Ashley & JaQuavis facts for kids

Ashley & JaQuavis
Born	Ashley Antoinette Snell JaQuavis Coleman Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Genre	Street lit
Years active	2006-present
Notable awards	New York Times Best Seller

Ashley & JaQuavis is the pen name for two American authors, Ashley Antoinette and JaQuavis Coleman. They write exciting stories often called "urban fiction" or "street lit." These authors are special because they were the youngest African-American co-authors to have their books appear on the New York Times Best Seller list not just once, but twice! Their most famous books are part of The Cartel series, which became bestsellers in 2009 and 2010.

About the Authors

Early Lives in Flint

Ashley Antoinette Snell was born in 1985, and JaQuavis Coleman was born around 1984. Both grew up in Flint, Michigan. JaQuavis lived in foster homes for some time as a child. He later graduated from Flint Central High School. Ashley graduated from Hamady High School.

They both loved to read and became good friends quickly. One day, when Ashley was feeling down, JaQuavis challenged her. He said, "I bet I could write a better book than you." Ashley, who loved a good challenge, agreed. Soon, they started writing together. They combined their ideas to create their first novel, Dirty Money.

Starting Their Writing Journey

Ashley and JaQuavis attended Ferris State University for two semesters. Even while in college, they kept working on their writing. Their shared passion for storytelling helped them create their first book.

Their Writing Career

First Steps in Publishing

When they were 18, Ashley and JaQuavis got their first book deal. They sold their book Dirty Money to Carl Weber's publishing company, Kensington Publishing. This company focused on urban fiction stories.

After getting their book deal, they decided to leave college. They moved to New York to focus completely on writing. Their books often tell stories inspired by their experiences growing up in Flint, Michigan.

Becoming Bestselling Authors

At first, they would give away free copies of their books to get people interested. They quickly became very productive writers, publishing many books each year. By 2009, their book Tale of the Murda Mamas, which was the second book in The Cartel series, became a New York Times Best Seller.

In 2012, another one of their books, Diamonds Are Forever (the fourth book in The Cartel series), also made it onto the New York Times Best Seller list. That same year, Ebony magazine recognized JaQuavis and Ashley as two of the "Power 100." This list included famous people like the Obamas, Oprah, Beyoncé, and Jay-Z.

They were also nominated for "Street Lit Writer of the Year" by the African Americans on the Move Book Club (AAMBC). JaQuavis was also nominated for "Male Author of the Year."

Creating Their Own Company

In 2013, Ashley and JaQuavis started their own company called the Official Writers League. This company helps publish books by other authors. Ashley also signed a deal with Viacom to write short novels based on characters from the TV show Single Ladies on VH1. She was also nominated for "Female Author of the Year" by the AAMBC. Ashley received more nominations from the AAMBC in 2014 and 2016.

Awards and Recognition

In 2018, the pair received the Urban Classic Honor at the AAMBC Awards. The next year, Ashley's Ethic series was named the "Best Black Book Series." She was also named "Author Queen of the Year" by Black Girls Who Write (BGWW), and JaQuavis was named "Author King of the Year."

In 2020, Ashley won her first AAMBC awards: "Urban Book of the Year" for the sixth book in her Ethics series and "Street Lit Writer of the Year." She and JaQuavis also won "Best Black Collaborative Series" from BGWW. In 2020, Ashley and her son Quaye, who was 10 years old at the time, wrote a book together called The Girl Behind the Wall.

Some of their books, like Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, Diamonds Are Forever, and The Demise, are not allowed in American prisons. This is because they contain certain types of content.

Film Projects

JaQuavis Coleman is also a film producer and director. In 2012, he directed a film called Hard 6ix, which was based on their novel Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. He also directed a music video and worked on a film with Sean Lott in 2013. He was also working with HBO on a TV show pilot. In 2015, he wrote and directed White House: The Movie, based on his novel The White House.

In 2021, JaQuavis was an executive producer, writer, and director for the film Everything is Both. This movie was based on one of his short stories.

Ashley and JaQuavis also signed deals for their Cartel book series to be made into films in 2012. JaQuavis also made deals with Warner Bros and NBC Universal for TV shows.

Personal Life

Ashley and JaQuavis have a son named Quaye, who was born in 2010. In 2011, they lived in Manhattan, New York City. By 2015, their family lived in a home north of Detroit.