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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Jihad, author of Letters to Caged Kings on Lockdown (The Soul of a Man Edition)

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… (The Soul of a Man Edition)
Jihad, author of “Letters to a Caged Kings on Lockdown”
(Peace In The Storm Publishing)

My name is Jihad Uhuru. I write to educate, empower and entertain. I call my writing Socio-conscious Urban Contemporary Fiction. I write for he Kings and the Queens that don’t know who they are nor who the creator is.

Often we get judged for what we write but not often do we get judged for what we right. There are hoods and negative situations everywhere. I write what I know and about who I know, with a twist in hopes of getting our young Kings and Queens to learn how to think.

I infuse history with the present to point out issues and solutions to problems Black people have in this country through my stories. Thank you for this opportunity to express myself, King.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write “Letters to Caged Kings on Lockdown”?

Jihad: I read a book back when I was in prison in the ’90s. It was entitled Soledad Brother by George Jackson. It was a book of letters the author who was incarcerated at Soledad prison, his brother Jonathon, Angela Davis and his mother.

It was so intimate and inciteful into the psychology and the psychodynamics of prison-life, society, the political and US injustice system. I wanted to share some letters to and from my nephew and other inmates who followed behind me into the prison industrial slave complex.

I wanted people to read and feel our passion in hopes of better understanding the incarcerated male psyche. My intent is to one day do a book filled with letters and responses from me and Kings on the inside.

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

Jihad: I haven’t had much of an experience. I promote the book when I travel which is very often. Most stores I go to don’t have the book. I think it’s an excellent concept, and I hope it takes off one day. Maybe other Kings will do similar projects such as this one.

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

Jihad: A young brother wrote to me from prison and said that finally someone has written something real. That was all he said. And I thought it was deep.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish “Letters to Caged Kings on Lockdown”?

Jihad: “Letters to Caged Kings on Lockdown” was done. My books are very popular in prisons around the country. I have thousands of letters from Kings on lockdown, and I just used letters from my nephew and other inmates and my responses back to them. All I had to do was type their letters, so it took a couple hours.

JP: You are a very prolific and well-respected author. What is your latest novel, Preacherman Blues II, about? And what has been your journey with that book?

Jihad: My latest book will be available only on my website July 1, 2010. It will be in stores nationwide Oct. 4, 2010. It is my favorite of all seven of my fiction books. By far, Preacherman Blues II will be the most controversial.

I use real names, and President Obama dies of natural causes that are not so natural. At the same time Bishop TJ Money, the most prolific and outspoken religious leader in Georgia, is catapulted to the world stage and becomes the most popular man on the planet thanks to the real powers that be that pull the strings of government.

Bishop Money makes George Bush and anyone that came before him look like an angel. It’s going to take Bill Clinton, Hillary , Assata Shakur, the famous freedom fighter exiled in Cuba and 3 other women and a lot more to stop the powers that be and Bishop TJ Money from becoming the next President of the United States. Anyone that has read Preacherman Blues knows how intelligently corrupt Bishop Money is.

http://www.jihadwrites.com/

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

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Elissa Gabrielle, editor of The Soul of a Man A Triumph of My Soul Anthology (The Soul of a Man Edition)

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… (The Soul of a Man Edition)
Elissa Gabrielle, editor of The Soul of a Man Anthology
(Peace In The Storm Publishing)

Men the world over have always been much maligned and strident in how life portrays and prefaces their successes and failures. This collection of enlightening stories personifies the sentiment, faith, resilience and love embodied in the creation God made in His own image. The Soul of a Man is a Divine truth and an affirmation of the passion running through the minds of men where hearts and souls are bared.

In continuation of the Triumph series, the second book, The Soul of a Man: A Triumph of My Soul Anthology, features these brilliant men; Joe Thomas, Jihad, William Fredrick Cooper, Alvin C. Romer, Marc Lacy, Maurice M. Gray, Jr., Brian Ganges, Jarold Imes, K.L. Belvin, Joey Pinkney, Thomas Ashburn, Jr., Clarence “Baba Simba” Mollock, Tyrell Floyd and Eddrick Dejuan.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to put together and publish The Soul of a Man Anthology?

Elissa Gabrielle: Due to the multitude of negative portrayal of black men in the Continue reading 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Elissa Gabrielle, editor of The Soul of a Man A Triumph of My Soul Anthology (The Soul of a Man Edition) →

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

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… K.Reid, author of Fat Kills

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
K.Reid, author of Fat Kills
(K.Reid Productions)

Mia Nickole Rose is a beautiful, full-figured, witty, aspiring songstress who feels stuck in her unfulfilling life. A struggling artist in Washington D.C.’s metropolitan area desperate to make ends meet, Mia’s life spirals horrifyingly out of control, deep into a world of insanity and murder when she is invited to a party that she will never forget.

