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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview, virtual blog tour

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Dr. Vivi Monroe Congress, author of Manna for Mamma

June 10, 2009 Joey Pinkney 6 Comments

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Dr. Vivi Monroe Congress, author of Manna for Mamma
(Little Light Production, LLC)

Manna for Mamma: Wisdom for Women in the Wilderness, a Dallas Morning News #1 Bestseller, is a non-fiction work that parallels the journey of the Israelites (from captivity in Egypt to the Promised Land in Canaan) with the ten (10) most common experiences women face today during their personal seasons of wilderness.

The book’s driving purpose is to respond to those seemingly barren and uncomfortable situations in a woman’s life and reveal that Jesus is her manna, available to not only meet her “wilderness” needs but to bring her out. Manna for Mamma will inspire women to move into that place where His promise for her life has already been fulfilled and is awaiting her arrival.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Manna for Mamma?

Dr. Vivi Monroe Congress: I’d encountered a season where I was drawn, if you will, to the plight of the Israelite people; I read everything I could about them, couldn’t get enough, in fact. During that same time, women (some I knew, some I didn’t) would communicate to me how they were “going through” one thing or another and my thoughts would pair these women’s challenges with an Israelite wilderness experience that I’d read about. The resemblance between the two was so uncanny and undeniable. I began to pray for direction and answers as to why God was showing me all this, and even more, what He wanted me to do with it.

I believe it was His way of inspiring me to present Him as The Unchanging Hand to a population of women who were being tested and transitioned, looking for and in dire need of something new—like manna was to the Israelites. Hence, Manna For Mamma.

JP: What sets Manna for Mamma apart from other self-help books based on Biblical scripture?

VMC: Manna for Mamma is a book to, for and about women and our journey through this oftentimes tricky thing called life. Manna for Mamma is a different self-help book in that its not preachy, but teachy. Some self-help books point a ‘ Here’s-where-you-went-wrong ‘ and if you’re really lucky, a ‘ Here’s-how-you-need-to-fix-it ‘ finger in reader’s face(s)–at least I’ve felt that way after reading some. But I truly believe that Manna for Mamma points that same finger away from the reader and in the direction of God to show that no matter who, what, when, where OR why, He’s got you and it’s a done deal.

Manna for Mamma incorporates the stories of key Biblical she-roes, some real divas, showing them at both high and low points to remind women that there’s absolutely nothing new under the sun. If its happening to you today then, sweety, it surely happened to your foresister(s)! So, read about their losses, take your lumps and LEARN; look only to yesterday for the beauty of the lesson but set your sights on today so you can LIVE. And true living, abundant and free, IS the land of milk and honey.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to Manna for Mamma getting out to the public?

VMC: Well, truthfully speaking, the keys to getting Manna for Mamma or any book out into the public eye–or hands–has far less to do with my being an author at this point. Because I’m still relatively new in the literary game–okay, maybe not new, but let’s just say I’m not a heavy hitter or shot-caller–I don’t have the luxury of simply making it happen on the laurels of my good name alone–at least not just yet (smile).

Success in this industry, as with any other, still has alot to do with what you know and who you know. It definitely takes a certain tenacity to push and keep pushing your book(s) out in front of others, but I guess I’m old school and believe in timing and favor as holding the keys to the success I’ve had so far. Plus, being in the encouraging company of some truly anointed and self-less authors (my Anointed Authors on Tour sisters), has a lot to do with much of Manna for Mamma‘s success. Love you, ladies!

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

VMC: I’m an inspirational writer, seeking to motivate others, so I position myself to BE inspired before I can write and feel good about what I’ve done. I wish I could say that I’m disciplined and write twenty-five pages a day on schedule, but the plain truth is I write when “it” hits me. That “it” factor can be a simple phrase that comes to mind or sometimes “it” can be several pages in a couple hours. No matter what “it” is, I write it then wait for the pieces to come together and when they do, it’s always a fit.

But to answer your direct question, Manna for Mamma probably took somewhere between three and five months to completely pen.

JP: What’s next for Dr. Vivi Monroe Congress?

