Ben Harris Jr. began his career as a model for several renowned companies.
He discovered his interest in writing by the age of ten, which literally opened the door to him utilizing his talent.
A few years ago he began writing A Lucrative Vengeance, sparked by a friendship that would later be connected to an individual involved in the death of a well-known celebrity.
B2M proudly presents our interview with Ben Harris Jr.
B2M: When did you discover your interest in writing?
BEN: I first took an interest in the art of writing at the tender age of ten, after winning first place in a citywide essay contest for writing to Los Angeles city Councilmen Rudy Svorinich. My essay was in reference to problems that plagued the community during the time.
B2M: Please tell our readers about your new book, A Lucrative Vengeance.
BEN: I started writing, A Lucrative Vengeance when I was twenty-five. Currently I am twenty-nine and I’ll be thirty in July. I attended A Performing Arts High School in Las Vegas and when I graduated I moved back to Los Angeles and began acting and modeling. I booked commercials and print ads for companies such a Coca Cola, Verizon, Old Navy, and Pizza Hut to name a few. While on the set of a Sav-on’s commercial I met a young lady named Nicole. The Nadia character in my books is heavily inspired by Nicole. Nicole was an actress who stripped in Las Vegas from time to time on the weekends. A Lucrative Vengeance is a more sensationalized version of our friendship.
A year after completing, A Lucrative Vengeance something mind-blowing happened- Michael Jackson died! The reason Michael Jackson’s death is significant is because Dr. Conrad Murray, the Physician who was treating Michael Jackson during the time of his death, was also Nicole’s boyfriend, if that’s what you want to call their relationship. She was upset that I released the book but the crazy thing is, she knew I was writing a book and what it was about. She also knew that it was NOT a tell-all IT WAS COMPLETED ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE MICHAEL JACKSON EVEN DIED. Someone tipped the media off because people knew that she and I at one time were pretty close. She changed after meeting Conrad. I had written the manuscript and it was just sitting and collecting dust until I could figure out a way to get it published. It wasn’t like I was being an opportunist; I had always planned to release it, I just didn’t know how. The only reason Nicole is mad is because Michael Jackson died and investigators started to pull skeletons out of her closet, which the world saw unfold during the trial. She is a good person and I wish her the best. I know she will pull through, she is resilient like me.
B2M: Is there a particular character in this story that you identify with?
BEN: I modeled Euphoric’s character after myself. His troubled upbringing is a mirror image of my own.
B2M: What message do you hope this book will convey to readers?
BEN: The message that I want to convey to this book is that everyone is subject to karma whether they believe it or not. It’s sort of like the Law of Gravity. You might not believe in it but if you jump off a building, SPLAT!
B2M: What genre of readers do you consider to be your target base?
BEN: Since my writing almost always incudes a plethora of multi-cultural characters, I would have to say that my readers come from all ethnic backgrounds. For the sake of the question I will say that my base audience would be African Americans.
B2M: Do you have a favorite writer in the industry? If so, who?
BEN: Eric Jerome Dickey is my favorite author in the industry. Sometimes I read his work, I feel like I wrote it and he just beat me to the punch of publishing it. My writing has been compared by readers as a combination between Eric Jerome Dickey and the late E. Lynn Harris.
B2M: How has the art of writing enriched your life?
BEN: Writing soothes me. Sometimes when I write it’s almost like I go into a trance or a meditative state. It’s as if it’s not even me who is doing the writing.
B2M: Do you have any advice to offer to aspiring authors?
BEN: I would tell aspiring authors to write for themselves and not what they think someone else wants to read. They will attract the right audience as long as they write from an authentic place. After completing a manuscript that they are completely satisfied with they should seek out people who have careers similar to what they are aspiring to have and see what those individuals did to achieve their success.
B2M: Five years from now, what do you hope readers will be saying about your artistry?
BEN: I simply want people to say that I have uplifted them and kept them entertained. I want them to say that every time they pick up a book by Ben Harris Jr., that they already know before reading the first page that it’s going to be fire.
B2M: What can we expect from you in the future?
BEN: A Lucrative Vengeance is part of the Euphoric Series and the sequel to A Lucrative Vengeance is titled, A Juicy Kind of Life. The sequel will be released in June of 2013. I love character development and throughout the Euphoric Series you will see Euphoric go through trials and grow as a person through each test of faith. He is quite the trooper!
I like to write things that will leave an uplifting, lasting mark. With me, you might think you are getting a sexy urban tale but by the end of the book I have tricked you into learning something that I think you should know. My books are laced with uplifting messages. I mention people, places and things that will peak your interest and cause you to go searching things.
Right now I am working on a couple of ghost writing projects as well as working on my third novel, which is totally different from The Euphoric Series. I was born to write so in the future you can look for my name whether I am a published author or hustling independently. You can find more information at www.BenHarrisJr.com.
B2M: Ben we encourage you to continue writing books that offer great stories and interesting characters. We look forward to hearing more from you.
Thanks for interviewing with Books2Mention Magazine. Please be sure to come back again and keep our readers informed about all of you future endeavors.
Much Success To You!
The Staff @ Books2Mention Magazine
To learn more about Ben Harris Jr., please visit his website at www.BenHarrisJr.com.
Books by Ben Harris Jr. include:
