What inspired you to publish your book?
As a child, I was always encouraged by the message that I can be anything I want to be. But adulthood and the journey to adulthood taught me that it’s not that simple. The path to accomplishing any goal or achieving success is rarely straight. Things will go wrong; you will become discouraged, you might even want to give up. That’s when you’ll learn how important it is to believe. In addition to the message that they can be anything they want to be, children should know that it is only true if they believe. We have to believe in ourselves before anyone else can believe in us.
What can readers take away from your book?
I hope that readers walk away with a sparked or renewed sense of how capable they are. I hope it resonates that what it takes to accomplish any goal or achieve success, lies within us.“No matter what happens, no matter what people say, you have to keep on believing and working hard any way” (an excerpt from the book). Success doesn’t just happen because you want it to and goals are not accomplished by simply establishing them. You have to work for it, sometimes you have to fight for it, but most importantly, you have to relentlessly believe in yourself.
In the words of Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”
What was your writing process like?
The writing process was super fun. I used to write poetry when I was younger so writing a semi-rhyming children’s book was pretty nostalgic. The concept behind “Believe” is something I am passionate about. I believe in the message and consider it relevant at any age.
Are you planning to write other books?
Most definitely! “Believe” is just the beginning. So, stay tuned!
What's a cool or interesting fact about yourself?
I begin every year by creating a vision board and end every year by reflecting on how many of the things I was able to accomplish. It’s intriguing to observe how the things you visualize are able to manifest themselves, sometimes in ways that were never expected.
What is some advice you would give aspiring or first-time authors?
You have to have patience with the process and timing is literally everything. I wrote this book years ago. I even sought out a publishing company, made an initial payment for services, but the timing just wasn’t right. When the timing is right, everything will fall into place. Now, that doesn’t mean everything will be seamless or that the process won’t have its hiccups; but it does mean that you will continue to believe and remain committed despite the challenges. So, trust the process, work through the writer’s block and persevere though the frustration. You have a story to write, you have something to say, and that story cannot be written or articulated by anyone but you. So, WRITE on.