Nikki Turner | Intellectual Ink

National Best Selling Author of various books, Nikki Turner is not your typical run-of-the-mill author. She has taken and will continue to take the world by storm with her amazing stories about women in power... Born in Richmond, Virginia, Nikki first began her career as a travel agent. As lucrative and fun as that seemed at the time, it wasn’t enough to quench the thirst that lingered within. An avid reader inspired by “A Coldest Winter Ever” by Sistah Souljah, Nikki began writing and published her first novel, “A Hustler’s Wife,” in 2003. Soon after that, “A Glamorous Life” followed. Like a locomotion, she was not to be stopped penning best seller after best seller and making a name for herself in a genre that’s usually dominated by her male counterparts. The main purpose was to showcase the darker side of the game. “Everyone sees the glitz and glamour, but no one sees what it takes to get there. “

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HERE'S A PEEK INSIDE JULY'S ISSUE

Hey, Hey and Mo Hey, July is finally upon us, and you know what that means... Swimsuit Season because you can always find me and my curves in a cute swimsuit or at the beach. The most I do is get my feet wet because I'm that kind of black woman. I do not play about my hair... so stereotypical, but True AF.

I love, love, love being around water, so I truly thank the curvy Goddess that times have changed, and we now have a plethora of sexy swimsuits for every size. We curvy women have to dig deeper than most but trust your good, sis. So put on that bikini and come on out in the sunshine. You know the women of Intellectual Ink are all about body positivity, and we know that swimsuits are a point of contention for curvy and skinny women alike.

If you were looking for a sign to love the skin you're in... THIS IS IT!

Tu-Shonda L. Whitaker is an Essence bestselling author. Along with women's fiction, Whitaker writes teen fiction as Ni-Ni Simone and Erotica as Risque. She received the Ella Baker and W.E.B. Dubois International Award for fiction writing, and we are honored to have a chance to discuss her process and find out how she makes all the magic happen.

Tu-Shonda is as kind as she is talented and it was a pleasure chatting with her. Read the full article in this month's issue of Intellectual Ink, and be sure to subscribe to our mailing list for your chance to win a magazine and copy of her latest book every Monday this month.

I had the #Goode fortune to run into this lovely author at the Hustle & Grind Urban Literary Convention, and she was gracious enough to chat it up with me about current events in her writing world.

JPS: Tell us about your artistic process. How do you get from idea to finished project?

AG: First, let me begin by saying how honored I am to be interviewed by Intellectual Ink. This magazine is so dope. Thank you so much for having me. Once I get an idea regarding my artistic process, I will either write it down or tape it on my voice recorder and then outline a story...