JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… (The Soul of a Man Edition)
Eddrick Dejuan, author of “The Birthday Gift”
(Peace In The Storm Publishing)
“The Birthday Gift” is a purely fictional story that was written because of the need to show that there are black men out there who accept the responsibility of parenting and choose to play an active role in their children lives. Even though I do not have any children, I felt as though the story needed to be told from the perspective of someone who is fatherless.
I was not fortunate enough to have my father in my life. I do believe that I have turned out OK, but the trend of leaving women to be single mothers must stop. This story puts the shoe on the other foot and shows the woman leaving the man as a single parent.
In “The Birthday Gift”, it’s Allen who has to deal with the struggles of being a new single parent with a spouse who walked out. He has to feel the pain of being left all alone, and he has to show how strong his faith in God is. I hope this story sheds some light on what it takes to be a single parent and also show how honorable it is to take responsibility for ones family, actions and commitments.
Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write “The Birthday Gift”?
Eddrick Dejuan: I wanted to highlight the fact that there are men out there that don’t get the credit for being a struggling single dad. Most of the times its the single mom that gets the attention.
JP: What has been your personal experience in being a part of The Soul of a Man Anthology?
ED: I enjoyed being apart of a strong and deep cast of brothers. I felt as though I grew as a writer and man.
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?
ED: I am humbled that readers came away with the fact that in the midst of turmoil and despair, someone is always praying for them. If they just hold on, better times are ahead.
JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish “The Birthday Gift”?
ED: When I begin to write, I outline first and then add scenes. I have a very systematic approach to writing. It took me about 15 days to write “The Birthday Gift”.
JP: What is your book, Madam Eve, about? And what has been your journey with that book?
ED: Madam Eve is a romance novel. It deals with Revenge vs. Forgiveness. Evelyn was married to a football player who cheated on her. She got a divorce and decided to take revenge against him and her friends cheating husbands.
As a side note, I have ventured into comic books. You can check us out at http://www.e2comics.com/. I have a very active imagination and I feel as though comics give me the freedom to do whatever as far as story goes.
http://www.eddrickdejuan.com/
http://www.e2comics.com/
http://www.myspace.com/eddrickdejuan
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