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ReallyRashida is an urban fiction author and blogger from
Cleveland, Ohio. She inherited her love of books from her mother and knew from
a very young age that writing would always be a special part of her life. By
the age of three Rashida was reading, and she wrote her first book in the first
grade.
On her blog "Her Urban Beauty", ReallyRashida
shares her love of street lit books and hip hop as well as shining a
light on the issues facing today's urban woman.
"Toxic: The Prequel", ReallyRashida's debut book,
was released in January 2012.
The follow-up, "Toxic", was released in January of the following year.Oooh, I love those covers
"Toxic: The Prequel", ReallyRashida's debut book,
was released in January 2012.The follow-up, "Toxic", was released in January of the following year.Oooh, I love those covers
When did you start writing, and what did you write about?
I fell in love with writing when I was about 12 or 13. I started out writing poetry and short stories. You know, those little girly sonnets of love and pain, Lol. I've always loved songwriting, too.
What is the difference in your perception between now and the
time you started writing? –
When I first started writing I was a young girl struggling to learn who
she really was. Now, I'm a grown woman who has learned a lot about the craft
and the business of writing. I'm not as naive as I used to be and I take my
writing much more seriously now. It's my career, not just a hobby.
I published my first book in January of last year. It's the prequel to my newest novel titled Toxic. They tell the story of a young mother who is fighting for her life against her tyrannical boyfriend. The two are literally trying to kill each other. I've been in some abusive situations in my life and I used that as the inspiration behind the stories. I wanted to write a suspense story full of drama.
What are you writing about now and why are you writing this book?
After Toxic comes a novel called Beautiful Liar. It's an urban murder mystery about a drug addict who is brutally murdered and her daughter is desperate to find the killer. I've been working on the story for almost four years and I'm finally finishing it. The writing in this book pays homage to my favorite authors, R.L. Stine and Donald Goines.
I’m having a bit of a hard time marketing my books. What
are your techniques and do you feel they are working? –
I use social media, mainly Facebook, a lot.
Networking and promoting in book groups has boosted my sales. This is my first
virtual book tour so I have to get through it and measure it's success to see
how well it works but I'm sure it will give some more exposure.
I wish you the best of luck on your tours. Where can the audience purchase your
books? –
My books are available through Smashwords -and Amazon
-
Follow her on her Twitter and Facebook pages:
Follow her on her Twitter and Facebook pages:
I have a habit of talking (interviewing) to the people in
my books. How do you communicate with
your characters? –
I believe that our childhood
shapes the people that we grow into so I go back to when my characters were
little kids and imagine their home life. I get an understanding of how they
were raised and the values that have been instilled in them. I have them walk
me down memory lane and bring me into the present through visualization.
What hobby or activity do you enjoy other than writing? –One of my favorite t-shirts has a design of a cassette tape with the words "Music Feeds My Soul". Those words describe me perfectly. I love to listen to music and write songs. My passion is the business side of it. I like to be behind the scenes interviewing artists and helping with shows. I interned for the Ohio Hip Hop Awards for five years and continue to support them by writing for their blog.
-Thanks so much for having me!While you're on this site, check out the interview with Tracy from the Toxic novels.
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I really enjoyed my time in the chair. Can't wait to do it again. :)