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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview, urban lit

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Randy Thompson, author of Ski Mask Way

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Randy “Ski” Thompson, author of Ski Mask Way
(Flowers In Bloom Publishing)


randy thompson ski mask way on amazondotcom

Isiaah “Ski” Thompson is a young man who plans to get his family out of the hood with his basketball skills. When tragedy strikes, he trades his hoop dreams for street dreams. He and six of his childhood friends form a robbing crew and begin pulling heists all across New York State.

After a botched robbery claims the life of one of his best friends and he finally finds true love, Ski vows to change his life and return to school. Making fast money comes with a high penalty. He soon realizes that once the streets get a grip on you, its’ hard to break loose.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Ski Mask Way?

Randy “Ski” Thompson: Originally, I began writing Ski Mask Way on a dare from a couple of my peoples. In the beginning, my inspiration was to prove them wrong. The more I kept writing, the more I fell in love with it.

The idea for the book actually came from my own past experiences. It’s loosely based on my life story, and it was almost like therapy writing it.

JP: What sets Ski Mask Way apart from other Urban Lit novels?

RT: What I think sets the Ski Mask Way apart from other Urban Lit novels is that it’s based on my life story. It’s told from a perspective that makes you feel like you’re riding shotgun in the getaway car. I’m sure that there have been other novels about stick up kids pulling heists but I don’t think that there’s ever been a book so vivid. I’m really taking the reader along on a robbery.

Another thing is you actually see the characters grow up together and how their bond gets stronger. The book is more than a book about about robberies. It’s about a young man dealing with his morality during in his journey in the street. It’s about friendship, loyalty and how one choice can change your life forever. At times you’ll laugh with them, cry, cheer and at other times you’ll curse them for their ignorance.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Ski Mask Way getting out to the public?

RT: I think the keys to success for promoting Ski Mask Way is number 1 separating my book from K. Elliot’s book of the same name. A lot of readers get the two confused, think they already read it and that the book is out under a different cover. K. Elliot did his thing. I respect his work, but our books are completely different. That’s our biggest challenge right now.

I believe once we establish that, that the sky is the limit because my work speaks for itself. Good old fashioned grinding will do it every time. If I’m at McDonald’s, I’m passing out bookmarks and business cards and trying to sell books. Someone who is less talented but a harder worker will go further than a talented person with poor work ethic but if you have both the possibilities are endless.

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

RT: For me, I have to have the book in my head before I write a paragraph. Once I have the beginning, middle, end and characters, then I begin to format the scenes. And, for me that’s the easiest part. Ski Mask Way took me three months to write, and I would say that’s about average for me if I’m completely absorbed in it.

If my heart isn’t racing while I’m writing it, then I know the readers heart won’t be racing. Ski Mask Way 2 took me a little longer because I knew I had to come with it, but I got it together.

JP: What’s next for Randy “Ski” Thompson?

RT: What’s next for me is promoting Ski Mask Way and its sequel. I have another book titled Gang Green that is a heater, and I’m also trying to expand out of Urban Lit and go mainstream. I have two novels that I’m working on titled If It Ain’t White, It Ain’t Right and Unevenly Yoked. So you’ll definitely be hearing a lot from me in the near future.

http://www.flowersinbloompublishing.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

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Essence Bestseller Angela Benson, author of Sins of the Father

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Angela Benson, author of Sins of the Father
(Avon Publications)


Angela Benson's Sins of the Father on Amazon.com

Successful media mogul Abraham Martin has great wealth, an elegant wife, Saralyn, and a rebellious son, Isaac. He also has a secret: a second family that no one knows about.

Now, after thirty years, driven by the urging of his long dormant conscience, Abraham is determined to do the right thing by finally bringing his illegitimate children into the light and into the family fold.

Sins of the Father is a powerful story of a house bitterly divided — a rich, multilayered family saga of betrayal and redemption, rage and compassion, faith, forgiveness, and ultimately, of love.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Sins of the Father?

