WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?
It was not an aspiration of mine to become a writer; I am more of a practitioner at heart. I am fortunate that my practice has allowed hundreds of clients to realize life-changing breakthroughs, and that work always begins with teaching each new client some powerful secrets about their mind. It’s a lot to absorb, so many clients asked me to send them a written summary as a reminder. After so much client feedback, the obvious next step was to document that information in a book . As the writing began to take shape, I became more excited at the possibility of reaching so many more people through a published book -- to help anyone learn how to understand and control their thoughts and feelings.
AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a teacher. I thought it was wonderful to be so full of knowledge and to share that knowledge. As I got older, that aspiration faded, and my focus turned to nursing. I earned my degree as a Nurse Practitioner. What I didn’t realize is that as a Nurse Practitioner, I was really a teacher -- teaching my patients how to take care of themselves. Now I am a teacher. Through my books, interviews, group work, and one-on-one sessions, I get to help people overcome their mental and emotional obstacles and become happy, confident, and successful.
HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE?
The name of the book was given to me by my clients, just as the reason to write the book. When asked why they did not pursue the things they truly wanted, my clients would often respond with, “I would, but my mind fights me”, or “My Mind is too strong and I can’t do what I want!” or simply, “My damn mind won’t let me!” Thus, the current title was born!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK AND WHY?
My favorite line is, “Whatever you are focusing on, you are telling your unconscious mind to give you more of that thing. So when you find yourself thinking about your negative feelings, know that it’s your thoughts that actually created those negative feelings in the first place. If you decide to change your thoughts and focus on something positive, you will in fact be taking control of your feelings."
WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?
I hope that readers will embrace the fact that the power to create the life they want is really in their hands -- or in their head, to be more precise. Whatever they focus on will grow bigger. The power of choice, along with the guidance inside the book, can transform a hopeless situation into an opportunity for personal growth and happiness.
TELL US SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER:
This is not something that most authors would confess to, but I will. I’m not a great writer. English is my second language, and I struggle with proper tenses and grammar. However, because I believe in my message and the power of the mind, I wrote and wrote without editing. I knew that an editor could correct any errors and mistakes. This process reinforced for me the power of asking for help and being an open receiver.
WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?
I don’t have a favorite author, but I remember reading countless self-help books myself in my younger years. The writing style that spoke to me the most was simple and straightforward. In my own writing, I focused on making things as simple as possible.
WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?
The book that has the greatest impact on my life is, The 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman. I loved learning about the different love languages and understanding that people express themselves in different ways. This book taught me to be mindful of how I express my wants and needs as well as being mindful in how I show others I care. This has helped me tremendously in my personal life as well as my professional life.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?
In 2016 I won the Literary Classics’ Lumen Award for Literary Excellence and the Gold Medal for Youth Non-Fiction. In the same year, I also won the Gold Medal from Readers Favorite. I feel so blessed and grateful that my work has been honored with such acclaimed recognition.
DO YOU HAVE ANY WRITING RITUALS?
I don’t have a writing ritual other than when I write, I write by hand and I keep writing without going back to edit. That way I’m able to flow with my thoughts and get the messages I need to get out. After I’m done writing, I go back and type it up, re-organize my ideas, and work through a few edits. After that, it’s sent to my husband for another review, before being sent to a professional editor.
HOW DID YOU GET PUBLISHED?
I am self-published. I love learning so I’ve been taking a lot of seminars as well as researching and learning from experience as well as other self-published authors.
WHAT DID YOU DO TO CELEBRATE THE PUBLISH DATE OF YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?
I am a believer in celebrating every accomplishment, whether big or small. Most of the time, I celebrate by going out for a good meal and spending quality time with my friends and family. I’m certain that I’ve screamed, “Wohooooo!!!!” and “YES!!!!!!!” at least a couple dozen times!
CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF BECOMING PUBLISHED AND ANY TIPS YOU MIGHT OFFER FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS?
You have a message that only you can deliver, in a way that will connect with the people who need to hear it, in a way that only you can convey. Be brave. Stop thinking about it, and just go for it!
CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK?
I learned after my book launched how important it is to promote your book way in advance of your launch date. There are so many ways to do that -- from social media, to word of mouth, including a mention in your email signature and tons of other ways. This surprised me, but makes perfect sense in retrospect. You want to create a buzz so that there are eager readers waiting for your book. The movie and music industries have used these tactics very successfully, and we authors must do the same.
WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED?
5 Simple Questions to Reclaim Your Happiness! a 2017 Literary Classics Gold award recipient in the category of Young Adult Self-Help Books.
DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?
Yes, I’m currently writing the third book in my Words of Wisdom for Teens Series. This one is called, How to Unleash Your Inner Super Powers! and will teach teens just how powerful they really are and how they can harness and embody the powers they already possess. Readers can sign up at: https://ahealedmind.com/books/ to get sneak peeks, specials, and advance copies.
LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org
