This month The Review brings to you author, publisher, entrepreneur……………The Ultimate Hustler Dashawn Taylor. Dashawn is a native of New Jersey, and a graduate of Rutgers University.

TR- Dashawn, you have a very interesting background. When was it that you knew that you wanted to be a writer?

That is a very interesting question because a lot of people believe that I just started writing. But I have been writing since I was about twelve years old. I have always had a wild imagination and I started writing poetry and raps very early in my school days. I use to come up with creative songs with a rap group back in Trenton. I have never stopped writing since I was a pre-teen. It was in 2005 when I decided that I wanted to take my career to another level. I wanted to write my life story and decided it was time to share From Poverty To Power Moves with the world.

TR- What was the inspiration behind From Poverty to Power Moves?

My initial reason for writing the Power Moves started out as a personal bet. I remember watching the first season of MTV’s Making of the Band and thinking that those contestants should write a book about themselves to keep themselves in the spotlight. I told myself that if I was ever on a reality show, I would write a book and talk about my experience. As fate would have it, I was on the BET Ultimate Hustler Show and kept the promise to myself. I ended up writing a book about my life and wanted to reach back and talk about the mistakes I made in the entertainment business and those mistakes are outline in the back of the book. I call them the Ten Hustle Commandments.

TR- How long did it take you to pen your first book?

My first book took me close to seven months to write. It was a tough project because I am not an open person by nature. I had to take a leap of faith and trust that I was doing the right thing. Turns out that I made the right decision in releasing it.

TR- You have a very long resume; author, event promoter, music production, and book publisher just to name a few. When do you find time to write?

I really write on the go. I travel a lot so I try to sneak in time to write and plan my next books either on the train, plane or other mode of transportation. There are a few tricks to the trade that I can share. I use my PDA to write in between breaks. If you have a smartphone or blackberry, I strongly suggest using your MS Word program or Note pad to continue your thoughts and formulate your story.

TR- Do you write every day?

I try to write everyday but I really don’t have enough free time to squeeze it in. But I do think about my stories every day. I have learned a few tricks of visualization that I use to help me keep my momentum going.

TR- You've written three books, which was your favorite and why?

Kissed By The Devil (the first part) is my favorite book. I felt really constrained when I wrote Power Moves. I had to be careful not to expose too many people and at the same time stay honest. Kissed By The Devil II was more of a mainstream move for me. Because my audience was growing I had to edit myself a lot for the sake of releasing a successful book. But the during the writing of the first part of Kissed By The Devil I was in a zone when I wrote that book. I felt very connected to that story and almost felt like as the writer I was one of the characters. It was a feeling that I hope returns to me because it was almost like I was traveling into another world during those two years that I wrote that particular book.

TR- Tell our readers about Kissed by the Devil I and II.

This book series can best be described as a wild ride thought the cut throat world of deceit and treachery. Heidi Kachina is a typical young and hardworking woman who quickly finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of drama due to the secret life of her now deceased fiancé. The twist and turns of this story will have the reader begging for more as the true story unfolds.

TR- You were a finalist on BET’s Ultimate Hustler. This had to be an awesome opportunity for an entrepreneur. How has participating in this reality show brought you and your company more exposure?

I not only learned a lot from being on the show but it has given me a new found respect for the entrepreneurs that continue to persevere in this industry. The exposure from the show has given me and my businesses a renewed credibility and has allowed me to move in circle that I was unable to penetrate before. Not to mention that my network has since grown. So all in all I wouldn’t change the outcome of the show.

TR- Dashawn what sets you apart from other authors?

I bring more of a cinematic style of writing to my stories. I am a huge movie fan (more than books) and I love to tell stories. I try to be as detailed as possible when I write. I want to make the reader feel like they are an eyewitness to the story as they read it. So my goal is to put you right in the middle of the drama immediately.

TR- African American authors have a hard time getting their work picked up by publishers. Is this the reason that you started Next Level Publishing?

That is the exact reason why I started the company. I am a self starter and I have always been that way. If I feel I have a product that can be brought to market and sold, I refuse to wait for another human being to give me that opportunity. I feel my stories have an audience that would appreciate my work once they have experienced it. To all other authors I would advise you to spend more time on producing your own work and learning the business before you sign your projects away to a company that may exert minimal energy in exposing your project.

TR- What’s next for Dashawn Taylor?

I plan to do a multitude of things with the next five years of my career. My fans can expect to see a number of new books and new media projects being released under the Next Level Publishing flag. I have been spending a lot of time developing a new multi-media company that will be launched in Spring of 2011.

TR- What words of wisdom would you like to share with your readers?

I was recently traveling down 95 in route to a book signing and I read a billboard that changed my focused for the best….it simply read….FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED!

Books include:
From Poverty To Power Moves (In Stores Now)
Kissed By The Devil I (In Stores Now)

Kissed By The Devil II ( In Stores Now)

The Final Kiss (Spring 2011)

www.dashawntaylor.com

www.nextlevelpublishing.com

Interviewer: Kenyatta Ingram