Angela Benson: The idea for Sins of the Father came from the biblical story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Sarah’s son’s Isaac and Hannah’s son Ishmael. I wondered how Ishmael felt and what would have happened if Abraham had later claimed him as his son.

JP: What sets Sins of the Father apart from other novels in its genre?

AB: Sins of the Father takes a biblical story and asks a different question about it than the one asked in the Bible. That question shows the relevancy of the story today. Even President Obama has addressed the problem of absentee fathers.

In Sins of the Father, we see an absentee father trying to make amends, but finding it very difficult. We also see how his choices affect both of families.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Sins of the Father getting out to the public?

AB: I had a good agent (Natasha Kern) who worked hard to place the book with a good publishing house (HarperCollins). I also believe it’s a story that will encourage many hearts, so it had to find a home.

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

AB: I’m a last-minute writer. I’m usually writing right up to the deadline. I was about four months late with Sins of the Father. I don’t advise authors to be that late. Three months is about the limit that publishers can easily withstand. I was on shaky ground for a while with this book.

JP: What’s next for Angela Benson?

AB: My contract is up, and I recently submitted a proposal for my next book. I hope to have some news in the next few weeks. I do have a novella in the upcoming Millions of Blessings anthology to be published by Dafina in March 2010. Marilynn Griffith and Tia McCollors have novellas in it as well.

http://www.angelabenson.com
http://www.facebook.com/angelabenson

Excerpt of Sins of the Father:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/9467816/Sins-of-the-Father-by-Angela-Benson-(excerpt)

Angela Benson’s numerous novels include the Christy Award-nominated Awakening Mercy, the Essence-bestselling The Amen Sisters, and Up Pops The Devil. She’s also the author of nonfiction writing book, Telling the Tale: The African-American Fiction Writer’s Guide. She is currently an associate professor at the University of Alabama.

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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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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, essence best seller, interview

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Essence Bestseller Pamela Samuels Young, author of Murder on the Down Low

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Pamela Samuels Young, author of Murder on the Down Low
(Goldman House Publishing)

murder_on_the_down_low_pamela_samuels_young_amazon

A brazen gunman is targeting African-American men on the streets of L.A. and police are completely baffled. The victims are all quintessential family men. Well-educated. Attractive. Successful. But appearances can be deceiving.

Meanwhile, attorney Vernetta Henderson and her outrageous sidekick, Special, lead the charge for revenge against a young lawyer whose deception caused his fiance’s death. For Special, hauling the man into court and suing him for wrongful death just isn’t good enough.

While she exacts her own brand of justice, a shocking revelation connects the contentious lawsuit and the puzzling murders. When Special”s quest for payback goes way too far, it appears that not even Vernetta can save her.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Murder on the Down Low?

Pamela Samuels Young: I often have a hard time recalling exactly when or how the idea for a particular novel originated. For the most part, the concept simply pops into my head from some unknown place. That wasn’t the case with Murder on the Down Low. I have a crystal clear recollection of exactly when the idea for the book came to me.

I was watching an Oprah show featuring J.L. King, author of On the Down Low. I was completely stunned as I listened to his insider’s account of the mindset of men on the down low – guys, many of them married, who profess to be straight but engage in homosexual sex. My emotions during that sixty-minute program went from shock to anger to fear.

I was driving to work the next day, still disturbed by the show when a thought came to me. What if prominent, attractive, successful African-American men were being gunned down on the streets of L.A. and nobody knew why? And what if they all shared a dirty little secret? Within 24 hours, I had sketched out the basic plot for Murder on the Down Low.

JP: What sets Murder on the Down Low apart from other novels that tie in a legal aspect?

PSY: There are two aspects that set Murder on the Down Low apart from other legal thrillers. First, the book brings diversity to legal fiction. I started writing thrillers because I got tired of never seeing women or African-Americans depicted as lawyers in the legal thrillers I read. I started writing the kind of legal thriller that I wanted to read.

