5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Ebonee Monique, author of Suicide Diaries

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Ebonee Monique, author of Suicide Diaries
(Peace in the Storm Publishing)


ebonee monique suicide diaries on amazondotcom

(One of the first ten people to comment will win a copy of Ebonee Monique’s Suicide Diaries.)

Congratulations to Asia for winning a FREE copy of Suicide Diaries!

When Lauren Washington’s mother is mysteriously gunned down in their neighborhood, Lauren – a nine year old from Bankhead, Georgia – must quickly grow up and become the woman of her household. Early on, Lauren finds that not dealing with her pain is easier than actually doing so. It’s only on the confidential white pages of her diary that Lauren feels free to spill the thoughts from her troubled mind.

After finding a job in radio, which allows her to mask her true thoughts and become her on-air persona “Mystique,” Lauren believes she’s found the perfect blend of privacy and sanity. Today, at age 26, Lauren is one of the top rated deejays in Atlanta and is dangerously in love with her boyfriend of eight years, Brendan.

From the outside, everything looks perfect. However, when Lauren enlists the help of a private investigator to look into her mother’s unsolved murder, strange things start happening. Her father is nervous, her best friends are acting out of character and Brendan begins to withdraw from her and ends up disrespecting her in the boldest way.

With visions of her happiness shattering, Lauren scrambles to repair her relationship with Brendan. Before apologies can be made, Brendan does the unthinkable and commits suicide. Lauren is left to deal with more than her heart or the pages of her diary can handle.

Brendan’s sneaky double life compels her to figure out who he really was and what the secrets, he died to keep from her, were.Suicide Diaries deals with betrayal beyond the grave and the disbelief and heartache that comes after a suicide. Moving on, once the dirt has been thrown on the coffin, will prove to be the hardest self-evaluation Lauren’s ever experienced.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Suicide Diaries?

Ebonee Monique: My first love committed suicide. I went from shock, grief, anger, sadness and then I started asking, “How could this happen to him?” He was young, seemingly happy, married with a child and living a ‘good’ life. I found that I was always telling myself that he wasn’t dead and I’d see him on the street again. The reality was, I was trying to block the truth from my heart & mind.

I would see someone who resembled him and say, “Is that him?”, but I knew it wasn’t. My heart didn’t want to hear that, though. On my birthday a few years ago, I finally allowed myself to visit his grave for the first time and accept the truth. The next day, the opening entry for “Suicide Diaries” came to me.

I had the first chapter completed by the weekend and was on a roll. I always like to think that the moment I allowed myself to accept the truth was the moment God gave me my story. The main character (Lauren Washington) is not me. I always have to tell people that.

I’ve felt her pain, and I’ve cried her tears. I’ll never know why my first love did what he did, and I’ll never be over the pain of losing a friend. Writing this book was my way of beginning the healing process. I wanted to show that this DOES happen in our communities, it DOES change the lives of everyone the person knows and, more importantly, embracing change isn’t a bad thing.

JP: What sets Suicide Diaries apart from other novels in its genre?

EM: The message, I think. There are plenty of books that discuss love, cheating, money, sex, scandal, etc. You know…the books we all love to love! But Suicide Diaries is unique in the fashion that there is a higher message about suicide within the African American community.

We don’t discuss it; it’s the black sheep that we’d rather not talk about . It happens, and it’s real. We are losing so many kings and queens to suicide, and I think- while my book includes love, betrayal, money, sex and plenty of scandal- Suicide Diaries envelopes the overall message that suicide is real.

Some sort of way, suicide and mental illness became hush-hush secrets in the African-American communities; I wanted to shine a light on it and say “Let’s get to the root of what’s going on instead of ignoring it!” While the story is completely fiction, the tears behind the inspiration aren’t.

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

EM: Really, I’ll say prayer, persistence and more prayer. I constantly challenge myself, as a writer, to come up with more twists and turns that would shock and inform the reader. I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to my craft. My first thought, when I write a story/book, is “What is this bringing to the reader?”

I want someone to walk away from a piece and think. I don’t want to write a piece just to make money or to get famous. I want to write something that I can be proud of stamping my name on. A lot of my pre-publishing readers got my raw, raw emotions and stories when I was first cranking stories out on Myspace, and I got GREAT response.

I tried to stay present on the social media and local book-club/media scene. I heard about a writing contest with the winner being awarded a slot in an anthology titled Triumph of My Soul. I submitted a story, and it was accepted.

From there, I stayed very close to publisher Elissa Gabrielle. After I finished Suicide Diaries, I sent out a number of query letters. I even one to Elissa Gabrielle and her new publishing company, Peace In The Storm Publishing and got a bite back.

Knowing that I was going to be a part of something so major and ground-breaking was invigorating. Writing had always just been fun to me, so to think someone wanted to publish me was – in a nutshell – AMAZING!

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

EM: I’d like to say I’m a cool author and have a set writing process, but I really don’t. I always tell people that I see the ending before I see the beginning. I know the beginning before I know the meat and bones of the story. It’s weird, but it works for me.

