Author Spotlight: Lakisha Johnson

Daily double today!!

Another Author Spotlight from Delphine Publications, please read more about the talented Lakisha Johnson below:

LaKisha Johnson is a girl after God’s own heart; doing what she believes to be her purpose..writing.  In addition to being a self-publised author, she’s also a wife of 15 years, mother of 2 and native of Memphis, TN. She comes from a huge family and has always been the go to girl whenever someone needed a poem written or read, an acknowledgement that would convey just what they were thinking or even an occassion written for that special day. She’s an all-around talented lady that makes everything she touches turn to gold. She has 2 degrees from Southwest TN Community College both in Information Technology and has worked in the corporate field for over 15 years. She is also a dedicated blogger, delivering a devotional blog 5 days per week entitled ”Kisha’s Daily Devotionals.”

LaKisha wants readers of her books to step outside the box and read with imagination.  She wants them reeled in from the front cover to the last word, enjoying every second in between, asking for more.  She doesn’t proclaim to be the best writer or even author in the world..she just proclaims to be blessed because her motto is ”God’s purpose is bigger than any problem!”

Check out her Q&A with yours truly below!!

What inspires you to write the books you write? What motivates you?

I am inspired to write simply because I've been given this gift. I've always had the ability to write different things but I never dreamed that it would eventually lead to me being called an author. This alone is motivation enough for me to make sure I don't disappoint all those who read my work.

Do you research anything prior to starting a new project? Take us through a normal day with a new project that needs to be handed in.

No, not before but during because I want to make sure the things I write about are realistic. Writing or beginning a project for me is usually grabbing my laptop and allowing my thoughts to turn into words. I don't schedule time because it normally never works out like I plan so whenever I find time, I write or I jot down notes on my phone. However, I always work in enough time to ensure that anything I work on is turned in before time.

 What is hardest part about writing for you? The easiest part?

For me, as a writer, the hardest and easiest part is writing but that's because I want everything to be great. I have to make sure the storyline flows right, make sure there is just enough drama to keep the pages turning and then end it right to make the readers want more. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE writing but it is hard work.

What new projects are you working on now? 

I am currently working on A Secret Worth Keeping part 2 and I am also finishing a young adult devotional book that I started earlier in the year.

 Any advice for aspiring writers that you wish somebody had shared with you? 

Not to give up! However, I have learned that it's easier to jump down off the mountain that's has your dream, at the top, because the ground is closer to you but I am a witness that if you keep going, it'll be worth it once you've reached it. Now, please understand, the closer you get the more work you have to do but it's still worth it and once it's within reach you get this extra dose of adrenaline that won't let you quit. Don't ever allow someone to snatch your dream from your hands. Don't allow someone to tell you that you can't do it, make it or become this because you're capable of doing whatever it is that you want to do. We're all gifted because God made us that way, all we have to do is use it.

Look for Lakisha's new project, A Secret Worth Keeping.

All of her books are available for sale at amazon.com.


You can visit her at

www.facebook.com/KishaDJohnson

www.twitter.com @_lakishajohnson

instagram.com/kishajohnson

authorlakishajohnson.wordpress.com

I thank LaKisha and all of the authors for allowing me to interview them.

I think we have a few more authors we are anxious to feature from Delphine Publications, so stay tuned..

Thanks for your time..

Until next time....

Author Spotlight: Johnie Jay

Continuing on with highlighting exceptional contributors to the literary world, let's introduce Johnie Jay!

If there was one word to describe Author Johnie Jay, it would be passionate. He has always been verbally passionate but it wasn't until his first creative writing class, in 9th grade, when he found that his passion, mixed with his vast and lucid imagination could create temporary getaways. That's all a book is really, a getaway from the world, an escape. "I want every word of every sentence to be evocative. If I can't make you feel, taste or smell every scene that I create then what's the point?" Romance and passion goes hand in hand but when you add to it detailed and vivid sex scenes you're left with an explosive concoction. He has blended all three harmoniously in his first romantic novel, Inevitable ActI (of II) released December 3. He looks forward to sharing his imagination with the world!

Check out his interview with me below!!

What inspires you to write the books you write? What motivates you?

My inspiration is love and everything that comes along with it.  From the passion, the emotions, the reactions, sex, intimacy and relationships, all these things excite me.  And when you add all these things together along with an interesting plot you will automatically get a great story

Do you research anything prior to starting a new project? Take us through a normal day with a new project that needs to be handed in.

