Tribute to Hollygrove Publishing

Hollygrove Publishing was established in 2006 by Brian W. Smith, a native of New Orleans who spent a large portion of his life in the uptown area commonly known as "Hollygrove." The company's goal is to publish quality books in the following genres: Contemporary Fiction, Christian Fiction, Business, Erotica, Self-Help, and Urban Fiction.  The company's niche market started out as the African-American community; however, the recent expansion has enabled the company to venture into multiple communities. Regardless of your race or ethnicity, Hollygrove will accept your manuscript submission. There is no guarantee it will be published by us, but all submissions are welcomed. 

Meet Brian Smith and the bestselling authors of  Hollygrove Publishing in the Intimate Conversations section located below.

Brian W. Smith is an author and the owner of Hollygrove Publishing, Inc. With less than three years of fiction writing under his belt, Brian's story telling ability along with his flare for serving up surprise endings has earned him thousands of fans. He released his first book, The S.W.A.P. Game in April 2006. The book sold more than 3,000 copies during it's first year with very limited promotion, and has since eclipsed the 8,500 copy mark. In January 2007, Brian's second book, Mama's Lies - Daddy's Pain, was released and received rave reviews. Mama's Lies - Daddy's Pain chronicles the life of a young man who raises a child for 17 years and then discovers he's not the child's biological father. MLDP has sold over 16,000 copies and has been converted into a screenplay.

In September 2007, Brian released his third book, Donna's Dilemma and it continued his string of successful books. Donna's Dilemma has sold nearly 9,000 copies and currently has a 5 star rating on Amazon.com. In June 2008, Brian ventured outside of his comfort zone and into the world of Erotica when he released Final Fling - his long awaited sequel to The S.W.A.P. Game. The book is co-authored with Essence Magazine Best Selling Author, Torrian Ferguson.  In December 2008, Brian released his fifth book, Nina's Got A Secret. The book earned a spot on the Dallas Morning News Best Seller less than two months after it's release, AND made the Oprah Book Club list. It also has a 5 star rating on Amazon.com.

In 2009, Brian is taking his writing game to another level. He will release two books at once - Donna's Comeback (the sequel to Donna's Dilemma) and My Husband's Love Child. He will also appear in three anthologies.
 

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Intimate Conversation with Hollygrove Author Brian W. Smith
Ella Curry, president of EDC Creations chats with Brian W. Smith

Brian W. Smith is the author of “The S.W.A.P. Game”, “Mama’s Lies – Daddy’s Pain”, “Donna’s Dilemma” , “Final Fling” (the sequel to The S.W.A.P. Game), and the recently released “Nina’s Got A Secret”… which is now a Best Seller. Brian is also the owner of Hollygrove Publishing, Inc. The company specializes in producing books that cater to a predominantly African-American audience in the Contemporary Fiction, Christian Fiction, Erotica, and Business genres.

Ella: Where are you from? How did you start your writing journey?
I’m from New Orleans. I started writing in 2005 after experiencing a personal incident that really hurt me deeply. Writing was a form of therapy.

Ella: Who are your two main characters and what do you like most about them?
In my book, "Nina's Got A Secret", the two main characters are Larry and Nina Dennison. Larry is a kind man. Unfortunately, he's taken advantage of by his new bride. Nina is REAL. She’s no different from any man or woman - her primal instinct is to survive…by any means necessary.
  Read the entire article at the BP Blog. 

Brian W. Smith, Author/President of Hollygrove Publishing, www.hollygrovepublishing.com

 

Meet New Hollygrove Author Shay Nolon

The phrase "diamond in the rough" has been over used when describing new found talent. But, never has the phrase been more appropriate for an author when describing the newest member of the Hollygrove Publishing family - Shay Nolon. Shay first dipped her toe in the literary pool in 2006 when she self published her first book, Tell Me No Lies.

After going un-signed for the past three years, she crossed paths with Hollygrove Publishing President, Brian W. Smith. Her short story "Masquerade Ball" was accepted for the Bedtime Stories 2 Anthology. Further discussions led to Shay submitting samples of her other manuscripts to Brian for review, and the rest is history. Brian was so impressed that he broke his own policy of only offering one book deals to authors. Shay has signed a two book deal with Hollygrove Publishing, and she is about to wreak havoc on the literary world.

Her first novel on Hollygrove Publishing, Everything You Owe Me, will be released in January 2010. Her second novel, Greedy, will be released in July 2010. 

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Intimate Conversation with Hollygrove Author Elaine Flowers

 

Ella Curry, president of EDC Creations chats with Elaine Flowers

 

Elaine Flowers is the author of two Dallas Morning News bestsellers, "It's Morning: Torn Lovers and Their Stories" and "Black Beauty." Flowers is new to the Hollygrove Publishing Imprint, and resides in Dallas, TX.

Ella: Finish this sentence: I am Powerful because...
I am Powerful because...I know exactly who I am, and exactly who I am not.

Ella: Please introduce us to your new book.
“It’s Morning: Torn Lovers and Their Stories” is a compilation of two novellas and one short story, each involving a love triangle with two men and one woman.

This particular book makes for fast reading because of the three stories and the drama helps it to move really quickly.  
 Read the entire article at the BP Blog. 

 

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Intimate Conversation with Hollygrove Author Donna Deloney

Donna Deloney earned her B.A. from Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL. She is also a freelance editor and writer, with her works appearing in The Wall Street Journal and Epitome Magazine. Donna was a second-place winner in the 2007 Black Expressions Book Club Fiction Writing Contest. Her first novel, Journey to Jordan (Hollygrove Publishing) debuts in May 2009.

She is also a contributing author to the Christian fiction anthology Bended Knees (November 2009, Hollygrove Publishing). In addition to being a workshop presenter at the 2009 Black Writers Reunion Conference, she will be a featured author/panelist at the 2009 Faith and Fiction Retreat in Orlando, Florida.

Donna resides in Chicago and is a married mother of one and a member of the Salem Baptist Church of Chicago. Visit her blog at http://www.dcdeloney.wordpress.com/ or on Facebook (Donna Dickson Deloney).

Ella Curry, president of EDC Creations chats with Donna Deloney

Ella: Donna, tell us about your passion for writing.
My passion for writing stems from my love of reading. I’ve been reading since I was three years old. I read everything I could get my hands on and writing was a natural extension of that. In grammar school, I was enrolled in a gifted program at Chicago State University. We were taught skills in research and creative writing. It was during those years that my desire to write – anything – was fully realized. I’ve written skits, plays, poems, short stories and a novel. I’ve also written non-fiction pieces for publication.  Read the entire article at the BP Blog.

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