Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a new upcoming author from a small town outside of Chicago called Matteson. I was born in Memphis, TN but my grandparents brought me to Chicago after I was born. I’m currently working on my third book which is actually a sequel to my new release. The first book I ever wrote was titled “Home Sweet Home.” I wrote it when I was in the sixth grade and that was where I won the Young Author’s Award. I pretty much continued my journey of writing after that.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is “Gangsta Boos.” The subtitle is, “In Love and War.” What inspired me to write this story was I began to hear a lot about crimes that was going on in Chicago. On a daily basis there were more and more killings. Even when I was growing up they would call all the bad kids project babies. It was said that those kids had it hard growing up. They were all exposed to drugs, gangs and murders. So I decided to write about it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve always had a bad habit of writing over everything. If I see a pen and paper I’m writing. My grandmother finally got a relief when I learned to control it better, but now my 10 year old does it to her.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the author Zhane. She was a big inspiration for me. I was afraid of being judged if I spoke the words I felt was meant for me to write. It was like a sin and a curse for me when I had the vision. But to see her be so brave and bold was magical.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on Part 2 of the sequel Gangsta Boos. I hope to have it in stores by February next year 2019.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best method at the moment is marketing on different social media sites. Although I’m gradually learning different ways to promote my work, Amazon has been my main source.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up! Be patient and if writing is your dream then chase it. You have to do whatever it takes to get you where you want to be. This life comes with sacrifices. One thing that I’m big on is helping those who helped me. If someone leaves you a rating or review, return the favor. If someone passes along some information you weren’t aware of, why not pass it along to the next author. This is not a competition. We all do this because we enjoy it and want to accomplish a goal. One favor deserves another.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The very first day after I found out my title was live, I was scrambling around trying to figure out how to promote it. Then someone told me about LinkedIn. I briefly setup my profile but I was interested in what others were saying. I put my profile on hold and began to search for other authors. I ran across two individuals that broke my spirit immediately. The first one who was a woman said to me, “For you to be an author your profile has lack of experience. For you to be an author you sure are short on words.” Then she says, “Some author you are.” I tried to explain but she never replied to me anymore when all I wanted to ask was for her advice but I was kicked to the curve. The second person was a male. He said well since you’re an author you can check out this. He said, “Black camel kneel at your masters feet. You know what you were put on this earth do. You speak only when you’re spoken to and do as your told.” I simple said, “Thanks for sharing that me!” It took a handicap man that couldn’t even walk to step in and say something. His reply to the conversation was, “Don’t ever worry about what people say to you. Some are jealous and some are just evil. Use whatever they say as motivation to show them you can do better and I guarantee you, you will be even better than they ever were. Just know that when you become famous, I’m going to look back and say, man I’m glad I met that woman.”
What are you reading now?
I recently started my own author’s group on Facebook titled, For The Love Of Author’s so I’ve been briefly looking over all my members work so I can leave them reviews on Amazon. The one book I’m really interested in that caught my eye is called, “Behind Every Smile,” and it was written by the lovely Ms. Kris Barringer.
What’s next for you as a writer?
My next move is to continue my sequel. After I’ve completed part 2 then I’m going to work on part 3. After that I’m going to finish up a story I started on a while ago and it’s called, “My Short Bio.”
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A Holy Bible would be the first thing I grab. Secondly, a book on how to start a camp fire. Third, I would choose a book that teaches survival skills. Last, it would have to be a book written by Zhane to keep me entertained. My responses was due to believing that with God by your side anything is possible so I said the Bible, I’m definitely going to need something to eat so I said a book on camp fires, I need to learn how to tackle wild animals to roast in the camp fire so I said a book on survival, and finally a book by Zhane because I’ve already memorized all the words to mine.
Author Websites and Profiles
Latoya Jackson Website
Latoya Jackson Amazon Profile
Latoya Jackson’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account