I definitely do research when it comes to writing a novel.  Whether it’s asking multiple women what would they do, say or think in a particular scenario that I’m writing about or if I’m including a certain kind of car in a scene I may have to research or look up images to describe the interior exact.  I want my novels to mirror real life.  I want someone who actually drives the car that I’m including to read that scene and be able to visualize it clearly.  Even though I write fiction I want it to have a non-fiction feel.

What is the hardest part about writing for you? The easiest part?

The easy part of writing for me is coming up with the scenes.  My imagination is pretty vivid.  The problem with that is choosing what to include.  You don’t want to be too wordy or drag a scene out.  The quicker you get to the point the better so the process of being my own editor is the hardest part of writing to me.

What new projects are you working on now?

 Next up for me is Inevitable Act II set to be released early spring 2014 and then and erotic cookbook (more details to come).

Any advice for aspiring writers that you wish somebody had shared with you?

If you choose the traditional route and want to submit your manuscript to a publisher make sure you pay attention to the word count as a matter of fact this is more important to do even before you start writing to make sure you’re within the guidelines.  Publishers are very strict on this and all of their submission guidelines.  So make sure you do your research!

Check out the cover to Jonnie Jay's newest book below

All of Johnie Jay's work is available at Amazon.com

Stay tuned for more Author spotlights!!

Thanks for tuning in!!!

Until next time....

Author Spotlight: Shewanda Pugh of Delphine Publications

Today, we are doing another spotlight on an author from Delphine Publications, Ms. Shewanda Pugh.

Shewanda Pugh is a native of Boston's inner city, though she now calls Miami, Florida home. She has a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Alabama A&M University and a Master's in Writing from Nova Southeastern University. Fueled from a young age, her passion for crossing societal boundaries like race, class and culture, is the inspiration for both her cluttered bookshelf and her writing. When she's not busy obsessing over fiction, she can be found traveling, nursing her social networking addiction or enjoying the company of loved ones.

Recently, we sat down with Ms. Pugh to get more insight from her about her career. Check out the interview below:

What inspires you to write the books you write? What motivates you?

I'm fascinated by the things that come together to make us us, to forge our identity. I see those things as family, friends, religion and/or other beliefs, love, social and financial circumstances. I'm also drawn to stories that feature insurmountable odds. For me, it felt natural to write about love overcoming all. This concept is at the heart of every Shewanda Pugh novel. 

Do you research anything prior to starting a new project? Take us through a normal day with a new project  that needs to be handed in. 

I am a research junkie. I check and triple check things I'm even certain about. I squint at maps before I have characters walk down a street just to ensure they're traveling in the right direction. I research cultural nuances and the how and why behind their development, before deciding the character either will embrace or reject these norms. For me, a new novel starts with a scene that's been burning a hole in my head. At this point, I know nothing of my characters, their goals, their obstacles or their setting. I don't even know their names. Still, I gear up the laptop and let the scene pour out. Usually, two or three follow. At this point, I may do "spot research," which is basically me Googling something or otherwise double checking it quickly. Later, when I've exhausted whatever inspiration gave me the initial idea, I go back and flesh out the backgrounds of my hero and heroine. I begin with whatever it is I've learned about them through these initial scenes and use that as a skeletal structure to flesh them out further. I get to know them and the people most important in their lives. I figure out their career and what character traits led to this career. I figure out their pet peeves and shortcomings. For me, it's a constant cycle of learning and applying what I've learned as I work through the novel.  

What is hardest part about writing for you? The easiest part?

The hardest part is letting go of a project. I am obsessed with the perfect book, all the while knowing that it can't exist. Still, I'm forever caught in this vortex of "one more round of edits" and "one more set of rewrites" and letting go is almost never part of the equation. On the opposite end of that is the writing itself. I rarely get writer's block, find it easy to jump from one project to the next, and I am always working on something. 

What new projects are you working on now?

 Right now I am working on a young adult romance series titled Love, Edy. It features an Asian Indian guy with dreams of the NFL and the ballerina next door that he adores. Tradition says that they can never be together, but it appears that the two may have other plans. 

Any advice for aspiring writers that you wish somebody had shared with you?

Keep at it. Quitting is the easiest thing you can do. The option will be there every single day. Reject it and be true to yourself.  

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Be sure to check out Ms. Pugh's latest release, Crimson Footprints III, which will be released January 7, 2014 on Amazon.com.

Thanks for checking us out and be sure to stay tuned for much more.

Until next time..