Author Joy King Finds Power In The B-Word

Joy
King didn’t always know she had a future in writing. Luckily, for the
literary world, she figured it out. The author of several successful
street novels, King has proven to be one of the genre’s finest talents
with the release of her latest book, Trife Life 2 Lavish. Exploring the complexities of urban life, King’s books give voice to a demographic that often goes unheard.

“When I first started writing, I was writing from my perspective about
things that I’d experienced, so I put it on paper,” King explains.

Her target audience — young, African American women — is also
highlighted in a succession of books known as The B—- series.
Consisting of five books with the final installment set for a November
2009 release, the series gives the pejorative term a needed makeover.

“I do believe the word can be derogatory, but for me it [means] a woman
that is totally in control of herself. Women for so long have allowed
men to call them that in the negative, and I wanted to take that power
away and turn it into something positive,” she explains.

With the success of the series, King has launched two publishing
companies, A King Production and Young Diamond Books with the latter
specializing in literature for 13–17-year-olds. “This new generation of
kids has to have something that sparks their interest, so that’s why I
am excited about the books that I write because I really feel that I am
able to connect with a younger audience,” she explains. –brittny flint