StreetLiterature Blog Interview

Vanessa I. Morris, University Professor and the country’s leading Street Lit. scholar recently interviewed me on her Street Literature blog.  During these interviews I discuss my love of Street Lit., how it affects tweens/teens, how the industry views the genre and the future of the genre.  It was truly an honor and pleasure to appear on her blog.  This interview was broken down in three parts and the links are listed below:

Part I  -  http://t.co/LwGPe9h

Part II -  http://t.co/xc3WLxT

Part III - http://t.co/750rb7k

On Another Note...
During the month of February, there has been a lot of discussion about Street Lit. on a popular listserv that I subscribe to.  Just in time for Black History month….hmm.  After reading several of these posts, I concluded that a good number of the librarians and teachers have really invested the time and effort to explore and learn how this genre can be used with tweens/teens.  On the other hand, I have also concluded that there are still a number of librarians and teachers that are still confused about the entire Street Lit. genre and which books should be classified as Street Lit.  Moreover, some of their opinions of their students of color really concerns me.  My heart goes out to the students of some of these school librarians.  These librarians lack professional development and understanding in this area of their collection and quite frankly should enroll in some diversity training. 

Suggestion:  Some of these librarians should purchase Vanessa I. Morris “The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Street Literature.”  The book is scheduled for a November release and will be an excellent reference for professors, librarians and lovers of the genre.   You can also learn more about the genre by subscribing to her RSS feed and follow her posts.  The articles are thought provoking and insightful.

I said it, I proclaim it, and I will defend what I believe.

Until next time, K.C.  

Breaking News...New Releases

On April 12^th, “Midnight and the Meaning of Love” by Sister Souljah will be released.  This is the much anticipated sequel to “Midnight.”    

Coe Booth, the author of “Tyrell” and “Kendra” will be releasing “Bronxwood” on September 1^st.  Readers will finally learn what happens to the character Tyrell.

Monica McKayhan, author of the Kimani Tru series ‘Indigo Summer’, will be releasing a new book series called “Premiere High.”  The novel ‘Ambitious’ is the first release slated for a September release.

If you are a fan of the Keysha’s Drama series, you’ll love this next release by author Earl Sewell.  Kimani Tru will release “Maya’s Choice” in November.

Finally, I wish the publishing houses would recognize that the fans of Dream Jordan (Hot Girls) and Dana Davidson (Played) are waiting for another book release.

Until next time, smootches!

Meet Author Samara King

Samara King began her literary journey at the age of twelve years old while sneaking to the back of the library and indulging in romance novels; soon after, she wrote her own! She has penned three novels and eleven novellas all within the multicultural erotic romance genre, as well as two poetry collections. Her first collection, The Ebony Kryptonite was published in November 2010 and will be followed by The Naked The Bare. She has been published by Cobblestone Press, Changeling Press, Loose Id, and Total-e-Bound.

Currently she is working on her next SK MINI project under her self-publishing company, Samara King Books or SKB. She recently become a columnist for The Urban Source Magazine. Her column, Real Talk with Samara King will launch in January 2011.

Samara lives in Chicago with her teenage son, where she encounters new adventures every day that service her in the creation of each of her stories!

Club Owner Belinda Gilles has come a long way since the little lost girl from Leimert Park who’d married millionaire Brandon Forde she once was. Now a wealthy widow and independent businesswoman, Belle has finally left her past behind her and severed ties that had left her with nothing but a broken heart. During a chance encounter with a masked stranger during the annual Grown & Sexy masquerade ball, Belle gives in to a soul-stirring passion that reawakes a lust, she’d long thought gone.  Now a year, later that unquenchable lust has only intensified as Belle hopes to come face to face with her mystery lover.  She could have never suspected for her past and present to collide in one heart pounding moment and losing her soul in the next.

Readers can reach her at: ms_samara_king@yahoo.com or visit her site at: http://samaraking.com

Synopsis:  Wounded soul, Jordan Harris knows all about fate and the game of chance. His whole life had been turned around and altered the moment he entered an alley and witnessed the death of his best friend. The stain of the past was neither one he could never erase nor the memory of Belle, the woman he’d always loved. When chance brought them back into each other’s lives, will Jordan walk away or reach for the first glimpse of redemption?


Interview with Samara King
Why did you become a writer? I love creating characters, learning new things and people watching and my plots/characters are birthed from these elements.
When did you know you wanted to publish a book? I knew when I started writing seriously for publication and had the hunger within to see my book in another person’s hands.
Why did you pick the genre that you write? I’ve been reading romance novels since I was in 8^th grade and I love the genre, I’m a romantic J
If you could write in any other genre what would it be? I write multi-genres: paranormal, suspense, contemporary, etc.
What is your writing process? It depends on the project. However, I definitely start with character first, picture browsing, reading, etc. and progress to character profiles.
How long did it take you to write your current book? It took about 6 weeks.
What mistakes have you made with this book that you will be sure to correct next time? I think I will not overcomplicate details, lol. In shorter fiction, you try not to leave anything out and I try very hard to do that.
When do you feel most comfortable in your writing zone? When the characters are so vivid that I can close my eyes and see them.
Who is your favorite author?  Brenda Jackson Favorite book?  I love all her work.
What books are you currently reading? I have not had the time to crack open a book for the last two months but working on rectifying that soon J

What advice do you have for those who are looking to publish their first book? Stay true to your voice, keep honing your craft and never stop learning.