Category Archives: street lit

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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Kisha Green, anthologist of On Da Corner

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Kisha Green, anthologist of On Da Corner
(Diva Books)


kisha green headshot on da corner book cover

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

On Da Corner highlights new urban talent in this short story anthology. Dare to say…it has been done with a keen eye. This is just the beginning for these young and talented authors. The authors put you in the room with their characters by breathing life into them with both details and truth. Readers will feel as though they are living through some of their character’s experiences.

Some tell a story of coming of age in a battle zone with codes and rules that shatter dreams into a life based purely on survival. There are chilling tales of friendship, drugs and violence. Others are more about love and the loss of love. The bitter reality of how that can alter life and the lessons of such, are laced between the pages waiting to be unfolded.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to become an anthologist and produce On Da Corner?

Kisha Green: As a newbie author I saw it was hard to get exposure, so I wanted to provide authors like myself opportunities to showcase their talent. I simply felt that the authors on the On Da Corner had a voice in street lit. Even though they were unpublished, I believed in their stories and their quest for becoming an author. That was my initiative for my other anthologies If It Aint One Thing…It’s Another (Urban contemporary fiction) and Mental Seduction (Erotica). I saw these writers had a great gift for story telling. I wanted to give them some exposure.

JP: What sets On Da Corner apart from other Urban Lit Anthologies?

KG: These stories are raw. Some may say its horrible or that it is too real-too graphic or sexually charged. If this is what an author is writing about and they are painting a story so vivid, who am I to ask them to change, even if I am the publisher. I am not there to change a story. I give all authors on my anthologies creative freedom.

JP: As an author/publisher, what are the keys to your success that lead to On Da Corner getting out to the public?

KG: Research…network…research…network…you can see where I am going with this can’t you (lol)? On a serious note I am a lover of literature, so I am constantly talking about something pertaining to literary as well as my own literary works. You may not know the face, but you know the name because I have had many dealings with authors – wanting to help and promote them as I would want someone to do the same for me, hence my creation of the literary website Writer’s Vibe and my blog talk show called Writer’s Life Chats. I have a voice. I like to talk, so it is going to be heard one way or another…lol…When I believe in something, trust me I will do everything in my power to make it a success- FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!

JP: What did you learn from publishing On Da Corner that you will use to your benefit with future releases?

KG: I learned to do my research and to educate myself not just on the genre I am going to publish in but also the business side.

JP: What’s next for Kisha Green?

KG: Well, I am working on the re- release of my debut novel And Even If I Did. This will be released in February of 2009.

Author Workshops – Spring 2009
Literary Luncheons by Kisha- Spring 2009

More great interviews for my blog talk show The Writer’s Life Chats (www.blogtalkradio.com/writerslifechats) as well as great book reviews, commentaries, author interviews and etc on Writer’s Vibe (www.writersvibe.com).

Authors looking for exposure email me your jpeg of your book cover and synopsis to writersvibe@gmail.com.

My publishing company DivaBooksInc.- www.divabooksinconline.com.

P.S. Join the Joey Reviews Newsletter at http://joeypinkney.com/joey-reviews-newsletter.html

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 http://myspace.com/joeyreviews

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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Moses Miller, author of The Trifling Times of… and The Game of Trife

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Moses Miller, author of Nan: The Trifling Times of Nathan Jones and Nan: The Game of Trife
(Mind Candy Media)


the trifling times of moses miller headshot the game of trife book cover

(click on the pictures to either go to see each book’s review on Amazon.com or to go to Mind Candy Media’s website)

Nan: The Trifling Times of Nathan Jones Synopsis:

The story is labeled fiction, but his truth is the reality of many young Black males.

On Christmas Eve 1985, young Nathan “Nan” Jones and his parents were headed home from a day of last minute shopping when tragedy struck. A few blocks away, a crazed drug addict on a PCP fueled rush had committed a double homicide and was frantically fleeing the scene of the crime. As the police pursued, he made a desperate attempt to evade them, which sent his car careening into a sea of unsuspecting pedestrians.

As EMS workers arrived on the scene, they noticed a thirteen year old boy standing alone in the middle of the street, his facial expression emotionless. In less than a New York minute, his life had tragically changed.

Nathan would spend the rest of his teenage years in an orphanage, where he befriended another teen named, Joseph Hayes. They share an unfortunate similarity. On the same fateful night, the same man murdered both of their parents. As future prospects began to look more promising for both youths, tragedy rears its ugly head once again.

Traps are set, lives are lost and hidden agendas will be revealed.

Nan: The Game of Trife Synopsis:

In the city that never sleeps, Nathan “Nan” Jones, a young man that never slept, just survived a vicious assassination attempt on his life. On the same cold streets of Brooklyn, Jada Dupri, a Black girl lost, desperately searches for some meaning to her convoluted life.

