Qwantu Amaru has been writing since the age of 11. An avid reader, he has always aspired to write suspenseful page turners and socially significant literature like those of his writing influences Richard Wright, Harper Lee, Walter Mosley, Tananarive Due and Stephen King. Qwantu draws his inspiration from his modest upbringing in small towns and cities across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Louisiana, and Florida. In addition to his first novel, One Blood, Qwantu has written five volumes of poetry: Lightbringer, Lovelost, After the Storm, Midnight's Shadow, and Awakening.

His poetry blog at www.myspace.com/qwantuwrites has received over 7,000 visitors. Qwantu is an active member of the outstanding socially active poetry collective Black on Black Rhyme out of Tallahassee, FL. He has performed spoken word in poetry venues from New York to Los Angeles. For more information visit the black on black rhyme website at www.blackonblackrhyme.com or e-mail him at: qwantu@hotmail.com. Qwantu currently resides in Jersey City, NJ.