Just Like Daddy (Volume 1)
Thomas Long was born and raised in the rough streets of Baltimore, Maryland. Long initially pursued his passion for writing by self-publishing a collection of his intimate poetry entitled, Reflections of My Soul. He followed that up with a self-help guide entitled, For My Sisters: 7 Relationship Tips that was well received by his female readers. Feeling adventurous, he decided to venture out and try his hand in the genre of urban fiction. He intended to craft stories that reflected a realistic picture of the inner city life he encountered growing up in Baltimore City. Thomas Long completed his first novel, Dayvon's Story: A Thug's Life in 2003 in just two months. He was bold enough to approach best selling author Carl Weber with his manucscript at his Queens, NY based bookstore. Mr. Weber was so impressed with the storyline that he instantly signed Mr. Long to a two book deal with his new imprint, Urban Books, that was distributed by Kensington Publishing. Upon its release in 2004, Long's debut novel was well received by the critics and the streets. The book was also turned into a full length feature film, entitled 4 LIfe, which was distributed by CodeBlack Entertainment and Universal Pictures. Always a go getter and hustler, Long initiated the movie deal in a conversation at the gym with then President of Russell Simmons Music Group, Tony Austin. Austin enlisted the help of former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Adalius Thomas, to bring the movie project to fruition. Released in 2007, the film starred Wood Harris, Page Kennedy, and Elise Neal as the primary characters. He followed his smash debut up with his second novel Cash Rules, a story about a trio of female rappers from Baltimore City which chronicled their rise and fall from grace within the entertainment industry. He also contributed stories to the hit novella series Around the Way Girls 2 and 3. Outside of his published works with Urban Books, Thomas Long has been blessed to contribute short stories to anthologies published by his peers in the field such as Vickie Stringer, Shannon Holmes, Kevin Elliott, and Noire. Desiring to pursue other goals in life, Long took a four year break from writing to obtain his second Masters degree in Human Services Administration from the University of Baltimore. After his hiatus from the game, Long has returned with a vengeance to pursue his passion for writing.