Category Archives: african american author

LaToya S. Watkins, author of In Love with Losers: My first preschool teacher is whoÂ planted the seed forÂ my love ofÂ reading.Â My parents never hadÂ to push me to participate in reading programsÂ in school after that teacherÂ cracked open Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak on my first day of school.Â When my mom picked me up from school and asked about my first day, I told her all aboutÂ Max’s adventure. My mom encouraged my reading from that day on. From coverless books at garage sales to orders placed at school book fairs, I could count on her to keep a book in my hands. Time and exposure grew that love for reading, and I can never thank my mom enough forÂ encouraging me to read.

My forthcoming novel, In Love with Losers, is a book about some of the joys and pains that come with the evolution of the human spirit.Â As my characters wrestle withÂ issues that range from what they believe to be love with losers to questioning who the real losers are, you will easily relate to their everyday strugglesÂ in success and defeat in relationships and life in general. MyÂ book takes the African American novel and embeds crisis and historyÂ to createÂ a beauty inÂ reality that can and will be appreciated.

For more information on LaToya S. Watkins In Love with Losers, go to: http://latoyaswatkins.com

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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Mikki Starr Martin, author of Zella Dora

March 18, 2009 Joey Pinkney

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Mikki Starr Martin, author of Zella Dora
(ReignStorm Publishing)

Zella Dora’s progression in life has been on hiatus for the better part of the past six years. Since losing her mother tragically and unexpectedly to a rare disease, she has inherited the duty of caring for her father who has vehemently refused to accept that his wife is forever gone. Added to that is the burden of being there for a suicidal friend who, in a quest for love, is determined to pull everyone around down with her. Not to mention her own dependence on her closest friend Darwin who, unbeknownst to Zella, is suffering from the quiet despair of unrequited love.

An instance of unintentional eavesdropping on her neighbor’s lovemaking oddly becomes the catalyst that creates the desire for Zella to break away and come into her own again. A decision she soon discovers is easier to commit to in theory than reality. When Zella becomes intimately involved with her married neighbor, her world quickly spins out of control begging the question of whether she’ll ever be able to live for herself again.

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

Mikki Starr Martin: Zella Dora came about approximately a year and a half before I really got into writing the story. I had some insane idea to write some twisted tale in the genre of erotica…got as far as a prelude and put it down, never thinking about it again. When I moved out to Cali and was unpacking some things, I happened across the legal pad that I’d written that prelude on. When I read it, I thought it was rather dope and very well written… I impressed myself. Immediately, I decided that something should be done with and I began outlining.

JP: You have a knack to making your novels simply complex. What was your writing process for Zella Dora?

MSM: With Zella Dora, I didn’t want to lead the story too much. I wanted to see what would happen if I gave myself minimal direction in writing. So I’d vaguely outline a few chapters at a time and fill in the blanks as I’d write. I was amazed at the things that poured out that way but scared at the same time because I didn’t know where this story was going and I wasn’t used to that lack of control.

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

MSM: I actually have yet to really push Zella Dora to the public. I’ve dropped a few breadcrumbs so her existence is known by a few but I wanted to wait until 2009 to really make her presence known.

JP: I am totally mesmerized by the book cover. Who is the model? Where did you find her? Who designed your cover?

MSM: Wow… I’m happy that you’re digging the cover. The model, I don’t know. I design all my own cover art. The image of the woman on the cover of Zella Dora is a stock photography image that I was thrilled to find. She fit my mental image of what Zella would look like and I was just so happy that the photographer granted me permission to use the image.

JP: What’s next for Miki Starr Martin?

MSM: I’ve started a couple of projects, but I’ve yet to put my heart into any of them. For now, I intend to focus on making my presence known…something that I’ve neglected doing for fear of being rejected by the masses, and finishing editing my first novel Well Runs Dry, so that I may re-release it later this month.

The biggest writing project that I am taking on right now is a 12-week short story series titled Psycho about psychotherapist Dr. Nicollet Madison Fairway who runs a lucrative business counseling fictional characters. It’s part marketing being that the fictitious characters she’s offering therapy to are my own and part writing challenge for myself as I’m allowing myself no guidance with this. I’ve got to find a way to keep it interesting, without giving away too much info about my books. I’ve gotten some love for the teaser, and even I am excited and curious to see where it goes.

www.mikistarr.com
www.myspace.com/mikstarr

Author Miki Starr Martin can be reached at starr_martin@mikistarr.com

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P.S.S. If you want to be feature in a 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… series, email me at joey.pinkney@gmail.com or myspace.com/joeyreviews

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National Reading Month With… Jahzara Writes, author of Love Don’t Live Here Anymore

March 17, 2009 Joey Pinkney

Jahzara Writes, author of Love Don’t Live Here Anymore: My love affair with reading and writing started with my grandmother. My grandmother used to tell the most magnificent stories. Listening to her, I could visualize the images and feelings that she created. I can recall being a pre-schooler and thinking to myself, “I want to do that”. I wanted to tell magnificent stories, too. I wanted to capture a person’s attention.

This was only the beginning. I remember being mesmerized by hearing my elementary school librarian, Mrs. Kevins, read to the class when we had Library Day. However, I don’t think anyone could read a story like my third grade teacher, Mrs. Mary Smith. She introduced me to Paul Laurence Dunbar. She read his poetry with such emotion and caused me to be intrigued with dialect.

I was disruptive back in those days. I’m sure she didn’t quite know how to manage this young girl who had a knack for fighting boys. One day, she put me in the “Wee One’s Corner”, the equivalence to today’s “Time Out.” With no distractions, I breezed through my work which was correct. Mrs. Smith was not letting me out of the “Wee One’s Corner” that easily. She gave me a blank composition book and told me to write. Hence the beginning of Jahzara’s writing career.

After marrying a man that everyone warned me not to marry and learning dark secret after dark secret about him, I thought my life would end. Every day with him became a dreaded adventure. “It can’t get any worse,” had become my daily mantra. Everyday it got progressively worse, so I ditched the mantra. I wanted my life to be over. At night before going to bed, I wished I would go to sleep and wake up in my Maker’s arms.

Finally, after waking up morning after morning to a dreaded nightmare, I decided that I would live. I decided that instead of waking up with dread, I would wake up with delight. I decided to take my life back. Love Don’t Live Here Anymore is a novel that tells my story. I had to write this book in order to heal and promote healing, motivation and inspiration in others.

For more information about Jahzara Writes and Love Don’t Live Here Anymore, please visit: http://www.jahzarawrites.com/.

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Category Archives: african american author

National Reading Month With… Latoya S. Watkins, author of In Love With Losers

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Mikki Starr Martin, author of Zella Dora

National Reading Month With… Jahzara Writes, author of Love Don’t Live Here Anymore

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