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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview, the soul of a man

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Joey Pinkney, author of Like Father, Like Son (The Son of a Man Edition)

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… (The Soul of a Man Edition)
Joey Pinkney, author of “Like Father, Like Son”
(Peace In The Storm Publishing)

“Like Father, Like Son” follows the trials and tribulations of Terrence Greene, his wife Mary and his step-son Andre. In addition to dealing with teenage sex, drug use and criminal behavior from his teenage step-son, Terrence is also dealing with navigating step-fatherhood and gaining proper respect from Andre.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write “Like Father, Like Son”?

Joey Pinkney: The foundation of “Like Father, Like Son” came from my personal experiences as a step-father. There are a lot of mixed emotions and thoughts that swirl around a man’s head when attempting to father a boy who is not your own. One major hurdle is trying to bring a boy into his manhood properly and to your best abilities, since parenthood is a never-ending learning experience. On the other hand, the child has to be given room to figure out his place in the world in the context of a missing father and a stepfather.

As I dug deeper into the characters and their various motivations, they began to take a life of their own. In some ways, Mary has the same attitudes possessed by my wife in terms of their firstborn son. But truthfully, Mary and my wife are far from being the same person. As Terrence’s story began to come forth, I felt his pain but questioned some of his methods. Andre was easy to flesh out hard to read and re-read.

I wanted “Like Father, Like Son” to give the life of a step-father some airtime. Many times, we don’t see the man who takes care of a child who is not his own. Many times, we don’t question a mother’s enabling behavior in terms of her young man’s growth into adulthood. In this short story, I set out to make sure there was another side of the story to not only step-fatherhood but also step-parenthood.

JP: What has been your personal experience in being a part of The Soul of a Man Anthology?

JP: Participating in The Soul of a Man Anthology has increased by desire to be published and get my stories out. I can’t begin to tell you how many books I’ve given away to people who smile wide smiles and have the sincerest admiration for a book housing 13 African-American men of various backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints.

We call ourselves The Soul Brothers collectively, and Elissa Gabrielle is known as the Soul Mother. I think the names fit because we communicate and even meet up for joint ventures. I have also personally brushed shoulders with the likes of Marc Lacy, Brian Ganges, Alvin Romer and Maurice Gray, Jr. in addition to having many thought provoking conversations with K.L. Belvin and Elissa Gabrielle. I really do enjoy the cohesiveness of our group.

I have had the opportunity to travel around The South supporting The Soul of a Man Anthology both by myself and with The Soul Brothers. The Phenomenal Women Book Club of New Orleans, LA, made me feel so special when they invited me to their book discussion. Their no-holds-barred discussions brought a life to my characters that I didn’t know exist.

The Ladies of Flavor Book Club of my beloved hometown Memphis, TN, stands out in my mind for various reasons. One, it was co-founded by one of my high school buddies. That brought our relationship full circle. Most importantly, my mother and my brother got a chance to see me in action. The enjoyment my family got from seeing me interacting with a group of highly intelligent women because of something I created was priceless.

JP: What is your most memorable moment of The Soul of a Man Anthology in terms of what has been expressed of you by someone who has had a chance to read this book?

JP: One day, I was doing a radio show to promote the book, and the host asked me to read an excerpt of “Like Father, Like Son”. I love my story, so I got wrapped up in the emotion of the dialogue. I read the section where Terrence admits his “hate” for Andre and his reasons why.

When I finished with my section of the story, the host had an epiphany. The show went in a different direction, and I was no longer the focus. She began to tell me how she always shielded her son from her boyfriend, no matter the circumstance. She then told me that now she sees why her boyfriend got so mad at her for doing that. That small part of “Like Father, Like Son” made her realize how hard it is to raise a boy as a step-father when the mother is over-protective.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish “Like Father, Like Son”?

JP: My writing process for “Like Father, Like Son” was simple. The characters talked; I listened. Different things were revealed to me as I drove to work or showered or talked to my wife. When I say the characters really took a life of their own, I mean it. It’s funny how family members read the story and think that they got an inside scoop on my family. Instead of getting frustrated, I began to take that as a testament of how realistic that short story actually is.

JP: What is next for Joey Pinkney?

JP: The response from readers of The Soul of a Man Anthology has been inspirational. They want to know more about Terrence, Mary and Andre. I am in the process of writing a full-length novel based on those characters to give people more before/during/after in dealing with this blended family. I have half of the novel done, and I need to find the time to get the rest out of my head, edited and printed for the world to digest.

Joey Pinkney is an award-winning author (The Soul of a Man Anthology, 2009 African American Literary Award for Best Short Stories/Best Anthology) and an award winning blogger (2010 AAMBC Book Reviewer of The Year).

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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview, the soul of a man

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Brian Ganges, author of Manning Up With God and A Sense of Faith and Community (The Soul of a Man Edition)

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… (The Soul of a Man Edition)
Brian Ganges, author of “Manning Up with God” and “A Sense of Faith and Community”
(Peace In The Storm Publishing)

“Manning Up” is an abridged autobiography illustrates the marital bliss, struggle for identity and purpose, and how one young man coped with divorce. Everyone has a cross to bear, and learning how to overcome obstacles is the main motif demonstrated in this award-winning story of a man who wouldn’t give up. Men, the world over, can learn from this concise, yet powerful account of one man’s life and faith in God. Failure can’t stop you, fear can’t defeat you, and if your faith is set on the prize that is for you, only victory will be your end.

