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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview, the soul of a man

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Brian Ganges, author of Manning Up With God and A Sense of Faith and Community (The Soul of a Man Edition)

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… (The Soul of a Man Edition)
Brian Ganges, author of “Manning Up with God” and “A Sense of Faith and Community”
(Peace In The Storm Publishing)

“Manning Up” is an abridged autobiography illustrates the marital bliss, struggle for identity and purpose, and how one young man coped with divorce. Everyone has a cross to bear, and learning how to overcome obstacles is the main motif demonstrated in this award-winning story of a man who wouldn’t give up. Men, the world over, can learn from this concise, yet powerful account of one man’s life and faith in God. Failure can’t stop you, fear can’t defeat you, and if your faith is set on the prize that is for you, only victory will be your end.

“A Sense of Faith and Community” shows the importance of giving back to the community, reaching out to people and passing on your faith. You never know how you will affect others that are in your sphere of influence. Gain insight and inspiration from this futuristic account of a young man that was inspired by the mission of his grandfather. Touching people isn’t just a physical thing. It’s a way of connecting with others. Touching people’s hearts for positive change is the essence of this powerful story, and each of us has this God-given capacity within us. Be inspired by a college students life experiences and learn how to touch people directly and/or indirectly for positive change.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write “Manning Up With God” and “A Sense of Faith and Community”?

Brian Ganges: “Manning Up with God” is my abridged autobiography and “A Sense of Faith and Community” is a fictionalized account of some of the events of my life.

JP: What has been your personal experience in being a part of The Soul of a Man Anthology?

BG: It has been very positive. Although I haven’t met everyone personally, the connection that I made with many of the co-authors has been priceless. Positive guys pooling our resources to create a positive piece of literature; and it won an award, to boot.

JP: What is your most memorable moment of The Soul of a Man Anthology in terms of what has been expressed of you by someone who has had a chance to read this book?

BG: Many readers have expressed similar sentiments about my work and me. The most memorable are the comments “inspirational” and “honest”. That let me know that I was connecting with the audience. That was very rewarding and was a confirmation that I was on-task.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish “Manning Up With God” and “A Sense of Faith and Community”?

BG: My process is meditate, outline, meditate and write. Since the stories were short, they took a few weeks.

JP: What is Piecing the Puzzle Together about? And what has been your journey with that book?

BG: Piecing the Puzzle Together is a biblical-based manual for life. It is a three-part book that resembles the construction of a building. Section 1 is the foundation, Section 2 deals with assembling the building components, and Section 3 deals with bring the pieces all together to construct the edifice.

http://www.brianganges.com/

Brian Ganges is a native New Jerseyan who resides in Texas. He has written many articles that are very thought provoking, principled, informative and insightful. His topics of interest include: current events, politics, health related topics, economics, relationships, and principles for daily living, which are always from a Christian worldview. He is one of the co-authors of the award-winning anthology “The Soul of a Man.” Brian’s new book entitled Piecing The Puzzle Together, can be purchased at stores nationwide or contact Brian for a personalized copy at http://brianganges.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, the soul of a man

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Clarence “Baba Simba” Mollock, author of Verbal Vacancy (The Soul of a Man Edition)

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… (The Soul of a Man Edition)
Clarence “Baba Simba” Mollock, author of “Verbal Vacancy”
(Peace In The Storm Publishing)

Whenever I am asked about my “accent”, I relate the story of my speech impediment. Most find it difficult to believe. They are unaware of how I am still struggling to “speak well”. When I realized that I had a chance to publish my story, it was only then that I decided after all these years to write it down. I hope to inspire others to be persistent in their endeavors. More importantly never forget from whence you came.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write “Verbal Vacancy”?

Clarence “Baba Simba” Mollock: I got the idea to write “Verbal Vacancy” when a friend of mine suggested that I write the story of my speech impediment. I am a storyteller. My storyteller name is Baba Simba Mollock.

When I tell stories there is always someone who asks about my “accent”. I try to explain that it is not an accent. I used to be severely tongue-tied. Most did not believe me, because, as they say, I speak so well. “Verbal Vacancy” is a reminder of what could have been. It was not inspiration – it was perspiration! Now I can finally wipe my forehead.

JP: What has been your personal experience in being a part of The Soul of a Man Anthology?

CM: Being a part of The Soul of a Man Anthology has opened my eyes. I can now see that I can be more helpful by speaking out rather than keeping under the radar. When I read their stories, I realized that facing the truth about oneself can be painful, but you do not have to bare the pain alone. Meeting some of the “Soul Brothers” showed me a side of caring that I had not experienced before.

JP: What is your most memorable moment of The Soul of a Man Anthology in terms of what has been expressed of you by someone who has had a chance to read this book?

CM: Persons who read my story would often tell me how they were reminded about their childhood. My immediate family realized that they, too, had stories to tell – but, from another perspective. Childhood memories, growing up in the South, school stories once forgotten, these were just some of the tales told to me by young adults and my elders.

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

CM: In writing most of my stories I follow the process of “backward mapping”. That is, I finish the story, then I list the events that led to the finish. I write an outline and review that outline several times before I begin to write the story.

When the story is written, I put it away for a couple of days before I proof read it. Lastly, I have someone else (whose suggestions I value) to read it. “Verbal Vacancy” took a couple of weeks from outline to completion. (It’s kind of easy when it’s the story of your life!)

JP: What is next for Clarence “Baba Simba” Mollock?

CM: I do several storytelling performances a year. I tell about my personal life as well stories that I have read. With the help of Elissa Gabrielle, I can finally feel myself wanting to publish the many stories and poems that I have written since the age of thirteen. Yes, I can honestly say that I have kept a forty-seven year diary. I read a lot, and I did a lot of writing because I had so much to say when no one would listen to me.

http://thesoulofaman.net/

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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview, the soul of a man

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Marc Lacy, author of Bottomed Out (The Soul of a Man Edition)

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… (The Soul of a Man Edition)
Marc Lacy, author of “Bottomed Out”
(Peace In The Storm Publishing)

“Bottomed Out” is a fiction short story about a lower middle-class African-American family living in Indiana whose focus is to make sure their son, J.R., is raised correctly and learns wholesome life values. Unfortunately, J.R. is caught up in the hype of peer pressure and feels he has to “dress the part” by going through his teen life with pants sagging off of his behind.

Because of this habit, J.R. suffered an embarrassing moment on the basketball court. Thus, he was kicked off of the team and suspended from school. To teach J.R. a lesson, his father Buford put his own career and family reputation on the line in a very crucial fashion to prove a point.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write “Bottomed Out”?

Marc Lacy: The inspiration to write “Bottomed Out” came from noticing how the “sagging pants” issue is more prevalent now than it has ever been all over the country and the world. The points of emphasis are geared toward those youth who want to be somebody but are unfortunately unable to understand the importance of professionalism.

JP: What has been your personal experience in being a part of The Soul of a Man Anthology?

ML: My experience has been wonderful. Everything from meeting the faces behind the writing, to meeting the masses who have been positively impacted by The Soul of a Man Anthology.

JP: What is your most memorable moment of The Soul of a Man Anthology in terms of what has been expressed of you by someone who has had a chance to read
this book?

ML: I was at a book signing for another publication when someone came up to the table (who apparently already read Soul of a Man) and started bragging to a customer about how they enjoyed the book and that they encourage everyone to pick it up and read it.

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

My writing process for short stories is to go ahead and write it out as if I’m about to send it to the editor. After the raw/rough draft, I go in and apply as many fine-tuning waves as possible. “Bottomed Out” took roughly a day to write the draft.

JP: What is your latest short story collection, Wretched Saints (with Assuanta Howard), about? And what has been your journey with that book?

ML: Wretched Saints is a fiction short story book that highlights the fact that even when so-called “good people” do wrong, bad things can and will happen. When a person is up to no good…it is what it is, whether they are a preacher, drug dealer, or homeless hobo. But they have to recognize when God gives them the opportunity to recover.

Thus far, the book has been well received by various walks of life. Mainly the religious and non religious, the churched and unchurched, so on and so forth have been enamored by it. Wretched Saints has been great during book reviews/discussions.

Awards Recognition:

  • Marc Lacy (“The Looking Heart”) won the Poet of the Year Award(Disilgold.com)
  • Marc Lacy (“The Looking Heart”) won the Self-Published Poet of the Year Award(Aspicomm)
  • Marc Lacy won “Poet of The Year” – 2005 (C&B Books Distributors-NYC)
  • Marc Lacy won “2006 Poet of The Year” – via Memphis Black Writer’s Conference
  • Charles Owens won an Independent Producer of the Year Award for his masterful production regarding the CD REFlux (Disilgold.com)
  • 2007 Distinguished Alum Award for S.R. Butler High
  • 2007 Nominee for “Poet of the Year” along with Nikki Giovanni (Open Book Awards, for Rock & Fire)

http://www.marclacy.com/
http://www.avopublishing.com/
http://twitter.com/marc_lacy
http://www.facebook.com/marclacy
http://www.myspace.com/mlacy

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