Category Archives: 5 minutes 5 questions with

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… KR Bankston, author of A Deadly Encounter

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With..
KR Bankston, editor of A Deadly Encounter
(Kirabaco Publishing)

Dezi Gianni is a very much a man used to getting what he wants. Kayla DeWitt, the beautiful woman dining in the restaurant, where he and his partner are having lunch, is no exception.

Dezi finds himself in a constant battle of keeping the true depth of his criminal activities secret from Kayla, as he seeks to keep her happy and unequivocally his. When Dezi’s empire becomes under siege by the FBI, another man has set his sights on Kayla. Dezi has had enough.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write A Deadly Encounter?

KR Bankston: The inspiration for A Deadly Encounter actually came from my husband, who jokingly told me to go write a book. The idea was a culmination of both my imagination and real people and situations I’d encountered.

JP: If you could create a genre for A Deadly Encounter what would you call it? And why?

KR: I would classify A Deadly Encounter as Crime, Thriller and Suspense. I classify it as such because of the various elements of violence, mystery, intrigue and irony that run throughout the novel.

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

KR: Honestly I would have to say that getting out and making acquaintances, networking and an intense grass roots effort to spread the word about this novel has really contributed greatly to the buzz currently being generated about it.

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

KR: I can’t really say I have a by-the-book process. I can get an idea at any given time, and I’ll begin to process it in my mind. I’ll sit down and begin to put it on the screen allowing it to flow as it comes.

I seldom write down any of the novel, I’m not really a pad to paper type person. I prefer a keyboard because I can type far faster than I can write. From start to finish, A Deadly Encounter was an intense labor of love that took me roughly about 2 years to totally complete and release.

JP: What’s next for K.R. Bankston?

KR: Well, I’m still working to acquaint the world with the legend that is Dezi Gianni with A Deadly Encounter. I’ll be in Harlem this summer at the bookfair doing that as well.

I have also released the sequel, Sins of the Father, and I am currently working on the last book of the trilogy.

Kirabaco Publishing
PO Box 500072
Atlanta, GA 31150
Telephone: 678.561.2053

http://www.krbankstononline.com/
http://twitter.com/KRBTheAuthor
http://www.facebook.com/KRBankstonTheAuthor
http://www.myspace.com/forty8krt
http://readersinmotionbookclub.ning.com/profile/KRBankston

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

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Dedan Tolbert, author of What Women Need To Know…But Don’t Want To Hear

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With..
Dedan Tolbert, editor of What Women Need To Know…But Don’t Want To Hear
(TB&D Publishing)

I’m Dedan Tolbert, author of the award-winning novel The Love We Had…, Ask Dedan-Sex, Dating, and Relationships- Volume I, What Women Need To Know…But Don’t Want To Hear, advice columnist for 25 magazines and the host of “The Dedan Tolbert Show”, which airs weeknights at 9:00pm EST on The TB&D Radio Network. Listen live by calling 646-200-0366 or logging onto http://dedansplace.net.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write What Women Need To Know…?

Dedan Tolbert: My upcoming audio book What Women Need To Know…But Don’t Want To Hear will answer all of the tough questions women have about men, dating and relationships.

In this book, I don’t pacify women by telling them exactly what they want to hear. Instead, I give them real talk answers that encourage self-examination and reflection that will often explain a lot about the uncomfortable circumstances they find themselves in.

JP: What prompted you to release What Women Need To Know… as an audio book?

DT: I receive hundreds of “Ask Dedan” advice questions monthly from women from all over the world asking questions like why men cheat, why they don’t commit, why they can’t find and keep a good man and many others.

Unfortunately, much of the relationship advice currently being given doesn’t touch on the real reasons men do the things they do.

Sometimes the truth hurts to hear which is why I decided to make it an audio book, so there would be no confusion about the message I was trying to convey.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to What Women Need To Know… getting out to the public?

DT: Based on the popularity of “The Dedan Tolbert Show”, where we deal with just about every relationship topic possible, my international audience is anxiously awaiting the Valentines Day release of What Women Need To Know…But Don’t Want To Hear.

In a society where 70% of black women are single and 40% have never been married, people don’t need sugarcoated advice that pacifies women by telling them exactly what they want to hear. They need someone who’s going to give them a little tough love and touch their souls.

I’m currently on a promotional tour to spread the word about this audio book that’s being called by many the realest advice anyone they’ve ever heard. For more information on me, please visit http://dedansplace.net or http://dedantolbert.com.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish What Women Need To Know…?

DT: Because this is an audio book, where I’m discussing dating and relationship topics that I’m very passionate about the recording process didn’t take long at all. Many, if not all, of the content found in What Women Need To Know…But Don’t Want To Hear can also be heard weeknights at 9:00pm EST on “The Dedan Tolbert Show”.

