JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Cendrine Marrouat, author of Project: Heartbeats and Elevation
(Lulu)
Project: Heartbeats And Elevation is not your regular collection of poetry. It is a celebration of Life, Love and Spirituality. Word after word, line after line, poem after poem, let your heart and soul commune with God…
Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Project: Heartbeats and Elevation?
Cendrine Marrouat: God is my main inspiration in everything I do. I wanted to write about my belief in him and how it helps me to see Life and Death as a continuum of the same process.
I always pen my best poetry at night. But, before I can actually start writing anything, I need to find a title. Otherwise, inspiration will not come. So, one night, while finishing a poem, the title Project: Heartbeats and Elevation popped out without warning. I wrote it on a piece of paper and thought: “Wow! That would make an awesome poem!”
I set about writing something and, before I knew it, I had ten poems. They were short but powerful. The next day, I showed what I had done to a friend, and they were ecstatic: “You absolutely have to write a book. The message will give hope to many.” That is how the book was born…
JP: What sets Project: Heartbeats and Elevation apart from you other collection of poetry?
CM: When I wrote my other books, I was three years younger and in a different frame of mind. My belief in God was already strong, but not as strong as it is today. I have grown a lot since then.
As a translator, I love to translate what I write in French, my mother tongue. Sometimes, I do the same in English, with my French poems. I find this to be a very good exercise, as it forces me to detach myself from my work.
Hence, I can say that what sets Project: Heartbeats and Elevation apart from my other collections of poetry is the sense of joy and hope that emerges. I am confident that those who will read it will agree.
JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Project: Heartbeats and Elevation getting out to the public?
CM: God as a motivating force is the key to my success. I was given a wonderful gift through him: poetry. As such, monetary gain is of secondary importance. It is the reason why I chose self-publishing. Although this process takes time, patience and dedication, it also gives me enough freedom to go at my own pace and promote my books the way I want.
I just want people to see that Spirituality and God are not some vain words. They can actually help you to overcome the greatest hurdles and make you a better individual. If I can reach one person and have them realize that, then my job is done!
JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Project: Heartbeats and Elevation?
CM: I do not write often. Sometimes, I will spend weeks without penning anything. And when I work on a poem, I like to take my time. I choose my words carefully, making sure that they reflect the person I am deep inside.
In the case of Project: Heartbeats and Elevation, I started sometime in the middle of 2008. Then, I took a long break and resumed work in February 2009. A month later, I had it proofread. In April, the book was ready for release… Voilà !
JP: What’s next for Cendrine Marrouat?
CM: I want to continue writing, of course. I plan on releasing my two plays in book format through Lulu or other means. Also, I have just started working on a poetry CD/DVD project.
My objective is to release it within a year. I have created three videos so far, and they can be watched here: http://www.youtube.com/soulpoetrysite. They are also downloadable for free on Itunes. Obviously, I need to improve their quality, but they are good examples of what the poetry CD/DVD will be about.
