Meet Author Mack Mama

I met Mack in the All4One author’s group I’ve mentioned a few times over the past few months and have been truly impressed with how much she promotes other authors and seems to be a great all around person, so I asked her to come on and tell us a little something about herself and her writing. So let me be quiet.

Tell us a little about yourself. My Name is Mack Mama I am an Entertainer/Author/Motivational Speaker/Radio Host. I am a mother of an eleven year old, darling daughter named Velvet, who is my pride and joy. Umm lets see?? I did a considerable amount of time incarcerated due to an unsavory lifestyle that I regret but it made me who I am today. I had to go thru the storm to realize the beauty of calm skies.

When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax and have fun? I love to rap and sing I make music that I include in my books for the soundtrack. I host parties and perform. I also adore vacationing on tropical islands. I want to one day own a club in a five star resort.

Tell us something few know about you. I am incredibly reclusive. I have the capacity to become very large and am obsessed with my weight. It kills me because I enjoy eating gourmet meals. I am a great chef but don’t have a clue how to make southern food. I cook like a Caucasian.

What genre(s) do you like to read? Non fiction-Biographies and self-help, and Suspense thrillers, trashy novels like anything Jackie Collins, also whatever Sydney Sheldon wrote before his demise. Of course I love Urban Lit-Noire, Miz, Dashawn Taylor, Alfred Adams Jr, Fabiola Joseph and Caroline McGill are some of my favorite Urban Lit Authors.

What is your favorite novel and why? “Master of the Game” by Sydney Sheldon, you haven’t read to you read that book. I get chills just thinking of the genius of that novel. I didn’t just read that book I envisioned it. I cried, I cheered, I marveled and I vowed to one day be a third of a writer that Sydney was.

What was the last novel you read that you enjoyed and why? “Raised by Wolves inside the mind of a guerrilla hustler” by Cavario H. It is an autobiography that is brutally honest like my autobiography “Tales of an Original Bad Girl” I am really into truth and keeping it real and Raised by Wolves is the truth!

When did you begin writing? I began in prison, most predictable huh? lol

What genre(s) do you write? Non-Fiction, Self Help, Inspirational and Urban Lit

Where do your concepts for your novels come from? My life and the experiences I survived.

How long does it typically take you to write a book? Anywhere from 2 years to 30 days.

Tell us about your latest book? Daisy Jones is the title and it’s about a young, gorgeous temptress with alluring green eyes, who seduces men with her beauty. She is raised by her Mother to be a gold digger. Mama Jones instilled in her daughter the art of manipulation and how to scheme on her prey. Daisy had no idea that her heart would get in the way of business until she met her match in Young Chio the southern rapper and C.E.O of a multi-million dollar empire.

The story begins in Atlanta, Georgia and travels up north to New York City, as drama unfolds involving a wide range of colorful characters namely the notorious crew the O.B.G’s. These women are a gumbo of hustlers, killers and drug dealers who have earned a reputation in the streets for being beyond terrorist. Havoc ensues as the plot twists and turns. Deception, treachery and griminess threaten to swallow all the players connected to Daisy Jones.

The end result of Daisy Jones wild lifestyle will wake up all the sleeping young girls and women who are trying to get to the top by getting their “Daisy Jones” on. This book will take you thru a whirlwind of emotions and guaranteed to leave you gasping for a quick dose of reality because Daisy Jones lives in an insane world where nothing or nobody is what they seem!

Whew!! That just made me want to read my own book again, I know it is a winner because no lie I read it about four times after it was printed. I pick it up randomly just to admire the cover and feel my creation, glance thru a few pages and before you know it I’m stuck! Lol

Are you consciously aware of the plot before you begin a novel, or do you discover it as you write? I never know what is going to flow from my pen, but with the sequel to Daisy Jones I have an idea, because I want it to pick up right where I left off.

Tell us a little about your main and supporting characters of your current book? Daisy is sixteen and a hot mess, she is unnaturally mature and can hold her own among the elites. She has class and only wants the best out of life. She was molded by her shallow, bitter mother to use and manipulate men for their money.

Anjel is her best friend and she is devoted to Daisy for many reasons, she admires her friend for her style and ability to remain with her virginity intact while still milking men for their treasures. She is also very young and was orphaned when her mom died tragically from cancer. She has no family and Daisy helped her escape from foster care when the caretakers where trying to molest and abuse her. She was forced to survive by stripping away her pride and dignity, unfortunately she felt she had found her calling. She loved her profession and used the unsavory lifestyle to forget about her degrading family secret.

Young Chio was Daisy’s biggest conquest but his swagger and personality not to mention millionaire status had her falling for him. He is used to having whatever he wants and Daisy is not the only treat on his menu.

Ivy is one of the founders of the notorious crew the O.B.G’s and she is Poison, thus the nick name Poison Ivy. She is larceny hearted, cold and calculated and has a twisted mentality due in large from her mother’s sadistic past. She is hired to seek revenge on Daisy by Young Chio and wont stop trying to collect her blood money until the job is completed.

There a few more main supporting characters but I fear I may be giving away a little too much.

Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination? Everyone is based on people I knew from the street life I lived and parts of myself.

