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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, interview

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Alicia Rice, author of Diaries of a Dead Woman

May 3, 2009 Joey Pinkney 2 Comments

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Alicia Rice, author of Diaries of a Dead Woman
(Epiphany Corner Publications)

Does love survive beyond the grave? Arista is a young, successful woman whose life is moving in a positive direction. At the peak of her career, she is reunited with her high school sweetheart Scott. Their strong connection leads them both down a path neither was expecting…a path that will lead to either salvation or condemnation.

Arista quickly realizes that the choices she makes and actions she takes will affect her forever, even beyond the grave. Will Arista’s diary answer too many of her friend’s questions? Can true love live on after death? Can we choose our paths in preparation for death? Read Arista’s diary and find out….

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Diaries of a Dead Woman?

Alicia Rice: Diaries of a Dead Woman is based off true experiences that happened to me in my younger years, mixed in with fiction. The basis of the book is to let readers know that no matter what goes on in your life, as long as you’re breathing it’s never too late to get your life in order.

JP: What sets Diaries of a Dead Woman apart from other novels in its genre?

AR: Diaries of a Dead Woman is a combination of christian, romance and supernatural fiction. There’s a lot that goes on in this novel, so it keeps the readers turning the pages.

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

AR: First and foremost, My Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Family and friends that have supported me throughout the years. Last, but never least, an awesome publicist by the name of Torrian Ferguson.

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

AR: I pretty much write from the heart and mind. I allow the thoughts to flow to the computer screen, and I will go back and edit/fine tune later. I wrote Diaries of a Dead Woman in three months, but it took several years to perfect it into the novel it is today.

JP: What’s next for Alicia Rice?

AR: The official release of my second novel, Fatal Marriage, and I am currently writing my third novel called The Epiphany.

http://www.aliciarice.com/
http://www.myspace.com/aliciascreativity

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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Ronald Lewis, author of Stick It to the Man

May 2, 2009 Joey Pinkney

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Ronald Lewis, author of Stick It To The Man
(Skyhorse Publishing)

Ronald Lewis is the author of Stick It To The Man (June, Skyhorse), a brilliant guide to confronting the lopsided world of law and power during a time of trillion dollar bank bailouts, and million-dollar executive bonuses. In addition to his first book, Lewis remains busy as a blogger, speaker, technologist, and activist who has been featured or quoted by ABC, The Associated Press, CNN, Businessweek, FastCompany, and elsewhere.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Stick It to the Man?

Ronald Lewis: The idea for Stick It To The Man originated at Skyhorse Publishing. They were looking to market a light-hearted book that tackled everything from social issues to corporations. When I was brought on to write it, I had 20 years worth of observations and frustration to lend a voice to a book of this type. The blatant abuses by those in power in government and corporate America fueled the inspiration to make this book a reality.

JP: What sets Stick It to the Man apart from other books written in the same vein?

RL: What sets this book apart from others is that it doesn’t tackle just one issue, but many. While the content is broad, it all intersects at one point: invaluable information that’s useful to people of all socio-economic backgrounds.

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

RL: The keys to my success as an individual have been broad and evolving over the years. The best thing I could have done was launching my first blog in 1995 and establishing a global presence for myself. It was a single blog entry that clinched my first book deal, and I’m still overwhelmed by all of it. I also attribute the release of my first book to the many role models I’ve adopted over the course of my life to date. I’ve learned a lot from them.

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

RL: When I started writing Stick It To The Man, I didn’t have a writing process at all! Three weeks had passed before I finally sat down and started thinking about an approach to get it done. I decided on meditation, which involved me telling myself that it was time to write a book. The idea was to embrace a mindset that allowed me to write something that read like a book.

JP: What’s next for Ronald Lewis?

RL: What’s next for me? Well, there are several things on my plate at the moment. I’m seeking sponsors to support a North American tour for the book. It’s imperative that I visit most states and provinces to talk not only about my book, but the state of our global economy, our future, and more. It’s also an opportunity to intimately connect with many people and listen to their stories, whether they buy the book or not.