Nan’s execution was sanctioned by the criminal underworld, in an elaborate plot to be carried out by a corrupt group of bloodthirsty NYPD killer cops. Even though he barely lived through the attack by the skin of his teeth, everything that meant something to him was stolen away in less than a New York minute. He had survived-but, his mere existence may only be short lived. A massive manhunt has ensued, and the word has been put out on the streets to bring him in dead or alive. The clock is ticking, and he’s living on borrowed time.

Since Jada’s birth, the beauty of her skin has been her sin…over time it became both a gift and a curse. She yearns to find the father she has never known, to develop a relationship with her mother that she has never had and to feel the unconditional love that she so desperately needs.

Even though these two individuals will never meet, and their paths will only cross on one fateful night, the critical decisions they both make will greatly impact the lives of one another.

After all, just like you and me, they are both merely pieces in The Game of Trife.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Nan: The Trifling Times of Nathan Jones and Nan: The Game of Trife?

Moses Miller: Death actually spawned the life of that story. A teenager named Timothy Stansbury was murdered in cold blood by police the night I started writing The Trifling Times of Nathan Jones. Even though the story has nothing to do with him or his life, it did inspire my creative juices. Actually, I guess they both do have one similarity when I think of the influence that the police played in both of their lives. There’s definitely the element of victimization there. The Game of Trife was just a natural continuation of the first story. Readers of part one knew that there had to be a sequel. They demanded it.

JP: What sets the Nan series apart from other novels in its genre?

MM: I don’t really compare my books to any other in any genre. From the gate I purposely established my own lane. I said, “I write Intelligent Urban Fiction,” which is the tag line for my company Mind Candy. I will say that what separates me from many authors is that I don’t allow my books to be constrained by events that I personally experienced or just hood stories that were passed on to me.

Every book signing I do somebody comes up to me and says, “I got some stories from my hood. I just need to write it.” It never fails. But the thing about it is that everyone knows a hood story. As a matter of fact, a lot of us know some of the same stories, or stories that are similar with the only differentiator being the name of the characters. That’s why there’s some that feel that originality is lacking in the genre.

I challenge myself and my readers, and I draw heavily on my imagination and the exposure I’ve received from traveling the United States and abroad when I write. I refuse to put myself in a box. My characters are multi-dimensional and my story lines are also multi-layered.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to the Nan series getting out to the public?

MM: Persistence. It starts with a good product. You have to know how to structure a story, develop characters, strong plots and memorable scenes. I always knew I had a good story, so all it would take would be for someone to read it. Word of mouth does the rest. I push my books by any means into the hands of readers. I have full confidence that once they read one of my books they’ll be supporters of everything I publish thereafter. I give them more than their money’s worth.

I also have put out some of the most original book trailers up to this point for an author of any genre. As a small press and a new author I was fortunate enough to have my trailers spread virally and be viewed by over twenty thousand people on the web alone. I understand that this is a business and I manage it as such. I’m an author, but my business requires me to wear many hats, and I make certain all of them fit.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? What did you learn in doing The Trifling Times of Nathan Jones and lead you to do something different for The Game of Trife?

MM: I write what I want to read, and I write everyday. With me, it’s all about quality and consistency. I can write no matter what’s going on around me. As a matter of fact, the other day I was writing on the highway while I was stuck in traffic on the way to a book signing. However, I don’t rush the creative process. I’ll write a book and let it sit for a year just so I can read it from the perspective of a new reader.

A story needs to excite me and leave me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. If it doesn’t, my readers will never see it. They’ll never get the chance to critique it, because I’m my worst critic. I write intuitively. Most of the time I know how the story begins and ends, however the path I’ll take to guide you there develops as I write. I may even write two or three different “middle” sections to my stories and then decide later what is the most consistent with the story and the characters I created. I did that with The Game of Trife.

Now as far as learning new things from Trifling Times to The Game of Trife, that’s an interview in itself. I learned many things, from marketing to continuing to develop my craft in order to get better.

JP: What’s next for Moses Miller?

MM: As always, I’ll continue to promote literacy in our communities, working with teenagers and young adults. It’s always important to me to give back and pull others forward. As far as writing, I’m developing screenplays. I have a few books that I’ll be publishing as well, but I’m really excited about the inquiries I’ve been getting to have Nathan Jones’ story portrayed on the big screen.

