DEP-N Public Relations

Alisha Yvonne is the author of the critically acclaimed best seller, “Lovin’ You Is Wrong”. She has maintained her love for the craft of writing since a very young age. Instead of playing with dolls, at the age of eight, Alisha and her cousins would write and share what they didn’t know at the time were called screenplays. Now as an adult, Alisha Yvonne has two very beautiful girls of her own, Ebony and Imani Grace.

Currently residing in the hometown of Memphis, TN, Alisha Yvonne has decided to take her interests of the literary industry to another level. Among one of the first steps in doing so is her choice of self-publishing. As she exemplifies her pride in her girls, Alisha has chosen to combine the connotation in their names to title her company, Ebony Literary Grace Publishing.

Alisha Yvonne has been known to write a number of genres including poetry, but she has yet to personally categorize her debut novel, “Lovin’ You Is Wrong”. With this title, she has chosen to display her ability to combine several genres for a flavor designed to appeal to a wide range of readers.

In her spare time, Alisha Yvonne loves to read, listen to music, and of course, ‘watch good stalker movies.’ She is a member of several online literary groups, including R.A.W.SISTAZ Book Club, ReadersnFriends, FictionFolks, Black Writers United, and APOOO411. She is President of the R.A.W.SISTAZ Memphis Chapter, and she enjoys assisting in her eldest daughter’s Girls Scout of America Troop.

Look for Lovin You Is Wrong to be re-released July 2005 from Urban Book an imprint of Kensington Publishing.

A Graduate from Columbus State Community College’s Associates Degree program and Capital University’s Bachelor Degree program, Joy is a resident and native of Columbus, Ohio. After thirteen years of being a paralegal in the insurance industry, Joy finally divorced her career and married her mistress and her passion, writing.

In the year 2000 Joy formed her own publishing company, END OF THE RAINBOW projects. Joy’s sole purpose with END OF THE RAINBOW was to introduce in all those she encountered the quality of sharing her grandmother had instilled in her. Joy shares what she has learned in the literary industry by instructing a workshop titled “SELF-publishing: The basics you need to get started”. Joy is also a book reviewer for the Quarterly Review (QBR) out of New York City and is a full-time multi-genre writer who, in addition to her debut title, Please Tell Me If The Grass Is Greener, has completed three diaries of poetry (one which debuted April 2002 titled World On My Shoulders and two others not yet published). She has collaborated on an erotica piece of which she is one of the publishers titled Twilight Moods: Erotica for Men and Women with an introduction by Best-Selling author, Zane, and a positive review by E. Lynn Harris. Joy’s contribution to this sensual anthology is titled Daydreaming at Night. In 2002 Twilight Moods was voted the best self-published book of the year by Black Issues Book Review. Joy is also featured in The Game: short stories about the life, in which her contribution is titled Popped Cherry.

Joy has also written five children’s stories that she plans to launch in 2005. She has a collection of songs and is doing research and gathering data for her urban sex and the city column titled “He Said-She Said” which will attract a major magazine or newspaper to print. Joy completed her first self-published novel The Root of All Evil, which St. Martin’s Press picked up and will re-release in June 2004. In addition, they have signed Joy to a three book deal (When Souls Mate- the sequel to The Root of All Evil and Harlem’s Blues). They also signed Joy to a novella deal titled An All Night Man in which Joy’s contribution is titled Cream. Joy’s triumphing street novel Dollar Bill, which was published by Triple Crown Publications, is on the Essence Magazine best-sellers list for April 2004. Joy is currently working on her next novel titled Thicker Than Water. She is an animated, wonderful best-selling author who has manifested a permanent home in the literary world.

Rhonda M. Lawson is the author of Cheatin’ in the Next Room, published by JADA Press Publishing. She is also an Army journalist, garnering various journalism awards, including the 1997 Training and Doctrine Command Journalist of the Year. Presently, she teaches basic journalism at the Defense Information School, located at Fort Meade, MD.

Rhonda’s career as a Soldier-journalist has taken her to various parts of the world, including Japan, Hawaii, Korea, Afghanistan and Egypt. Her work has appeared in various Army and civilian publications all over the country, including Soldiers Magazine, The Seattle Times, and The Army Times. She is now a sergeant first class.

Hope C. Clarke, is the eldest daughter of seven siblings who reside in Brooklyn, New York. She's a single mom who divides her time between being a full-time mom, employee of JP Morgan Chase and a devoted entrepreneur. When she isn't cultivating her nine-year-old son, or playing the role of administrative assistant, she utilizes her extra time writing and self-publishing fiction novels. She considers herself a Jane-of-many-trade as she had acquired education and training in many industries including accounting, she is a licensed financial planner, multitasking in software operations, etc. Publishing, writing, promoting and marketing has now been added to her list as she introduces to the public her movie-style writing.

Her writing style is versatile and multinational. She believes that the best-written novels are a compilation of the three basic genres- romance, horror and mystery. The right balance of the three creates a limitless audience. Her style is fast paced and engaging from beginning to end. She attributes this to being self-published. She says that although the traditional market isn't ready for her style of writing, her readers have found her style refreshing and a welcomed change of pace.

Writing has been Janet’s most enduring passion for as long as she can remember. The embodiment of her passion is impressively revealed in her first novel, Quiet As It’s Kept. Janet was born in the Washington, DC area. Her creative spirit was cultivated and nurtured by her mother’s love of the arts. At home, Janet would use her already polished powers of persuasion to enlist her siblings and friends as cohorts in all types of escapades. Fueled by her burgeoning imagination, even as a child, Janet has always had a natural gift for weaving a tall tale.