“A Sense of Faith and Community” shows the importance of giving back to the community, reaching out to people and passing on your faith. You never know how you will affect others that are in your sphere of influence. Gain insight and inspiration from this futuristic account of a young man that was inspired by the mission of his grandfather. Touching people isn’t just a physical thing. It’s a way of connecting with others. Touching people’s hearts for positive change is the essence of this powerful story, and each of us has this God-given capacity within us. Be inspired by a college students life experiences and learn how to touch people directly and/or indirectly for positive change.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write “Manning Up With God” and “A Sense of Faith and Community”?

Brian Ganges: “Manning Up with God” is my abridged autobiography and “A Sense of Faith and Community” is a fictionalized account of some of the events of my life.

JP: What has been your personal experience in being a part of The Soul of a Man Anthology?

BG: It has been very positive. Although I haven’t met everyone personally, the connection that I made with many of the co-authors has been priceless. Positive guys pooling our resources to create a positive piece of literature; and it won an award, to boot.

JP: What is your most memorable moment of The Soul of a Man Anthology in terms of what has been expressed of you by someone who has had a chance to read this book?

BG: Many readers have expressed similar sentiments about my work and me. The most memorable are the comments “inspirational” and “honest”. That let me know that I was connecting with the audience. That was very rewarding and was a confirmation that I was on-task.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish “Manning Up With God” and “A Sense of Faith and Community”?

BG: My process is meditate, outline, meditate and write. Since the stories were short, they took a few weeks.

JP: What is Piecing the Puzzle Together about? And what has been your journey with that book?

BG: Piecing the Puzzle Together is a biblical-based manual for life. It is a three-part book that resembles the construction of a building. Section 1 is the foundation, Section 2 deals with assembling the building components, and Section 3 deals with bring the pieces all together to construct the edifice.

http://www.brianganges.com/

Brian Ganges is a native New Jerseyan who resides in Texas. He has written many articles that are very thought provoking, principled, informative and insightful. His topics of interest include: current events, politics, health related topics, economics, relationships, and principles for daily living, which are always from a Christian worldview. He is one of the co-authors of the award-winning anthology “The Soul of a Man.” Brian’s new book entitled Piecing The Puzzle Together, can be purchased at stores nationwide or contact Brian for a personalized copy at http://brianganges.com/

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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview, the soul of a man

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Clarence “Baba Simba” Mollock, author of Verbal Vacancy (The Soul of a Man Edition)

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… (The Soul of a Man Edition)
Clarence “Baba Simba” Mollock, author of “Verbal Vacancy”
(Peace In The Storm Publishing)

Whenever I am asked about my “accent”, I relate the story of my speech impediment. Most find it difficult to believe. They are unaware of how I am still struggling to “speak well”. When I realized that I had a chance to publish my story, it was only then that I decided after all these years to write it down. I hope to inspire others to be persistent in their endeavors. More importantly never forget from whence you came.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write “Verbal Vacancy”?

Clarence “Baba Simba” Mollock: I got the idea to write “Verbal Vacancy” when a friend of mine suggested that I write the story of my speech impediment. I am a storyteller. My storyteller name is Baba Simba Mollock.

When I tell stories there is always someone who asks about my “accent”. I try to explain that it is not an accent. I used to be severely tongue-tied. Most did not believe me, because, as they say, I speak so well. “Verbal Vacancy” is a reminder of what could have been. It was not inspiration – it was perspiration! Now I can finally wipe my forehead.

JP: What has been your personal experience in being a part of The Soul of a Man Anthology?

CM: Being a part of The Soul of a Man Anthology has opened my eyes. I can now see that I can be more helpful by speaking out rather than keeping under the radar. When I read their stories, I realized that facing the truth about oneself can be painful, but you do not have to bare the pain alone. Meeting some of the “Soul Brothers” showed me a side of caring that I had not experienced before.

JP: What is your most memorable moment of The Soul of a Man Anthology in terms of what has been expressed of you by someone who has had a chance to read this book?

CM: Persons who read my story would often tell me how they were reminded about their childhood. My immediate family realized that they, too, had stories to tell – but, from another perspective. Childhood memories, growing up in the South, school stories once forgotten, these were just some of the tales told to me by young adults and my elders.

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

CM: In writing most of my stories I follow the process of “backward mapping”. That is, I finish the story, then I list the events that led to the finish. I write an outline and review that outline several times before I begin to write the story.

When the story is written, I put it away for a couple of days before I proof read it. Lastly, I have someone else (whose suggestions I value) to read it. “Verbal Vacancy” took a couple of weeks from outline to completion. (It’s kind of easy when it’s the story of your life!)

JP: What is next for Clarence “Baba Simba” Mollock?

CM: I do several storytelling performances a year. I tell about my personal life as well stories that I have read. With the help of Elissa Gabrielle, I can finally feel myself wanting to publish the many stories and poems that I have written since the age of thirteen. Yes, I can honestly say that I have kept a forty-seven year diary. I read a lot, and I did a lot of writing because I had so much to say when no one would listen to me.

http://thesoulofaman.net/

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