I would also like to put out novels by other authors, but I haven’t read anything that has really excited me lately. I’ve come across a lot of manuscripts that are similar to stories I’ve read before. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure they would sell if they’re published. However, I’m looking for something special. With me, it’s all about building a brand with novels that consistently raise the bar. When I find the right author, I’ll know it.

www.MindCandyMedia.com
www.TriflingTimes.org
www.Myspace.com/TriflingTimes

Awards and Accomplishments of Moses Miller:
Most Outstanding Rising Urban Novelist, YOUnity Guild 2007
Best New Author, Infini Awards 2008
Most Underrated Author’s List, Urban Book Source 2008

Awards and Accomplishments of Nan: The Trifling Times of Nathan Jones
5 out of 5 Top Shelf Rating, UrbanReviews.com
Best Characters, Infini Awards 2008
Best Street/Urban Fiction Novel, Afr’Am Fest’s Literary Awards 2008

P.S. Join the Joey Reviews Newsletter at joeypinkney.com/joey-reviews-newsletter.html

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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Kisha Green’s interview of Joey Pinkney for WritersVibe.com

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Reprinted with permission by Kisha Green
Originally posted on: http://www.writersvibe.com/whogotnext.htm

Kisha Green: Who is Joey Pinkney?

Joey Pinkney: Joey Pinkney is a man on a mission. The mission changes and gets refined with the times. I’m currently looking to expose authors to people in a way that is not being done in a consistent manner. I’m also looking to write and publish the books that are begging to get out of my head.

My love for reading and writing will not allow me to live a regular life of working and sleeping. I have to apply a significant part of my “down time” to reading, writing, reviewing, interviewing, editing, myspacing (is that a word?), thinking and plenty of other i-n-gs to keep me sane.

KG: Three words to best describe yourself

JP: Introspective, obsessed and determined.

KG: When did you first start reviewing books?

JP: My first attempt at reviewing books was around July/August 2006. At the time, I was writing for a now defunct African-American weekly newspaper called The Urban Journal in Nashville, TN.

The publisher wanted me to be a type of journalist that hit the streets and cover things like school board meetings, crime scenes and various boring things that was happening around Nashville.

I couldn’t do just that. I pitched an idea to the publisher where I would review books by black authors. I think he allowed me to do it just to humor me. I contacted a bunch of publishers and authors. I read and reviewed the books I received. I had to beg and plead to get the reviews in the paper. He let a couple run in the paper, but he simply wasn’t interested in anything that didn’t happen in Nashville.

I stopped trying to get the publisher to work with me. I kept getting great books to read.

KG: Have you ever had to post a bad review? If so, how did you break the news to the author?

JP: Writing reviews for Urban Book Source allows you to tell the whole truth, straight up with no chaser. You can browse through my reviews to see the one I had to “keep it real” with. I tried to contact the author for a subsequent, but he (or she) never got back to me.

Luckily, I really haven’t had books to read that are poor in quality. It amazes me how many talented writers there are out there that don’t seem to get the light of day because that are self-published or published by one of the smaller houses.

KG: Who are some of your favorite authors?

JP: Moses Miller. The Trifling Times series he is taking the genre of Urban Fiction to new heights and levels. Keisha Ervin. I really like her book entitled Torn. It’s Urban Romance at its finest. I was recently impressed by Jessica Holter’s Verbal Penetration. That book will broaden your horizons as to what can be done in the Erotica genre.

KG: Tell us about your book How to Get Rid of Bacne Super Fast ?

JP: This is really an ebook. It’s only in PDF format. It’s very simple in format: 10 chapters, 10 questions, 10 answers. I tried to pull together the information that’s hiding and spread out all over the place and bring together in a short, easy to read book.

KG: What made you write a book about Bacne?

JP: That’s a weird subject, right? The idea for this book came from my website, JoeyPinkney.com. Before focusing on the book industry, I was publishing a bunch of articles on almost everything. Acne prevention was one of the subject I covered. I noticed that the information concerning bacne drew a lot of attention.

I took the ten most popular keyword phrases that people googled to get to my site and did the research. I used to charge for the book. Now it’s a free download because it’s a great resource, not a get-rich-quick tool.

KG: Do you plan to write any more books?

JP: Yes, I plan to write many books. Plan in the active sense of the word. Like I said earlier, I have to get these books out of my head or they will keep pestering me. I’m writing the outlines, so my research will go smoother.

KG: Did you self publish or go the tradtional route of submitting your mansucript to various publishers?

JP: That ebook was self-published. I do plan on submitting the manuscripts of my upcoming to the correct publishers.

KG: Which title do you enjoy more author or reviewer? Why?

JP: I like being an author more because I control the creativity. It’s solitary. Writing a book is really a situation of self-discipline. You do it; it gets done.

But being a reviewer is much more fast paced. It’s more fluid. It’s like going to another city or even another country. You get the see your experience through the experiences of others. I hate having to chase authors down to give them free publicity.

KG: What do you say to people who say that reviewers are people looking for free books?

JP: Some people might be. I am. I am not going to pay for a book that you want me to read and write a review on. Just because you sent me a book really is not equal compensation for me to read and write something significant about it. Your book costs $15 and shipping is $5. I put roughly 5 to 8 man hours reading and reviewing. That’s comes out to be $2.50 an hour. Two dollars and fifty cents an hour? My time is worth much more than that, and my relationship with the authors who send me books is much deeper than that.

