Hustle Diva

Warm, friendly interaction and conversation with the audience, and above all, a high level of inspiration through my vast poetry collection, motivational speaking, and literary works. If engaging in a motivational talk, my audience can expect to feel comfortable, embraced, and empowered.

Charlene Elizabeth Green (aka Hustle Diva) is a northern California native who has been writing since very early childhood, penning short stories and poetry, but never thinking of it as more than a hobby. Her first major writing project was a movie screenplay written in 1999 titled Love's Train, which was based on her short story "A Valentine's Day to Remember," written in junior college. She taught herself the scriptwriting craft, and while working a full-time job with the California Dept. of Corrections (at the time) she completed the project in just over a month. Until that point, her passion for writing had lain dormant for years; but after completing her script, she realized it had always been her calling. Though originally set on an acting career for many years, and having studied at the world-famous Shelton Studios in San Francisco in 1995, the written word ultimately captured her heart.

In 2001, while [still] in the process of searching for a producer for her movie, she began working on her first novel, One Man's Treasure. With aspirations to be immersed in the entertainment and literary industries, she made the decision to relocate to Los Angeles, and did so in 2003. After completing her novel, she connected with publisher, author, and philanthropist Dr. Rosie Milligan, whom she sought out for agency representation. Dr. Milligan liked One Man's Treasure so much that she immediately took her on as a client. During that time, their relationship grew, and Charlene developed an interest in editing and proofreading. In 2005, she began an internship working as a copy editor and proofreader for Dr. Milligan. Her first major [joint] editing project was rapper/producer Dr. Dre's mother Verna Griffin's autobiography titled Privileged to Live. She further interned for literary agent and best-selling author Dr. Maxine Thompson as a copy editor and story editor. In 2006, she started her own editing and consulting business, Punctuality Editing Service (now Charlene E. Green's Literary Services).

In May 2007, after several years attempting to have her novel published mainstream, Charlene took matters into her own hands and self-published One Man's Treasure through Milligan Books. Then, as fate would have it, in December 2007, she was presented with the opportunity to have OMT picked up mainstream, and in January 2008 was offered a two-book deal with Kensington Publishing. One Man's Treasure was released internationally on April 1, 2009, and the sequel, And They'll Come Home, was released on March 2, 2010. The third novel in the series, Aftershock, is in production.

Since moving to L.A., Charlene has revisited her talent for writing poetry, and expanded her collection of works. Though she dabbled briefly in the open-mic scene in 2004/2005, she decided to step away and spend more time writing and honing her skills. In April 2008, she was bitten hard by the open-mic bug when she entered a spoken-word contest at the annual Black Writers on Tour convention, not having done any open mic in over three years, and took fourth place after having competed with more than 20 poets, many of them veterans in the realm. From there, she bombarded the open-mic venues with fervor, adding spoken-word artist to her list of talents. Charlene has been known to frequent the local Los Angeles poetry venues up to five nights a week, inspiring hundreds with her unique words. She has also hosted events as well as performed in many shows and done speaking engagements after having been seen and approached by some of those whose lives she has touched. To date, she has more than 60 poems from her extensive portfolio memorized. She is known on the poetry scene as Hustle Diva.

Charlene is also a gifted motivational speaker and spiritual consultant who has been praised for her ability to encourage people to pursue avenues in their lives they were otherwise daunted by the thought of doing, by helping them see the ways in which they can proceed without feeling overwhelmed. Her Life Challenge and Life Mission Consultation services, as well as her spiritually themed and tailored poetry workshop, Poetic Breakdown, are the basis for her spiritual work.

Charlene is also still pursuing the long-awaited production of her movie, Love's Train, as well as seeking opportunities to turn both of her novels into movies.

All I really need is the mic, moderate lighting, and the audience. If I'm selling merchandise, then I'll need a table.