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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Kendra Wisdom Durand, author of Turiya: A Collection of Wordizms

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Kendra Wisdom Durand, author of Turiya: A Collection of Wordizms
(AuthorHouse)


kendra wisdom durand turiya on amazondotcom

A book chock full of an eclectic collection of politically progressive poetry and short stories swathed in cultural awareness with original photography woven throughout.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Turiya: A Collection of Wordizms?

Kendra Wisdom Durand: The structure of the book was loosely inspired by Jean Toomer’s Cane. The ingredients combined to compose most of my short stories was taken from my study of folklore, psychology, and the way in which traditional black communities tolerate change. However, my poetry covers everything under the sun. I use people, places and things that I am familiar with to create fictional tales of life experiences.

JP: What sets Turiya: A Collection of Wordizms apart from books?

KWD: I have been told that the structure of this book is unique. Combining poetry and short stories in one book is risky for a first time self published author, but one that I undertook with joy.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Turiya: A Collection of Wordizms getting out to the public?

KWD: Authorhouse offered assistance in getting the book in the hands of online distributors, however getting the book on the shelves of bookstores was left solely up to me. As a first time self-published author, I am still learning the trade of marketing my book. I am looking to hire an agent for future projects. Until then, I will continue to sell my book on 125th Street in Harlem, at Venice Beach in LA, attend book fairs across the country, get my book on the tables of street vendors who sell books all over the city and use the internet to boost sells. Cultural events like Kwanzaa can also be used as a resource.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Turiya: A Collection of Wordizms?

KWD: My writing process consists of filling up the page with stream of conscious thoughts then going back to revise. I use my Blackberry to type in poems that come to me as I ride the subway or walk down the street. I began this book project on April 1st and it was completed by June 13th.

JP: What’s next for Kendra Wisdom Durand?

KWD: My work has been selected to appear in the anthology “Voices, a collection of poetic works” by White Oaks Publishing. I have a second book of poetry waiting to be published. I have ½ a book written called Still Standing based on a fictional New Orleans family trapped in the attic during Hurricane Katrina. I am determined to one day be listed in Oprah Winfrey’s book club. Until that day comes I will keep pushing forward to get my voice in print.

www.turiyacollection.com
www.myspace.com/kendrawisdomdurand
turiyaink@gmail.com

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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Adrienna Turner, author of The Day Begins with Christ

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Adrienna Turner, author of The Day Begins with Christ
(AuthorHouse)

adrienna turner the day begins with christ

(Click on the pictures to see reviews of this book on Amazon.com)

The Day Begins with Christ is a spiritual and inspirational non-fiction book. It has biblical examples and stories in comparison to our hardships of today. Moreover, The Day Begins with Christ educates, elaborates and explains the social, psychological, spiritual, and physical conditions of man/woman’s relationships with God.

Additionally, this book is a valuable tool to reach unbelievers as well as to enlighten Christians to have a deeper walk with God. Furthermore, as believers, we are to study, meditate and apply God’s Word on a daily basis. Many of us have lost sight of nurturing our families, studying God’s Word and seeking after God. We have become lukewarm. (Paul calls them ‘carnal’ Christians). Most of us are striving to know God, but the Bible states we will not know Him without hearing and knowing His Word.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write The Day Begins with Christ?

Adrienna Turner: Today, we have 70% secular Christians according to the book “unChristian”. There are many I have blogged with or sent emails to online that are unsure about our Christian walk, are not Bible scholars and do not know what God expects from us.

Therefore, the benefit for this book is to give factual and biblical information on building healthy relationships even at work and at home It encourages discipleship and making better choices in our social-economical environments such as entertainment. It will challenge the reader to look at their daily lives in a godly perspective and gain an understanding how our Heavenly Father perceives us-to become the person God created us to be.

The idea and inspiration came from the Holy Spirit while I was in church service listening to the “sermon”. I heard the title “Let Your Day Begin with Christ”. I wrote it down on my sermon notes. Later, God woke me up while I was sleeping with the chapters and topics covered in the book.

JP: What is The Day Begins with Christ about?

AT: There is biblical and practical aspects that still applies today. God’s laws [Ten Commandments], informative about our diets and what we put in our bodies since it is viewed as the Temple of the Lord, elaborates on home, relationships, and work-to put God first in everything we do. In addition, The Day Begins with Christ is to encourage our prayer life, social life, sharing the gospel to others and most of all to glorify the Lord in all that we do. It lays out examples and experiences to put in our everyday lives. This is a value tool to reach unbelievers as well as enlighten Christians to have a deeper walk with God. After each chapter, there are biblical discussion questions and scriptures.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to The Day Begins with Christ getting out to the public?

