Thomas Barr is the creator of the Miami Urban Chronicles starting with the first installment Notorious P-Man Sam. His writing style is gritty with a bit of flair. It’s in your face approach is just right for the urban fiction lover. But before we get into the details of his work let’s learn more about the man.

A little About Thomas Bar

Hailing from Miami Florida; Author Thomas Barr was born in Lake City, South Carolina home of the 2nd African American astronaut, killed on the Challenger space mission, Dr. Ronald E. McNair.  He is the grandson of a share cropper whom taught him the value of hard work and education.  At age 17 he began college at Bethune-Cookman University and graduated Cum Laude with honors.  While in college he was inspired to write when he read the novel, Black Boy by Richard Wright.  He began writing short stories for campus publications and won a $500 dollar publication contest in a local campus circular.  He entered the Air Force after college and spent two tours of duty in the gulf during the Persian Gulf War.  Upon leaving the Military he went back to school and completed graduate school at the University of Akron in Ohio earning a master of public administration.  He began a career in government as an Intern with the Ohio legislature and later became employed with the Florida Senate as a legislative assistant.  His current works were inspired by his work with the City of Miami as a civil servant in administration.

Thomas Barr’s writings reflect the everyday struggle of the average individual trying to make something of life.  Every person has a story to tell and the job of an inspirational writer is to bring those stories to life for the good of all.  As an author Thomas Barr desires to be the chronicler of inspirational stories designed to assist dreamers in achieving.

Q&A with K.C Baylor

UFN: What made you decide you wanted to be an author?
TB:  I’ve always enjoyed writing in grammar school and as a youth I got compliments from my English teachers for my essays.  I continued to write in college and my short stories got published  by the campus newsletter magazines.  When i read the novel Black Boy by Richard Wright i was inspired to become an author.  I was captivated by his writing style and aspired to write about urban experiences as he had.

UFN: What provoked you to write your story?
TB: Miami has a rich history of progressive blacks and I’ve sought to bring that history to light in my Miami’s Urban Chronicles series.  My current novel is based on the magazine mogul who broke the story profiling Hip Hop rapper Rick Ross as a former correctional officer.

UFN: What do you hope your readers will take away from your story?
TB: I hope readers will be inspired to be entrepreneurs and business minded in their own right.  The novel captures the hustle of ordinary business pioneers and how they traversed the pitfalls of their community to become successful professionals.

UFN: How can fans and readers reach out to you?
TB: Readers can leave responses on my site www.thomasbarrjr.com and fans can also reach me on twitter @thomasbarrjr.  Friend me on Facebook and Pinterest.  I also have a blog on marsocial at urban chronicles in the groups section.


Book Summary For Notorious P-Man Sam

This book is about the struggle of African-American men as they traverse the perils of 20th and twenty-first century life in the professional realms of the work place atmosphere. The differences in opportunities are often overlooked in comparison to other classes and among the races.

The American dream is the realization of success in the face of struggle and hard work. Is it relevant that one’s struggle is harder than the other in accomplishment of this goal? P-Man Sam is a hard look at the road to self-empowerment and what it takes to make it in the American society. The entrepreneurial spirit is one of the main roads traveled in realization of the American dream.

It takes knowledge and fearlessness to take a chance in the ruthless world of business in this society. It’s also important to be able to effectively communicate with the modern diverse society of today through effective people skills.

The P-Man Sam story brings an awareness of how to navigate negative experiences and transform them into motivational learning blocks. Learning from experiences and moving forward is essential in life. One’s eyes must be open and naïve thought processes must be conquered in attaining the ultimate prize. The following are useful for application:

• Mentorship

• Net working

• Coalition building

• Broad-mindedness

This book is a good source for inspiration and having hope is a major force in your journey through life. Situations and circumstances should not be viewed as a hindrance, but instead a hurdle in step to the finish line. There are many instances in this story that relay the struggle against forces that present obstacles. Willpower and dedication are true factors that assist the main character in winning out against such forces.

In conclusion, the power of love and support are sustaining factors in the realization of goals in life. The act of goal-setting itself is an important factor in accomplishing anything in pursuant of ambitious dreams. This novel is sprinkled with kernels of knowledge and inspirational wording designed to give the reader insight into the motivations of the main character that can be transcending to experience.

It is beneficial and intended to identify and acquire these gems of knowledge to retain as progressive career tools.

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