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Welcome to our Mondays at 8:00: Authors Supporting Authors series, brought to you as a joint project by authors April Thomas and Etienne A. Gibbs. Each week we shall interview authors about their work and the disciple behind their writing. Call 646-721-9611 during the show with your questions or comments.

This week's author: Shawn Starling

According to Shawn Starling, “The words by the late rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., could not have been a better way to introduce myself. Those words describe the exact essence of my beginning. They represent what was and what lives inside of me even in this transitioning period of my life. To recognize one’s faults is the key to understanding the direction you are heading in. Opening my eyes to my own truths blessed me with a consciousness that I consider God Sent. I understand. Just like the character in my book, Real, I grew up in Mosby Court Projects inside the home with a dedicated Christian family.” 

“I too, chose the streets over the integrity and values I was raised with. I too, wanted more without realizing everything I really needed was right in front of me. I too, lost it all in the blink of an eye. I was a scared little boy. When the realization of that statement hit me, it was at a time when I could truly say I had become man. Reading this, you may asked, ‘How could a grown man say he was a scared little boy?’ 

"Well, that is the truth. Here I stand with my first published novel, REAL RECOGNIZE REAL, and 8 more unpublished manuscripts to follow. I am a father of two beautiful daughters and a grown man. Today I can say that and know that it is the truth. It is the truth without a façade to hide behind. I am a sole survivor.