AT: The motto I live by is, especially as an author, I cannot just market my product (book), but market me. We are branding our God-given talent to the world. “Dreams come true when you believe you can achieve”. You have to bless others with what God has blessed you with. Whatever talent you possess, you give yourself to help someone else. We have to refresh ourselves with the holy anointing daily. This is why I have to let the world know what was shared with me. Next book, Unleashing the Spirit, is very controversial and needed for those who lost sight of God’s original plan for each one of us. It is also a non-fiction, spiritual/Christian living book.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish The Day Begins with Christ?

AT: For this project, it took consistency, discipline and lots of research from various mediums such as print, online, the Bible, secondary resources and my own personal testimonies. It took about a year of research and writing to complete this book. I started around August 2006 and finished around September 2007, then edited in December 2007. I reviewed this manuscript several times before went in print, even after editing process with Kathleen Jackson, and after it was ready to be published in December 2008 (a year after it was completed). Also, I stayed up 12-18 hours a day, working on this project and other non-fiction projects simultaneously. I hope readers are receptive. I learned new things about God’s Word and our Heavenly Father.

JP: What’s next for Adrienna Turner?

AT: I am working on several projects right now. I am seeking a publisher for Unleashing the Spirit and the “Miss the Mark Christian fiction Series”. My other titles for upcoming spiritual books: Counsel Me Lord to be a Vessel for Christ; and Desire at Will: Giving all the Glory to God through Prayer, Praise, and Worship — Let it Overflow! I have completed other several projects. I also write poetry/songbooks and short stories. Keep a look out for more inspirational non-fiction and fiction projects in the making.

Adrienna is also a former member of ALA (American Library Association), LITA (Library Information Technical Association) and National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Additionally, she volunteered with youth based programs and faith-based organizations in Milwaukee, WI, during 1999-2006. She would someday love to open her own non-profit organization called “Dream in Paradise” for children and young adults to display their God-given talents to the world through media, TV, radio, and online/print magazines. Lastly, Adrienna has a live online radio talk about important topics and meeting with other authors on their writing projects at www.blogtalkradio.com/Adrienna-Turner.

Adrienna was involved in the Obama Campaign, Democratic Party, as Deputy Field Organizer and Staging Location Manager.

Author’s websites:

www.msnusers.com/MissDeo
www.myspace.com/deo1god
www.myspace.com/adrienna_deo
www.myspace.com/lyricaldeo
http://thedb.com/adriennaturner
http://adriennaturner.multiply.com

Email: ad-turner@hotmail.com

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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Joseph Henderson, author of I Don’t Want to Die Alone

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Joseph Henderson, author of I Don’t Want to Die All Alone
(AuthorHouse)

joseph henderson headshot i dont want to die alone book cover

(click on the pictures to see reviews of this book on Amazon.com)

Joseph, the sixth child of nine children, describes a sad but shockingly true story of growing up on the streets at a young age. After a life filled with crime, drugs, money, cars, and women, Joe realizes that life and time is catching up to him. He shares with the readers his days of living in below zero temperatures in Michigan with no heat; nightly pit stops through ice and snow to raid the supermarket garbage dumpsters. He talk of feasting on goldfish, turtles, and mallard ducks from the neighborhood park pond.

Journey with Joe as he tells an all out, no holds barred tale of physical, mental, and sexual abuse. He tells of living in a household where discipline consisted of holding encyclopedias in each hand while balancing on one foot and whippings with electrical cords, brooms, two-by-fours, and garden hoses. After being shot on a street corner, later escaping a drive by shooting, then the subsequent brutal murder of his sixteen year old brother, feel the passion with Joe, as he explains several suicide attempts his family never knew about.

Feeling he would ‘die all alone,’ Joe makes a desperate and emotional attempt to apologize and ask forgiveness from family, friends, and foes that suffered during his reign of torment.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write I Don’t Want to Die All Alone?

Joseph Henderson: This is an interesting question. I Don’t Want to Die All Alone was never meant to be a book. It was a college classmate that informed me I had a lot of interesting developments in my life and people need to know them. When I left Michigan and moved to Mississippi she asked if I would write a book. It never crossed my mind, and no promise was ever made.

