Rising Stars: Meet Andre Smith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andre Smith.  

Hi Andre, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was raised in East Cleveland, Ohio. Grew up playing sports, which in turn earned me a full athletic scholarship to college. I can’t recall reading much of anything except school curriculum or comic books growing up as a kid. It was during my college years that I was introduced to writing as a means to express raw emotion. A college professor, Dr. John Scott, instilled in me to always write with that same passion, although it would take decades later before finally following his advice. How much of a blessing my religious/spiritual journey is up for debate lol, but when I was young, my family were Jehovah’s Witnesses. I didn’t understand much, but I remember reading the Watchtower and having to speak in front of the congregation. As the family structure changed, mom remarried, I received a truly great role model, a “father” who was also my little league coach. He taught me discipline and to work hard for family. During this transition, I was introduced to traditional churches in my community and saw a different outlook on religion. I attended an all-male Catholic school and studied religion daily for four years. In college, I studied Islam and Buddhism. Having three wonderful children has given me the best path to walk. Family is important and one of the reasons I donated a kidney to a younger brother and building a great relationship with my biological father after years of being separated. The path isn’t always visible, but keep putting one foot in front of the other, and you’ll get to where you are supposed to be.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Initially, wondering if the work you are doing has merit can be a huge hurdle all to itself. Being honest, self-doubt can be crippling for many. That’s where the challenge is; sometimes we can be our biggest objection. What I’ve learned is sometimes we have to simply get out of our own way. Finding the right people to collaborate with was also challenging. I have a great team. Luckily, I have a mentor, Michael Armstrong, who has been on camera with Jamie Foxx and recently played on The History Channels “Booze Bets and Sex, that built America…” as Nathan Green (Uncle Nearest). 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
During the 2000s, I performed locally at various poetry venues and was also a featured poet at The Columbus Arts Festival in the mid-2000s. I realized, however, that my words have a deeper impact when written as opposed to being delivered onstage. In 2019 I wrote Madison: God’s Fingerprint 1.618, and from thousands of books worldwide it won Best Romance (Author Elite Academy). Since then, there have been two additional books released in the Madison Series, Madison: In The Presence of God and Madison: Vengeance is Mine, with the fourth currently heading to the editor. The first two books in The Madison Series is also available on Audible narrated by Graciela Patino.   After a few speed bumps, OHIO 10 I and OHIO 10 II were released. This series is a police-procedural drama; in a nutshell, each chapter has a separate homicide to solve, but the journey of emotions of the four-person detective group is the glue to each page and growth as the story progresses. They are solid Detectives who find themselves holding accountable even those of the Thin Blue Line. Currently, OHIO 10 has had one episode shot as a TV Pilot, and with additional funding, an entire series will follow shortly. Normal Chaos, the most recent release is Fantasy Fiction with metaphysical concepts and spirituality abundantly present. Normal Chaos is also available on Audible, narrated by Roni Locke. All six books have reached the #1 Best Seller list in their specific genres based on Amazon rankings. 

In the end, I share the perspective and understanding that the spiritual journey is traveled differently up the mountain for each of us, and as the stories in the books are read, it is my hope that my words help others in their walk while at the same time being thoroughly entertained. 

Contact Info:

• Website: Avsmithbooks.com
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/A.-V.-Smith/author/B07RLBMYX9?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true