A Jayne-of-all-Trades, she has lived and traveled extensively throughout the US and Europe. Janet has had careers in the armed forces, academia, and public service. She currently works for a federal government agency investigating and resolving discrimination complaints. In addition, Janet holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s degree in Human Relations.

Felicia Madlock was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Felicia’s poetry has appeared in numerous publications including Afrique Magazine and the Journal of Ordinary Thought published through the Neighborhood Writing Alliance.

Felicia Madlock’s debut novel “The Sins of the Father” tells the devastation of an absentee father in the lives of his sons. Unresolved anger and resentment festers as Terrance and Malik are confronted with their suppressed emotions. Sammie Jr. grieving the loss of his parents is uprooted from the tranquility of suburban living to the noise and chaos of urban dwelling in the hard streets of Chicago. Follow the paths of Terrance, Malik, and Sammie as their lives intertwined at the crossroads of love and hate.

In the near future, Felicia’s literary wonders will include screen and playwriting. She is diligently on her second novel, Back on the Block.

Born the youngest of eight children to Bishop and the late Constance Smith, Deborah was raised as an active member of her family's church - Christian Pentecostal Church of Christ in Irvington, New Jersey.

For the greater part of her teenage years Deborah lived the typical life of an urban teen and PK (preacher’s kid). Little did she know that at the tender age of seventeen, her life would take an unexpected turn - for what seemed to be the worse. “This turn” for Deborah was a life-altering car accident on a busy highway, which left her severely cut and bruised. While in recovery, she not only prayed for the healing of her body, but also began to surrender to the arduous process of the healing of her soul. Though the scars would remain on the outside, she knew she would never be the same woman on the inside.

Overtime, Deborah physically recuperated and went on to college at Hampton University. Her desire for personal spiritual healing and a deeper understanding of the Word of God lead her to earn her undergraduate degree at United Bible College in Florida. She then went on to acquire her Masters in Religious Education from Lighthouse Bible College in Beebee, Arkansas. Though she continued to grow spiritually, her personal life seemed to be unraveling before her very eyes.

Deborah currently resides in a suburb of Northern New Jersey with her son and daughter. She is the author of two powerful Christian novels, Ministers with White Collars and Black Secrets and its newly released sequel, Robbed Without A Gun - both inspired by what used to be one of her personal deepest and darkest secrets.

Derius Swinton, M.S.W : Motivational Speaker, Professional Training & Coach, Keynote Speaker

"Success is taking the time, investing the resources, and committing yourself to creating a lifestyle and work environment that is safe, healthy, supportive, productive and successful." — Derius D. Swinton, M.S.W.

International Experience

Swinton & Associates Executive Director, Richmond Virginia native Derius Swinton, has traveled extensively conducting life changing motivational speeches and facilitating professional training, seminars and workshops.

Over 25 Years of Know-How

Swinton has over 25 years of experience as a professional speaker and trainer and has been employed in various leadership positions at the city, state and national level. He possess the experience, expertise and wisdom to help individuals, groups and organizations achieve their goals and objectives and transform their visions into reality.

National Prominence

Derius Swinton has risen to national prominence by delivering non-traditional, informative, interactive and high-energy life-changing motivational speeches, keynote addresses and professional training and coaching solutions.

Honors & Awards

Some of Derius Swinton's many honors include:

The Kellogg Foundation's United States-China Educational Institute Fellowship
Reader's Digest's Outstanding Leadership Award
The Virginia Collaborative Leadership Program Award

www.deriusswintonspeaks.org

Jatye has always enjoyed writing. Being that he was born and raised in the Bronx, NY, there was never a lack of subjects to write about. While growing up in the Bronx, he had a lot of friends who happened to sell narcotics. This was the way of survival in the hood, but of course, no excuse to make ends meet. Most of Jatye's friends from those days are now dead, in jail, or still addicted to drugs. Although he was younger than them or like the young sheep, he was always around these individuals.

Jatye saw many horrific things and went through a lot of things his friends went through because of the things they did from territory conflicts, drama with the cops and other various street issues. As Jatye got older, he briefly became entangled with the same ways of hustling on the streets as his friends, and all of which inspired him to write short stories about his experiences through fictitious drama novels.

Like many young men growing up in the toughest ghetto-ridden neighborhoods of the Bronx, he wanted fast money at that point. However, after a few close scrapes and not making the money he expected to, he stopped dealing with what could have been his way of life and has never looked back.

Still living in the Bronx, Jatye mentions that the game of the streets has not changed, only the players. He decided to write about his many experiences, thus his novel, “BORN ASSASSIN" was born.

He mentions, "I need to be free to put my vision out, and without anyone telling me what the direction should be for my book, "BORN ASSASSIN", is raw and sadistic without having to water it down. I do NOT feel that readers are ignorant and I refuse to write as such."

The street mentality of growing up in Seat Pleasant, Maryland caused him to get into trouble as a youth. Unfortunately, it also caused him not to make plans beyond high school. "Life was all about girls, sports, and fighting," Marlon says. Luckily, he had positive people around. "I was working at a Marriot Hotel when a friend talked me into going to Morgan State University a day before registration. I really appreciate her influence because it changed the course of my life."

His love for the arts progressed at Morgan State, but he didn't begin writing a book until the tragic death of his best friend. He was then fortunate enough to be tutored by Nikki Giovanni. "After talking with her, I had to get serious about writing. If I hadn't, it would be similar to Michael Jordan sharing his skills with a rookie and the rookie not using them. With her help, MAKING LOVE IN THE RAIN was born."

Marlon was a teacher in the DC public schools until the dawn of his first book. From there he has written novels, wrote articles, done public speaking, worked as an editor, and has published others. "There's plenty more to come," Marlon comments. "I've only scraped the surface."