swirl around a man’s head when attempting to father a boy who is not your own. One major hurdle is trying to bring a boy into his manhood properly and to your best abilities, since parenthood is a never-ending learning experience. On the other hand, the child has to be given room to figure out his place in the world in the context of a missing father and a stepfather.

As I dug deeper into the characters and their various motivations, they began to take a life of their own. In some ways, Mary has the same attitudes possessed by my wife in terms of their firstborn son. But truthfully, Mary and my wife are far from being the same person. As Terrence’s story began to come forth, I felt his pain but questioned some of his methods. Andre was easy to flesh out hard to read and re-read.

I wanted “Like Father, Like Son” to give the life of a step-father some airtime. Many times, we don’t see the man who takes care of a child who is not his own. Many times, we don’t question a mother’s enabling behavior in terms of her young man’s growth into adulthood. In this short story, I set out to make sure there was another side of the story to not only step-fatherhood but also step-parenthood.

JP: What has been your personal experience in being a part of The Soul of a Man Anthology?

JP: Participating in The Soul of a Man Anthology has increased by desire to be published and get my stories out. I can’t begin to tell you how many books I’ve given away to people who smile wide smiles and have the sincerest admiration for a book housing 13 African-American men of various backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints.

We call ourselves The Soul Brothers collectively, and Elissa Gabrielle is known as the Soul Mother. I think the names fit because we communicate and even meet up for joint ventures. I have also personally brushed shoulders with the likes of Marc Lacy, Brian Ganges, Alvin Romer and Maurice Gray, Jr. in addition to having many thought provoking conversations with K.L. Belvin and Elissa Gabrielle. I really do enjoy the cohesiveness of our group.

I have had the opportunity to travel around The South supporting The Soul of a Man Anthology both by myself and with The Soul Brothers. The Phenomenal Women Book Club of New Orleans, LA, made me feel so special when they invited me to their book discussion. Their no-holds-barred discussions brought a life to my characters that I didn’t know exist.

The Ladies of Flavor Book Club of my beloved hometown Memphis, TN, stands out in my mind for various reasons. One, it was co-founded by one of my high school buddies. That brought our relationship full circle. Most importantly, my mother and my brother got a chance to see me in action. The enjoyment my family got from seeing me interacting with a group of highly intelligent women because of something I created was priceless.

JP: What is your most memorable moment of The Soul of a Man Anthology in terms of what has been expressed of you by someone who has had a chance to read this book?

JP: One day, I was doing a radio show to promote the book, and the host asked me to read an excerpt of “Like Father, Like Son”. I love my story, so I got wrapped up in the emotion of the dialogue. I read the section where Terrence admits his “hate” for Andre and his reasons why.

When I finished with my section of the story, the host had an epiphany. The show went in a different direction, and I was no longer the focus. She began to tell me how she always shielded her son from her boyfriend, no matter the circumstance. She then told me that now she sees why her boyfriend got so mad at her for doing that. That small part of “Like Father, Like Son” made her realize how hard it is to raise a boy as a step-father when the mother is over-protective.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish “Like Father, Like Son”?

JP: My writing process for “Like Father, Like Son” was simple. The characters talked; I listened. Different things were revealed to me as I drove to work or showered or talked to my wife. When I say the characters really took a life of their own, I mean it. It’s funny how family members read the story and think that they got an inside scoop on my family. Instead of getting frustrated, I began to take that as a testament of how realistic that short story actually is.

JP: What is next for Joey Pinkney?

JP: The response from readers of The Soul of a Man Anthology has been inspirational. They want to know more about Terrence, Mary and Andre. I am in the process of writing a full-length novel based on those characters to give people more before/during/after in dealing with this blended family. I have half of the novel done, and I need to find the time to get the rest out of my head, edited and printed for the world to digest.

Joey Pinkney is an award-winning author (The Soul of a Man Anthology, 2009 African American Literary Award for Best Short Stories/Best Anthology) and an award winning blogger (2010 AAMBC Book Reviewer of The Year).

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http://twitter.com/joeypinkney
http://www.myspace.com/joeyreviews
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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview, the soul of a man

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Brian Ganges, author of Manning Up With God and A Sense of Faith and Community (The Soul of a Man Edition)

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… (The Soul of a Man Edition)
Brian Ganges, author of “Manning Up with God” and “A Sense of Faith and Community”
(Peace In The Storm Publishing)

“Manning Up” is an abridged autobiography illustrates the marital bliss, struggle for identity and purpose, and how one young man coped with divorce. Everyone has a cross to bear, and learning how to overcome obstacles is the main motif demonstrated in this award-winning story of a man who wouldn’t give up. Men, the world over, can learn from this concise, yet powerful account of one man’s life and faith in God. Failure can’t stop you, fear can’t defeat you, and if your faith is set on the prize that is for you, only victory will be your end.

“A Sense of Faith and Community” shows the importance of giving back to the community, reaching out to people and passing on your faith. You never know how you will affect others that are in your sphere of influence. Gain insight and inspiration from this futuristic account of a young man that was inspired by the mission of his grandfather. Touching people isn’t just a physical thing. It’s a way of connecting with others. Touching people’s hearts for positive change is the essence of this powerful story, and each of us has this God-given capacity within us. Be inspired by a college students life experiences and learn how to touch people directly and/or indirectly for positive change.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write “Manning Up With God” and “A Sense of Faith and Community”?

Brian Ganges: “Manning Up with God” is my abridged autobiography and “A Sense of Faith and Community” is a fictionalized account of some of the events of my life.

JP: What has been your personal experience in being a part of The Soul of a Man Anthology?

BG: It has been very positive. Although I haven’t met everyone personally, the connection that I made with many of the co-authors has been priceless. Positive guys pooling our resources to create a positive piece of literature; and it won an award, to boot.

JP: What is your most memorable moment of The Soul of a Man Anthology in terms of what has been expressed of you by someone who has had a chance to read this book?

BG: Many readers have expressed similar sentiments about my work and me. The most memorable are the comments “inspirational” and “honest”. That let me know that I was connecting with the audience. That was very rewarding and was a confirmation that I was on-task.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish “Manning Up With God” and “A Sense of Faith and Community”?

BG: My process is meditate, outline, meditate and write. Since the stories were short, they took a few weeks.

JP: What is Piecing the Puzzle Together about? And what has been your journey with that book?

BG: Piecing the Puzzle Together is a biblical-based manual for life. It is a three-part book that resembles the construction of a building. Section 1 is the foundation, Section 2 deals with assembling the building components, and Section 3 deals with bring the pieces all together to construct the edifice.

http://www.brianganges.com/

Brian Ganges is a native New Jerseyan who resides in Texas. He has written many articles that are very thought provoking, principled, informative and insightful. His topics of interest include: current events, politics, health related topics, economics, relationships, and principles for daily living, which are always from a Christian worldview. He is one of the co-authors of the award-winning anthology “The Soul of a Man.” Brian’s new book entitled Piecing The Puzzle Together, can be purchased at stores nationwide or contact Brian for a personalized copy at http://brianganges.com/

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