Second, Murder on the Down Low gave me an opportunity to both entertain and raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. While African-American and Latina women make up only 24% of the female population in the United States, we account for more than 80% of the total AIDS diagnoses for women, according to the latest statistics published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

I wanted to communicate to women that it’s time for us to take responsibility for our own bodies.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to Murder on the Down Low getting out to the public?

PSY: Without a doubt, sheer perseverance has been the primary key to my success. The publishing industry is a tough business. Getting into law school and passing the California Bar exam was a piece of cake in comparison to getting a book deal. As a result, you have to have faith in your talent and keep going despite the rejection.

I’ve worked in both television news and law and I never faced anywhere near the rejection and difficulties in those careers that I faced trying to become a published novelist. It’s also important to think like a businessperson, not a writer. My books are products. I have to be inventive and unrelenting about getting my product to readers.

I focus heavily on connecting with book clubs. During a trip to the D.C. area, I did three book clubs in one day, along with a reception at a friend’s home and a panel discussion at a bookstore. It was a long day, but I reached a lot of people. Book clubs are social networks, and they are a great source for word-of-mouth buzz. If the book club members enjoy reading one of my books, the’re like to encourage their friends, family and co-workers to read it too.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Murder on the Down Low?

PSY: It took me just over a year to writer Murder on the Down Low. It was probably my easiest book to write because I found the storyline so compelling. I typically spend anywhere from a few weeks to as long as three months outlining a book before I actually start writing. During this time, I mull over my story quite a bit. I’m thinking about it in the shower, while I’m standing in line at the grocery store and during my 45-minute commute to work.

Even during the outlining stage, I can almost see each chapter as if it were a scene in a movie. Only after I have a completed outline do I start writing. And when I write, I go from page one to the last page without doing much editing along the way. For me, it’s psychologically motivating to complete that first draft, even if it’s so bad I’d never dare show it to anyone. Once I have a first draft, then the real writing starts. I revise, and revise and revise some more. That process can last six months or more.

JP: What’s next for Pamela Samuels Young?

PSY: My fourth novel, Buying Time, goes on sale November 1st. It’s my first standalone book and I’m really excited about it. In Buying Time, Waverly Sloan is a down-on-his-luck lawyer who comes to the aid of terminally ill people in desperate need of cash. All they have to do is sign over rights to their life insurance policies.

Waverly then finds investors eager to advance them thousands of dollars – including a hefty broker’s fee for himself – in exchange for a significant return on their investment once the clients take their last breath.

When Waverly’s clients start dying sooner than they should, both Waverly and a high-powered lawyer who’s bucking to become the next U.S. Attorney General are unwittingly drawn into a perilous web of greed, blackmail and murder.

The early reviews of the book have been great. Here’s my favorite:

. . .a deftly plotted thriller that combines the best of
Lisa Scottoline and Robert Crais. Find a comfortable
chair and plan to stay up late. Highly recommended.
~ Sheldon Siegel, NY Times Best-Selling Author of Judgment Day

http://www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com/

http://twitter.com/pamsamuelsyoung

http://www.myspace.com/pamelasamuelsyoung

http://www.facebook.com/pamelasamuelsyoung

Honors/Blurbs for Murder on the Down Low —

  • 2009 African American Literary Awards finalist in the Mystery category
  • Editor’s Pick, Black Expressions Book Club
  • “…an entertaining read filled with heart-pumping suspense!” ~ Victoria Christopher Murray, Bestselling author of Lady Jasmin
  • “…keeps you teetering precariously on the edge of your seat the whole way through.” ~ The Book Club Queen
  • “…an excellent choice for fans of mystery, suspense or crime novels.” ~ APOOO BookClub
  • “…intricate plotting, memorable characters and intense action . . . with shades of James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club.” ~ Jackie Houchin, Valley News

Please leave a comment to be eligible to win an autographed book and a 25 dollar gift card from Pamela Samuels Young.  One winner will be chosen each day for a total of FIVE winners.

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