I’m exploring speaking engagements to talk about the power of dreaming. I have more than sixteen years of wonderful experiences that will motivate many people to overcome obstacles and make something of themselves, especially those in disadvantaged communities. I’m very passionate about making this happen.

I’m working on returning to a weekly schedule of travel. I love exploring the world and there’s so much for me to discover and learn. You could say I’m addicted to frequent travel.

Personal website: ronaldlewis.com
Book’s website: ronaldlewis.com/stickittotheman
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ronaldlewis
LinkedIn: http://twitter.com/ronaldlewis
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=507721418

Recent press

CNN: More turning to Web to watch TV, movies
BusinessWeek: Why Pay Match.com When Dating’s Free Sites Beckon?

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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… M. Raye Turner, author of Pretty Monster

April 30, 2009 Joey Pinkney 9 Comments

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
M. Raye Turner, author of Pretty Monster
(Faith Works Production, LLC)

Experience tears and laughter walking through the life and times of Tangie Waters, a resilient daddy’s girl who grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. Pretty Monster is an attention-grabbing tale of a young woman’s determination to survive that leaves one questioning their own maturity.

Despite her monstrous ego, Tangie finds humility through her faith in God and the wisdom of her grandparents as she struggles to be at peace while overcoming constant setbacks, family woes, and the complexities of being a single mother pursuing higher education. Pretty Monster is powerfully portrayed story told with raw honesty and love.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Pretty Monster? Is Tangie Waters you?

M. Raye Turner: Pretty Monster fell into my spirit as I was on the way to buy a cup of coffee one morning. The introduction just came to me: “I want to paint you a picture and write you a song about the love below…” I rushed home to write that down. The flow didn’t stop until I had outlined a whole book that had no title. I didn’t decide or plan to write a book.

It was just the next logical step with the purge that I began to share with others. I eventually bought into the idea to go for it and turned it into a tribute to my deceased parents.

Tangie was created to be a rare breed with a masculine appeal to male readers and from the daddy’s girl perspective. Misunderstood and envied by most women who can’t relate to her deep faith and free spirit tendencies. Tangie could very well reflect my alter ego and the twin I wished for but never had.Also, in retrospect I give some credit to Outkast and the movie Idlewild as it sparked something-something.

JP: What sets Pretty Monster apart from other novels in its genre where the protagonist is a single mother struggling with survival in the inner-city?

MRT: It’s succinct and lacks product placement/free marketing… It’s suburban, country, faith driven, intellectual and raw as hell. My readers say its real and that they can see and feel the movements in the literature. They laugh out loud, tears up and get mad based on the way the story pulls them into the characters.

Tangie is never a victim of her circumstances; she has book and street smarts. She knows what she wants and knows how to get it. She learns from the mistakes of others as well as hers and keeps moving.It has been compared to Lackawanna Blues.

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

MRT: Time and chance, Mr. Pickney. Word-of-mouth and public speaking opportunities have been awesome venues with positively powerful results. I have been blessed by people God has placed in my path that want to share the light and actually push me to the front of the stage and out of my comfort zone behind stage.

I was encouraged to publish my mental purge, harassed into self-publishing and delighted by the way Pretty Monster has begun to create its own following, interest and success.

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

MRT: (Smile) I like a quiet workspace or a place of beauty (a beach or nature trails). I only write when I feel like it which means I might jump up at 2 or 3am and write until I get it all out of my head. I may not revisit that piece for days or months. I started Pretty Monster in October and finished it in January. The story took 3 months at best.

The revision process came as people showed interest in publishing my work. Months and months later, I found myself making notes to add comedy sketches, Gullah vernacular and the things I love about Chicago to the emerging list of revisions, time lines and the themes of the book.

JP: What’s next for M. Raye Turner?

MRT: I have 3 books outlined. I don’t feel compelled or inspired to move on those at this time. My focus is to take Pretty Monster to the next level, which to me means stage and film plays.

www.mrayeturner.com
www.myspace.com/prettymonster2008

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