I will be in the zone writing and the drama is unfolding in front of me as I type and sometimes I have to stop and say, “Oh my gosh. I can’t believe that happened!” I never write anything down. I just sit at my computer and type, and a story comes out.

My family and friends ask me how I do it, but I can’t answer. I’ve never jotted one note or story down on paper. That process doesn’t work for me. I feel liberated sitting in front of the computer with a speck of an idea and a keyboard. That’s when the magic happens.

I finished Suicide Diaries within six months. I didn’t take a break from that one like I normally do with some books. It just flowed out.

JP: What’s next for Ebonee Monique?

EM: My goal is to write one book a year. I’ve got plenty in the vault that are finished and ready for reading, but I want to keep my readers hungry for more. My next book, Walk a Mile, comes out in early 2010. Hands down, it is my favorite book that I’ve penned so far. It centers around a selfish woman, a mysterious man, a secret and a mouth-dropping revelation.

I loved writing Walk a Mile because it allowed me to be so opposite of myself – conceited, selfish, stuck-up and unbelievably wrong – without people judging me. I’ll be touring the country for promotion of Suicide Diaries and Walk a Mile, as well.

I’m young. Instead of shying away from that, I’m going to use what I’ve learned and the lessons I’ve been taught on my incredibly bumpy road and hopefully teach a lesson or two through fiction!

http://www.myspace.com/eboneemonique
http://www.twitter.com/eboneemonique
http://www.youtube.com/eboneemoniquetv
http://www.myspace.com/eboneemonique

eboneemoniquewrites@yahoo.com

*Nominated as ‘Breakout Author of the Year’ by the African-American Literary Award Show!

Here’s what’s being said about Ebonee Monique:

“Definitely a talent…”- Karen E. Quinones Miller, Essence Best-selling Author

“Suicide Diaries will capitvate for years to come”- Stacy Deanne, author of Everlasting

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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… James E. Alston, author of No More Mr. Nice Guy

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
James E. Alston, author of No More Mr. Nice Guy
(Booksurge)


james alston no more mr nice guy book review on joeypinkneydotcom

(Three of the first ten people to comment will win a copy of James E. Alston’s No More Mr. Nice Guy.)

Congratulations to Joyce, Lisa Fikes and Asia for winning the free copies of No More Mr. Nice Guys.

This professional chronology deals with the psychosocial dynamics in a workplace environment and how those dynamics impact minorities, women and the general public. Through his interactions with subordinates, fellow managers and executives throughout this text, the author teaches invaluable lessons on how to handle undue pressure and inappropriate expectations with tenacity. This book also shows how everyone—no matter their color or creed—has a breaking point.

Pushing all the right buttons, this true story is filled with empathy and powerful directives on how to choose battles in order to win the war. Fearless and without irony, this sociological analysis of an African American who climbs the corporate ladder and hits the glass ceiling. This is a painful reminder of how little has changed in the past century. No More Mr. Nice Guy serves as a history lesson, filled with the backlash of sexism and corporate color games. Ultimately, a lesson on grace and survival, minorities and non-minorities are given a rare in-depth look into just how unfair the corporate workplace can be.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write No More Mr. Nice Guy?

James Alston: It is a book that inspires us to think, see and work differently every day. I expanded my story into a book because of its social relevance. Federal job discrimination complaints filed by workers against private employers shot up 9 percent last year, the biggest annual increase since the early 1990s.

During 2007, 72,442 private sector discrimination complaints were resolved. Plus, the commission recovered approximately $345 million in compensation for those who had filed discrimination charges. This number does not include worker complaints settled before a complaint is filed or other types of quiet back room settlements.

I was inspired to write No More Mr. Nice Guy from my many experiences in Corporate America. My idea was to compel corporate executives to examine their own corporate culture and employees to be empowered. The message is: “You have the Power, Discrimination is Expensive.”

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to No More Mr. Nice Guy getting out to the public?

JA: I started with a detailed two year business plan. I use Guerilla Marketing strategies, i.e.; talking up my book to family and friends and networking. I also joined “The Black Caucus of the American Library Association,” the “Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility” and the NAACP.

I set up a web page before the book release, sent my manuscript to four people for their review and book blurbs and gave a copy of my newly released book to the people that I mentioned on my acknowledgement page along with a request for their support.

I sent out post cards and a professional press release to targeted markets. I met personally with the local librarians or their coordinators and set up reading and book signing engagements. I also personally visited local book stores, leaving books to display and my business card and participated in Street Fairs, Book Festivals, Independent Bookstore appearances, Book Club appearances and NAACP events.

I recently approached the Marketing Department at a local college and asked about hiring a student to assist with my book promotion. I was pleasantly surprised that the college embraced the idea and said a student could actually earn “credit hours” through an internship program if it was set up properly. Along with the college credits earned, real world experience is a resume builder for the student in this tough job market, and I hope that we both can benefit from the project. I am in the process of interviewing suitable candidates.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish No More Mr. Nice Guy?

JA: It took me approximately four years to write and release No More Mr. Nice Guy. My writing process is somewhat unconventional. There are days that I will write for several hours almost non-stop. The next day I might not write at all but instead read a book that I enjoy.

