Thursday, September 25, 2014

Three Black Boys: Tomorrow After Supper by Zangba Thomson - Interview and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Zangba will be awarding a print copy of Three Black Boys: Tomorrow After Supper or a Bong Mines Clothing T-shirt (winner's choice) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. (US ONLY)

Welcome to It's Raining Books. Why do you write in your genre and what draws you to it?

Hip-Hop influenced me to become an author, and the closest book genre to Hip-Hop music is Street Lit (or Urban Fiction). So when I made the transition from being a songwriter to a novelist, I began as a Street Lit author, and gradually through time—I evolved into different genres like—Urban Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi and Drama.

What research for Urban Fantasy/Street Lit/Sci-fi is required?

I don’t know if you ever heard the expression, “There is nothing new under the sun?” I believe things that are happening now have happened before, so doing a deep research—by reading books that cover the topics that you plan on writing about—could help you tremendously. But knowing is only half the battle—the other half is using what you know—to formulating the right words to express your story.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

The three black boys and Salome McBryant taught me the meaning of unselfishness—that it’s cool to go out of your way to help someone in need.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

When I am writing a book, I kinda use the same rhythm and beat formula that I would use when writing a song. First I develop the soul of the story, which is the main ingredient; and then I establish the rhythm or melody; the hook is elusively placed in the plot, and oftentimes I find myself using rhyming words to construct sentences, and while I’m writing—I’m also putting together a musical soundtrack in my mind. It’s quite interesting and different, but through song—I can dictate the story’s mood or emotion and naturally anticipate what scene I should write next.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

In regards to writing novels, short stories and scripts, I am definitely a plotter, but in regards to writing blogs and articles—I am a pantser.

Look to your right—tell us what you see?

On the wall in my recording studio—I see a big, black and white photograph of Tupac Shakur, a painting of me and Nas—with Nas holding the original Three Black Boys book, my Do Right Do Good Appreciation Award plaque, Stevie Wonder’s Hotter Than July album cover and my Godson’s ukulele. And on the bookshelf, I see copies of my published books—Three Black Boys: Tomorrow After Supper, The Hotep Brother Manuscript and Do Right Do Good; and sitting on the floor, I see a refrigerator, a chest of drawers and a stack of old vinyl records from the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Are you working on anything new, and if so—what?

I am co-authoring an exciting new relationship guidebook (with five other authors) entitled Single Man Married Man, which will explore the psyche of single, married and divorce men about their views on the state of men and women relationships. It’s gonna be wonderful because whenever you get a chance to do an interactive project dealing with men and women’s relationship issues—the outcome and response will always be great, especially if the advices given within the book are genuine and inspiring. There are many single, engaged and married women out there—women who are having relationship problems, and those who are looking for a man that they can call their own, but they just don’t know how to obtain Mr. Right. Well, ladies, look no further—the advices written in Single Man Married Man will show you how to obtain a man or keep you in the arms of the one you already have. It’s a win-win situation for all parties involved.

Do you have a question for our readers? No, I can’t say that I do, but I do want to thank It’s Raining Books—for hosting this wonderful blogging event, and also I want to thank Goddess Fish Promotions—for organizing this magnificent “Virtual Name Before the Masses Tour” for Three Black Boys: Tomorrow After Supper. (PEACE) and always remember that (P) Positive, (E) Energy, (A) Always, (C) Creates, (E) Elevation.

Teenagers spring into dangerous action to obtain financial aid for a woman who has only a month to live. The setting is Queens, N.Y., home to Babita Harris, an Indian immigrant plagued with the deadly black fever disease. With a couple of months to live, Babita only hope of survival is a costly liver transplant. But with no health insurance, the chance of a surgery is slim. What she needs is a quarter of a million dollars in cash. Barnes, her only son, along with his two friends, Demus and Baker, spring into dangerous action to get the money. Although their road is paved with good intentions, the brothers in arms will experience more than they have ever experienced before.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Ego, a creative God, sees the gardeners’ departure as an opportunity to do his dirty work. He wind surfs down below the clouds and lands between two rows of cosmic trees. He walks on dried leaves while reading the names of the cosmic trees as he passes by them. “At last,” he says with a giant smile, after finding what he is looking for, “the Melatonin cosmic tree. The main ingredient I need to permanently destroy their human creation.” Out the corner of his eye, he sees a fountain flowing with miracle water. Unable to resist the temptation, he makes his way over to the fountain, and drinks enough water to satisfy his thirst. “Damn, this is good water,” he says before pulling out a small metallic container from his waistband. He fills the container with miracle water, closes the lid, and inserts the container back inside his waistband. He walks back over to the Melatonin cosmic tree and tries to uproot it, but his efforts are in vain. He closes his eyes to mediate, and a short while later, the color of his aura changes from light gray to dark red. Now, much more powerful than before, he tries again to uproot the cosmic tree and succeeds.

Suddenly, the sky becomes dim and darkness covers the fourth dimensional sun. The moon ascends up to its highest peak, but instead of its normal glow, it shines a black fluorescent ray of light. The ground shakes thunderously, and steam erupts from an underground lake.

About the Author:
Zangba Thomson is the Creative Director at BME LLC, the author of Three Black Boys: Tomorrow After Supper, co-author of Do Right Do Good (a self-help guide book towards vision fulfillment and entrepreneurship), a recording artist, and New York Life Coach Examiner. Zangba balances his career and family time on the scale of hard work and dedication, and his main areas of focus include his real life experiences, metaphysics, and spirituality. Zangba's work reinforces the basic idea that goals are fulfilled when right decisions are made. Please visit his website at www.zangbathomson.com.

Blog: http://www.examiner.com/user/5407421/1792266/subscribe
Twitter: http://twitter.com/zangbathomson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iLikeZangba
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1903880.Zangba_Thomson
Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. a Rafflecopter giveaway

4 comments:

  1. Zangba, lovely writing! I'm not a fan of hip-hop, but this was an exceptional excerpt.

    I think you have an error-did you mean 'meditate:' "He closes his eyes to mediate." (As you know, sometimes a tiny mistake can take a reader immediately out of the story.)

    Still, I think Three Black Boys will make a fine addition to my reading list.

    ~Carole Avila

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