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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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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, barbara grovner, even numbers, interview, myspace, third eye publishing, violence

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Barbara Grovner, author of Even Numbers

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Barbara Grovner, author of Even Numbers
(Third Eye Publishing)

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

Barbara Grovner: The inspiration to write Even Numbers came from a very close person in my life who had gone through a very similar experience. I actually wrote the book for her.

JP: What sets Even Numbers apart from other urban fiction novels?

BG: Even Numbers is written in narrative form because it was the type of story that had to be told. I found it extremely difficult to give James a voice. It seemed to give him too much power. For a pedophile, power is the one thing we do not want them to possess.

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

BG: I have been trying to target single-mothers who date in an effort to hopefully alert them to some of the red flags. Those red flags may make them take a closer look at the men they bring home to their innocent and unsuspecting children.

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

BG: I am a bit “Old School” when it comes to writing. I prefer to write in a notebook. Then I transfer everything to my computer. My thoughts flow better when I am physically writing.

Even Numbers, although a very short book, took about a year to write from start to finish. There was a lot of research involved. Also the topic of child molestation was difficult to write. I found myself having to take breaks from thinking of the horrors some women have endured.

JP: What’s next for Barbara Grovner?

BG: My next novel We Belong Together is scheduled to release in December. It’s a “who-done-it” mystery beginning with a senseless murder of a nurse. The characters are colorful, and the dialogue is off the chain. Nothing at all like Even Numbers, which is a narrative and extremely thought provoking.

At this time, I am working on the sequel to We Belong Together which is also a “who-done-it” mystery as well. I hope to have that book out sometime next year.

I am also offering editing services at the lowest rate in the business. In fact, I am offering first-time authors who are enrolled in school an incredibly low low rate for a limited time. I can be reached at bgrovner@hotmail.com for inquiries.

http://www.myspace.com/barbaragrovner
http://facebook.com/bgrovner

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african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, best seller, book reviews, congratulations, criticism, essence best sellers list, interview, never as good as the first time, urban book source

Mari Walker’s Never As Good As The First Time Debuts on Essence Best Sellers List

Congratulations to Mari Walker for her novel debuting at no. 3 on the Essence Best Sellers List for August! Pretty good for her first time being published. Check it out.

Mari_Walker_No3_Essence_Bestseller
Check out my book review and my interview of the novel Never As Good As the First Timeand Mari Walker on Urban Book Source’s website. We get pretty deep.