April 2014 Martial Artist Spotlight: Balogun Ojetade

After hosting a great event on diversifying "Steampunk" , we just couldn't end the month without highlighting fellow martial artist "Balogun Ojetade"

Diversify You SteamPunk Day 6: "Beyond Victoriana" with Diana Pho

Ay-Leen The Peacemaker is to Diana Pho, what Sasha Fierce is to Beyonce. Being one of the most prominent names in the online Steam-punk community, and off, it's a wonder Diana gets any sleep. 

Diana is the creator of "Beyond Victoriana" , a blog that promotes diversity in the science fiction sub genre "Steam-punk." If you're anything like me, you loved steam-punk growing up, but started to outgrow it once you realized no one looked like you on the pages.

Well fear not, because today we sit down with Diana, an innovator for what steam-punk will become. She shows steam-punk does not have to be a homogenous, narrow minded view of speculative fiction.

Diversify Your SteamPunk Day 4:From Here to Timbuktu with Milton Davis

Although we've only recently been exposed to this author's work through his release of "Amber and The Hidden City"(Isnt the cover just amazing...),the esteemed Milton Davis has been writing for nearly a decade.

While incorporating African culture in the somewhat Eurocentric genre, "fantasy", he's managed to release over 24 distinct works and sell thousands of copies of his books. What really stands out though? With help, he and fellow steampunk alumni Balogun Ojetade, have helped diversify the steampunk genre with a new sub genre to the sub genre, notably named "SteamFunk."

Milton Davis took some time out to chat with us during our "Diversify Your SteamPunk" event, and here's what he has to say!

1. Your latest YA/MG book "Amber and The Hidden City" is what made me most familiar with your work. I mean, who could really deny that cover?!? Can you tell us a little more about yourself,and a bit about your work?

Steamfunk, Sword and Soul and A Kick Ass version of Harriet Tubman!- Sit down with Speculative Fiction Author, Balogun Ojetade

To kick off our first day of a Month filled of Interviews and giveaways, We wanted to introduce an author that has come up our radar a multitude of times while searching for Diverse Steampunk. He's published several books and had lead several discussions at conventions for Black Speculative Fiction and to top it off, he is one of the founders of a very dope(and we mean DOPE!)movement going on in Fiction right now.  We missed the chance to meet him this year @ DragonCon but we still caught up with him to talk about him and all of his AWESOMENESS! 

Now without further adieu, we'd like Love to introduce to you...

Mr. Balogun Ojetade

My sister and I haven't had the pleasure of reading any of your books yet but there has been a lot of buzz surrounding you in various places. It's like we can't conduct an online search pertaining to diversity in books without your name being mentioned! Why don't you tell our readers a bit about yourself, as well as your writing?

I am very grateful for the buzz and I thank everyone for their ongoing support.

For those who don’t yet know me – and I would imagine that’s a lot of folks – I am an author; a father of eight children; grandfather of two; a husband; a Steamfunkateer / Steampunk; a filmmaker; a screenwriter; an actor (sometimes); a creator of role-playing games and a priest in the traditional Yoruba system of Ifa. I am also owner, master instructor and technical director of the Afrikan Martial Arts Institute, which has representatives in Atlanta, Macon, GA, Raleigh-Durham, NC and London, England.