Author’s Bio: Brother Dash is an Amazon Bestselling
author. He has been featured on BBC World Television, BBC Radio, Ebru TV, Pacifica
Radio and a variety of other media outlets in the U.S., Canada, England,
Africa, and The Middle East.
DL: What’s next for you?
BD: I’m working on Mocha Mojo which is the sequel to Sweet Mojo and I’m also putting together something that takes advantage of my live storytelling skills.
He is the author
of the novel, The Donor: When Conception
Meets Deception, Sweet Mojo: One Man’s Descent Through Danger & Delight
and the stage play “Black Mirrors.” He is also an accomplished performance poet
with three spoken word albums and has performed for over 100,000 people
throughout the US, the UK and Canada. He is a graduate of Rutgers University with
a degree in English and Sociology and resides in New Jersey.
DL: What’s the
inspiration for writing your book?
BD: I was
interested in creating a Marvel Cinematic type universe with a touch of
supernatural mystery, grounded in the everyday and featuring characters of
color. I knew I wanted to create a series that readers could follow through
several books.
DL: Is there any
particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or
as an adult?
BD: I was inspired by Shakespeare as far as command of language
and cleverness. But there was no particular author or book that influenced me
much until Walter Mosley’s
Devil in a Blue Dress.
DL: How long did
it take to write your book?
BD: My first
novel, The Donor, took 2 1/2 years
and my second, Sweet Mojo, took about
half that time.
DL: Do you write
with an outline, or just let it flow organically?
BD: My first
novel was organic which is why it took so long. For my second novel I used an
outline and that allowed me to be more efficient and stay on task.
DL: Do you listen
to music when you write? If yes, is there a theme song for this book?
BD: I don’t
usually listen to music when I write. I tend to prefer nature…or the natural
sounds of the environment I am in—even a city. I don’t write well in coffee
shops although I can edit what I’ve already written in those places. It’s funny
you mention “Is there a theme song for the book?” because each chapter in Sweet Mojo is actually the title of a
song.
DL: What are the
keys to success in marketing your book(s)?
BD: I’m still
figuring that out! But the most important key to success is to write the damn book.
So many people talk about book clubs and fairs and Internet marketing and TV,
radio for their books and haven’t even written it yet. So that’s number one.
After that I’d say book clubs, social media posts (if you have a decent sized
network which I do) and Amazon ads. I think it also helps that I was able to
capitalize on my brand as a spoken word poet. That helped with initial sales.
DL: What advice
would you give to aspiring writers?
BD: #1 Write! #2
Write some more! #3 Be your own biggest cheerleader. #4 Believe in yourself. #5
Develop a thick skin. Not everyone is going to like your work, rightly or
wrongly. Some people are just flat out miserable and mean but others actually
have constructive criticism. Ignore the meanies but take criticism. One of the
worst things you can do is to not be open to feedback. That’s how I improved my
first novel so much. After I made some revisions based on constructive
criticism—including an overhaul of the cover—my novel hit the Amazon
bestsellers list in Contemporary Urban Fiction.
DL: How about
sharing an excerpt from The Donor?
BD: Here you go.
“Shauntelle? What are you
doing here? Where’s your sister?” he says.
Shauntelle freezes on the top step of the
stoop and screws her eyebrows down at him. She hoists a hefty bag on her
shoulder and elbows past him toward an idling minivan.
“Shauntelle. Shauntelle, I’m talking to
you. Where’s your sister?”
“I don’t got shit to say to you and
neither does my sister.”
Her chocolate arms dump the heavy plastic
bag in the backseat. A pair of her sister’s jeans flop out. His eyes pop. As he
turns to bolt up the steps, a teary-eyed woman appears in the doorway.
“Babe, babe what are you doing?” he says.
The woman ignores him and clanks an
overstuffed suitcase out of the Brooklyn brownstone.
“Babe, stop. I asked you a question.”
He grabs her arm. She glares back. Her
hazel brown eyes are pink and puffy. She blinks with a sniffle and a trickle.
“Get your paws off of me,” she says.
“Babe, listen. I know you’re upset. Let me
ex—,”
“Negro, please,” Shauntelle says. “Get out
of my sister’s way.”
The woman snatches her arm from his grip.
She rolls the suitcase to the curb. He fires a stiff finger at Shauntelle.
“Mind your damn business, Shauntelle. This
is between us.”
Shauntelle looks him up and down. Then she
gets up in his face.
“I always knew you was hiding something.
Ain’t no man that damn perfect.”
Her sister stomps back toward the steps.
He blocks her.
“Baby, please. What you heard isn’t the
whole truth.”
“You’re in my way,” she says.
“Baby, at least let me try to—”
“Move,” she says.
The nosy neighbor from across the street
bends her ear to the action. She continues to sweep her porch. It’s immaculate.
“Sweetheart, don’t act this way. That’s
not how we do,” he says.
His lady shoots her arms to the sky.
“How we do? What we are you
talking about? I don’t know you anymore. I never did. You were nothing but a
lie. You played me for a fool. I wasted four years of my life on your lying
ass. Four years.”
“Mmmhmm that’s right sis, you tell him. He
ain’t shit [she turns to him]. You know you ain’t shit right?”
DL: What’s next for you?
BD: I’m working on Mocha Mojo which is the sequel to Sweet Mojo and I’m also putting together something that takes advantage of my live storytelling skills.
DL: Where can readers find out more about you and your
book(s)?
BD: You can find me here:
BD: You can find me here:
·
Website:
www.brotherdash.com
·
Amazon
Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Brother-Dash/e/B01CB5JD1I
·
Facebook:
facebook.com/brotherdash
·
Twitter:
@brotherdash
·
Blog:
www.brotherdash.com
It’s been a
pleasure having you here with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting to
know you and your work.
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