Demetria Lucas is the author of ABelleInBrooklyn.com where she muses almost daily on dating, sex and relationships as well as pop culture and women’s empowerment. She is also the Relationships Editor at ESSENCE Magazine where she authors her own hook-up page, Dating Guide, edits Single Man of the Month, What Men Think, and On His Mind, and is sometimes responsible for selecting gorgeous men for ESSENCE.com’s Eye Candy of the Week on Monday mornings.
 
Prior to joining the ESSENCE team, Lucas blogged about relationships for Honeymag.com and was a freelance writer for People, VIBE, XXL, Black Enterprise and ESPN the Magazine. She was also a book editor for Harlequin and BET Books, where she edited national bestselling and award-winning romance authors.

Lucas has been featured as a dating expert on Let's Talk About Pep (VH1), Access Hollywood (TVOne), and The Tom Joyner Morning Show. She's also been a featured relationships panelist at Harvard University, New York University, and Spelman College. 

Lucas is committed to uplifting young women and helping them build strong support systems. Annually, Lucas and a network of like-minded associates, host the 'Legends To Be Brunch,' a networking session and awards ceremony that brings together successful women in entertainment, media, fashion, law, and finance to celebrate their accomplishments and honor their numerous achievements.

She is currently crafting an anthology of her blog essays, anticipating multiple speaking engagements this Spring, and looking forward to hosting Steve Harvey's Love & Relationships Day at the ESSENCE Music Festival during 2010 July 4th Weekend.

Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/abelleinbk. 

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Excerpt from a 2008 Interview on thefabempire.com 

Belle tends to write what most women are thinking but are to scared to say. As a writer/editor for one of the top black womens magazines in the world (you can take a guess at which one) she is unapologetically bold, honest and driven. Belle is the NYFab! inspiration of the month. Check out her interview below: 

Q. At what age did you know that you wanted to be a writer? 
A. In college. I was on the business track then pre-law; [I] never thought about being anything else although people would often tell me I could write well. I figured I’d major in English to write good briefs. Junior year, I procrastinated on writing a six page paper  on the role of women in Richard Wright’s Native Son until 3 AM on the day it was due. [I was half asleep writing it, practically on auto-pilot.] A couple weeks later, the professor was raving about this one essay. She read the first few sentences and the class—all English majors—were flipping out about how dope it was. I’ve always had an admiration for great writers and even I was thinking, “wow, I wish I could write like that.” It wasn’t until the last sentence [that] I recognized the words as my own. I was dumbfounded. That was the first time I thought, “Hmmm, I might be good at this writing thing. Maybe I shouldn’t go to law school.”

Q. What do you love most about living in NYC?
A. Wow, so many reasons; high up there are the opportunities. It’s hard to “make it” here, but it’s not because there’s not a chance too. You might have to work super-hard and it may take longer than some folks are willing to wait and you might not always know where to look, but the chance to be whatever you want exists. 
 

Q. Do you prefer wearing vintage or labels; why?

A. I prefer fly above anything. My perception of good fashion isn’t about cost or where it came from. I only rock designer bags (slight “Louie V” obsession), but as far as clothes, all I care about is, "does it match my mood today? Does it look good on me?” I like near-anything with ruffles and most things plaid—don’t care where they came from. 

Q. Who’s your favorite music artist?
A It’s a six-way tie between Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. The ladies because they bare their whole selves; flaws and all. Marvin because… well, "What’s Going On?" is a musical masterpiece and the lyrics stand the test of time. Put it on your iPod, go walk around the ungentrified section of any city, then return home and watch the news. Same ish, different century. I go to Stevie when I need to be reminded that life isn’t easy, but it will all be okay.

Q. Who’s your biggest inspiration and why?
A. Anyone who falls and gets back up. It takes an extraordinary and underappreciated amount of strength to get knocked on your tailfeathers and then try again against the odds. Or to have hope enough to say, "I have failed again and been disappointed again but I will try again."

Q. You work for one of the top black womens magazines in the world, what’s the first thought on your mind when you walk into work everyday?
A. Everybody doesn’t get to live the dream. I think that even when a senior editor says the equivalent of “B, can you build a pyramid, arrange for another set of hanging gardens and solve the mystery of Stonehenge… by five o’clock?”

Q. What tips can you give aspiring writers out there?
A. Read and write constantly. Also, remember that writing is subjective. Just because one person doesn’t like your writing, doesn’t mean another will hate it too. Unfortunately, the opposite is true as well. Some people will love your work; others will hate it. Just do your best—and find a good editor.

Q. Many consider you the “Black Carrie Bradshaw” of NYC, do you like that title?
A. Carrie was a flawed, but well-intentioned woman trying to figure it all out—life, love, relationships, herself—and she made a lot of mistakes. Her other most defining characteristic was that she believed in love. She stumbled a lot (do you remember the episode where she fell on the runway? It’s my favorite) but she always got back up. She also lived a larger than life kind of existence, was incredibly well-dressed and had a gigantic cultural impact. I’m extremely flattered to be equated with a character that was well-loved and inspired so many people.

Q. What keeps you motivated everyday?
A. Failure is not an option; that and every single day something exciting, entertaining, or interesting happens to me or someone I know. I love the anticipation of wondering what comes next. Life is just so fascinating if you live it to the fullest.