I finally got to interview Simone Holloman-McKoy. She is an accomplished writer for a book called… “A Diamond in Darkness.” The book is about a woman , whose mind is taking control of her. Her name is Siriya Mercer. Siriya finds herself in a midst of a breakdown and because of that, she finds herself reliving her past. This book, which is written by an accomplished writer, is part fiction and part reality. As Simone were writing the book, she added some of her own life experiences in Siriya’s story. This was because, Simone could relate to what Siriya was going through. There are parts of Siriya’s life that strongly imitated Simone’s life as a young woman. So, as you read the story, you decide which parts of the book is fiction and which parts is reality. This book will definitely blow your mind.
Simone sat with me for an interview one afternoon and spoke about her book. She said… I feel accomplished that I actually did it. It was such a process. Writing is something I was doing all my life. It was something that people wanted me to take advantage of. I was too afraid to tackle that task because I was unsure of myself. I was totally unsure and afraid of letting people know about me. So, when I self published the beginning stages of my novel (oh yes… there’s going to be a part two to my book as well as a part three), It gave me purpose and power. I wrote this book initially as a poem and it just kept going. Then it continued in a poem but, I also added different stages of my life in there. Different situations I’ve gone through is in my novel. Most of the events are events depicted from my life; my friends life and basically, it began being a guide for young women. If I had gone through some of these events in my life, I know other woman have also. Everyone these days, are reading a lot of Urban books. They think LIFE is about the kings pens and Madams but, that’s not true. That’s not everybody’s reality. I wanted to make it as real as possible so, I focused on middle class young women (such as my self) who deals with these types of situations everyday.
Outside of writing my book, I started writing part two of it, I am also the co-founder of an independent record label “Dyne Entertainment” we’ve been working on this label for the past three years. My husband and my brother and I are the owners of the label. Thomas Holloman – my brother and my husband Gregory McKoy. We are based out of Raleigh North Carolina. We’ve already acquired 5 artists and they are based around hip hop. Right now, we are working on a new album. I am also starting a women’s organization “The Leading Lady Movement” – where we get young women who are entrepreneurs, who have been through trials and tribulations in their lives, that are trying to take control and want to give back to these young women. We mentor young girls. We teach them how to carry themselves in this world and help them with whatever issues they have. We mentor them from young women to adulthood.
I’m just so blessed to have been able to self publish my book. I want to read an excerpt from my book to you… “so… Is this how it ends. Here I am with the barrel to my brains, crying out no-more. I can’t take much more of this pain. I’m thinking of relieving myself from the burdens of my mind. All the torture I sustained in such a short period of time. For too long I prayed; I’ve cried; I’ve fantasized for the perfect match. Though all I find and seems to catch is another burden. Another debt, another experience of being tortured to death.”
I was born and raised in Jamaica Queens, NY. I was raised in Lefrak City, Queens. I’ve travelled back and forth throughout that time. That’s my origin. I’ve attended P.S 13 (elementary school). I attended high school in Raleigh North Carolina. I graduated from Freeport high school in Freeport Long Island, NY. I am married to a wonderful guy – his name is Gregory McKoy. We’ve been married for 3 years. But, we’ve been together for 5. He’s actually my very first crush. We are both from Lefrak City, and I have known him since elementary school. We left New York and pursued our career in Raleigh North Carolina. We left because.. I had just lost my job. Prices was going up in New York. My parents had moved down south and we just figured, it was time for us to move down there too.
I am currently working on turning “A Diamond In Darkness” into a play and also a short film. Hopefully very soon. I currently have a videographer – my brother, who is helping me put my book into a script. I have been looking at different sites to have my play. After the play, I will be doing a short film about it. I feel so blessed. I have written a book that will carry on to many chapters; I was given the blessings to self publish my own book; I met the love of my life, whom II had a crush on ever since I met him. I have many projects in the works and others that have been established and now, I am sitting here doing an interview with you for your magazine. GOD’s been good to me. There’s still more to come. A lot of people have told me that I can’t do this or I can’t do that but, I had other people in my life who saw my potential and they basically pushed me and supported me and made me feel that I can actually achieve these things. So, thank you to all who believed in me and were and still are pushing me towards my success. Because when I was writing the book, I was homeless.and I was staying with my best friend. I had a nervous breakdown because of a situation I was going through. At that time, I was kinda not there. Every single day, I wrote a chapter for my book. At that time when I was homeless, my bestfriend really didn’t know me that well and yet, she just took me under her wings. I guessed she saw something in me. She took me into her home and just pushed me every day to write. Write about anything. Write about my life. I did that and I didn’t stop. She read my chapters and she critiqued it. She helped me with my book. She was like my proofreader for this book. She told me to go with it. She said, she see me being someone big with this book. She told me that my book was good. I finished my book at her house. I was able to bring a part of me back. A part that I thought was lost. I started writing the book in 2005 and it was sitting all that time. I finally self published my book through my label. Outside of my best friend being influential in the finishing of my book, my family was the original motivators of my writing.
Today I live trying to be a blessing to everyone else. I kinda pay it forward. I inspire to be better every single day and I just want to succeed at anything I do. I want to succeed and bring everyone else with me. I wouldn’t have gotten to this place if it weren’t for those who helped me. So I pay it forward to people who need my help. I pay it forward to those who are acquiring it. I pay it forward especially to those who have helped me because without them, there probably, would not, Be – A – Me……..
My inspirations goes out to my grandmother on my mothers side – Catherine Johnson. She always had a soothing but strong voice. . I’ve always been inspired by my grandmother. Because she is a strong will person who takes care of everybody. She love hard and she is always honest. She will tell you whats on her mind and she would go all out to help you and her family. I can’t explain how much I cherish her. She’s an integral part of my life. I love her. I have an unexplainable relationship with my grandmother. I couldn’t live without her.
If someone is trying to do whatever it is that pleases them whether it is writing a book, starting a magazine, singing, rapping, director, videographer, whatever their soul desires.. I would say – Take matters into your own hands. Follow what you feel is right for you. Just put your best foot forward and don’t let no one tell you what your boundaries are. You know your self worth. My book can be found on Amazon.com and www.createspace.com/3807568
