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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Donneil D. Jackson, author of Chante’s Song

March 6, 2009 Joey Pinkney

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Donneil D. Jackson, author of Chante’s Song
(Pure Bliss Publishing)

Chante Chambers is a self-proclaimed princess. What mama wants her ex fiancÃ©, Jason, makes sure she gets. The one task he failed at was being faithful, so Chante moved on. In a pursuit for love, happiness, and monogamy sometimes mistaken for sex, she encounters an array of men. If you took the best traits from them all and combined them, they still didn’t create the perfect man.

Just as Chante was ready to admit defeat in her quest for love in walks Keith, a caramel Adonis. Chante has plans of living happily ever after with Keith. That is, until Jason re-enters the picture. A lunch hour spent in between the sheets with Jason can complicate things, or can’t it?

What’s a girl to do when she’s torn between two lovers? Does she grab her panties off the floor and vow to never drop them again? Or does she go back for seconds?

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Chante’s Song?

Donneil D. Jackson: Back in 2000, Chante Moore had a hit single got called Chante’s Got a Man. I was on the phone with a good friend of mine Shauntae, and she was singing the song. I liked how it sound. I took the concept and began writing. As time progressed, I took all of my feelings and poured it into my writing.

JP: What sets Chante’s Song apart from other novels in its genre?

DDJ: The way the story is told. I tried my best to be as descriptive, candid and realistic as possible. I think we all have read a “Chante’s Song” before, yet we have never read the story being told in the manner in which I tell it. That’s what sets my novel apart from other novels in genre and same subject matter.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Chante’s Song getting out to the public?

DDJ: The keys needed for me being a successful writer are determination, the ability to tell a great story and a strong support system. Determination is the Number 1 key to my success. I am determined to make this happen for me.

I believe you have to keep your readers entertained and coming back from more. This is achieved by being able to tell a great story. I pride my self in reeling the reader in as if they were a fly on the wall.

The next key is a great support system. My family is very supportive in getting the word out about Chante’s Song. My father stands outside of the bookstore and passes out bookmarks. My family is my street team. They are very good! Even, my daughter goes up to her friends’ parents like, “Do you enjoy reading?”, with a bookmark in her hand. She has watched me enough to know how to spread the word about “Chante’s Song.

I have recently enlisted the services of Dana Pittman of Nia Promotions to help take Change’s Song to the next level.

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

DDJ: In a perfect world, I set the atmosphere, slow music, the computer and me. Prior to my seven year old going to bed, it’s me, the computer and my munchkinneck asking me fifty million questions. It works. For the most part, I have something on paper. I can always go back and tweak it. I also get a lot of writing done at work (don’t tell my employer-LOL).

Chante’s Song was started in 2000. I finished it in 2004. I transitioned a lot since I first began writing Chante’s Song. I went from living with my mom, to living on my own, to becoming a mom and just being a full-fledge adult. During that transition, Chante’s Song sat on the shelf for a while. But once I picked her back up, there was no stopping me from seeing it to a finish product. And although it took 4 additional years to get it out, it’s out!

JP: What’s next for Donneil D. Jackson?

DDJ: Only greatness! I want my name to be a name that will be around for a while, if not forever. I want to be up there with the Terry McMillians and Lolita Files. I know I am not on their level yet, however, my goal is to one day be where they are.

Currently, I am working on my second novel, Happily Ever After. It’s a sequel to Chante’s Song. I am also getting my thoughts together for my third novel. I haven’t decided on a title yet. I have, but I don’t think I am going to go with Fairytale Bullsh*t. It’s a book about a scorned woman’s broken heart and her need for revenge.

www.pureblisspublishing.com
www.myspace.com/donneildjacksonthewriter
http://www.urban-reviews.com/insideout-donneildjackson.html
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/AAMBC/2008/10/11/Author-Exposure-w-Donniel-D-Jackson

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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Deaubrey Devine, author of Destiny Hope Faith Divine

March 3, 2009 Joey Pinkney 1 Comment

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Deaubrey Devine, author of Destiny Hope Faith Divine
(Vision 7 Publishing)

Enter into the lives of four characters walking through the storms of relationships to their Destiny by Hope, with Faith, and Divine intervention.

Divine is a single brother whoÂ live life as it comes. He gets in with a successful businesswoman named Faith who has some deep-rooted psychotic traits. He tries to shake the master manipulator by getting off the market and marrying Destiny, only to find out her confliction and unstableness is more than he can bear.Â After connecting again with his high school sweetheart, Hope, he finds out she is experiencing the same tribulations with her man.

The two find themselves offering encouragement, helping hands and listening ears as they hurdle their relationship obstacles. Soon, Divine finds himself caught in a love triangle that is anything but simple. This tantalizing novel filled with passionate love, electrifying drama, and climatic triumph makes this read a must-have for every reader’s bookshelf.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Destiny Hope Faith Divine?

Deaubrey Devine: I’ve always desired to have a little girl named Destiny Hope Faith with my last name Devine. I have always had a special affection for those wordsÂ because they all are very powerful. Alone, they are powerful. Combined, they are life-giving. As an author, the intrigue of the names sparked me to create a novel using characters with the names I adore.

JP: What sets Destiny Hope Faith Divine apart from other novels in its genre?

