JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Armond E. Mosley, author of Rededication: A Story of Sex, Repentance and Restoration
(Godzchild Publications)
Rededication is an honest account of one man’s struggle with faith and sexuality. Most who’ve grown up in the church have been in positions where what the Bible says and what the world says conflict with one another. This reality has the potential to cause much anxiety and strife for a Christian seeking to live God’s way.
If we’re honest about it, the church typically avoids the issue of fornication aside from admonishing it when evidenced by pregnancy or shacking up. It’s easy to deal with the outcomes or consequences of sexual impurity, but rarely do we deal with the origins in a preventative manner.
Rededication takes an introspective look into my past and delves into the deeper motivations behind my desire to turn away from God and do things my way. Most importantly, it walks the reader through my moment of sincere repentance and ultimately, my road to restoration.
Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Rededication: A Story of Sex, Repentance and Restoration?
Armond E. Mosley: As I went through my journey of rededication and began to diligently seek out help to aid me in my efforts to become sexually pure, I realized that there wasn’t much content available from a male perspective (especially black). I looked and looked, and what I found most common were books written by women or white males.
Nothing against those authors and one in particular did help me, but I was looking to affirm my journey through the story of someone who looked like me. Unfortunately, I didn’t find much that I could relate to and so. As I began my journey, God made it clear that I was to keep note of my own trials and tribulations as one day I would create the very content that I had longed for.
So, I wrote it 1st out of obedience to God and 2nd to fill a gap that I believed (and still do) existed in the market for books on sexual purity written by black men.
JP: What sets Rededication: A Story of Sex, Repentance and Restoration apart from other books in the same genre?
AEM: When I began my journey of celibacy, I sought out the male (especially black) voice in the marketplace. I noticed very quickly that, though there are a ton of books on celibacy/sexual purity, etc., there are few, if any coming from a male perspective and even fewer that are told from the black male perspective.
Furthermore, those that do exist are often told from an existential viewpoint and seem to shield the author’s own indiscretions along the way. Rededication is transparent, authentic and personal. No punches are pulled and no stone is left unturned. Why? Because it wasn’t my story to keep to myself.
God made it clear to me that I had to tell the WHOLE story, not just the parts that I was comfortable with. I believe what you get with Rededication is a real account of an issue that many face everyday.
JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to Rededication: A Story of Sex, Repentance and Restoration getting out to the public?
AEM: The two biggest keys to my success thus far would have to be persistence and networking. I have come to realize that if I’m not pushing my book, it’s not selling. I’m no NYT best-selling author and as such, its imperative that I share with people I come into contact with, whether in person or virtually, about my book. Not only must I do this, I must be persistent in this effort. It’s the persistence that’s key because anyone can be motivated and tell people about their book when it’s fresh, but the challenge is to continue to do so when the sales may not be rolling in. Persistence is key to pushing past the sales lulls and into the next period of sales growth.
The second thing, networking, is paramount. I been blessed to have some great people around me open doors that I could not have opened myself. Some of these people where friends before publishing, but many have been people I’ve met since publishing my book. For new authors, its important that we get out there and meet new people because you never know who will be in position to help you out. Not only that, you never know who you can assist. It’s a two-way street and I’ve learned that “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you” is a great principle to live by in the publishing arena. In reality, you’re just one connection away from your next book sale and if you don’t network, you’ll never make that sale.
JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish Rededication: A Story of Sex, Repentance and Restoration?
AEM: I am an “inspirational” writer, so I only write when I “feel it.” I tried to take a more disciplined approach before, but it just hasn’t work for me. As a result, during these “inspired” moments I usually crank out 3000-5000 words at a time. Though few and far between, they are pretty intense.
Once I had the idea to write my book, it didn’t take me long to start, but as a result of my writing process it took me ~ three years to complete.
JP: What’s next for Armond E. Mosley?
AEM: I have a few other ideas for books in mind, however, I’m really focuses on doing all that I can do to ensure that my book has the opportunity to get into the hands of those whom God wants to have it. So, I will probably wait until next fall to begin my next book. In the interim, I’m touring different churches to share my testimony and book with their congregations. The reception has been very warm and the discussions have been awesome, so I hope to continue doing these tour stops throughout next year.
http://www.kingdomworkshops.com
http://facebook.com/ search Rededication the Book
The last thing I’d like to share with your readers is this…I’m not perfect. I’m just as flawed as the next man/woman. Rededication clearly shows that and I want the readers to know that just because you aren’t perfect does not mean that you are unworthy of God’s love. If that were the condition of His love, none of us would ever receive it. At the end of the day, though we’ll never be perfect, our goal in life is to strive for perfection as taught through the Word of God. Thank you for taking the time to read and may God bless and keep you is my prayer.
Rededication is available via all online retailers (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, eBay, etc.). In addition, the ebook version is available for the Kindle, Nook and iPad as well. Thanks so much for your support!
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