Author Biographies
These two national best-selling authors Ashley & Jaquavis hit the scene at the ripe age of 17 when New York Times Best-selling author Carl Weber discovered them. During their freshman year in college they both received publishing deals and have not looked back since. With smash hit novel The Cartel, they have solidified themselves as two of the best in their genre, together or apart. With a roster of 14 novels published and hefty ghostwriting resume they have made a successful career for themselves. They have appeared in publications such as Essence and Vibe. Setting precedents, the duo also has a publishing deal with the world famous Cash Money Records, introducing their highly anticipated series titled Murderville.
Terry Allen owns 1016 Media -- an event management and public engagement company, and has roster which includes work with: Essence,Time Warner, Black Enterprise, Upscale, Home Depot, United Health Care, Real Men Cook, Sam’s Club, Food Network's Chef Jeff Henderson, Oscar nominated Reggie Bythewood, National Author Iyanla Vanzant, Movie actors Rockmond Dunbar & Hill Harper, Rainforest Films, Universal Pictures, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and others. He is also the Director of Business and Development for the Business Assistance Center in Dallas. His work at the Business Assistant Center has generated over 1.8 Mil for the graduates of his Small Business Plan Plus class.This Southern Methodist University alumni is a featured public relations and marketing columnist for two local Texas newspapers and was voted one of the top 50 movers and shakers in Marketing by Ntheknow.com two years in a row.
He is one of the authors of the best selling book Real Men Cook: Rites, Rituals and Recipes for Living, Simon and Schuster. He is a contributing columnist to several newspapers and he was formerly the Managing Editor at the Dallas Examiner. Mr. Allen has also served as co-chair of NABJ’s Associate Member’s Task Force until 2011. He is the recipient of the 2011 NABJ Salute to Excellence Award for Public Relations in the area Cause Related Marketing- Business Services. His annual Father's Day Event - Real Men Cook Dallas, now in its 14th year, is Nielsen's highest rated event for Father's Day weekend in DFW and is attended by a roster of Who's Who in Dallas including celebrities and media personalities. He is also the founder of The Emerging Women's Business Camp aptly nicknamed Sister CEO which happens to be the largest small business camp for women owned businesses in Texas.
Linnie Ford, a Dallas, Texas native, Linnie has a Bachelors Degree in Sociology and will soon complete her Masters Degree in Education from Texas A&M University. She is a former Social Worker and veteran teacher of eleven years. Although she has enjoyed working with others to fulfill their goals, she decided to pursue her passion of writing. She acknowledges that writing is a driving force in her life as she started this adventure at a very young age. She has always used her innovative imagination and creativity to develop fictional characters relevant to real world experiences. Linnie was introduced to theatre as a child and credits it for initiating the stories inside her. After spending years of working with families and individuals striving to make a change, she is truly filled with admiration for their courage. Using this as a motive to create a heartrending story, Linnie produces The Woman Inside Me. The book first launched through ebook in April 2012. This book is self-published by Linnie’s company, Harrison Ford Publishing House. Her novel can be purchased through her website www.thewomaninsideme.com, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon. Get ready for the sequel, Save the Date, another dramatic and poignant story.
Michele Grant grew up wanting to be a combination of Maya Angelou, Perry Mason, and Eartha Kitt. Deciding that law books were dusty and boas not practical for everyday wear, she’s still clinging to that Maya Angelou dream. When not laboring away on the keyboard, she can be found trying to channel her “inner B. Smith”, growing roses, trying new recipes and wondering if just one more throw pillow works with that sofa? She has Ella Fitzgerald and Kanye West on the same playlist in her iPod, she’s affectionately been given the nickname “Shopping Queen”, and there is not a single fall Sunday where her TV isn’t tuned in to an NFL game. Contradictory yet contemporary, Michele sees the humor in all things and shares that with her readers.
NANA ADWOA KONADU BONNEY-GRAVES is a young talented author who has always pursued writing as a pastime that truly evokes all emotion. She was raised by her grandmother in Ghana, West Africa, where she received her Early Childhood and Junior Secondary School Education at North Ridge Lyceum, a private institution in Accra, Ghana. It was there after reading Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and Max Ehrman's Desiderata is when she fell in love with literature and its many genres. She completed her High School education back in America from James Bowie High School in Arlington, Texas and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Texas Wesleyan University, in Fort Worth, Texas. With a goal to achieve a dynamic career in Counseling, her journey continues as she pursues a graduate degree in Professional Counseling. For Adwoa, writing has always been a form of release and close to therapeutic to express every situation or emotion. As a result, writing and reading poetry became a catalyst to encourage, inspire and motivate herself and others through life's different turns. Upon the many obstacles she has overcome in life, her message is one of triumph, strength, and always looking forward. Inspiration for her work comes from so many venues: her strong faith in God, the literary works of diverse, notable poets, writers, and musicians, as well as life experiences. She has eclectic tastes in music, culture, food, books and everything else in between. She enjoys traveling and adventures and embraces the ocean as a grand stage. Surreptitious Voice is her fi rst book and published work, the fi rst of many books to come.
