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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Charazz, author of Redrum

February 28, 2009 Joey Pinkney 1 Comment

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Charazz, author of Redrum

Mike and Daquan are cousins by blood, but become brothers by circumstance. In a New York minute, Mike is exposed to the death of his uncle Will at an early age. That same death equally affects Daquan, whose father (Mike’s uncle) was snatched away without warning. Daquan and Mike take to naturally take to hustling in the streets of Jamaica Queens in their late teens.

Their crew is rounded out by Sean and Kevin. The four teenagers find a dead spot on 118th and begin to turn it into an empire. The only problem is that they are cutting into the profits of the nearby drug gang known as the Young Gunz. Fronted by drug lord BK, Mike and his crew are hungry to make it happen. With BK as their supplier, they have the materials and the clout to take over the block. Things are moving, and money is being made hand over fist.

In a game of kill or be killed, eat or be eaten…can they survive the game long enough to get out of it? Or will they live up to the saying, “Live by the gun, die by the gun?”

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

Charazz: Being incarcerated for many years, I began to see myself as a liability to my family. I wanted to do something I felt would benefit them financially as well as make them proud in spite of my incarceration. I remember one day while in the “box” another inmate had written a book, and I told him I wish I could do that. He said “you can”. From there, I felt my story of my life should be told.

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

C: Redrum is a fiction novel based on real facts and events from my life! I’m telling a story from personal knowledge, not research or second hand. It’s raw and gritty. It’s the realest you’ll get to being indicted. (Ha ha.)

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

C: The key to my success lies in strong family support and my belief in a higher being other than myself. It was the commitment, the trust and the dedication of a woman named Michelle Lee York who believed that Redrum was a story that should not be kept a secret. She worked by my side to see how Redrum could be published while being incarcerated,and connected with C & B Book distribution which has provided the exposure I need in becoming a successful author.

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

C: Well let me say I have no formal writing training or education in becoming an author. Everything I taught myself through countless hours in the library doing research on perfecting my skills. There are two ways I begin the process. One is being with a basic outline of my thoughts, then plugging in ideas as they come to mind. Second is just simple free-flow. I like to think it’s like a movie in my mind and scenes is created as the day goes by. Remember, I have a lot time to think about all kinds of stuff behind these concrete walls.

JP: What’sÂ next for Charazz?

C: Man, I’m just going to keep writing and the hope to be able to interact with my readers soon. Coming out in late January is the release of my second novel Caught In The Game. I am working on a third, but I would like to finish that upon release.

Joey “Thank You” for this opportunity and I’m glad you enjoyed reading Redrum. As my skills improve, I promise to keep my readers coming back for more! Get your copy of Caught In The Game now!

Charazz York, born and raised in South Jamaica, Queens. He found his hidden talent to write a story while he serves timeÂ in a New York Correctional facility. Redrum isÂ his first self-published fiction novel, soon to be released is his second “CaughtÂ Up In The Game.”

Charazz is a certified Braille transcriber from the Library of Congress. He is a facilitator of Vassar College program called ” Bridging The Gap” at Otisville Correctional and a board member of the Glam4Life organization which is a community outreach program for minorities suffering from mental illness and suicide prevention San Diego, CA. Charazz also holds a associate degree in business.

Charazz welcomes letters from his readers. Â Letters can be sent to:

Charazz York 94A5091
Box 8
Otisville, NY 10963

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The 14 Days After Q&A Grande Finale: Each author gets a special question just for him or her.

February 27, 2009 Joey Pinkney 15 Comments

For Tanya White: Some people are addicted to drama-filled relationships, and they don’t even know they are.Â Does your book address how to recognize if a person is co-dependent to toxic relationships?

Tanya White: Yes. In my book Relationship Reruns, I address the 20 keys to finding “R-E-S-T” from toxic relationship messes such both parties showing respect, encouragement, steadfastness and trustworthiness. For an explanation of the other 16 keys, read Episode 9 of Relationship Reruns.

For Dedan Tolbert: What topic would you say people in relationships have the hardest time discussing: money or sex?

Dedan Tolbert: Both topics have the potential to be the source of a great deal of conflict. It doesn’t have to be this way though. The foundation of all relationships needs to be communication and honesty. If you have these two things, you will rarely “argue” about anything. Money and Sex can be topics that two people can disagree about because of their sensitive nature. If you communicate effectively, they shouldn’t be a problem.

Women need to remember that men have sensitive egos about money as well as sex. When it comes to sex, all men want to believe that they are the best partner their mate has ever had, and she is 100% satisfied. To find out that’s not the case can be devastating for some men and cause them to not want to do it at all.

