Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life? Newark, Delaware. I read a lot of books and I did a lot of writing in diaries and I wrote a lot of poetry.

Who were your earliest influences and why? Alice Walker, Maya Angelou were my earliest influences because I read them from my mother’s collection of books. They had such powerful stories to tell about black women and African American culture. I was also influenced by the stories of Judy Blume. I read her a lot when I was growing up. I enjoyed her stories and her characters.

Why did you write your current book? Tell us about this book. My current book is: The Blueprint for My Girls In Love: 99 Rules for Dating, Relationships and Intimacy. This book is a guide for teens who are looking for REAL answers and ADVICE when dealing with dating, relationships and sex, for the most part! I wrote this book because when I was on tour with my first book, The Blueprint for My Girls: How to Build A Life Full of Courage, Determination & Self-Love 70% of the questions that I received from girls involved dating, relationships and sex. I felt that they wanted to have the answers and so I had to write the book.

How long did it take to write? 4 months

Where did the title come from? The title is a spin from my first book.

Are you working on a follow up or something completely different? I’m working on PRIVACY which is the sequel to my first novel, EXCLUSIVE.

What was the last book you read? Caught Up In The Mix by Candice Dow

Do you set yourself daily, weekly, yearly goals? If so, what are some of your goals? I set yearly goals. I like to write two books a year. This year I’ve written 3. Yikes!

What challenges or obstacles do you encounter while writing? Sometimes I don’t want to write. I don’t want to find out what I’m thinking. Sometimes I want the muse to leave me alone. How did you overcome these challenges? I stop listening to myself and go and sit down and write. I always feel better afterwards anyway.

How have you used the Internet to boost your writing career? I’ve done promotions, book give-a-ways, connected with bookclubs, and worked with book websites to get my work out there. I think the internet is an excellent tool.

How can readers get in contact with you? Visit my website and email me. www.yasminshiraz.net; email: yshiraz@yasminshiraz.net and my blog: yasminshiraz.blogspot.com