Professor Griff is an internationally renowned educator, writer, producer, musician, platinum recording/spoken word artist, lecturer and foundingmember of the pioneering and revolutionary hip hop group Public Enemy. Author of the popular music business guide: Musick Bizness R.I.P. (Resource Information Publication), Griff stands as a highly acclaimed, seasoned entertainment industry veteran and sought-after resource on all aspects of the music business. An activist within both the conscious and hip hop communities, Griff currently stands as a permanent fixture on the international lecture circuit with his riveting and powerful discourse/book, the Psychological Covert War on Hip Hop. Armed with an exemplary life of service and an impressive twenty-year musical career, Griff captivates audiences with his universal call for social responsibility within both the hip hop community and larger culture.
Mike Guinn is a native East Texan who holds a Masters Degree in social work from UT Arlington. He is the owner of Mike Guinn Ent and is a multi-published internationally renown poet-advocate who quite arguably could be the most active youth empowerment specialist in the country! Michael's passion for performance poetry has helped him promote youth literacy, anti bullying initiatives, domestic violence, HIV and sexual assault awareness. He has been nominated for the Legacy Of Men Award, National Poetry Award and a 2012 Hoodie award for community work. Michael Guinn's name is synonymous with quality event coordination and promotion. His latest book "Crying In Colors" is a coveted collection of personal stories and poems that is widely viewed at schools and colleges worldwide. Available online or at the Tulisoma. For more on Michael, please visit http://www.mikeguinn.com/
Mack Hazley was born in Dallas Texas Westside where he lived in a shotgun house with is mom and four older siblings. The family would later move to what was known as short North Dallas where his dad joined them, along with an additional baby brother. Mack was the first in his family of seven siblings to attend college and earn a degree in Psychology and retains a Master’s degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. He is a former mental health therapist who has worked with children and adolescents for over twenty years; and presently serves as a student advisor at Texans Can Academy / Dallas South.
Setria James was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She is a graduate of Texas Woman's University, where she earned a Bachelor in Fine Arts and a Masters of Art. During her graduate studies, Setria explored the effects of imagery on children and their development. It was this research that catapulted her to the "Doodling Fun" book series. This series of coloring books allows her to marry her love of doodling, coloring, and learning! Setria's life long goal is to positively affect change in her community through cultivating her own artistic expression as well as assisting others in finding their creative voice.
Rhonda Jackson Joseph has always been an avid, equal opportunity reader. One of her early forays into writing was during junior high school when she produced numerous romance short stories in which she and her best girlfriends were the heroines. The stories were circulated and garnered quite a following. Thus, she found that romance writing came rather natural to her. Her focus shifted toward horror writing when the elevated hormone levels in her body during pregnancy brought on terrifying nightmares during the scant hours she could find sleep. The dreams demanded to be placed on paper, and she hoped they would then be exorcised. To no avail, as they never completely disappeared. In fact, they multiplied. In 2007, Rhonda began working with Whispers Publishing as an editor, and currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief. At present, she is also working on an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University. Rhonda has placed several short works in both the horror and romance genres. Her first novel, a contemporary romance entitled Call It What You Want, was released by Tea and a Tome Publishing in March 2007. She currently lives in Texas with her husband and four children, where she continues to edit, write and read voraciously.
Jamie Mayes is a native of DeRidder, Louisiana born on November 8, 1982. Growing up the in the housing projects of DeRidder, she experienced the aches of living in poverty and a single parent home. Externally a happy child, Jamie internally fought issues of low self-esteem and childhood depression until her mid-teenaged years when she discovered her talent for writing and speaking. Upon graduation, Jamie completed studies in English with minors in Communication Studies and African American Studies at Louisiana State University. Shortly after finishing graduate school, she began working on the publication of her first book Tear Stained Dresses & Dusty Shoes. In addition to being a writer and speaker, Jamie is also a high school English teacher in Monroe, Louisiana. She is currently working on the release of a second collection of poetry Pennies, In My Pocket. and a novel entitled Blood is Supposed to be Thicker. She continues to travel about sharing her story and the message that we all have the power to overcome life's battles.
Erica Mills-Hollis was born in Longview, Texas – a quiet bedroom community in the eastern part of the state. If you ask Mills-Hollis, she would say her childhood was relatively uneventful, even sort of boring. That is until 1994, the year her life changed forever. That year, at the age of 15, Mills-Hollis learned she was pregnant with her first child, a son she named Erique. Determined to make the best of a challenging situation, Mills-Hollis found ways to not only “cope” with teenage pregnancy, but to use that experience to push herself to live life to her fullest potential. Today, Mills-Hollis’ dreams of becoming a writer have become a reality, as a voice for teenage mothers all across the country. Her book Dreams Altered but Not Abandoned gives young mothers-to-be the hope, advice, encouragement and real world guidance they need to be happy, healthy and responsible parents.
