What comes to mind when you hear the name NeNe Leakes? How about vivacious, entertaining, and successful. She’s known for telling it like it is, and she’s doing just that on the spicy reality show, Real Housewives of Atlanta. But if you thought Leakes stopped there, think again because she’s dishing out even juicier news in her newly released memoir titled, NeNe Leakes: Never Make the Same Mistake Twice.

As Sister Souljah’s 1999 best-selling novel, The Coldest Winter Ever, was feeding the streets with urban fiction not seen before that time, a legal secretary and a mother from Philadelphia was awaiting her chance to reign with captivating literature. Rejected by at least 20 different publishers over six years, the upcoming author did not become discouraged, but instead self-published. Teri Woods reflects and shares with Parlé how she made it from being rejected to becoming a multi-millionaire.

It was an absolute pleasure speaking with emerging author, Sylvia L. Simmons. A product of the Washington D.C. public school system and retired Public Affairs specialist, Simmons has had plenty of life experiences, which lead to great fiction. Simmons already has two novels to her credit, both released under her own company, SiHoWa Publishing Company. She is currently working on several other projects as well, growing her brand and creating a lane for herself.

Rap pioneers have almost always glorified notorious gangsters and drug lords throughout history. That’s no secret. But Mara Shalhoup, Editor-in-Chief at Creative Loafing, and author of BMF: The Rise and Fall of Big Meech and the Black Mafia Family gives us another viewpoint in her debut novel. A conversation with her allowed us to see through her eyes, the inner workings of a multi-million dollar drug trafficking organization.