Meet Odie Hawkins | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Odie Hawkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Odie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
As a free-lance writer, with radio scripts, film scripts, published novels and several short story collections to my credit (see: www.odiehawkins.com). I simply got tired of going through the “traditional process” — submit the work through an agent and wait, and wait, and wait for somebody to make a decision. Zola Salena-Hawkins and I decided to exile ourselves from the “traditional
process”. We decided to create our own publishing house. We named it Kosmic Muffin Publishing House and we have had our business license for the past ten years.
We have not had the funds to publish other books we would like to publish, but that hasn’t prevented us from having my books published (36 to date, using AuthorHouse and iUniverse as umbrellas, with our signature logo for our creative efforts).
As creative people we feel that we have been successful in our efforts to say what we want to say, without negative editorial interference and cultural nit-picking. I am the writer, Zola Salena-Hawkins is the photographer (also a writer). I write about whatever I feel interested in writing. Zola reads the manuscript and, if she has time, (from her other activities), to supply the book with a great cover, she will do that.
Of course, we’re interested in making money, but more importantly, we’re more deeply committed to establishing a publishing house that will have a reputation for moral, ethical and literary excellence. Those are the bars for the works that we will publish, eventually.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our business will be the joint effort of two ambitious world hip media savvy people to create something we think will be beneficial to the people, something like “Shoutout.” We are the proud creators of the Pan-African Occult Genre, a non-existent genre in most of the Euro oriented publishing houses. We feel that there is a great need for our lives to be influenced by past events and actions that have nothing to do with Bela Lugosi, dank Transylvanian castles, or Boris Karloff.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting the area and we wanted to show them the best time, say for a week-long trip? First off, we would start them off in our home. Boastfully, we would like to say that our Brazilian Vatapá, Norwegian Fish Pie, West-African Agusi Soup (with fufu), Thai Shrimp Soup, New Orleans Po’boy Sandwiches, SpanishTapas (con tortilla Espanol), grilled Filipino Pompano, Huachinango ala Vera Cruzana (Mexico), Cuban Black Beans, Rice and Fried Chicken; and all of the goodies that we prepare on a regular basis – would be cuisine openers. And, if we had to eat out, Long Beach is a treasure for people who love superb food; The American Pho (Vietnam), at Pacific Avenue and Pacific Coast Highways. The Elephant Garden, on Long Beach Blvd. and 20th Street for Thai food. The elegant Soul Food restaurant at Artesia and Cherry – a block or so away, the Indonesian Restaurant.
And, of course, even before these Pandemic times, Trader Joe’s on Long Beach Blvd., Bellflower Blvd. and Marina Del Rey offer a great selection of wines from France and elsewhere. We would spend as much time as possible at the beach, tripping to the Aquarium, the Long Beach Theatre at Ocean Avenue and Pine.
Interesting people in Long Beach? They are all over the place.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Dr. Margaret Burroughs my high school teacher, DuSable High School, Chicago, Illinois. She was the catalyst for me becoming a writer. I am always conscious of her presence in my life.

Website: http://www.odiehawkins.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/odie.hawkins/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMjqyGGIYTbqJhAhTP-fD3g

Other: https://www.amazon.com/Odie-Hawkins/e/B001KIPESE%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Image Credits
Zola Salena-Hawkins