She is offered an ultimatum and, in exchange for her life, takes on a job working for a serial killer hell-bent on vengeance. Mia’s struggles with her finances and self-esteem become minute, while she focuses to stay sane, unharmed and alive. Mia’s new “employer” will stop at nothing to keep her in his grasp.

While the soundtrack of her life plays in the background, Mia is forced to distance herself from family, friends and even the love of her life in order to protect them from her hidden secrets. Fat Kills is a must-read which will leave its audience astonished, angry and afraid. Yes, very afraid…

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

K.Reid: My best friend and I were emailing each other one morning, and he suggested I write a book after I told him this hilarious story about one of my random adventures on the Metro (subway). I thought about his innocent suggestion and said, “Hey man, everyone else does it. Why not me?”

(Sidebar: I used to work as a copy editor for several newspapers and edited a book. I had seen several manuscripts up to this point)

I came up with several story ideas, but Fat Kills was the first on the list. At the time it wasn’t titled. I love horror films, and I was contemplating writing my thesis on something involved with the horror film industry. I transitioned this idea to my book and decided to write a suspense/horror.

I have such a love of the genre and decided to pay homage with my first published work. I wanted to create something different. Urban literature has been on the same path for a while, and I wanted to contribute in a different way.

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

K.Reid: Fat Kills is a unique piece of literature for so many reasons. While it is a suspense or at some parts a horror, there are comedic elements that are carefully woven to create an story that the reader will never forget. Additionally, I discuss social issues including obesity (which affects more than half of the United States) and the recession.

Also, I create an experience with the play-lists and many songs woven throughout the novel. As the reader moves through the novel, the music describes the mood and sets the tone for each chapter. Finally, I believe my novel is so different from every other novel because of the horror aspect.

There is a serial killer in the novel. (Think of the Saw franchise or Hostel.) I’ve yet to see a novel that is encompasses everything I just mentioned. I took the time to make sure everyone is able to identify with the novel is some way, allowing them to really experience Fat Kills.

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

K.Reid: I am very heavy on face-to-face contact in a non-aggressive manner. I hate it when people come up to me trying to force me to buy any and everything they hustle. I do, however, respect the hustle. I always support people trying to make their way as an entrepreneur.

I keep this in mind when I talk to people. I’m naturally a people person and will sit and talk to a stranger on the train like we’ve been friends forever. I talk to everyone I meet and promote my book that way. I’ve also been promoting on the social networking sites, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter (@scribekreid).

I also send copies to wonderful reviewers such as Joey Pinkney because of the following and the exposure I know my book will gain. I have several connections in the Metro area in talk radio which is a must for me. Talk radio is so precious, and it really reaches the masses.

I’m also calling all friends and family like crazy saying “Hey! Don’t forget to support me, Auntie, and buy my book!!”

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

K.Reid: It was very awesome for me to write Fat Kills. I had NO CLUE that I was a writer. I had always been good at writing term papers for college and had a knack for writing catchy things here and there. But I rarely journaled or explored creative writing.

If it weren’t for my best friend’s suggestion I wouldn’t have known I was a writer. When he suggested I write a book, I wrote a few ideas. And the first idea struck me the most. I brainstormed the story for two months. The first day I wrote, I woke up at 7 AM and wrote until 2 AM the next day. It was shocking and overwhelming to say the least.

After that day, I set a schedule (per some of the Stephen King writer’s tips that I read), and I wrote twice a day every day for months. An hour each way on the Metro, I wrote on my netbook and I wrote on the weekends. I rarely had writer’s block

I also created a chapter outline. That combined with the the fact that I figured out the entire story in two months, made writing pretty seamless. It took me approximately three months to write Fat Kills. I self-published Fat Kills, so it took me a year to get it from paper to book form.

JP: What’s next for K. Reid?

K.Reid: I am currently the co-CEO of Transcend. Event Management & Consulting, an event planning business. I have started writing the screenplay for Fat Kills, and I am gearing up to start bass guitar and vocal lessons. I have started brainstorming my second novel.

I’ve also written two short screenplays and three episodes of a cartoon. I have many, many talents that I am ready to share with the world when the time is right.

http://www.fatkillsthenovel.com/
Twitter: @scribekreid
Facebook Fan Page: K.Reid
http://scribethenproduce.com/

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