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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… Monica Marie Jones, author of SWAG

September 2, 2009 Joey Pinkney 28 Comments

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Monica Marie Jones, author of SWAG
(The Literary Loft )

(One of the first ten unique commenters will win a copy of Monica Marie Jones’ SWAG!)

Congratulations to LatinTemptress for winning a copy of Monica Marie Jones’ SWAG on JoeyPinkney.com!

Noelle Dresden stepped out on faith and left her full-time job to pursue her passion: singing. Six months later, her singing career hasn’t gone much of anywhere and neither has her relationship with her charismatic, yet sneaky boyfriend, Jonah.

Her pursuit leads her to accept an invitation to be a house guest on the popular, hit reality show, House of Swag, produced by entertainment industry mogul, Monroe “Paper” Chase. As Noelle rises toward super stardom, she has some difficult choices to make. What lies ahead of her looks so much better than what she has left behind.

Will she work to keep the love that she and Jonah shares alive, or will she choose fame, fortune and a man who can make all of her dreams come true?

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

Monica Marie Jones: I have a not so secret power crush on P. Diddy (Sean Combs). I call it a power crush because I often find myself drawn to men who are making major moves. After watching his reality show Making the Band one night, I had a dream that I was on one of his reality shows. When I woke up I began writing.

JP: With reality TV going strong for nearly two decades, it’s natural for other forms of media to incorporate this phenomenon. What research was required to make sure your readers get an authentic reality TV show experience with SWAG?

MMJ: To be completely honest, once I got cable I became addicted to reality television. I must admit that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from even the most silly and degrading shows. Having planned my schedule around watching an array of reality television shows over the years was more than enough research for the book.

JP: What have you learned from your previous publications that make SWAG a better product?

MMJ: After publishing my last novel FLOSS, I made it a point to ask literary industry professionals for honest feedback. Once I received that feedback, I actually made the suggested changes.

It’s hard to hear the truth about what you might need to improve upon, but it only makes you better. I also studied the reviews that I received for my previous titles and took some of the suggestions that I got from readers and book clubs that I’ve visited.

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

MMJ: It took me less than a year to finish SWAG. If I’d actually sat down, created a schedule, and worked on it every day, I probably would have finished it in less than three months.

But my process is that sometimes I have to walk away and leave a manuscript alone for a while. Then an idea will come to me, or something will happen to motivate me to go back and write. I never want to force a story. I allow time for scenes to unfold in my mind.

JP: What’s next for Monica Marie Jones?

MMJ: Well, I have already begun outlining the third installment of the FLOSS series (SWAG is the second installment) called INTRIGUE. I plan to take a little writer’s retreat to really dig in and get started on the writing of that. I also have an ambitious goal of releasing two more books before the year is over…A poetry book called Sweet Soliloquy and a resource book called Book Marketing on A Budget.

In 2010, my work will be published in two anthologies: Bedtime Stories 3 by Hollygrove Publishing and The Souls of My Young Sisters by Kensington Publishing.

www.monicamariejones.com
www.myspace.com/monicamariejones

Facebook: search Monica Marie Jones

Twitter @monicamjones

monica@monicamariejones.com

Monica Marie Jones is an author whose published works include The Ups and Downs of Being Round (Fiction/Self-Help), Taste My Soul (Poetry) and FLOSS (Urban Fiction). She is a contributing author in Chicken Soup for the Girls Soul, New Directions for Youth Development, and 44th (A full color coffee table book about President Barack Obama that is a compilation of front page reprints of actual African-American published newspapers and poetry.)

She has also contributed to several publications and youth development training materials for the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation. She has worked as a columnist and freelance writer for various publications and websites including the Michigan Front Page Newspaper and is an active member of the Motown Writer’s Network where she is the host of her own show, â€œMarketing and Motivation Mondays with Monica Marie Jonesâ€ on the Michigan Literary Network Radio.

Monica is a youth development expert that does training and consultation for the Center for Youth Program Quality (a joint venture of the Forum for Youth Investment and The High/Scope Educational Research Foundation.) She is a professionally trained dancer and dance instructor that has danced with Gospel recording artists such as Dorinda Clark-Cole, in several venues around the United States, and a three-city tour in Japan with Kierra ‘Ki-Ki’ Sheard.

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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

August 30, 2009 Joey Pinkney 1 Comment

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

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

August 28, 2009 Joey Pinkney 10 Comments

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

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 Withâ€¦ series, email me at joey.pinkney@gmail.com or myspace.com/joeyreviews

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