Tell us who or what was the inspiration behind your latest book? I want to get young people to read interesting stories that they can relate to, and the opportune word is “relate.” I write these stories for the girls and guys that are living the lifestyle portrayed in my books. “Street Lit” with a twist, the twist is the moral content that I always include in all my books. I don’t glorify the lifestyle there are dire consequences for every action my characters partake in.

Does the setting play a major part in the development of your story? Yes the story starts in the south and I did a great job of including southern culture, facts and accurate dialog for that setting. When the story progressed and the setting switched to the north I didn’t lose my accuracy.

Where can readers purchase your latest book? Amazon and for the print version go to http://www.starstatuspublishing.com/  I am currently doing a promotional deal for both of my books it’s called the “Mack Pack” 2 for 20.00 free shipping and handling.

What other titles have you written? My autobiography titled “Tales of an Original Bad Girl” which is about my tumultuous life. I survived the homicidal streets of Brooklyn, New York after giving the judicial system 13 years of time out of my life. My story will horrify you, touch you and may have some parts that you can relate to. I really love the fact that I was brutally honest in my accounts. I shared and bared my soul, in doing so there is nothing about me left to judge. I told it all, Ha Ha that is the greatest con in the world THE TRUTH!

If you could change one thing about your writing career thus far, what would it be? I wish I would’ve started writing when the Industry was booming, I came in at a bad time. The literary world is oversaturated with fly by night authors who can put out anything and upload it to amazon. So now it’s not special to be an author anybody can borrow that title. So the question is can they keep it? I am aiming to show my worth by being consistent with great product. The money will come if excel in that. The money was real good back when Urban Lit exploded but now it’s a struggle to see your initial investment. I self-published without using a middle man.   I incurred the production cost, manufacturing cost and advertising cost completely as a sole proprietor. It is a killer, this is my main gig, I have no other job, besides my music. So I have to go hard.

What do you find to be the best and worst part of being an author? The best is how my daughter glows with pride when she brags and says “My Mommy writes books”

The worst is the financial part the Publishing Business is very costly.

When you were published for the first time, which route did you go – mainstream, small press,

vanity published or self-published and why or how did you choose this route?

I am a boss from the bottom of my toes to the tip of my nose. I simply can not work for anybody I love create control and have brilliant ideas so there was no other option for me SELF-PUBLISHED! See, if I make a mistake I swallow it and start again with no one to blame but myself, however if I work for you and you make a mistake with my career, I am disgruntled, stressed and ready to kick some butt!

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate? I felt Proud and accomplished. I partied like a RockStar.

What was your reaction the first time you saw your book in the bookstore? Siked!! I love when my plans come together, I am a mover and a shaker, I make things happen and won’t stop until I see results.

Since you’ve been published, how have you grown as a writer and now a published author? I am more focused on the business end and not so attached to my writing. I realize you have to take certain steps for the success of your company as a whole not just the personal accomplishment of being an author.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors? Self-Publish if you can, take up a collection if need be to get the funds but it will be less headaches in the long run. I am so anti-stress I don’t even want to sign other authors to my imprint yet. I just want to build my catalog and not have to try to please and cater to others. It is so much better to not have to deal with attitudes and ugly dispositions. I also advise them to get a great editor. I am using you, Deatri for my next book and advise new authors to follow my lead. You are super qualified, you really know your shit! lol

What do you have on the burner for the next year? I am currently writing my follow up to my autobiography titled “Lessons from an Original Bad Girl” which will be an inspirational self help guide for troubled teens. I want it to be used as a workbook within certain curriculums. I speak to at risk youth frequently and they relate to me, and actually listen. We connect because I am apart of their Hip Hop culture. I spit the real and they can feel me.

I also am working on “Mistress” the sequel to Daisy Jones, which is fiction and will be even better than Daisy.

I plan to book more celebrity guest for my blog talk radio show called “Mack Mama’s World Radio” I already interviewed some of the Literary World’s finest Authors, such as Treasure E. Blue, Miz, Dashawn Taylor, J.M Benjamin, Caroline McGill, Cavario H.(Senior editor of HipHop Weekly) and that’s just to name a few.

How can readers reach you?  http://www.mackmamaworld.com/

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/profile3.aspx?userurl=mackmama

http://www.facebook.com/pages/MACKMAMA/113456952004344

https://twitter.com/#!/mackmama

Do you have anything else you’d like to add? Thank you so much for having me on your blog this is one of the best print interviews I have ever had the pleasure of being apart of. Awesome questions, I feel like you really allowed me to open up and share myself, opposed to just promoting my books.

I want to thank Treasure E.Blue for adding me to an unbelievable group on facebook called ALL4One Authors helping Authors. I have met and networked with some gems including you Mrs. Deatri King-Bey. I wish all of us major success! To all of my supporters I truly appreciate the love, I am a Valentines Baby and I survive off of it! Aquarius babies stand up!

I owe all that I am to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and although I am a long way from being worthy I am nearer today than I was yesterday!  With that being said I bow, walk away and pause, turn back and blow a kiss to my fans all while I am humbled by their thunderous applause.

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Dee Here: It was a true pleasure having you and I thank you for all you do and hope you come on back.