Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in the South Bronx in the late sixties to a drug-addicted mother, who didn’t know who my father was, and into a world that didn’t want me. Growing up, I faced life or death situations every step of the way, it seemed. Not only have I struggled to overcome my own specters, but also those of my environment.
To date, I have written two books.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I started to write Ghetto Bastard and Ghetto Bastard 2 as a form of therapy. In doing so, I realized that all the people around me, throughout my life, had been dealing with their own misfortunes. That’s when it hit me that I was writing my memoirs to convey that “current situation” neither determines nor defines “final destination.”
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t say that I have any unusual writing habits. I’m just writing my story.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Donald Goines, who wrote Whoreson, Dopefiend and Inner City Hoodlum, has been a big influence on me because his books, even though fiction, told the good, bad and ugly of the ghetto.
I also enjoyed reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley, The Godfather by Mario Puzo, Frankenstein by Mary Shelly and Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice.
All of the books I mentioned attest to the humanity of man and yet the inhumanity of man.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the third book in my Ghetto Bastard Series.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My books Ghetto Bastard, A Memoir and Ghetto Bastard 2 have recently been released on Amazon. As I am a new author, I am still developing a way to best promote my books. Hopefully, this bio will be one of the best methods I list in future author bios.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up! If you can see it, you can achieve it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Someone that was like mother to be once said “Beauty is only skin deep. Ugly is to the bone.”
What are you reading now?
I’m currently not reading anything because I’m working on my third book Ghetto Bastard, Life After Death.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Completing the Ghetto Bastard series with three more books to come.
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?
Dopefiend, by Donald Goines, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly, the Godfather by Mario Puzo and The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley.
Author Websites and Profiles
Russell Vann Website
Russell Vann Amazon Profile
Russell Vann’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account