I consider myself a slow writer. After I write fifty pages, I go back and read what I have written when it is cold and I haven’t looked at it for awhile. I do not write by a set of strict rules. I do not write with the pressure of a dead line. Once I have completed my manuscript, I will ask a friend (or two) who is pretty tough on me to read and tell me what they think.

I do work with an outline to develop the characters. Using fully developed character helps to move my story in a more seamless fashion. I find that if I put undeveloped characters on paper and they come together with the other characters and situations, they might not interact well. That leaves the reader to feel frustrated.

Undeveloped characters also slow down the rhythm of the story. If I try to work with undeveloped characters, I usually develop writers block. When a character is doing something unlikely and unreal from their personality, this could leave a reader saying, “There is no way that could ever happen,” versus the reader saying, “No he didn’t …”

JP: How did you feel writing No More Mr. Nice Guy knowing that your colleagues would know exactly who you were talking about?

JA: I thought long and hard about writing No More Mr. Nice Guy. I had to work through my personal feeling of how people would or might feel about the book. I learned from other authors that when it comes to a book, everyone wants to be viewed in a good light. It is unrealistic that everyone is going to always do the right thing for themselves and others. I felt a moral responsibility to dedicate my story to employees and their families who were unable to get some fairness in the workplace.

After the book was released some of my colleagues were upset and angered, to put it mildly. Most of my colleagues were delighted that some light was shed on the subject of injustice in the company. No More Mr. Nice Guy places a face on a number of people that I witnessed who never had a chance to defend themselves. Corporate America has many cemeteries with graves of employees who should not have been fired by the hands of unjust actions.

JP: What’s next for James Alston?

JA: I am working on a second book about customer service, attentively titled A Lost Art: Why Are We So Thankful When We Find It.In this book, I disclose a unique perspective on how service affects everyday lifestyles. Service, or lack of great customer service, definitely has an impact on us mentally, physically and on our everyday decision making.

http://www.jayalstonbooks.com

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Book Review: Marked by Capone

Marked
by Capone
(Life Changing Books)
4 out of 5 Stars


capone marked on amazondotcom

To say that Marked “starts with a bang” is not a cliche: it’s a the literal truth. Capone is an relentless as his namesake when it comes to serving the glaring truth page after page. Set in the “D”, this Detroit tale of street loyalty, mafia suppliers and survival is so detailed that the line between entertainment and information is blurred. Marked details the fall of Detroit drug family .

Gator is a man who seething with violence and greed as he supplies most of Detroit through his Greek connection. Gator sent his nephew Deluxe to the Marines. Although Deluxe thinks the military was Gator’s way of providing refuge from the street life, the opposite is true. Deluxe’s skill as a military-trained sniper is quickly put to use. Caught between guilt and loyalty, Deluxe constantly battles between what he wants to do and what he has to do.

Deluxe also wants to find his father’s killer. Rock is Deluxe’s father and Gator’s big brother. His death is a mystery, and the hood’s no-snitch rule is in full effect. Gator’s right-hand man, Myth, is loyal but his importance is overlooked. Nevertheless, he makes the moves necessary so that Gator can maintain a tight grip on Detroit’s drug trade. Although Gator keeps the family strictly Detroit, Myth’s status allows him to bring in his cousin from New York, Kane. In this kill-or-be-killed lifestyle, everyone is marked for death one way or another.

Capone is an author who is able to serve what makes the streets harsh and beautiful with the same intensity. From the different neighborhoods to the crooked cops to the good girls gone bad to the outside influences on the hood, Marked has all the elements of inner-cities across the nation. Those elements are also common with Urban Lit titles. Capone’s Detroit upbringing and vivid imagination takes the aforementioned elements and twists them into a perfect knot. Marked shows the reader exactly why nothing and nobody can be trusted in the hood.

When I first looked at the book cover, I wasn’t too impressed. This was especially true since it was published by Life Changing Books, whose book covers almost always features some seductive eye candy. After reading Marked, I would have felt an under-dressed woman would have done this book a disservice. Although there were sex scenes in Marked, they were well-placed and did not take away from the main focus of the plot. In taking a more probing look at the book cover, I felt that it symbolized the amount of greed and corruption inherent in street life that many outsiders can not easily see. You really have to look into the letters of Marked on the book cover, as if you are an outside. You can’t just a book by it’s cover, but once you start on that first page…

While I was reading Marked, I envisioned actors Gary Anthony Sturgis as Gator and Nate Parker as Deluxe. My conflict with Marked as a reader was Gator. He stole the show. I think Capone’s intentions were for Deluxe to be the main character. Naturally, I wanted to emotionally attach myself to Deluxe because he was the good guy in a bad situation. Gator’s intensity, one-liners, his lack of control and mindset out-shined almost everything any of the other characters did. If Gator was written any differently, Marked would have been missing an important and thoroughly entertaining component.

Capone’s Marked is a well-crafted debut novel where he paints a ruthless dog-eat-dog picture of Detroit’s underworld where death is always around the corner. There isn’t much room for a sequel because of the plot twists and the surprise ending, but I’m sure Capone’s next literary offering will be progressively better as her grows as a writer.

Reviewed by Joey Pinkney dot com

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