Cherishing the Un-Biological Family

Fifteen Years Blog Tour

Cherishing Un-Biological Family


Family runs so much deeper than our bloodlines and our gene pools. God places people in our lives that, many times, play a vital role in how far we go in life. They are an expansion of who we are. They’ve planted seeds in our past lives. They nurture us in our present lives. And they may even be an essential part of our destiny. But many times, somewhere between our past and our future, we move on and forget those who have functioned as our un-biological family. How unfortunate! We should not allow passing years to erase them or their godly deeds from our memory, and regardless of how elevated we become in status, we should never take on the mind-set that we no longer need them. Life often comes full circle, and if we burn those bridges, we have destroyed the only road that will lead us back to safety.


As I was in the process of writing Fifteen Years, my latest novel, I began seeing one of the messages unfold that God was teaching through this tale. In the story, Josiah “JT” Tucker, is taken away from the foster family that he’d spent six crucial years with as an abused child, and placed back into the care of his neglectful biological mother, only to be disappointed by her again. Despite the insurmountable odds, JT manages to rise above the statistics, and with a college degree and an executive title, he’s the picture of success…on the outside. On the inside, however, he is a broken man and a tortured soul, and he knows that the only way he is going to find closure and completion, is to find his way back to his humble beginnings. To the people who loved him unconditionally; the people who introduced him to love – and to Christ.


God often gives us un-biological family in the form of sister-friends, prayer partners, mentors, sorors, fraternity brothers, ministers, etc. These are our “foster families,” and they stand in the gap when biological family members fail us or just aren’t readily accessible. They take us under their wings, nurture us, love us. But sadly, when some people get to a certain level in life, they often push aside or otherwise forget those that God sent when they needed guidance and understanding the most. Instead, they latch on to what looks like “the star” because they think that if any road can take them to where they want to go, the one that shines the brightest must be it. But God often works His mightiest through those people that appear insignificant. Often times, the people we take for granted; the ones that we overlook are the ones that hold the key to our blessings.


Recognize and appreciate the blessings that God provides, and cherish those “angels” that He uses to deliver those blessings to you. They are your un-biological family; your God-appointed lifeline to your kingdom destiny.

About the Author
KENDRA NORMAN-BELLAMY is a national best-selling author and the founder of KNB Publications LLC. She is the organizer of Visions in Print, an Atlanta-based national organization for faith-based writers, and The Writer’s Hut, an online fellowship for African American Writers. She is the founder of Cruisin’ For Christ, a groundbreaking at-sea ministry that celebrates writing, gospel music and other God-glorifying arts, and also serves as a motivational speaker.

A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Kendra currently resides in Stone Mountain, George with her family. For more information, visit http://www.knb-publications.com/.

About the Book

FIFTEEN YEARS

Josiah Tucker, the son of a substance dependent and neglectful mother, spent most of his childhood years in the custody of the State, living in foster homes throughout Atlanta, Georgia. At the age of fourteen, he was taken from the foster family that he had grown to love, the Smiths, and returned to his negligent birth mother. Enduring the hardships faced while living with his birth mother JT manages to makes something of his life. However, fifteen years after being taken from the Smiths and at the peak of success, he finds himself feeling empty and at his lowest. When he decides to reconnect with the Smiths, JT finds his faith in God renewed and discovers his attraction to his foster sister.


View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/FifteenYearsBlogTour.

Pages of Life: Meet Two Anointed Authors

This November wrapped up the last tour stop for the 2008 Anointed Authors On Tour in Phoenix, Arizona. Although I wasn't able to join the ladies on the last leg, I've already filed my memories of the great times we had this year. As always, we had times that were funny enough to write a stageplay --- full of drama and plenty of comedy!

I asked the ladies if I could ask them a few questions so that YOU (the readers of "faith fiction") could get a peek into a different chapter of their lives -- not just the writing side.

I present to some -- and introduce to others -- my "sisters in the faith" and "sisters of the pen": Michelle Stimpson and Kendra Norman-Bellamy.

MICHELLE STIMPSON

TM: What's something about yourself that people would be surprised to know?
MS: They would be surprised to know that I really am a "loner." I do a lot of public speaking, and I enjoy people, but given the choice, I prefer to be alone.

TM: Is there a secret talent/calling that you wish you had?
MS: I wish that I could do the splits. As a child, I could do cartwheels, round-offs, but I could never do the splits.

TM: If your friends were asked to describe you in one word or with one song title, what would they say?
MS: "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"

TM: What's your most memorable high school moment?
MS: I have several, but one of my most memorable is getting kicked out of Six Flags at a New Edition & The Fat Boys Concert. Long story!

TM: What was your first boyfriend's name and why did you like him?!
MS: First boyfriend: Tracy K. I liked him because he had a nice voice and he was funny. I never actually saw him, though. We met on a prank call!

