Editor-in-chief of deeClare Publising and Senior Creative Director of deeSignz Web & Graphics Studio
Clarence V. Matthews was born and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina — where he completed his elementary, as well as a portion of his high school education. He relocated to New Jersey in 1955 where he completed his high school curriculum and received his diploma at Dickinson High School.
Clarence was married for 31 years before becoming a widower, and is the father of five children. He worked in various capacities in the warehousing, merchandising and manufacturing industries for a span of well over 22 years. He was also licensed as a real estate sales associate for well over 30 years; and is currently employed with the Jersey City Board of Education. He is also a devoted, 50-year, active member of Monumental Baptist Church located in Jersey City, NJ. He has served on the Trustee Board and as the Black History Instructor for just over 20 years.
Clarence began his writing as the Black History Instructor, who wrote and produced black history plays for the church's annual program in celebration of Black History Month. He then transitioned his writing from screenplay to novel and developed a three-part series known as Jacob's Rite of Passage. This trilogy chronicles the life of a young man raised in the South and takes the reader through the three segments (youth, teen and adult) of the life of the protagonist, Jacob Pete Manor.
In March 2010, the first novel, Young Jacob was released and Clarence was introduced as a “new” author. During the promotion of this new release, a rising awareness of the plight of the family surfaced and the "GET RITE" campaign emerged and the overall theme was, "It takes a village to raise a child. It's time to reclaim the village."
The second novel of the series, Teen Jacob, was released in February 2011 and takes the reader into the teen experiences of the main character Jacob. The finale' to the trilogy, The Man Jacob, was published and released in early spring of 2012. Though written as fiction, the real life lessons of God, family, community and MANHOOD emerge from the pages of this storyline.
deeClare Publishing, LLC is publishing done with the success of the writer in mind. We encourage author entrepreneurs to self-publish, but will gladly be your publisher while you maintain full ownership. We are in the process of creating design and publishing packages to meet every budget.
deeClare Publishing, LLC was birthed as the result of the combined vision of a daughter and father, Deneen and Clarence Matthews. Hence the name deeClare, "doubly defined." Let's say it's the manifestation of a shared vision.
Our tag line is "write out loud!"
Speaking and writing... two unique forms of communication...
Have a story worth telling? We'd love to hear from you.
Check back as deeClare's website is currently under construction.
Call or email us for more information.
The Man Jacob is the trilogy finale and concludes with our main character in his final stage of transition – MANHOOD.
In the second volume of the trilogy, our main character becomes a teen, equipped with knowledge of worldly things.
deeClare Publishing, LLC is the combined vision of father and daughter, Deneen and Clarence Matthews; hence the name deeClare. deeClare Publishing, LLC is a NEW BRAND of publishing. We are publishing done with the SUCCESS OF THE WRITER in mind. We encourage authors to use their written work as their product line and initial investment in their own entrepreneurial vision, while we provide the services needed to birth their literary vision. If entrepreneurship is not for you, we will gladly publish your work under our label, while you retain rights and full ownership.
Our Mission
To publish literary works that reinforce the foundation and priorities of God, family and community. Through all creative avenues of written expression, we aim to touch individual lives that shape families, reclaim our communities, and impact nations.
Our Theme
At deeClare Publishing, LLC, we publish works that support our theme of "the village." Our village — comprised of individuals who make up families and collectively populate our communities. We believe that, “It still takes a village to raise a child,” and the reinsertion of the priorities of God, family and community are crucial in reclaiming our villages.
Our Brand
Our tag line is "write out loud,"
Speaking and writing... two unique forms of communication...
Have a story worth telling? We'd love to hear from you.
Author's Media Kit
Includes: the author's biography, book synopsis, press release, author inspiration and contact information.
Blog photo credits: pexels.com, pixabay.com
A young man approached me and inquired about going into business part time. My response to him was phrased in the form of question. I asked him, “What are you good at?
We have all heard the catch phrase, "Each One Teach One."
This phrase originated in the United States during slavery, when Africans were denied education, including learning to read. Many, if not most slaves were kept in a state of ignorance about anything beyond their immediate circumstances which were under control of owners, the law makers and the authorities. When a slave learned or was taught to read, it became his duty to teach someone else, spawning the phrase "Each one teach one."
We raise our children, then instruct them to go to school, study hard, get good grades, attend college and “GET A GOOD JOB.” Now, I absolutely agree with the importance of getting a good education, yet realistically, college is not for everyone.
The Foundational Fundamentals that undergird all of these efforts are God, family and community. We realized that we attempted to provide information to build up a community, but without the fundamentals, maybe we pulled the cart before the horse, so to speak.
In this and future blog posts, we will tackle and discuss the issue of economics and its impact in our community.
As best we can, we need to make a concerted effort to commit to making our hard-earned dollars work for us. As the largest consumers, if all we earn is spent outside of the community, how can we sustain? Even if you have left the community, or moved outside of the immediate area, visit and seize opportunities to give back. Be intentional.