VMC: Still waiting to find out myself (smile). I’ve written with such a vengeance since 2001, and I do mean constantly plugging away at it! And because writing can be such a solitary undertaking, its easy to become somewhat reclusive. Of course, I’m writing, but a large chunk of my existence is now devoted to living and enjoying not just writing and promoting; I’m working to find that ever so delicate balance (smile). So, I’m trying my hand at something a bit different–a novel–and allowing life, up close and unedited, to inspire me.

http://www.myspace.com/DrVivi
http://www.shoutlife.com/DrVivi
LittleLightProd@aol.com

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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Matthew Aaron Goodman, author of Hold Love Strong

June 9, 2009 Joey Pinkney 4 Comments

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Matthew Aaron Goodman, author of Trouble In My Way
(Simon & Schuster)

Born to a thirteen-year-old in the bathroom of his family’s small apartment, Abraham Singleton enters a world laden with the obstacles inherent in an impoverished community. In spite of the crack epidemic and the HIV crisis that ravages his neighborhood, his family, the Singletons-cousins, an uncle, and aunt, Abraham and his mother-are held together by Abraham’s heroic grandmother, whose deep faith and stoic nature have always given them a sense of wholeness and hope. But when the family goes through seveal harrowing losses, not even his grandmother may be strong enough to lead them through.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Hold Love Strong?

Matthew Aaron Goodman: I wrote about the people I love and the people who love me. I wrote about friends and family, coworkers and students, and the men and women I worked with who had just been freed from prison. I wrote about the people in my life, those I grew up with, those I spent brief but intimate time with, those I cried, laughed, and broke bread with.

I wrote out of respect for their lives and for my own. All of these people influenced and were the inspiration for Hold Love Strong. I wrote for them to express my love, and the impact they’ve had in my life.

JP: How can a Jewish man tell the story of an African-American boy and his experience with clarity and truth?

MAG: The same way James Baldwin wrote Giovanni’s Room and Chester Himes wrote Yesterday Will Make You Cry. The same way Abe Meropol wrote the poem that became the song Strange Fruit. Clarity and truth are not possessions, objects to claim and own. They are interpretations, products of meditation and dedicated, unwavering effort.

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

MAG: Dedication, patience, and, at least while I am writing, a total disregard for haters.

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

MAG: Monday through Friday, I wake up every morning before the sun and write. From start to finish, it took me seven years.

JP: What’s next for Matthew Aaron Goodman?

MAG: To continue being human, to get better at being so. To continue writing, to get better at the craft.

http://www.holdlovestrong.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, virtual blog tour

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Michelle Stimpson, author of Trouble In My Way

June 8, 2009 Joey Pinkney 5 Comments

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Michelle Stimpson, author of Trouble In My Way
(Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster)

It’s all Karis’ mom’s fault. If she hadn’t snooped into Karis’s diary, she never would have known about Karis’s unauthorized activies. Now, Karis is grounded indefinitely with no modem, no iPod…and no cell phone.

There’s just no way Karis can survive being cut off from the world. Add a “shiesty” potential stepmother, a dangerous relationship with a self-proclaimed bad boy and the constant pressure to cover her sneaky tracks – the combination makes a perfect recipe for high drama.

Will faith in God help Karis get through, or has she pushed grace, and her mother, too far?

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration for Trouble In My Way?

Michelle Stimpson: I was sitting in a Florida restaurant with ReShonda Tate-Billingsley discussing the release of her new young adult book, talking about what a ministry God has opened up through young adult fiction. She encouraged me to write a book for young adults, so I did.

When I write Christian fiction for adults, I know that I’m often trying to “undo” some of the damage that we’ve endured in our lives. When I write for young adults, it’s more proactive. I like that aspect. I wanted to write a book about a young lady who learns some things the hard way so that my readers hopefully won’t have to.

JP: What sets Trouble In My Way apart from your other releases?

MS: This is a short, fun read with a serious message. Since it’s for a different genre, it’s being promoted, shelved and received differently. I hope to be able to capture a whole new audience with this one.

JP: What have you learned from getting your previous book published that will help Trouble In My Way be better than the rest?

MS: Hmmm…this is a tough one because I don’t know that Trouble In My Way is necessarily “better.” All of my books are like my children, so I can’t say which one is better. I can, however, say that Trouble In My Way took me way back as a writer and made me think/reason in teenage terms. In that sense, it has a voice all its own.

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

MS: I wrote this book mostly over the Christmas Break of 2006. It took me about 6 weeks to write, and I enjoyed every single minute of it. I had a pretty detailed outline and went from there. Since I was pretty much able to write from sun up to sundown (no school, no work), it went fairly quickly.

JP: What’s next for Michelle Stimpson?

MS: I just signed another 3-book deal (adult Christian fiction), and I’m working on a follow-up to my first novel, Boaz Brown. Aside from that, I’m releasing short stories, and I’ll probably do a little teaching at the college level this fall. I’m also working to earn my ministry license.

http://www.michellestimpson.com/
http://www.womengrowinginchrist.com/
http://www.wegottaread.com/

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