As the commander-in-chief douses with gasoline the racial fire that has consumed America and led to two recent mass shootings by at least one known white supremacist, this country’s judicial system continues to be tone deaf when it comes to the plight of Black men. This is obvious in the case of Gaston Tucker, aContinue reading "America’s Trash: The Average Black Man"
An Ode to a Frenemy of Mine
Tom Deriggi and I came from completely different backgrounds, but, as the universe would have it, our paths intertwined. He was a heavyset guy with bright red flushed cheeks that seemed to accentuate his greyish blue eyes. Politically, we were on two opposite spectrums: Tom on the far right, arms folded, chest out; me onContinue reading "An Ode to a Frenemy of Mine"
Your Manuscript Has Been Rejected. Now What?
You've spent 100 million hours writing, rewriting and editing and proofreading your novel and then BOOM! every agent and publisher you sent it to rejects it. Now what? That question could be a hard one. Some writers would just move on to the next project. Before doing that, I ask, what did the rejection lettersContinue reading "Your Manuscript Has Been Rejected. Now What?"
The Mortality of the Writer
Last night, I saw two people die in a car accident. Their car hit a pole, splitting the hood in two. I opened the driver's side door to see if I could help, but the interior was so mangled, I knew he was gone. I went around to the passenger side and saw a guyContinue reading "The Mortality of the Writer"
Download My New Sci Fi Novel “Operation Soul Cast”
Operation Soul Cast is my hottest new Science Fiction novel published by Solstice Publishing. Find out what happens when #NorthKorea drops a bomb on America and a scientist who is brought back from the dead becomes a bloodthirsty beast. https://www.amazon.com/Operation-Soul-Cast-Jermaine-Reed-ebook/dp/B07GYWZKW9?keywords=Operation+soul+cast&qid=1536959307&sr=8-1-fkmrnull&ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmrnull_1
How to Get a Book Deal
Every writer wants to know how to get a book deal, so she can officially be an author. Every writer wants to be the next great American author and sell more book than James Patterson. So, we ask, how do I get a book deal? Recently, my novella Operation Soul Cast was picked up byContinue reading "How to Get a Book Deal"
Our Own Sort of Fun
Drugs. Violence. Police brutality. Hate. Love. Love. Love. In 1995, if you would have read about the Robert Taylor projects, the news report would probably have headlined something like this: "17 Men Arrested in Drug Sting at Robert Taylor Homes." But inside those forsaken buildings where no one but those who lived there would haveContinue reading "Our Own Sort of Fun"
Manuscript Anxiety
I once read somewhere the hardest part of writing comes after the manuscript is complete. Later, I read that all first drafts were trash. I thought the people who wrote those things were idiots. How wrong I was. Some people have problems putting words on the page. This is why most manuscripts are never finished.Continue reading "Manuscript Anxiety"
Inspiration Comes from Everywhere
As you'll find if you read my blog thoroughly enough, I grew up in the Robert Taylor Projects on the Southside of Chicago. If you do any research, you'll find it was not the ideal place to grow up, being overwhelmed with drugs and gang activity. But it is where I am from, and IContinue reading "Inspiration Comes from Everywhere"
A Personal Reflection on the Business of Self-Publishing
As a self-published writer, I find myself seeking tools that can not only help me sell more books but that can also help me in my writing process. To help other writers braving this unforgivable landscape we call self-publishing, I am writing this blog "The Business of Self-Publishing." The greatest advice I can give toContinue reading "A Personal Reflection on the Business of Self-Publishing"
The Reeders Block 