After being in Mississippi for a while, by then my sister and mother had already moved there, I began to verbally ask questions about our upbringing. Members of my family would always say let the past stay in the past, or I was starting trouble bringing up old history. When that did not work, I began to write down thoughts for them to read. Sentences became paragraphs, and paragraphs became chapters. Before you knew it, the majority of my life was on hundreds of pages.

I let a pen pal from California read the rough draft. She was so inspired by it. It brought tears to her. Copies were given to my family. Because of the nature of the contents, they actually contemplated legal action. Before my family even read the book, they immediately said it was a book full of lies.

The rough draft stayed on the shelf for a while without getting published. My wife said the dream would not be complete until the rough draft is in book form. I told my family if they read it and find me telling one lie, the book would never be published. They read it, and needless to say, I Don’t Want to Die All Alone was born.

JP: This memoir has experiences that are tremendous gems of hope to the millions of children and young adults that get very little positive attention. What do you do to get this story in the hands of the people who can benefit from it?

JH: To get this into the hands of those it would benefit I would make this required reading. Have everyone from juvenile delinquents, prison inmates, parolees and felons to understand they also can be something in life. Give it to the ones that have not subscribed to gang or criminal activity but may be inclined to do so.

You can’t have the counselors and social workers that went to the finer schools in life to educate the youth and young adults that have been educated on the streets. Most guidance counselors and social workers have successful college educated parents. What can a social worker say to a gang member? Don’t be in one or you will go to jail. How can a counselor relate to a drug dealer?

Kids that grew up in gangs and the street life cannot understand what it’s like to have a two parent working or middle class family. They need someone that have been to the bottomless pit and have crawled out for kids to understand there’s hope.

JP: Gangs are known to be very possessive and families are notoriously secretive. Have you had any backlash from your family or the streets for opening your life to public discussion?

JH: This is a tough question. First of all, when you take your oath and pledge your allegiance, that gang becomes your new family. That’s how we are lured in and are taught to lure others into the gang.

They paint a picture of this vainglorious life of glamor to pit you against your family. When they see you are in a vulnerable state, they snatch you up and fill your head with fairy tales. Have you to believe your family members are the lowest of the low. Have you to believe your family does not care and could care less if you live or die. Telling you they will take care of you. Give you a place to stay, feed you, and if you go to jail they will get you out.

You believe all of this until the novelty wears off. Now you have to put in work. That could consist of being a look out while others do dirt. And after doing that for a while you could get promoted where you are now involved in handling illegal merchandise. This could go on for a day, a week, a month, or even years. The longer you are in the gang the more loyal you become to them.

OK, what if you want to get out? Now you are considered to be disloyal. You are called a sellout, a fake and untrustworthy even after all you have committed yourself to doing. And most of the time, you can’t just easily walk away. You allegiance and oath are considered to them to be lifetime, even if the chain of command changes.

Because of my rank in the gang life, I was one of the lucky ones to be ‘pardoned.’ When the backlash started, I left the state. The gang life is so possessive there are serious consequences and repercussions if you pursue to exit.

As for my immediate family, I face scrutiny all the time. I would not call what we have as secretive. This was and is a way for me to understand where I have been, to conclude where I am going. Only one family member has actually have been behind me since day one, but the others, I have to find myself defending what was written all the time.

JP: What would you say to that person who might not get to read I Don’t Want to Die All Alone but could benefit from your wisdom?

JH: If someone does not get a chance to read I Don’t Want to Die All Alone, I would tell them do not despair and give up hope. Always believe in yourself even when you feel no one else will. Whatever pitfalls and downfalls you experience in life, there’s always a way out of no way. When someone say to you, “You are nothing”, show them you are something. When someone say to you, “You will be nothing”, become something.

Even before this Yes We Can slogan became a household name, I was telling kids to say to themselves, “Yes I can, Yes I will, and Yes I did”. This is to show them they can do what they put their minds to. It keeps them motivated to believe they will continue their goals. It also has them to say they did it after each and every goal is completed.

JP: What’s next for Joseph Henderson?

JH: What’s next for me is to get everyone to read the book. But seriously, I really don’t know what’s next for me. Continue to help kids. They are reaching out, but many of us as adults do not have the heart to help them.

I will continue to promote I Don’t Want to Die All Alone to youth and young adults as well as anyone that needs to read an inspiring story. I guess I will still lecture on gang prevention and why not to get involved in drugs whether it is through use or selling. I will continue to educate on why education and knowledge is the cornerstone of success.

www.joseph-henderson.com
www.donotdiealone.com

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