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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… Mari Walker, author of Not Quite What It Seems

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Mari Walker, author of Not Quite What It Seems
(St. Martin’s Griffin)

Not Quite What It Seems is the story of a young girl, Jadyn Collins, who is haunted by the abuse she’s suffered at a young age. The abuse stems from a combination of her mother’s wrong choices and her stepfather’s pathology that was never addressed.

It is also the story of a young girl’s longing for a father’s love and the events that drive her to seek him out, though she’s never really known him. Not Quite What It Seems explores the true meaning of forgiveness and how not understanding true forgiveness and letting it work on our behalf can color life choices.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Not Quite What It Seems?

Mari Walker: Not Quite What It Seems, though it is not a sequel, is a sort of continuation of a story line that began in my first novel, Never As Good As The First Time. Continue reading 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Mari Walker, author of Not Quite What It Seems →

african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, book reviews

JoeyPinkney.com Book Review: Not Quite What It Seems by Mari Walker

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JoeyPinkney.com Book Review
Not Quite What It Seems
By Mari Walker
(St. Martin’s Press)
3 of 5 Stars

Not Quite What It Seems, by Essence Best Selling Author Mari Walker, is a knotted tale of the life of Jadyn Collins that slowly unravels one chapter at a time. Jadyn Collins’ world pulls her in many directions. She struggles to resolve the emotional scars caused by childhood experiences. She is relentless in her pursuit to become a professional dancer. She has found love, yet her life goals do neatly align with her boyfriend’s future plans for both him and Jadyn. On top of all of that, she yearns to find and reunite with her biological father separated from her and her two younger brothers by her mother when she was in her early teens.

Jadyn is the daughter of Samai Collins, the main character of Mari Walker’s debut novel Never As Good As The First Time. A little older and on her own, Jadyn’s character is Continue reading JoeyPinkney.com Book Review: Not Quite What It Seems by Mari Walker →

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… Elissa Gabrielle, author of A Whisper to a Scream

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Elissa Gabrielle, author of A Whisper to a Scream
(Peace In The Storm Publishing, LLC)

A Whisper to a Scream is essentially a love story; acceptance of true love. The book covers themes of racism, interracial relationships, mental health issues and the justice system to name a few.

The colors of love come in several shades for Queen Thomas, and has been prevalent on her canvas of life as she continues to paint by the numbers. Successful beyond measure, but flawed to a degree where bright hues tend to fade a bit, happiness should be much more than an illusion.

Queen is a young African-American defense attorney passionately advocating justice for her brown-skinned clients, despite being subjected by black and blue bruises from her ex-boyfriend. Then there are the shades of gray that matters most when trying to balance the memorable scales of a loving relationship with a father that raised her as a single parent.

Along with that are the dark clouds of uncertainty accentuating the need to suppress the void of missing the touches that only a mother can manifest. Is a successful but committed relationship so hard to fathom where integrity and faithfulness is not compromised? The whispers get louder with promises of primal screams as the colors take on a different tint as the plot thickens.

Enter Quincy Hughes, a handsome doctor easy on the eyes but with an underlying intrigue that allows curiosity to kill much more than the cat. Quincy is on a mission. He relentlessly pursues her despite his mystique and forces Queen to question the taboo concept of accepted love vs. forbidden fruit; and whether there’s a future in it for her.

Is she ready to tackle the relevancy of this different persuasion? And what about her ex-lover — will he settle for second best and allow Queen to pursue matters of the heart, albeit with someone else?

Sensual and brimming with sexuality, this heart-wrenching drama is groundbreaking fiction. A Whisper To a Scream is a sexy, moving and riveting tale that will pull you deep into an unforgettable erotic, socially conscious, and emotionally-charged ride.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write A Whisper to a Scream?

Elissa Gabrielle: Inspiration came from a few sources. One was I wanted to write a story that I hadn’t read. Another source of inspiration was to write an African-American Continue reading 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Elissa Gabrielle, author of A Whisper to a Scream →