My goal with any advice I give is to not help women “think like a man” (which is impossible) but instead to help them understand how men think and why we do the things we do.

JP: What’s next for Dedan Tolbert?

DT: Currently, I’m preparing for the Valentines Day release of my new audio book, What Women Need To Know…But Don’t Want To Hear which will change the dating world as we know it. There isn’t one relationship issue that I can think of that’s not covered in this book. Get your copy on Valentines Day exclusively at http://dedansplace.net.

In August, I’m expecting a huge response for the re-release of my award-winning novel, “The Love We Had…” Also, this upcoming year on “The Dedan Tolbert Show”, I will continue to bring my listeners quality programming they won’t be able to find anywhere else in the country. Listen live weeknights at 9:00pm EST by calling 646-200-0366 or by logging onto http://dedansplace.net.

“The Dedan Tolbert Show” now has an international audience as has featured some of the nation’s biggest celebrities like Nene Leakes from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”, Dru Hill, Jagged Edge, Syleena Johnson and platinum gospel group, Trin-I-Tee 5:7. The Love We Had… was named one of the top 10 books of 2006 by TheWritersInn.com and has become known as one of the best and most tragic love stories of all time.

I’ve also featured several of the world’s top best selling authors of urban fiction like, ZANE, Anna J, Miasha, J.L. King, Shannon Holmes , K’wan and many more…  “The Dedan Tolbert Show” is nominated for the AAMBC Award for Best Literary Talk Show. To vote for me, please send an email to aambcvoting@gmail.com.

http://dedansplace.net
http://dedantolbert.com
myspace.com/dedantolbert
http://facebook.com/dedantolbert
http://twitter.com/dedantolbert
askdedan@gmail.com

Dedan Tolbert
PO Box 18807
Philadelphia, PA 19119

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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… Marilynn Griffith, editor of SistahFaith

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Marilynn Griffith, editor of SistahFaith
(Howard Books/Simon and Schuster)

SistahFaith is about healing. It’s about women–holy women, smart women, women in leadership–lifting their skirts and showing their scars. It’s about nodding slowly to the woman who comes in church with a black eye and a skirt that’s too tight and whispering to her that it will be all right, telling her you know because you were her once and God made it all right for you.

It’s about keeping it holy and keeping it real. It’s about testimony.

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

Marrilynn Griffith: As for the idea, I didn’t come up with it. Not really. It was 2004, and God was doing something. It was a healing season. I had a blog and a friend of mine, Claudia Mair Burney, had one too. She was bleeding over there, saying things that women weren’t supposed to say out loud.

I wept in front of my laptop and whispered, “Me too.” By phone, another friend, Dr. Gail Hayes, was getting to the root in her way. “Why do you say that? What happened to you?,” she’d say now and then. It was a year of testimony, a time of truth. I went and spoke a lot that year.

Often, women in fine suits and long skirts would whisper into the folds of my clothes, “Me too. That happened to me too.” I began to see that there was a secret sistahood, a sistahood of shame that had to be broken, to be turned into something bright and beautiful. So I didn’t come up with it, not really. God did.

JP: What sets SistahFaith apart from others in its genre?

MG: There are many wonderful story collections that minister to women, but this time we wanted to get REAL about the thing. There are stories from celebrities like Bunny DeBarge and well-known authors like Sharon Ewell Foster.

But it wasn’t about a who’s who, it was about coming together and testifying of what God has brought us through so other women can know that they don’t have to be ashamed. God’s grace is shameless!

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

MG: We’re doing a lot of online promotions, including the blog tour with TyWebbin Creations that you’re participating in. The book is the title of the month in our SistahFaith Book Club on our Ning community as well.

We’ll be doing face-to-face events as well like the Garments of Praise conference in Fayetteville, NC, March 26-29 (http://ladylifers.com/Page_2.html). Churches, book clubs, prison ministries, women shelters…all types of organizations will be using this book to bring hope, healing and restoration to women.

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

MG: This book took a lot of time. First there was the living all of us had to do to get to the place to be able to say the types of things we had to say in these stories while still being uplifting and encouraging.

Then there was the writing, the selections, the ups and downs… Truly it’s been a journey. The whole thing started about six years ago.

JP: What’s next for Marilynn Griffith?

MG: Thanks for asking! I have a novella in A Million Blessings, an anthology with Angela Benson and Tia McCollors, that releases later this month. After that? I’ll be working on whatever God says is next. Thanks so much for having me.

http://www.marilynngriffith.com/
http://www.myspace.com/marilynngriffith
Facebook: marilynngriffith or SistahFaith
http://www.sistahfaith.ning.com/

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