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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… Carl Mathis, author of Life is What You Make It: Seven Steps to Moving Forward

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Carl Mathis, author of Life is What You Make It: Seven Steps to Moving Forward
(Tate Publishing)

Carl Mathis wasn’t prepared for the devastation the loss of his wife would bring to his life. He soon found himself grieving, struggling to make ends meet and trying to raise his sons, who were also dealing with personal turmoil from the loss of their mother.

After months of waiting for someone to rescue him, Carl had to face the inevitable truth–no one was coming. He realized that if he wanted out of the mess his life was becoming, he was going to have to do it himself.

Join new author Carl Mathis in this motivational story about one man’s struggle to put his life back together. Life is What You Make It will teach you how to overcome any crippling situation you find yourself in and stimulate personal and spiritual growth by accepting the situation, taking responsibility, conditioning your mind, choosing to make right decisions, building a team, believing and defining the new normal.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Life is What You Make It: Seven Steps to Moving Forward?

Carl Mathis: I must say that this was not in my immediate plan to write a book, but, just the thought of being able to put your thoughts down on paper in a way that could Continue reading 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Carl Mathis, author of Life is What You Make It: Seven Steps to Moving Forward →

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… Mari Walker, author of Not Quite What It Seems

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Mari Walker, author of Not Quite What It Seems
(St. Martin’s Griffin)

Not Quite What It Seems is the story of a young girl, Jadyn Collins, who is haunted by the abuse she’s suffered at a young age. The abuse stems from a combination of her mother’s wrong choices and her stepfather’s pathology that was never addressed.

It is also the story of a young girl’s longing for a father’s love and the events that drive her to seek him out, though she’s never really known him. Not Quite What It Seems explores the true meaning of forgiveness and how not understanding true forgiveness and letting it work on our behalf can color life choices.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Not Quite What It Seems?

Mari Walker: Not Quite What It Seems, though it is not a sequel, is a sort of continuation of a story line that began in my first novel, Never As Good As The First Time. Continue reading 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Mari Walker, author of Not Quite What It Seems →

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… Elissa Gabrielle, author of A Whisper to a Scream

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Elissa Gabrielle, author of A Whisper to a Scream
(Peace In The Storm Publishing, LLC)

A Whisper to a Scream is essentially a love story; acceptance of true love. The book covers themes of racism, interracial relationships, mental health issues and the justice system to name a few.

The colors of love come in several shades for Queen Thomas, and has been prevalent on her canvas of life as she continues to paint by the numbers. Successful beyond measure, but flawed to a degree where bright hues tend to fade a bit, happiness should be much more than an illusion.

Queen is a young African-American defense attorney passionately advocating justice for her brown-skinned clients, despite being subjected by black and blue bruises from her ex-boyfriend. Then there are the shades of gray that matters most when trying to balance the memorable scales of a loving relationship with a father that raised her as a single parent.

Along with that are the dark clouds of uncertainty accentuating the need to suppress the void of missing the touches that only a mother can manifest. Is a successful but committed relationship so hard to fathom where integrity and faithfulness is not compromised? The whispers get louder with promises of primal screams as the colors take on a different tint as the plot thickens.

Enter Quincy Hughes, a handsome doctor easy on the eyes but with an underlying intrigue that allows curiosity to kill much more than the cat. Quincy is on a mission. He relentlessly pursues her despite his mystique and forces Queen to question the taboo concept of accepted love vs. forbidden fruit; and whether there’s a future in it for her.

Is she ready to tackle the relevancy of this different persuasion? And what about her ex-lover — will he settle for second best and allow Queen to pursue matters of the heart, albeit with someone else?

Sensual and brimming with sexuality, this heart-wrenching drama is groundbreaking fiction. A Whisper To a Scream is a sexy, moving and riveting tale that will pull you deep into an unforgettable erotic, socially conscious, and emotionally-charged ride.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write A Whisper to a Scream?

Elissa Gabrielle: Inspiration came from a few sources. One was I wanted to write a story that I hadn’t read. Another source of inspiration was to write an African-American Continue reading 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Elissa Gabrielle, author of A Whisper to a Scream →