TM: Have you ever experienced any of the things that happen in your books?
MS: I have experienced many of the things that happen in my books - the good, the bad, and the ugly.

TM: What was your favorite book/book series as a child and/or teenager?
MS: I liked the Ramona Beasley books and pretty much anything by Judy Blume.

TM: What's your favorite thing to do on a lazy day?
MS: On a lazy day, I stay in bed watching movies and forensic crime shows that I probably shouldn't be watching. Hence, very few lazy days.

TM: Every woman likes to look fabulous. What outfit in your closet makes you feel like you turn heads when you walk into a room....like you can take on the world?
MS: I have a black and gold dress that my daughter says makes me look "Fabulous." I don't wear it often, but when I do, my head gets REALLY big!

TM: Do you do anything special before you sit down to write?
MS: I used to like to play the "same" game on the computer, but it's so addictive I had to let it go. Now, I just pray and fire up the laptop.

TM: What's one of the most recent books you've read?
MS: I read "Humility" by Andrew Murray.

TM: What are you working on now...or what's your next release?
MS: I'm working on a sequel to Boaz Brown and a novel about a 1st generation Christian who's learning God's way for the very first time. It's a very challenging task, but also very interesting.

Every young woman should check out Michelle's latest release, Trouble In My Way, a coming-of-age story about a girl who's trying to do the right thing, but sometimes trouble gets in the way. I started reading it when we were on tour in Stockton, California, and I laughed (out loud) from the very first page!

KENDRA NORMAN-BELLAMY

TM: What's something about yourself that people would be surprised to know?
KNB: I'm a loner. I think that would surprise most people because I'm a very busy person and most of what I do requires that I work with other people or be around other people. It's not that I don't like the company of others or am not a "people-person," but my preference is to be by myself. I have a great appreciation for the solitude (and heightened creativity) that my alone-time brings.


TM: Is there a secret talent/calling that you wish you had?
KNB: I really wish that God had given me the talent to play the piano by ear. I watch people play and am awed by their ability to touch simple keys and make such beautiful and powerful music. That's something that I've long desired to do. I took piano lessons as a child, but I never really had an interest in learning to play by notes. The gift of being able to just sit and play anything at any time is what I wanted.


TM: If your friends were asked to describe you in one word with one song title, what would they say?
KNB: Unforgettable. That's the one-word song title that I hope they'd say. It's my endeavor to impact (in a positive way) every life that I touch. As a result, I pray that connection with any of my friends would be a lasting one.


TM: What's your most memorable high school moment?
KNB: Graduation! No other moment or experience in high school even came close to the sense of accomplishment that I had while walking onto our football field and being a featured part of the celebration that ended with me getting my diploma.


TM: What was your first boyfriend's name and why did you like him?!
KNB: I was 18 when I acquired my first boyfriend, which is old by today's standards. Michael was tall, handsome, talented, and saved. To date, I still consider him one of the nicest men I've every been blessed to meet. It's hard to find people who are just genuinely good, both humanly and morally. We didn't work out, but I still consider him to have been the perfect "first love."


TM: Have you ever experienced any of the things that happen in your books?
KNB: Absolutely....and I'll leave it at that.



TM: What was your favorite book/book series as a child and/or teenager?
KNB: As a child, my favorite book series was the Amelia Bedelia Series by Peggy Parish. Amelia was a riot! She was, to children's books, what Lucy Ricardo was to family television. As a teenager, Maya Angelou took the stage as my favorite author. That's when I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings became my favorite book.


TM: What's your favorite thing to do on a lazy day?
KNB: Write and sleep. On a lazy day, the two go hand in hand.


TM: Every woman likes to look fabulous. What outfit in your closet makes you feel like you turn heads when you walk into a room....like you can take on the world?
KNB: Black is my favorite color to wear because I think it's more versatile than any other. To me, it's dramatic, commanding, elegant and yet, playful. The outfit in my closet that I think turns heads most is a "little black dress" that can be accessorized to make it suitable for any occasion.


TM: Do you do anything special before you sit down to write?
KNB: I always pray before sitting down to write. Above all, I want my fingers to be used of God to not only entertain readers, but minister to them.


TM: What's one of the most recent books you've read?
KNB: I recently finished reading the manuscript to a book that will be released in January 2009. It's called Illusions by Wanda B. Campbell, a fairly newcomer to the literary arena. Illusions is a well-written, engrossing Christian drama that I think readers will enjoy.


TM: What are you working on now...or what's your next release?
KNB: Right now, I'm working on completing The Morning After, which is a follow-up story to Three Fifty-Seven A.M.

Be on the look out for Kendra's upcoming April 2009 release, The Lyons Den (Urban Christian). It's the third book in her "Shelton Heights Series."