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5 Minutes 5 Questions With… Cassandra Washington, author of From A to Z: A Guide to Give to Men Who Honestly Don’t Know or Who Insist on Playing Dumb

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Cassandra Washington, author of From A to Z: A Guide to Give to Men Who Honestly Don’t Know or Who Insist on Playing Dumb
(Xtream Heights)

cassandra washington - from a to z from a to z book cover

(click the pictures to see this book on Amazon.com)

Cassandra Washington has penned an all time relationship fixer book that will help build women’s confidence in not only themselves, but confidence in staking claim to what they want! This book will help all the men who “claim” they cannot figure women out long enough to know what they want. Topics in the book range from “Act-Right (the whole say what you mean, mean what you say, and do what you said you were going to do” all the way to Great Sex! It’s a must read and the new Women’s Bible!

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write From A to Z: A Guide to Give to Men Who Honestly Don’t Know or Who Insist on Playing Dumb?

Cassandra Washington: I noticed that a lot of my friends were near depression over failed relationships and wondering why the men in their lives couldn’t understand them. They were wondering why men couldn’t act right. These were educated, financially stable women! Good women! So I said, okay, enough is enough. Ladies, it’s not always you. Let’s get to the root of what’s going on. And from there, the book was created.

JP: Why did you choose to gear From A to Z towards men, instead of women?

CW: It’s funny you ask that . (*smile*) From A to Z is actually not geared towards men specifically. It’s to help the men understand what we as women want and to explain why we do or say the things we say. It’s really for the women to gain an understanding of themselves and the situations they are in and how to overcome them. It’s like Secret, baby. Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman! Lol.

JP: What sets From A to Z apart from other self-help relationship guides?

CW: From A to Z is a must read. I’m not saying that just because I wrote it. It’s a must read because it deals with actual real life situations. I’ve interviewed men and women, getting the scoop on what really drives a wedge in relationships and what each of the opposite sex wants from each other. It’s not a bunch of fluff; it’s a bunch of fact!

This book also has “Reflection Time” after each subject to create a dialogue between men and women. Anyone reading the book can write down their thoughts in the book and look back and say, “Okay, this is what I’ve done. That’s what it’s gotten me. Now this is what I’m going to do to change that!” It’s meant to empower.

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

CW: The keys to success are drive, perseverance, persistence and faith. It’s like a recipe: without one, the outcome isn’t going to be just right. It’s very tough to promote, especially on a budget and during a recession. As long as you have love for what you do and as long as your work touches and inspires at least one person, you’ve done your job.

JP: What’s next for Cassandra Washington?

CW: I’m currently working on a documentary regarding relationships It’s like a spin off of the book but in a different way. In this film, I aim to not only entertain but to educate and inspire as well. I want to inspire women to not be ashamed of who they are or where they’ve been. I want to inspire women to press forward as a better and more complete person.

I say this to the women I’m trying to help: “Stop trying to be someone else. Baby, no one can do you like you can!”

www.cassandrawashington.net
www.myspace.com/cassi24

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

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

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With Rhonda Lawson, author of A Dead Rose

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Rhonda Lawson, author of A Dead Rose
(Urban Soul)


rhonda lawson head shot a dead rose book cover

(click on the pictures to see this book on Amazon.com)

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write A Dead Rose?

Rhonda Lawson: I’m sure we’ve all met or encountered someone who had a less-than-virtuous reputation. As a young adult, I heard so many stories about women, including myself, that may or not have been true. Someone always had something negative to say about a woman. Few people ever bothered to get to know the woman and find out what was really going on in her mind.

It’s not easy for a woman to find love today. A million mistakes can be made before she can find the man she’s truly meant to be with. Unfortunately, those mistakes can cause a woman not to recognize that man when he finally comes along. When A Dead Rose was first released, I received so much feedback from women who said they saw a piece of themselves in Isis.

JP: What sets A Dead Rose apart from other novels in its genre?

RL: A Dead Rose is not just another love story. While Isis is looking for love, the reader also feels her pain as she struggles to find love for herself. I think people who read this book will walk away from it with a sense of inspiration. Of course, there will be people who will have a million negative things to say about Isis. Those who dig deep will see and feel the frustration she deals with.

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

RL: When I released my first book, Cheatin’ in the Next Room, I ran into a lot of roadblocks. It was difficult to find a publisher or even get my book onto the shelves. I sacrificed a lot of nights and weekends writing and signing at various book events. Sometimes I sold 20-30 books, and other times only selling two. However, I kept trying because writing is something I love, and I knew I told stories that I truly believed in.

I think part of the reason my publisher picked me up was because the company saw that I was willing to get out there and hustle. To answer your question, I think I owe my success to writing from my heart, never knowing when to say when, and just getting to know my readers and finding out what they want to read.

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

RL: I wouldn’t use A Dead Rose as a great example, because it actually took me two and a half years to write between being a single parent, my fulltime job as an Army NCO, going to college, and promoting Cheatin’ in the Next Room! When I began writing my new novel, Putting It Back Together, it only took me about four months. I was under a stricter deadline, so I was forced to focus.

