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, get in get out, interview, mitanni entertainment, myspace, salim amir, urban fiction, urban lit

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Salim Amir, author of Get In Get Out

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Salim Amir, author of Get In Get Out
(Mitanni Entertainment)

Get In Get Out chronicles the life of Marquise Jackson – son of a hustling father, his tumultuous trek into manhood and the journey of a soul that is torn between what is right and what is necessary. In choosing the same life that took his father, he soon realizes that once a person is in the game it’s never as easy as one wishes to Get In Get Out.

This is the introspective story of a young man. Marquis Jackson is forced into manhood prematurely because of a tragedy that threatens the life and welfare of his family. He finds himself trying desperately to get out of the life before he’s claimed by the same fate that claimed his father.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Get In Get Out?

Salim Amir: I got the idea and inspiration from my life experiences and the unfortunate death of my comrade Kareem Williams.

JP: What sets Get In Get Out apart from other urban fiction novels where the main character is torn between crime and love?

SA: In order to big my project up without belittling other urban authors, I’ll tell you what makes this book special. The characters have depth, and they’re real. Not every hustler pushed keys. Some people hand-to-hand their entire drug career.

My characters reflect that realistic polarity of the game. You’re in their minds as they contemplate life. When they cry, you’ll probably cry or come close to it. I also focused on making sure my narration could be distinguished from my dialogue. I think that’s an important thing for street lit authors to do.

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

SA: Studying your market. Anything you get into you should study. It’s like the stock market. You don’t just buy a stock without first researching the company whose stock you’re about to buy into. You learn all the tricks of the trade.

As an author and CEO of my own publishing company, Mitanni Entertainment, I feel it’s imperative to learn everything Random House, St. Martin’s Press and other major publishing houses know and use to stay on top of this game. Especially considering the top is my destination.

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

SA: My writing process varies. Sometimes the thoughts and ideas come scattered like a collage and I put the pieces together like a puzzle. Other times it just flows. Get In Get Out took almost 2 years to perfect because I was new to writing. But I have a novel called Politics as Usual that took all of two months in the hole up state to write. So it all depends.

JP: What’s next for Salim Amir?

SA: Dying To Live! The sequel to Get In Get Out.

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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, apricot books international, down low sistahs, interview, myspace, street lit, urban fiction, urban lit, urban/street lit, wakiem freeman

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Wakiem Freeman, author of Down Low Sistahs

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Wakiem Freeman, author of Down Low Sistahs
(Apricot Books International)

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Down Low Sistahs?

Wakiem Freeman: The idea came from an ex-girlfriend who confessed to me that she was sleeping with her cousin who was a female. Years later, I was going through old photos. I ran across her picture and was inspired to tackle the touchy subject.

JP: What sets Down Low Sistahs apart from other urban fiction novels?

WF: Down Low Sistahs is innovative. It stands alone with a unique twist.

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

WF: Discipline, distribution and word of mouth. I’m focused and screaming “they on the down low and you don’t even know, they on that lo-lo” every time I hit the streets of N.Y.C. The public has spoken. I’m on my ninth print run.

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

WF: First, I pick a topic. Then decide if I want my brain to tackle the topic. Next is research, which can take any where from 2 to 4 months. Next is designing a book cover. Then I write my outline of all chapters, which takes about two weeks. I finished Down Low Sistahs in 4 days.

JP: What’s next for Wakiem Freeman?

WF: The re-release of Down Low Sistahs, re-edited, with a NEW cover, summer 2009

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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, best seller, interview, sister, t benson glover, urban fiction, urban lit

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… T. Benson Glover, author of Sister

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
T. Benson Glover, author of Sister
(Amaiya Entertainment)

In Sister, T. Benson Glover takes you on a journey to “The Badlands”, a notorious North Philadelphia ghetto plagued by drugs and violence. It’s a place where love doesn’t exist inside The City of Brotherly Love. This is the neighborhood that the character Sister calls home.

Follow Sister as she winds her way into the depths of a world shrouded in darkness, clouded by murder, riddled by lust, consumed by greed and overrun by envy and betrayal. In Sister, Glover makes it clear that beneath every inner city there’s a place where’s there’s no love lost, even The City of Brotherly Love .

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

T. Benson Glover: I got the inspiration to write the novel Sister out of necessity. I felt that there was need to assess how drastic and violent the situation has become for our young black women to grow up in the inner city minus their fathers. And the character Sister is just an example of what can happen to a young sister growing up in urban America.

JP: What sets Sister apart from other urban fiction novels set in Philly?

TBG: What sets Sister apart, is that it is not only set in Philly, but also Pittsburgh, PA, and Fayetteville, NC.

JP: As a debut author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Sister appearing on the Essence Best Seller’s List?

TBG: I would say that it’s the constant grind: going to the book signings, the Harlem Book Fairs, communicating with your readers online, etc.

All of those things, on top of having a good product that’s both credible and real, are keys to gaining that position. Key Number 1 has got to be that your readers have to feel where you’re coming from. Shout out to Essence for recognizing my hard work.

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

TBG: Actually, I start by developing my lead character and his or her voice. Once I nail that down, I finish the storyline. It took me maybe nine months, off and on, to finish Sister.

JP: What’s next for T. Benson Glover?

TBG: Next up for me is the sequel to Sister. Cash should be in stores by December 2008. Thanks for your time.

Facebook: T. Benson Glover

http://www.amiayaentertainment.com/

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