Miasha 1981-

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MIASHA 1981-

PERSONAL:

Born 1981, in Philadelphia, PA; married; children: one. Education: Attended Temple University.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Atlanta, GA. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

Secret Society, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2006.

Diary of a Mistress, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2006.

Mommy's Angel, Touchstone (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Miasha is the sobriquet of an author whose first novel, Secret Society, focuses on two hustling teens named Celess and Tina, who target men for their money. Their story is told in a flashback by Celess, who had three successful men looking after her but now tells her story after a grisly shoot-out that has left her disfigured. Much of the narrative focuses on how Tina and Celess work to keep their secret from their lovers, namely that they are really men. "Scandalous and engrossing, this debut from Miasha … shows her to be a writer to watch," commented a Publishers Weekly contributor. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews called the novel "thin and glitzy, but bizarrely affecting in its way." Lillian Lewis, writing in Booklist, referred to Secret Society as "an absorbing tale."

In her novel Diary of a Mistress, Miasha tells the story of Angela, who is scorned by Carlos. Angela seeks revenge upon him by creating a fake diary that says that he actually did sleep with her and cheat on his wife, Monica. Angela sends the diary to Monica, who subsequently stabs her husband and is sent to jail for attempted murder. Angela has a change of heart and confesses to her deception, leading to a reduced sentence for Monica. "With Diary of a Mistress, I wanted to break the cliché that all men are dogs," noted Miasha in an interview on the Urban Reviews Web site. "I wanted to tell the other side of the story. There are good men out there." In a review of Diary of a Mistress, a Publishers Weekly contributor noted: "Miasha … can cook up a sordid soap opera plot."

Miasha told CA: "I became interested in writing at age nine. Both of my parents struggled with drug addictions and I had a lot of emotional issues as a result. I didn't really know how to talk to people about my feelings so I started writing them down in the form of poetry. From there, I grew a love for writing. It was not only my way of releasing, but it was also entertaining to others. I have to say reality influences my work. I write very raw and real—to the point. I think it has to do with me seeing things firsthand growing up and I tend to depict the surface in my writing. I don't sugar-coat. My writing process is simply me getting ideas and going to the computer to type them out, whether it be three o'clock in the morning or one o'clock in the afternoon.

"The most surprising thing I have learned as a writer is that I have true talent. Having been writing for so long as a hobby, you don't consider what you do special. You just do it. But when you have people tell you that you have a unique writing style or that it is a gift that you can write in third and first person, you realize that what you do is special and that it is God-given. Because it's not like I sat down and studied a style or practiced writing in third and first person. It's something that comes naturally to me.

"I really can't say which of my books is my favorite. I love both of my books because they are so different, but equally captivating. But for the sake of choosing, I'd go with Secret Society. It was my first book. It was my breakthrough. I hope my books will make people open their eyes and their minds. I want my books to break barriers, burst bubbles, and shed light on topics that are common but not commonly spoken about. Overall, I hope my books make readers feel enlightened, whether they are happy or sad, I want them to walk away feeling like they've discovered a new level of consciousness."