Getting the book in my hands is as far free goes. I don’t just want your book for free to add to my book shelf. I buy books for that… Once I get you book, I want to read it and know it. I want to gain an experience from it that will make me richer than the $20 I didn’t spend on getting the book. I want to write about it, and I want others to know about it.

Right now, I have about forty to fifty books I haven’t had the chance to read yet. And “yet” is the operative word. I will read each and every book, no matter how long it takes. That’s where the word obsessed came from earlier. I didn’t accept all of those books just to have them. Although I got in over my head, I’m going to read and review each book.

Free is not free.

KG: What makes a review by Joey Pinkney different?

JP: One thing that makes my review different is that I read books from the first page with the copyright information to the order form in the back.

I write about it from the sense of knowing it. I take the time and consideration of using the right words. Sometimes my humor spills out, sometimes my frustrations come through.

Reading and reviewing a book is like the dating stage. My relationship with the book is intense and short. I take it to work. I take it to bed. I take it out of town. (TMI alert!) I take it to the bathroom. Me and the book is “going with eachother”.

I scribble notes. I re-read. I cuss at the books gramatical error. I think of ways I would change it. Once I’m finished, I start writing. I usually can’t stop until I’m finished. That means that the night I start writing the review is the night I finish the review. I’m likely to pull an overnighter until it “feels right” when I read it. If I got to go to work the next day, too bad for me…

If the book came from Urban Book Source (TheUrbanBookSource.com, shout out to Senior Editor Abeena Paige), they will publish my reviews. If the book came from C & B Books Distribution (CBBooksDistribution.com, shout out to Carol Rogers). Plus, the review gets published on three different websites: JoeyPinkney.com, ReppingBeantown.com’s Reviews Section (shout out to Angella) and OneCliqueOnline.com’s Book Reviews section (shout out to Me!ah). Three different websites, the different crowds.

I also post the reviews on Amazon.com for good measure. My thing is, I want as many people to know about the book as possible. I don’t just read the book, write the review and tell the review be fruitful and multiply. I actively seek outlets for the review.

KG: You recently started ” 5 Minutes, 5 Questions” series, what prompted you to start a clever concept such as this?

JP: The “5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…” series really spawned from me being overwhelmed by the number of books sent to me by different authors across the nation. I’ve gotten to a point where I can’t accept anymore.

One day, I looked in my closet and saw all the books that my wife was fussing at me about. I have to take a picture for you to truly understand. I was like, “How am I going to read all of these books?”

I was on MySpace, and Essence Bestseller T. Benson Glover messaged me about sending a book that same day. While I was typing to turn him down, the proverbial light bulb lit up above my head. I asked if he would be down for a mini-interview. It was on from there.

As people asked to send books, I was like, “Sorry, but let’s do this…” I started publishing the interviews in the order that they came to me.

My first interview was published on 08-25-08. During the following September I got the great idea to post them every other day. Man! Talk about overworking myself. That was way too hectic. Along the way, Me!ah and Angella gave me the opportunity to contribute to there websites.

I had to slow down, so in October I tried to publish on every day that was divisible by three (3rd, 6th….30th). It’s still a hectic grind, but it’s so enjoyable. As of the day I’m answering this interview, I have 27 interviews published, and I’m almost booked through December 2008.

Although the questions many times are the same, the answers given by the authors are as different as snowflakes. The “5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…” series gives authors a chance to let the potential reader know who they are and what their books represent.

Reading about the personal story behind the books’ idea or the amount of time it took to complete the books gives it a life beyond the paper and the glue it takes to put it together. The diversity I have in this series is also powerful. Poetry, urban lit, non-fiction, science fiction…

Most of my interviews are of African-American authors. That’s very important to me. If “we” don’t shine light on “us”, who will? That’s why I like to include a picture of the author and the book cover. The author looks like us, our mother’s, our uncles, our neighbors.

KG: What is next for Joey Pinkney?

JP: I’m looking for more outlets for the “5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…” series. I would like to have a column on more websites. I really would like to get a column in a newspaper. If you’re reading this and got some info, go to my website and contact me.

I’m also going to read those books I mentioned one at a time until I finish. That’s very important that I finish what I started.

Hopefully, I’ll find some time to squeeze a book out and get that published, too. Speaking of that, I am going to be published in a book entitled The Soul of a Man: A Triumph of My Soul Anthology (shout out to Elissa Gabrielle/Peace in the Storm Publishing) right before father’s day in 2009. Google it.

Thank you so very much for taking the time to interview me Kisha. Although I gave lengthy answers, they were straight from the heart. Continue reading Kisha Green’s interview of Joey Pinkney for WritersVibe.com →