Urban Reviews:
Can you tell us what your novel Down Low
Sistahs is all about?
Wakiem Freeman:
False security is at the center of Down Low Sistahs.
It is a dangerously taboo story about a character named Nicor
Norwood who struggles to keep up with the pace of “The New Era
of Women”...open sexuality and boldness of the generation. He
finds them all hiding behind best friends, marriages, fake
cousins, and their own psychological confusion as to who they
really want to sleep with. Nicor’s emotional journey leads him
to record a song about his former partners which rockets to
the top of the R&B charts. The secret lifestyle of the
Down Low Sistahs is OVER. I’m exposing the lies and games
they play, plus the lengths they will go to keep the deep dark
down low lifestyle hidden forever. I had a female tell me the
blatant homophobia in the black male community is what makes
it hard for black women to be honest with them and with
themselves about their feelings, which is a bullsh*t cope out,
when in fact there is the flip side because the Center for
Disease Control has not done a study on how women are
infecting each other.
Urban Reviews: Where
did you come up with the idea for this story?
Wakiem Freeman:
Going through old photos, and I can across a picture of
the DL sistahs who fooled me. I started thinking and was like
“This is a hot topic!” I started the story from there. It
happened to me! I was in a relationship with a woman for 6
months & when it came time for sex, she said she was virgin.
So I’m like JACKPOT. Then she states she has had a girlfriend
throughout our time together but assures me she wants me. The
next morning she doesn’t want me. I forgave, but never forgot.
Urban Reviews: How
difficult was it for you to actually write this book?
Wakiem Freeman:
I didn’t want to write the book, until it happened to
me again. There’s an incident in the book where the character
goes to surprise his lady at her job and she acts as if she
doesn’t know him after 2 years. That was me. It was a surreal
experience, but once I added my personal experiences to the
research I did (which was insane) it wasn't hard at all. Four
days I was done...off to my editor!
Urban Reviews: You
also released another book titled "No One To Blame" in 2006.
What is that book about?
Wakiem Freeman: No One To Blame
was my debut novel. I sold 4000 copies within 5 months
of its release, and it is now a “cult classic.” No One To
Blame is a fresh and raw look into the lives of many
young black people. I offer the reader an expository, almost
voyeuristic, insider’s view through the first person account
of Keith Lawrence, the main character in the story, and of the
daily challenges and obstacles in the lives of young blacks.
This segment of the population suffers the most
disproportionately high incidence rate of incarceration in the
nation’s prisons and big city jails, teenage pregnancies,
single mothers, HIV infection, dropout, homelessness, welfare
dependency and unemployment, among others. While it was easy
and convenient for me to go into a “social victimization
mode”, I decided to tell it like it is. My graphic description
of life in prison is not for the squeamish. The uninitiated
would want to skip through my tales of inmates being raped,
robbed, razor-slashed, and killed. It won’t be hard not to
notice a number of sexually salacious, if sometimes gross,
scenes depicting Keith’s encounters with a number of underage
girls. Girls lie about their age and engage in all forms of
teenage sex. Recent cold statistics testify that many
teenagers start their sexual experiences early, some as young
as 12 years old. I write to reflect what is really happening
in society.
Urban Reviews: What do
you believe is your biggest challenge as a relatively new
author?
Wakiem Freeman:
Getting people to understand, what the book is really
about. People do not understand these stories being told can
inspire and help them in everyday life.
Urban Reviews: What
do you do when you're not writing or promoting your novel?
Wakiem Freeman:
I’m a paralegal at a Wall Street law firm. I write,
research, travel, research, date when time permits, more
research.
Urban Reviews: What
do you think makes you different from other urban fiction
writers out there?
Wakiem Freeman: The actual fact
that I am different. I don’t think I’m different, I am
different.
Urban Reviews: Is
there any authors or books that have influenced you the most?
Wakiem Freeman: I was influenced to
self-publish my literary works after reading several articles
about Crystal Lacey Winslow. As far as males, the grind of
Relentless Aaron & Isadora Johnson were also influential.
Books wise, I would definitely go with the catalog of Iceberg
Slim and Donald Goines.
Urban Reviews: Do you
have any projects planned for the future?
Wakiem Freeman: Yes. I, along with
producer/director Michael Green of Shades of Jade
Entertainment, are developing the stage play for Down Low
Sistahs. Also I’ve decided to move up the release date
for my 3rd novel to October 2008. It’s yet to be titled. My
4th novel, which I had no intention of writing until the
streets demanded I do so within 2 months of the release of its
predecessor, is Down Low Sistahs Part 2: Cleaning
Silverware, and it will be released December 2009. Then
comes No One to Blame Part 2 in August 2010.
Urban Reviews: What
do you want the world to know most about you?
Wakiem Freeman: I write classic
novels, that all will be talked about for years to come.
Believe it!
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