Swift is a college graduate determined to establish himself in corporate America. Everyone from his school teachers to his mother has been skeptical of his goals. When he receives his degree he thinks he's prepared for the real world. He soon finds it difficult to match jobs with his degree. After his frustrations reach a boiling point he turns to the streets for guidance.

Swift's best friend Block was the most feared and respected hustler in Philly. When Swift's dilemma brings their combined efforts together, they both see opportunity. Swift is convinced that he can make enough start up money for his business ideas. His plan was to build capital and leave the drug game alone. However that is derailed when Block is incarcerated.

The taste of money and power takes Swift for the ride of his life. Soon the underworld looks to him to pick up where Block left off. With the cops, rival drug dealers, and stick up kids lurking, Swift is forced to show how much of an "Entrepreneur" he really is.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Entrepreneur?

MQW: It came from the assumption that a college degree guarantees you a job in the field that you went to school for. Swift is the main character. I think he is someone that anyone who reads the book can identify with. He goes the same things the average person goes through on the daily basis. He argues with his mother. I wanted to make my main character as realistic as possible. I wanted him to be authentic.

JP: What sets Entrepreneur apart from other novels in its genre?

MQW: Entrepreneur combines action, drama, and family values into one. The book is unique in the aspect that it reads like a movie. I wanted people to get to the end of the chapter and not be able to wait for the next chapter to start. My readers tell me that Swift is what sets the novel apart from other novels. He is the central voice. I wanted the consumers of the novel to go through the trials and tribulations with Swift.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Entrepreneur getting out to the public?

MQW: My support systems are my marketing director, Keith Washington, and my publicist Sharmina T. Ellis. Both bring great ideas to the table to better promote and create a buzz for me as an author and publisher. They each have a "go-getter" attitude, and the support from them is priceless.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Entrepreneur?

MQW: I need complete silence when I write. I usually write real late at night while everybody is sleeping. It took me about 6 months to write Entrepreneur. I spent a lot of late nights writing it. I would look at the computer screen, and it would be 3 in the morning.

JP: What's next for MQW?

MQW: My creative juices are continuously flowing. I am putting the finishing touches on A Fathers Struggle, my second novel, and I am working on an untitled novel at the moment. I am also the owner of 5ive Star Publications, a Flagship Publishing organization for up and coming authors. I am proud to be publishing debut novels for two of my author clients, Rich McLaughlin, author of Southside Hustler and Gil Trudell, author of JC and Mr.- coming soon in 2009!

www.5ivestarpublications.com
www.myspace.com/5ivestarpublications

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Set in a small section of North Philadelphia, in the spring of 1996, Strawberry Mansion depicts three teenage girls' who must rely on their connection to each other to weather tragic storms.

Tabitha, 19, lost her freedom in high school when she hooked up with a boy who would impregnate her and make her his punching bag. Lisa, 17, is deemed "the strong one" by her friends, but her own past of sexual abuse and pregnancy at the hands of her step father keeps her one second from falling apart as the drama builds. Shanice, 14, is a hellion, ready and willing to let any boy have her just to get the affection she believes her mother has withheld.

As their world spirals out of control, they cling fast to one another in the hope that love, friendship, and strength will not only keep them together, but will also move them to a better place in their lives.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Strawberry Mansion: A Philadelphia Story?

Julia Press Simmons: I was 16 years old when I first became a victim of domestic violence. My innocence was completely shattered, and I watched my girlfriends experience similar pain. I decided that I was going to shed light on what I kept in the dark for so many years. I decided to speak out in the only way I knew how. Strawberry Mansion was born.

JP: What sets Strawberry Mansion: A Philadelphia Story apart from other novels in its genre?

JPS: Strawberry Mansion is woman's fiction; however, it is peppered with urban grit. It tells a story based on a strong, often dismissed notion: the sins of the parents can and often do embed themselves in the children, creating devastating effects. Told from the perspective of teenage girls, Strawberry Mansion highlights their pain and lends a voice to their struggles. Ever wonder who's hurting your daughter? Strawberry Mansion will give you the answer.

JP: Why did you decided to cover rape, incest and promiscuity from a teenage perspective?

JPS: Great question! In a survey of over four thousand 9 through 12 graders, approximately 1 in 5 females reported physical and/or sexual abuse by a dating partner. Females between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rates of domestic violence, and forty percent of teenage girls know of someone who has been beaten by a boyfriend. Their story needs to be told. This situation needs to be addressed. As a mother, a wife, a former victim, keeping silent was not an option.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Strawberry Mansion: A Philadelphia Story?

JPS: The very first attempt of writing this story was burned by my abuser in our backyard. It took me 15 years to gain the courage to finish the book, but after I committed to finishing, I was done in 6 months.

JP: What's next for Julia Press Simmons?

JPS: Growth, hopefully! I am currently working on my sophomore novel, Begonia Brown: A Philadelphia Story. My dream is that I grow as a writer with each book I pen, and that the development is apparent in my work!

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