DD: Destiny Hope Faith Divine is set apart from other novels in its genre because it has it all. It is a smoothÂ read that allows readers to become one with the characters and scenes in the book. Everyone can relate toÂ the relationships plus the religious and sexual plots that entertains on this emotional roller coaster.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Destiny Hope Faith Divine getting out to the public?

DD: As an author, the real work begins when the promoting of the book starts. The keys to getting Destiny Hope Faith Divine onto the shelves and into hands of my readers is sheer drive and determination. I have been out and about in the public attending conferences and networking events and interviews. I have also visited book festivals and book club meetings. Some of my ventures also include hiring promotional marketing professionals along with text messaging alerts and blogs.

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

DD: As a newÂ author, my writing process is still being defined. I do have the attitude of staying focused until completion. My daily motto is “Faith without works is dead”. I push myself and avoid procrastination at all cost.Â Completing this novel was like completing a life long dream. From start to finish, I am going to say roughly around 7months.

JP: What’s next for Deaubrey Devine?

DD: My journey continues with my next novel My Purpose. Allow me to give you a little insight into my next book: It is the story of a young kid growing up through the mist of trials and tribulations. This book is a good read for parents, students, coaches, athletes, and young adults. All will be touched and inspired by this novel that’s due to be released in March.

www.deaubreydevine.com
www.myspace.com/deaubrey

Hello! My name is Deaubrey Devine (pronounced Dee-au-bray…De-vine). I am from Lakeland, FL, and I’m the author of Destiny Hope Faith Divine.Â I graduated from the University of Central Florida in Orlando where I received my bachelor’s degree, majoring in Health with two minors in Criminal Justice and Education.Â My multiple areas of study have allowed me to teach and reach lives in different ways.

My talent for writing was exposed and connected when I decided to pick up a pen to pursue a career as a novelist after my professional football career ended in 2007.Â I asked God to use me as an open vessel and allow my passion for writing to encourage and inspire others.

I enjoy spending quality time with my family when I’m not writing, reading, plotting or planning. I also enjoy exploring new adventures, a nice cookout, times of fellowship, meeting other writers and readers in the publishing and book industry.

Other things I like to do in my spare time include: playing chess, poker, traveling, basketball, a good ole Spades game, movies, bowling, skating, Scrabble, attending conferences and learning new things. I just enjoy living life abundantly while looking for peace, joy and happiness. That’s me, all me, all the time, I am…

Deaubrey Devine

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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Dashaun “Jiwe” Morris, author of The War of the Bloods in My Veins

March 2, 2009 Joey Pinkney

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Dashaun Jiwe Morris, author of War of the Bloods in My Veins
(Scribner)

At age 9 Jiwe’s mother, battling a drug addiction, sent him far awayÂ to live with relatives. Two years later, the streets finally forced him to commit his first drive by, initiating him into a hellish life of gang bangin’. By age 25, while sitting in a jail cell fighting a charge of attempted murder, and awaiting the birth of his first child, Jiwe had enough. He began penning hisÂ memoir as a form of personal therapy, as a way to warn parents, and as a way educate society why food, shelter, and clothing are not enough to keep our kids from the clutches of the streets.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write War of the Bloods in My Veins?

Dashaun Jiwe Morris: The inspiration came from me sitting in a prison cell with the idea of having to raise my daughter from behind that wall. Sitting in isolation gave me the time I needed to really take a look at my life. It allowed me to dig deep and focus on where I had been, where I was and where I wanted to go. And one thing was for certain, I wasn’t trying to raise my daughter while in prison.

JP: What sets your story apart from other memoirs written by gang members making a change forÂ the better?

DJM: I just think I was able to capture more of the emotional toll gang life has on us. I didn’t focus much on the war stories as much as the psychological tear it had on me. I wanted to put a human face to the guy behind the gun and bandana. I wanted to talk directly to the YG’s still out there lost and hopeless, and I wanted to speak directly to the women that are raising them.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to War of the Bloods in My VeinsÂ getting out to the public?

DJM: The key to my success was taking a chance. I stepped out and spoke on my pain. I invited specific people into my life in return for healing. I did what I think most who come from where I come from fear doing: change.

JP: Gangs are very close knit and secretive. How are you able to explore and explain your life withoutÂ backlash from the Bloods?

DJM: First off, I got permission from my elders to speak. But secondly, that’s a silly stereotype homie. That is so 70’s and 80’s back when Bloods and Crips were relatively new. Its nothing going in in gang life now that the world or the powers to be don’t know about. I didn’t talk about things like how operations were ran or the list of OG’s top to bottom. I spoke on my life, myself and what I’ve been through. No different than how rappers and singers express and speak on their pain and life stories in their lyrics.Â I just did it in the form of a book. Plus, I’m well respected around this country. So many of my peers, elders and youngsters are proud of what I was able to do. Just know many of us want a better life.

JP: What’s next for Dashaun Jiwe Morris?

DJM: I’ve already begun to work on my second book. It’s part two to War of the Bloods in my veins. I have a documentary I’m featured in coming out on the Sundance Channel in September of 2009 produced by Forest Whitaker, Marc Levin, and Mark Benjamin. Its a six-part 30 minutes series exploring the challenges of my city, Newark, NJ. Lastly, I have a movie option in place as we speak. Marc Levin will direct the movie to my book, so that will be set to hit theaters in 2010. I’ve been pretty busy with traveling and speaking. I’m thankful and blessed to have the opportunity to give back and make some positive change in my life.

http://JiweEra.com
warofthebloods@jiweera.com

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