Meet Author Keisha Starr

Slyce: Brothers and Sistah’s, please welcome our sistah, Author Keisha Starr to “The Interrogation Room”!! Welcome my sistah :-). Are you ready?

Author Keisha Starr

Slyce: What inspired you to become an author?

KS: Some people realize their special talents during their early years while others realize it later in life. I’ve always knew that I was a writer. It was like a God-given gift that came natural to me. I was surrounded by the arts. My grandmother was a writer, and my family was filled with musicians, singers, and songwriters, so I was exposed to artistic expression very early. Since I could remember, I was writing poems, short stories, and songs, but what inspired me to truly become an author was when I read “The Coldest Winter Ever,” by Sister Souljah. I was amazed by that book because it wasn’t farfetched from what I was seeing every day. That’s when I first learned about the genre of urban fiction. I then read Nikki Turner, “A Hustler’s Wife” and few other great authors and just knew that my name and the stories floating around in my mind, had to be amongst theirs.

Slyce: What is the name of your publishing company?

KS: ExSTARdinary Publishing.

Slyce: In what genre do you write?

KS: Urban Fiction is my genre for sure, however, I plan to expand and show my talents by exploring other genres as well. I have many stories bubbling inside, and they can be told from so many different angles, and I plan to do just that.

Slyce: Have you ever penned under another name?

KS: All my books are penned under my pseudonym name Keisha Starr, however, in the future, my professional books on any mental health and more serious topics will be written under my real name Dr. Keisha Wizzart.

Slyce: You wrote a book titled, “Jamaican Me Go Crazy 2”. What was this book about?

KS: “Jamaican Me Go Crazy” is about young lady name Jamaica who was raised by hustling parents, were able to clean their dirty money to become wealthy and well-respected entrepreneurs. Wanting change for their children, Jamaica’s parents tried their best to instill work ethics into her, but the damage was already done. Her early exposure to the fast life has pretty much tarnished her perception of what success looks like. She sets out to make her own money but has no plan to acquire it the “slow” legal way. Conflict within Jamaica’s family causes her to face adulthood sooner than she expected. Determined to make it on her own without the help of her parents, Jamaica vowed to maintain her lavish lifestyle by any means necessary. Jamaica, alongside her best friend Myesha Thompson, who also has her fair share of family issues, linked up with an old classmate by the name of Nina, who schooled the girls on how she acquire her fast money. The three women then came up with a brilliant business scheme that was sure to satisfy everyone’s hunger for riches.

With Jamaica’s assets, Myesha’s brilliance, and Nina’s street connections, the three managed to form a very risky yet profitable business called “Las Chicas.” With their motto, “Home away from Home,” these girls rope in some other go-getters to become household names in the streets of Baltimore. As we know, money and fortune brings power, and power exposes envy and greed. Lifelong friendships and relationships are put to the test. This book is a movie in text format!

Slyce: Is this book a stand alone or a series?

KS: It’s a two-part series with endless possibilities… LOL!

Slyce: Is this book an audio, eBook and/or paperback?

KS: So far it’s available as eBook and Paperback, but I’m working on the audio because a lot of people are requesting it.

Slyce: How important are interviews?

KS: Interviews are super important to me because it helps to connect me to potential readers and help my current ones learn more about the woman behind the books. It gives them a preview into my personal and professional life and is an additional bridge to interaction and connection with my readers. Your author bio can only tell but so much, but a great interview can shed light on you from a holistic standpoint. Also, I’ve found interviews to be a great marketing and promotion tool. I’ve been able to gain a lot of exposure through doing interviews, especially when the interviewer has a big social media platform and following. That’s not to saw that you can’t get exposure from someone with little following. I don’t turn down interviews nor do I comb through who has the most following. I interview with anyone who wants to learn about me, my books, and my brand.

Slyce: How important are reviews?

KS: Reviews are extremely important. They can make you or break you. For me, I learn from my reviews. If it’s a good review, I think of ways to incorporate it to make it better. I don’t recall receiving any bad reviews, but if I do I won’t make it define it or walk away from it feeling defeated. I would take it in great stride and use it to make my next project better.

Also, like interviews, book reviews is another way for me to connect with potential readers. Reviews gives books more visibility and increases the chances of getting the attention from more readers. For example, great reviews on Amazon helps your book stand out from the others in your genre. When someone’s looking for a new book to read, it’s more likely that they’re going to choose the book with the most 5-Star reviews than the one with 1-Star.

Slyce: What does the term “Building A Brand” mean?

KS: Building a brand means that you’re building your foundation and unique niche in the literary market. It goes beyond your social media presence, website, or tagline. It’s a combination of things, such as your principles, beliefs, values, and special talents that reflected through your books. It incorporates your online and offline etiquette and interactions. In a nutshell, your brand speaks volumes of what you do, the reason you do it, and the people that you’re doing it for.

Slyce: What steps are you taking to build your brand?

KS: I’m taking a lot of steps to building my brand. Some of those things are building a team that is invested in my success and surrounding myself with people who feel comfortable telling me what I need to hear rather than what I want to hear. I’m launching a website and is actively involved with the content that’s on there because I want it to fully reflect what I do. I’m also being mindful of what I post, share, or say on my social media pages and how I interact offline as well. Another effort I’m making is networking and connecting with other authors and surrounding myself with people who I consider moguls of the lit game. Last, I’m learning the “business” aspects of being an author. Its way more than writing a great book, so I’m listening, observing, researching, and learning.

Slyce: Do you write for the passion or the profit?

KS: I write for passion… You can do anything for profit and to be honest, I can name plenty of things that I could be doing for profit. However, when you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. So, I write because it’s my passion and the profit I receive is the cherry on top.

Slyce: What goals do you wish to achieve as an author?

KS: I have two goals to achieve as an author. First, I would like to make my books build my family’s legacy. Meaning, I would like my books to feed my family, send my sons to college, and pave the way for other business ventures. Second, as an author, I would like to use my gift of writing to heal people because I genuinely believe in the therapeutic powers and benefits of written text and spoken language.

Slyce: What advice can you offer to those aspiring to become authors?

KS: I have four solid advice for aspiring authors. (1). Be authentic. Don’t try to mimic anyone. That’s the great aspect of being an author. You’re free to create your own blueprint. (2). Learn to be your own number one fan. Once you do that, you will write freely rather than writing what you think someone wants to read. (3). Don’t be afraid to ask for help and don’t snub anyone way who reaches out to you for help when you become an author. (4). Be in competition with no one. It’s enough readers in the world for everyone. You don’t have to panic and try to hoard them like toilet tissue during a pandemic. It may sound corny and cliché but, Together Everyone Achieves More… TEAM! Think of other authors as your teammates and your literary journey will be that much better and drama-free.

Slyce: Name three authors you’d love to work with.

KS: Only three??? Let me narrow it down because there’s so many. I’m going to say Sister Souljah, Terry McMillian, and J.F Rowling.

Slyce: Is there anything else cooking in the lab for Author Keisha Starr?

KS: You can expect more books from me. I’m also launching my Expressive Writing Facilitation practice, “Write 4 My Soul” this year. This consists of one-on-one appointments, group workshops, and an online course. I will offer literary consultations and song writing services as well.

Slyce: Where can our viewers purchase your book?

KS: My books are available everywhere books are sold. You can also purchase books from my website ExStardinary.com in January 2021.

Slyce: How can our viewers contact you?

KS:

Slyce: I’d like to thank guest, Author Keisha Starr for joining us in “The Interrogation Room”!! Thank you my sistah. You were wonderful!!

Everyone, please go purchase, “Jamaican Me Go Crazy 2” by Author Keisha Starr. Also, remember to check out her page on Facebook at: facebook icon .

Books:

Jamaican Me Go Crazy 2