Richard Roundtree

I constantly deal with being called Shaft, and I vacillate back and forth with people coming up to me about it. But it never ceases to blow me away with the impact that character had on my life and my fans' lives.

Simply put, we have to take charge and take responsibility and support what's in the marketplace. Because, quiet as it's kept, the powers that be are cognizant of what our spending dollar means. And it is kept a little quiet, and we have to become aware of what we mean in the marketplace and take advantage of it.

Although it happens more rarely in men, breast cancer is not gender-specific. I was in Costa Rica, and in the shower I felt this lump under my left nipple. It was very small, mind you, but enough to make me call my doctor.

The importance of heart health became very real for me when my father died of heart disease seven years ago. Having experienced the loss first hand, I am inspired to do everything I can to break the cycle and prevent families from losing loved ones to this preventable disease.

It got to the point where most of my time went toward writing novels. I would still occasionally write short stories, but only when I was commissioned by an editor to write for a themed anthology or special issue.