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Miss Miasha, the
buzz surrounding your debut novel, SECRET SOCIETY is beyond loud.
What was the spark that began you on the "secretive"
journey?
The
original concept of the book was young women hustling men for
money and material possessions, but when I wrote the first few
pages, which reveals the tragedy, I asked myself what would really
make a man want to kill a woman. Then it hit me. If he found out
that she... That was the spark. The secret was developed and the
journey began.
In
25 words or less, make TNC readers want to buy SECRET SOCIETY.
Secret
Society is one of those stories that'll stick to your soul. In a
genre that is an emerging trend, it's definitely at the forefront.
The
first page of your novel is like a kick in the face it's so raw
and gritty. What allowed you to get into that rawness, that
realness that can be seen not only on the first page, but also
throughout the entire novel?
I
grew up in a raw and gritty environment. I saw things first-hand
and I'm a realist because of it. I don't believe in sugarcoating.
The only way people will get the picture is if you give it to
them.
Do
you see yourself staying within the urban/street genre in which
SECRET SOCIETY falls in, or do you have goals to explore other
genres in your writing?
I'm
so glad you asked that. My writing style is very versatile. I have
so many stories to tell and no two of them are alike. Just wait
until you read my second novel, The Diary of a Mistress. You'll
see that I have a lot to offer.
What
do you hope people get out of reading SECRET SOCIETY?
A
heart-felt wake-up call. I want the women who live like Celess and
Tina to think twice about the choices they make, and I want men to
pay more attention to the types of women they get involved with.
Ultimately, I want people to always remember the characters, the
story, and me, the writer.
Who
inspires you as a writer?
Maya
Angelou, Terry McMillan, Karen Quinones Miller, and Omar Tyree.
Many other people inspire me, but the few that I've named inspire
my path.
What's
the perfect "writing setting" for you?
Jay-Z's
"Feeling It" is playing in my car, and I'm driving
around the hood watching three and four generations sitting out on
the steps of the home they all share, hustlers on the corner,
little girls jumping rope, and boys playing ball, and maybe
somebody getting their hair braided on their porch. Just seeing
where I started and focusing on where I'll end is the perfect
"writing setting" for me. It makes me hustle. It
makes me write.
If
you were not a writer, what would be your dream career?
Directing
films in Hollywood somewhere. Traveling around the world making
movies.
What
projects are you working on now? Are there any conferences or book
signings in the near future?
I'm
finishing up my third novel. And as for signings, I'm scheduled to
do weekend signings in Atlanta April 21-23, Baltimore April 28-30,
Cleveland May 12-14, at the B.E.A. in Washington, DC May 18-20, in
Los Angeles in June, I believe the Harlem Book Festival in July,
and more to come.
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