KEEP RISING TO THE TOP!

There's a song by the "Blastmaster" himself (KRS-ONE for you hip-hop neophytes) called "Keep Rising to the Top". If you pay close attention to the chorus, you'll hear someone in the background singing, "give it all you got, give it all you got". For native Washingtonian Kia Dupree, she's proving that while she's giving the literary world all that she's got, plans of being in the background are far from her to do list.

Only 30 years young, Kia Dupree has made major moves. Her self-published first debut ROBBING PETER earned the Fiction Honor Book award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association in 2005. By the way, ROBBING PETER was the first self-published book to ever receive the award. So when she's not busy producing contagious text for our reading pleasure and working full time as an Associate Editor for St. Martin's Press, she's taking a minute of her time to rap (no pun intended folks) to yours truly.

What is ROBBING PETER about? It is the story of rebellious teen aged twins Elijah and Elgin who struggle with the pain of growing up without their father. The lives of three women become intertwined because of these two and they must deal with past hurt to look forward to a better future.

Are you working on any projects at this time? I have a short story called Lost One being published in Shannon Holmes' HOOD 2 HOOD anthology in April. I've also completed another novel, LIKE HOLDING A BUTTERFLY which I'm currently seeking literary agent representation. But I'm always writing and ready, trying to develop my craft.

Educational nods? I graduated from Hampton University with a B.A. in Mass Media Arts in 1999. I also have a M.A. in English from Old Dominion University and I did some post-graduate work at NYU where I have a professional certificate in publishing.

Where do you see yourself~writing wise~in 5 years? I aspire to write full-time in the next two years and teach creative writing at a community college in the DC-Metropolitan area.

Come back home Kia, the DC/MD/VA area misses you!!

For more information on Kia Dupree, go to www.kiadupree.com or check out some of the titles she is working on at www.the-blackbox.com.