Money is a similar subject. Men want to be the breadwinners in the home. If they’re not, they at least want to feel like they are. As far as bills are concerned, there needs to be a conversation about who’s going to pay for what, so that when the bills come there aren’t any surprises.

Without good communication and honestly, the smallest of problems can turn into huge disputes in the home.

For Cassandra Washington: If you were to take all your topics into consideration and only choose one, what would you say is the biggest misconception men have about women?Â And why?

The biggest misconception about women is that they are complicated creatures. This is completely false. Every woman, no matter what type of woman she is, from earthy to high-maintenance to mellow, from rich to poor, doesn’t matter, they all want the same thing: some “Act-Right”.

What is “Act-Right” you ask? It’s simple. It’s saying what you mean, meaning what you say and doing what you said you were going to do. Plain and simple. At the end of the day, we want some Act-Right. If you give it to us, you’ll get everything your heart desires and the most peace your existence can enjoy.

Asking for “Act-Right” is not being petty or ridiculous. When you think about it, it’s directly correlated to honesty. If you say you love someone and don’t mean it, that’s a lie. Right? If you say you’re going to call at six that night, but know you probably won’t call until you get back from the club at three the next morning, that’s a lie. And no one wants a liar, right? Right.

For Big Boom: Some women feel they can change a man. In your opinion, can a sucka be reformed? Does your book address that possibility?

Big Boom: No, a woman can not change a man!Â She might think that he’s a changed man, but the moment you make him mad he will go back to being the same old person. If you let him change himself, he probably would ask God to help him. You will at least end up with a man that is trying.

Can a sucka be reformed? Yes, when he finds out after all this time being a sucka has no value. It’s many ways for a man to change. What I found that works best for me was prayer. I address that in my first book, ” IF YOU WANT CLOSURE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP START WITH YOUR LEGS”.

Sun 02-15-09 Do you have to be a freak to enjoy great sex?

Mon 02-16-09 Is sex overrated?

Tue 02-17-09 When should men draw the line in role playing?

Wed 02-18-09 Why do men really cheat?

Thu 02-19-09 Why do I date the same people over and over?

Fri 02-20-09 Why are men challenged by their perineal G-spot?

Sat 02-21-09 Do I tell my friend sheâ€™s dating a married man?

Sun 02-22-09 How do I tell my husband Iâ€™m sexually frustrated without hurting his feelings?

Mon 02-23-09 Would more racial boundaries break if more people dated interacially?

Tue 02-24-09 How do I cope with not trusting my girfriend after catching her with another woman?

Wed 02-25-09 How do I get my boyfriend of 8 yrs to understand my desire to marry him with losing him?

Thu 02-26-09 How do I cope with my boyfriend sending me mixed messages?

Fri 02-27-09 I fell in love with my best friend’s wife. What should I do?

Sat 02-28-09 Each author gets a special question just for him or her.

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The 14 Days After Q&A: I fell in love with my best friendâ€™s wife. What should I do?

February 27, 2009 Joey Pinkney 21 Comments

I fell in love with my best friend’s wife. I think she likes me, too. I’m single and don’t want to ruin my relationship or their marriage. But the attraction is overwhelming. What should I do?

Cassandra Washington: This is no doubt a sticky situation and one that should be avoided at all costs. I have to question if that is really your best friend if you have fallen for his wife. True friends don’t do that, to be quite honest with you. In any case, you’ve fallen, so now it’s time to deal with the heart of the matter: this union will never work, even if it works. This means that if she does leave her husband for you, she will never truly be yours.

The cycle can very well continue, and you to be the one that’s left hanging in the future. Why even waste your time or risk your friendship for a situation that is doomed to fail from the beginning? At the end of the day, you are going to do what you want to do. However, if you go with your mind and not your head, I’m sure you will do the right thing.

Big Boom: Get ready to die! And go to hell! It’s too many single women in this world for you to break up someone’s home.

Dedan Tolbert: If this man is truly your best friend, you need to end this relationship with his wife immediately. No friendship is worth ruing over something that’s just an attraction. You said you fell in love, so this sounds like it’s more than just an attraction.

You may want to remove yourself from the situation all together. Stop going to family get-togethers and cookouts where you know you’ll be around her. That will only cause trouble and lead to temptation. If you want to preserve the friendship, I wouldn’t recommend telling your friend about this affair… Sometimes its best to just walk away.

Tanya White: NOTHING! Married people are off limits no matter how much the marriage is in jeopardy. Your attraction, while valid, may be temporary due to other feelings such as loneliness, loss, etc.

No matter what the wife’s feelings are towards you are, you seriously need to distance yourself from that couple until you conquer these inappropriate feelings towards your best friend’s wife.