At the helm of TMJ Books, we have TM Jefferson, a writer who has lived an extraordinary life. He is a writer that’s is well-equipped to deliver a slew of page-turners to the urban drama genre.

When writers pop up on my radar, I’m always curious about what brought them to that first moment of creation. I want to learn all about their influences, their route toward publication, and the projects they’re working on. Those became my three focus areas when I approached TMJ for a conversation. This interview covers those three areas: Influences, Independence, and Projects.

An Interview with TM Jefferson, founder of TMJ Books

Inspirations

Gary Swaby: Can you tell us a little about your upbringing and any important moments that shaped who you became as an adult?

TM Jefferson: Peace. I was born and raised in New Rochelle, NY, which is in lower Westchester County, area code 914. I grew up in the Hartley projects, specifically 60 Horton Avenue. Horton & Brook St. The projects had five buildings and my family lived in three of those but I can only recall living in two as a kid. I can vividly remember us moving from one building to the next when I was about 7-8 years old. I lived in a single-parent household with three siblings. Two brothers and my sister. My father was out, running the streets, but my mother made sure I knew who he was even if they weren’t physically together. She never once spoke badly about him either. My father and I weren’t close, but we were good. He passed away in 1989. I was ten years old.

I went to New Rochelle High School for two years before I was kicked out for fighting. From there I went to an alternative school called St. Gabriel. At this time I was running around in the streets, getting in trouble, so I was sent to Morganfield, Kentucky to Earl C. Clements Job Corps. That was definitely an experience. While in Job Corps I took up automotive repair and had the chance to take my G.E.D exam. After about two months in job corps, there was a riot that popped off between some gangs that were there so. To ease the tension they sent all the New York people home.

Back in New Rochelle, I enrolled at Monroe College, taking up computer science. I stayed in Monroe for three semesters before I strayed to the streets.

GS: When did you first have aspirations to write?

TM Jefferson: I started writing as early as I can remember. It started with writing music and eventually evolved to me writing short stories. It wasn’t until 2006 when I went to prison that I actually sat down and wrote a complete piece. After sending my story to one of my friends, they suggested I self-publish. I had no knowledge of the publishing industry and how it worked but I did some research and was able to navigate my way to self-publishing my first novella in 2008.

Writing was my way of communicating my ideas. – TM JEFFERSON

GS: So you always knew you wanted to be a writer then? Even at an early age.

TM Jefferson: I always wanted to create. Writing was my way of communicating my ideas.

GS: Who were some of your literary inspirations when you went about self-publishing that first novella?

TM Jefferson: I was in prison reading a lot of books by different authors. Different genres of work. I was inspired by a few urban/street authors I was reading; specifically K’wan, Al Saddiq Banks, and Kwame Teague aka DUTCH. After reading their work, I wanted to put my own stories out.

Independence

GS: What kind of challenges did you face when publishing your first title?

TM Jefferson: I knew nothing about publishing. Nothing at all. When my friend told me about self-publishing it was the first time I had heard about it. Through my research, I came across a few authors who I reached out to but no one reached back. So, I went ahead and did it myself.

That first book was an experience. This was 2008. I had print copies and I published them to Amazon Kindle, which was fairly new at the time. I priced the book at $6.99 thinking I was doing it right. In total, I sold about 3-5 copies of that book on Kindle within a six-month period.

After that, I started to study Amazon and how it works. I came across a published author who was white. He had his book priced at .99 cents. His reviews were in the hundreds and his ranking was Bestseller status. I did some more studying and figured I was going to adapt his pricing method. I put that book at .99 cents and it took off.

After I saw what my first book was doing I just kept writing and releasing work.

When I’m writing a story and creating characters, I become those characters and I’m in that story. – TM Jefferson

GS: And now, you’ve had the experience of being an Amazon Bestseller of over nine different titles. Congrats on that one. Would you still consider traditional publishing as an option?

TM Jefferson: Yes. Definitely. I’m not looking or taking the steps to get traditionally published, but if the opportunity is there and the circumstances are in my favor, I would probably take the offer.

Projects

GS: What first inspired you to write The Union?

TM Jefferson: The Union is not a new book. It was originally published as a three-book series in 2012-2014 under another independent publishing company I was dealing with. I have recently re-released it as the full story as it was intended when I wrote it. I broke it into three parts for the company I was dealing with. The inspiration for The Union came from my wanting to pen a street love story.

The hardest part in creating The Union was probably coming up with the title. It had a different title before The Union.

GS: How long did it take you to start, finish and publish The Union?

TM Jefferson: I wrote The Union in less than sixty days. It was over one hundred thousand words so the company I was with suggested I break it up into three parts and create a series. And I did that. So, the book was published maybe 90-120 days after I wrote it.

GS: Is there a standout character from The Union that you enjoyed writing?

TM Jefferson: Yes. Mox Daniels. The lead character in The Union. After you read the book you’ll know why I say this.

GS: Do you have a regular writing routine that you follow to complete the objective?

TM Jefferson: No routine but when I sit down to create, I go in! When I’m writing a story and creating characters, I become those characters and I’m in that story. Day in day out. I like to immerse myself in my work.

GS: What can we expect from TM Jefferson in the future?

TM Jefferson: I’ve started a new imprint; TMJ BOOKS and I’ll be re-releasing some of my previous titles and also publishing new works.

At this time I have one author signed to TMJ BOOKS and her name is Poison Ivy. Keep an eye out for her first title: Single Wive’s Club coming summer 2022!

Please visit my website for all new releases, giveaways, and event dates.