For Putting It Back Together, I first outlined the characters and wrote down my main plot as well as my sub-plots. I didn’t outline the whole story because I wanted my characters to take me where they wanted to go. My characters and plot lists helped me to stay focused.

I also made it a practice of writing in the late evenings. That’s something I’d grown accustomed to in the early days of A Dead Rose since I’m a single parent. I do like to change locations every now and then to keep the creative juices flowing. I’ve even written parts of Putting It Back Together while sitting in the community club here in Korea while a rock concert went on outside!

One last thing I did was find people whom I trusted to read passages for me to give me a sanity check. That helped big time.

JP: What’s next for Rhonda M. Lawson?

RL: I’ve started a blog on myspace and Black Planet that focuses on writing. I want to share my lessons learned with other writers. I’m also working on an online newsletter to not only keep my readers informed of my literary news, but to highlight other poets and authors.

Additionally, my third novel, Putting It Back Together, is due to hit the stands next spring. It takes place in post-Katrina New Orleans, and tells the story of Alexis, a pediatrician with her own private practice, and Reggie, a successful professional football player. The couple dated each other in college, but Alexis’ pride causes them to break up. More than ten years later, Reggie is now married, but trying to divorce his wife, Nikki. However, he learns that the lawyer he hires to handle the procedure is dating Alexis! When Reggie and Alexis come face to face, they wonder how their lives would have been had they stayed together, but learn that when life moves on, love isn’t always the answer.

www.rmlawson.com
http://www.myspace.com/rhondamlawson

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

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… Stacey-Deanne, author of Melody

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Stacey-Deanne, author of Melody
(Strebor Books)


stacey-deanne headshot melody book cover

(click on the pictures to see this book on Amazon.com)

Full of forbidden desire and unwavering strength in the face of danger, Melody is a chilling tale that will leave readers breathless as they navigate all the plot twists and turns. Struggling to survive until the end, the diverse cast of characters will be left questioning their loyalties, their passions and how far they might be willing to go to protect the ones they love.

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

Stacey-Deanne: For some reason, I wanted to write a sexy thriller. I kept getting the vision of a strong, young woman who wanted to save her sister from something tragic. I soon developed the idea where Melody would begin to distrust her sister, Sarah’s latest boyfriend. At first I had it where Melody simply disliked him, but since I wanted this to be a thriller, my ideas heightened and I turned the boyfriend into a challenging menace. It became a race of good versus evil with Melody as the good and Keith (Sarah’s boyfriend) as the ultimate evil. But that wasn’t enough. I wanted something else to go on despite the main story. Soon, the second plot of the book, the serial rapist was born. From there my ideas naturally flew and I was hooked LOL.

JP: What sets Melody apart from other murder/mystery novels currently on the market?

SD: A lot! I think that most people who read it will agree that Melody is unlike any other novel ever written because of its distinction alone. Melody is one of few mysteries on the urban market these days. It is also one of few whose main character is a Latina. It is one of very few stories that can be defined in many different genres including, romance, mystery, thriller, suspense, women’s fiction, detective and crime fiction and chick lit. A big difference is the variety of spicy characters.

Melody has a racially diverse range of characters. The main characters, Melody and her sister Sarah are biracial. They are half-Latina and half-white. Melody also focuses on an interracial love affair between the two detectives in the story, Brianna and Steven. She’s black and he’s white. Keith and Lucas, Sarah and Melody’s love interests are white. There’s a minor character that’s gay. Another difference is that Melody is a two-plot story. You get two stories in one. While Melody races to save Sarah from Keith’s clutches, there is a serial rapist in the city preying on black women (two who are main characters). As a thriller, Melody holds numerous twists. There’s a lot going on in this book.

JP: As a best selling author, what did you learn from previous novels that you were able to apply to Melody?

SD: I’ve learned that I enjoy putting minority characters in positions they aren’t usually shown in. I strive to make my characters stand out and not be wooden based on stereotypes. My books are for everyone and what I’ve learned is that I enjoy writing a novel with diverse subjects and that it turns out, audiences appreciate this as well. Comparing this to my previous work showed me how great it works out to have such a diverse story as Melody. It fits in many genres and has characters of so many different races that its audience is endless.

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

SD: I’m a fast writer unless something gets in the way. I first wrote Melody eleven years ago so I don’t remember just how long it took (laughing), but usually it takes me around three to four months to write a book and probably a month and a half to edit it. But it all depends on how things are going and whether my process is interrupted or not.

JP: What’s next for Stacy-Deanne?

SD: Many, many things! I have finished many novels and plan to publish them. I am excited that I’ve begun a series that stars the detectives from Melody. I already have two books from the series completed and I will be starting a third soon. I’ve also got other novels I’m editing. If things work out as planned then my next release will be the first installment of my cop series. I am very excited about this. I fell in love with the officers in Melody and there is so much I wanted to do with them.

Website link: http://www.stacy-deanne.net
Myspace link: http://www.myspace.com/stacydeanne

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