We thank DJ for his input to the project.  We congratulate him on his success as a multitalented artist and wish him much success!

-SCBC, Inc.

Tell us your latest news?

Well I am currently working on book 3, and it is the sequel to my latest novels I Shall Overcome, and How I Made It Over. Also the stage play from my first book has toured and traveling, and the first novel I Shall Overcome is being reviewed to be a movie.

Where are you from?

I am from Orlando, Florida.

How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?

It has colored my writing in the effect that it has made me stronger. The streets I come from are what you would call the "ghetto", but that environment did not determine who I was as a writer, instead it has helped me to look life in a different view.

When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing when I was six years old, and I write because it relaxes me, and it allow me to tell stories from the way I think they should be told.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I published the first novel, and wrote my first screenplay.

Do you have a specific writing style?

No, I just write.

What genre are you most comfortable writing?

I am more comfortable with writing fiction, because it allows me to write stories that my readers yen to read.

Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?

My mentor and close friend E. Lynn Harris my style. His novels are similar to mine.

What books have most influenced your life?

Just As I Am, This Too Shall Pass, Abide With Me, A Day Late, A Dollar Short, The Life Of Zora Neale Hurston...the list goes on.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

E. Lynn Harris

What do you do to set the mood for writing?

Well I unplug the phone, light a few candles, get some sparkling wine, and just zone until I can't write anymore.

What are you some books you have read?

Currently Everything To Gain by, Marilyn Tyner

What new author has grasped your interest?

Dr. Teresa L. Fry Brown, author of God Don't Like Ugly

How do you feel overall about self-publishing?

I feel that it is a good step to aspiring authors to develop marketing skills, and get a feel of what mainstream publishing will be like.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of promotion for self-published authors?

The strengths is having the zest to sell the books, the weakness is keeping the sales up. Most times when you are not the big names, people are slow to getting your books if they are not familiar with your work. I know from experience.

Do you feel that the boom in African American writers is a fad or another renaissance?

I believe that it is somewhat both.

Do you feel more African Americans are reading?

Yes! Yes! Yes! Which is the slave dream to see brothers and sisters reading. It is not the way it used to be where books were boring, blacks of all age groups are reading.

Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

My professor at the college I attend, Dr. Rebecca W. Steele.

How does your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?

They are proud, and they treat my book with as much critical respect as any book.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything?

No.

Do you see writing as a long- or short-term career?

Long time because I was born to do it.

Would you encourage or mentor someone to become self-publish?

Yes.

How did you come up with the title for your book(s)?

Prayer, looking at the chapter titles, and looking at other titles.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes that if a brother or sister falls down, we should not stand on the sidelines and criticize, but encourage that brother or sister.

Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?

That I thank them for buying the books, and I hope that they do the book justice when they read it.

How much of the novel is realistic?

50%

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?

Both. I write what I have been through, and what I see that needs to be addressed.

What are your current projects?

I have finished up an album and will be touring in May plus I am working on Book 3, writing a one man stage play, and I am trying to do some interviews for a few magazines.

Author/Playwright D.J. Coleman best-selling author of I Shall Overcome & HowI Made It Over. www.djcoleman.net