Thank you! Peace.

Buy from TMJ Books Website / Buy on Amazon (US) / Buy on Amazon (UK)

Crafted by the award winning writer Jason Reynolds, Miles Morales: A Spider-Man Novel lets the author depict Marvel’s most exciting Spider-Man in a new light. Drawing from his experience as a person of color growing up in urban America, Reynolds was often frustrated with the lack of African-American superheroes in literature, especially in young adult fiction. This is his way of creating something for young ones who are growing up in an environment similar to his own.

Redital had an opportunity to interview Reynolds about Miles Morales: A Spider-Man Novel. Releasing this August, the book tackles survivor’s guilt, the cycle of poverty, and the grittiness of street life; topics unknown in Peter Parker’s world.

When you set out to write Miles Morales as a character and the overall arc of the novel, what message did you want to send to the reader?

I’m very careful about trying to send specific messages in my work. That’s not to say they’re void of message, but I just don’t want to be too didactic. If there’s anything to take from this book, it’s that the superpowers Miles possesses as Spider-Man are nothing compared to the intrinsic superpowers he already had— will, integrity, and mental fortitude. We all have superpowers, whether you have a spider suit or not.

What is the most appealing aspect of Miles Morales the character? What is the most misunderstood aspect about him?

The most appealing part of Miles, to me, is everything outside of him being Spider-Man. His family, and neighborhood. His friendship with Ganke and Alicia. The jokes and textures. The most misunderstood aspect of him…hmmm. Good question. I guess, people will read this and think Miles doesn’t want to be Spider-Man. But he does. He just doesn’t know if he CAN be Spider-Man. And that’s less about his willingness and more about his insecurity rooted in all kinds of external factors, from family to school to society.

How much freedom did Disney/Marvel give you while writing the novel?

A lot. I have to say, I pitched my idea, and they were like, “Go for it.” And so I went for it, turned in the first draft, and they said, “Go further.” I couldn’t believe it! So, yeah, they let me do my thing. 

What separates your version of Miles Morales from previous iterations?

Tricky. I have respect for the other iterations. I think the biggest difference with this particular story is, it’s a novel, so I had more space to peel back layers. Also, I’m of this community, of this culture, so the details that I tried to bring to it were distinct to said culture. I wanted my story to be lifted most by the authenticity of the characters. 

What strengths did you drawn upon from your own life when crafting the novel?

A lot of it. Much of this is me in a spidey suit. The way Miles’s parents talk. The way he relates to Ganke. The barbershop (yes…I go to the barbershop sometimes!) All that’s me. And also the idea that I’m not sure I’m cut out to be something that I am…like being a writer…that’s me, too. 

The Miles Morales character is slowly growing in popularity; with the inclusion of the character in the upcoming PlayStation 4’s Spider-Man to Donald Glover’s upcoming animated series, do you feel any pressure for your novel to stand-out?

I do. But not because of any of those things, though I’m SO excited they’re all coming. I just always try to make something that I think will stand out, and not because of any flash and spark, but because of quality. I’m not always certain I get it right, but I try as hard as I can every time. 

We live in a world where some people don’t believe race affects a person. Do you feel the character and the novel speaks directly to African-American and Hispanic communities or is his life and the novel’s message universal? 

Both. I think there are elements that speak directly to the EXPERIENCE of some folks of color, but even in that, those elements are speaking TO the larger audience. Issues around race are never about the those of us affected by it. It’s about those of us not affected, and about macro and micro levels of accountability and acknowledgement. But besides the racial undertones, there’s also the universal theme of fighting for what’s right, even when you’re uncomfortable. Even when there are consequences.

Did you write with the intent to make people understand what’s it’s like to be an African-American/Puerto Rican male in America today?

Not necessarily. I think more important than trying to get people to understand, I just wanted to authentically serve the story. This is who Miles is. Black, Puerto Rican, Brooklynite, with a family who has a complicated past. I didn’t make that up, Marvel did. So what I had to do was really show what all those elements mean. It would’ve been lazy and disingenuous to take the information given, and pretend it holds no bearing on who Miles is and how he maneuvers through the world.

Miles Morales has a lot of pressure with his new found superpower, more so than Peter Parker. However, he treats his power like survivor’s guilt. What made you come to that decision?

You know, when I first started working on this, I asked myself, “When I was sixteen, who were the superheroes in my neighborhood?” The superheroes growing up, for me, were the guys who we knew went to the NBA, and at nineteen or twenty years old, came into financial freedom. But they rarely were able to hold on to it, not just because of frivolous spending, but also because they wanted to make sure everyone around them could feel free as well. So they paid everyone’s bills, bought people houses and cars, etc. The guilt drives that. How can I live in a mansion when my friends and family still live in the projects? How can I live extraordinarily when the people around are struggling just to touch ordinary? Miles, like many of us, lacks the privilege to be Spider-Man without any strings attached. 

The novel is a lot gritter than other versions, what made you take that path?

Good question, easy answer. That’s just me. Just how I am. A little grit is good for you.

Miles Morales is a very complicated character. Did that hinder your writing or allow for more creativity to develop?

Oh, it was a dream. Complexity is normal. What’s more human than messiness? All the layers of Miles gave me space to explore and really push the plot further than I could’ve if he was one-dimensional.

Is there a villain from the Marvel Universe you would love to see Miles Morales face?

Venom. It would just be classic. Or…Magneto. 

Are there any sequels planned in the future?

I have no idea. We’ll see!

Look for Miles Morales: A Spider-Man Novel out now!

Buy the book (UK)
Buy the book (US)