Interview with Essence Best Selling Author Joy (Deja) King

National Bestselling author Joy Deja King is representing a new genre of young, hip and sexy novels that take readers behind the velvet rope of the glamorous, but often shady entertainment industry, and introduces street life in all its complexity. Born in Toledo, Ohio and raised in California, Maryland and North Carolina, Ms. King is emerging as the Urban version of Best Selling author Jackie Collins. Ms. King attended North Carolina Central University and Pace University in New York City, where she majored in Journalism. Emerging onto the entertainment scene, Ms. King accepted an internship position, and immediately began to work her way up the ranks, at The Terrie Williams Agency. Working hands-on with top celebrity clients and events; such as Johnnie Cochran, The Essence Awards, The Essence Music Festival, the NBA Players’ Association, Moet & Chandon and many other entertainment executives and celebrities. Wanting to pursue new endeavors, Ms. King moved on from the public relations firm to pursue the arts, she attended the famous Lee Strasburg Theater Institute. While attending the acting institute she received a job offer from Click Radio as Director of Hip Hop Artist Relations. As Director of Hip Hop Artist Releations, she developed segments featuring the biggest names in Hip Hop. Ms. King pushed her department to new levels by producing an outlet that placed Hip Hop in the forefront of the cyber world. Ms. King made her literary debut with the release of her first novel, “Dirty Little Secrets” (under St. Martin’s Press) and followed it up with the bestselling sequel “Hooker to Housewife”. A prolific writer Ms. King also secured a publsihing deal with Triple Crown Publications for the first three installments of her popular Bitch Series. Wanting to expand her reading audience, in 2006 Ms. King founded Young Diamond Books. YDB produces urban street fiction books for young adults, ages 13-17, that focuses on the complex street life without the raw