Aliya S. King is a freelance writer and author. Born and raised in East Orange, New Jersey, Aliya has held editorial positions at Billboard, The Source, and Ebony. As a freelance writer for nearly twenty years, her profiles, news stories and features have appeared in Elle, Nylon, Ebony, Vibe, Ms, Essence, Black Enterprise and many others. In 2007, Aliya co-authored the New York Times bestseller, Keep The Faith, with Platinum recording artist Faith Evans. She also co-authored Original Gangster with Frank Lucas, on whom the film American Gangster was based. Her first novel, Platinum, was published by Simon and Schuster in 2010. The sequel, Diamond Life, was published by Simon and Schuster in February of 2012. She is currently squeezing blood from a rock to get her third novel done.