N'Tyse is a Dallas, Texas native and bestselling author of, Twisted Seduction. While N'Tyse, pronounced "entice", spells out exotic seduction, the true significance behind her name takes on an entire new meaning. Never Tell Your Secrets is the hidden message she envelops within her stimulating taboo tales. N'Tyse's writing career began at a very young age where she found poetry, music, and story-telling as an outlet of escape. Now 30, the writer's obsession with the pen is better described as the "intimate release" for her imagination. In 2007, she ambitiously penned and self published her freshmen novel, My Secrets Your Lies. Upon the release of her first book, she discovered that her hobby-writing was no longer just a niche to satisfy that writing crave, but a true talent where her underlying passion awaited.
Quineka Ragsdale has been writing since she was a young child. With natural interest in history and people, Quineka has devoted her life to learning and teaching original history to kids. She noticed the lack of knowledge that young Black children had in regards to their history and plans to use Demarcus Jones as a tool to change this. She resides in Dallas, TX with her two boys.
Jeannicole Rivers - I was born in the tiny, but lovable town of Centralia, IL which has a two screen movie theatre, one high school and still celebrates May Fete, so I had no choice, but to develop a fantastic imagination. Since childhood I have been writing everything from short stories to songs, but I have always aspired to compose a novel. Black Water Tales: The Secret Keepers is my first novel and the first book in what will be a series of thriller novels. Philosophy was my field of study in college and I received a Bachelor of Arts in the subject from Florida International University. Writing is one of my most favored artistic pursuits, but my love for the arts does not stop there, I am also a vocalist and actress and participate in local theater in Houston, Texas.
SH’MOORE’S writing style makes her readers question whether art is an imitation of life, or if life simply imitates art. A Lover’s Redemption is her first novel to the trilogy with the Kennedy-Johnson families. This Dallas, TX native has always studied people. As a youth, she always took in the nature of relationships and the outcomes of situations. After a bit of a culture shock and receiving her degree from a private college, she had seen an eclectic mixture of culturally and sexually diverse interactions. In her work, you witness her own relationships weaving their essences into her works as she uses emotions that are raw and real to add authenticity to her characters. She longs for readers to be active in the relationships they create and to “listen more than they explain because peace comes when there is no reason to complain!”
Chavonne Starr is an ambitious mother of two who has a strong sense of purpose and direction. She has a dream to make a movie based on her book, and is currently a resident of Dallas, Texas. She is hard at work on her next novel, D-Town King 2.
MYRA TOWNER-RANKIN is the author of two novels titled: “The Rain Will Tell” and “Dangerous Last Name Games.” She was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Myra worked full-time while attending Penn Valley College and later, Kansas City Business College. Myra moved to Texas in 1985. She worked at EDS as a Writer for an in-house newsletter and Business Analyst for their Minority and Women-Owned Business program. She was also responsible for seamlessly bringing teams of Ambassadors from around the world to Texas, where they embarked upon the task of learning the industries that EDS’s products supported. Myra later went to work as an Investor Relations Specialist at i2 Technologies. Myra is a member of Phi Theta Kappa. Myra volunteered for the Disaster Action Team for the American Red Cross. She also served on a Site Management team to help shape and write educational policies for children. Myra works in conjunction with The Writers Garret, The Dallas Independent School District, and the Arts Council to reach out to students in south Dallas. She has completed an apprenticeship offered by the Writers Garret for WITS (Writers in the Schools) and now works under the tutelage of the Writers Garret as a Creative Literary Specialist, serving at-risk elementary students in an after-school environment. She teaches them pride, preparedness and presentation skills so they can learn to "paint with words.” Myra has served as an academic coach at North Lake College. Myra enjoys gardening, cooking, and also writes contemporary poetry. Myra loves to make people laugh. She is currently studying English Literature, and working on her third novel. “Dangerous Last Name Games” and “The Rain Will Tell” are published through Infinity Publishing and are available in Hard Copy, Paperback, Nook, eBook and Kindle formats.
Toni Watkins is the author of the romance novel titled, Swinging-out & Chicago Style Steppin’ into Love. She is returning with her up-coming novel is titled Quiet As It's Kept that will be release in 2012. She has also written two screen plays. In 2011, she received an award and was inducted into the Omaha, Nebraska’s Black Music & Community Hall of Fame. She can also be found in Who’s Who in Black Dallas 2012 Inaugural Edition. She’s a Swing-out dancer and a Chicago Style Stepper, which contributed to her motivation to write the novel. She has performed on land and at sea, on Festival at Sea’s Cruise Ship, also performed in African American Idol Show. Toni is the Director of Personnel with Prodigal Group LLC. She has a Master's Degree from Amberton University, Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a Paralegal Certification from the College of Saint Mary’s. She is a member of the National Black MBA Association. She’s an avid snow skier and a member of the Texas Ski Rangers/National Brotherhood of Skiers for nineteen years. Toni resides in Dallas, TX, and has a daughter, Shanell. Visit her online at www.thetoniwatkinsproject.com
Sandra K. Wilkerson, the third youngest of twelve children, married the love of her life and moved to Dallas, Texas where they raised their seven children. The grandmother of four currently enjoys working in her garden with her husband Joe in DeSoto, Texas.