Welcome back, Kendra.
Why do you write the kind of books you do?
My writing is ministry, and the books that I write—both
fiction and nonfiction—are done so in accordance to the leading of the Holy
Spirit. He’s the inspiration and motivation for what I write, when I write, and
how I write. Being used by Him is humbling. I write the kinds of books that I
do because of my desire to obey and please God.
Besides when you came
to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?
Oh gosh…that’s a tough one. It would be a toss-up between
the day I married my husband and the days that I gave birth to my children.
I’ll go with the day that I married Michael. It was joyous from start to
finish. The happiness in the childbirth experiences didn’t come until the end.
LOL!
How has being published
changed your life?
Before becoming a published author, I’d never done any real
traveling, and although I was already a licensed minister at that time, I was
still very much an introvert. At the time I became a nationally published
author, I was thirty-something and had never been on an airplane. My world experience
was limited to Georgia , Florida , Alabama , and South Carolina . Once I
became nationally known as a published author, my entire existence changed. I
found myself flying all over the United States and even traveling
internationally to share my books with people in all walks of life. I thought
that being a published author would give me the opportunity to say what I
wanted to say without actually saying it. Instead it thrust me into the limelight
and onto the stage. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but God had anointed me
for this even before I was born. Traveling and public speaking has become an
intricate part of my life. I feel very blessed to be chosen and trusted by God
to carry out this assignment.
What are you reading
right now?
I am on the verge of starting to read a nonfiction/ministry
book titled, Is It Just My Imagination?
The author is Ternae T. Jordan, Jr., an amazing man of God who I met just a
couple of weeks ago when my travels took me to Chattanooga , Tennssee.
What is your current
work in progress?
I’m still tying up the loose ends of Blondeva’s Boys as I
prepare to take it to print to release, hopefully in the next two to three
weeks. Once I’m completely finished with it, my next writing project will be a
joint one that I will be doing with my husband. We have plans to write a daily
devotional together that will be geared toward encouraging and strengthening
marriages and family bonds. I’m excited about getting started.
What would be your
dream vacation?
That would definitely be Hawaii !! It’s the one state I’ve never been
to that I really want to visit. I have had the pleasure of visiting some
beautiful places in my life including islands in the Western and Eastern
Caribbean, but I very much want to set my feet on the grounds of Hawaii . I know the day
is coming in which my heart’s desire will be fulfilled, and I’m looking forward
to it!
How do you choose
your settings for each book?
I typically set my stories in places where I’ve been so that
I can make the story as accurate and as believable as possible. There was once
a time in my career when almost all of my fictional stories were set in
Atlanta, Georgia, because that’s where I was living at the time and I just felt
more comfortable having them take place there. Now, I venture out a little more
and either set them in a city/state that I’ve visited, or I create a fictitious
town and set the story there (as I did in Blondeva’s Boys).
If you could spend an
evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?
I think I’d have to say Joyce Meyer. She’s incredibly
inspirational and has a wealth of godly wisdom. I very much respect her and
love the ministry God has entrusted to her. Often times when I watch Joyce on
television as she becomes transparent and blesses so many people by sharing the
pains and the joys of her life’s testimony, I see a reflection of myself. I
believe spending an evening talking and sharing with Joyce Meyer would be a wonderfully
unforgettable experience.
What are your
hobbies, besides writing and reading?
I think if I weren’t a writer, I would use my creativity in
the field of professional photography. I love taking pictures and capturing
moments on film. In the near future, I actually have plans to purchase a
professional camera with all the bells and whistles and pursue photography as a
true hobby.
What is your most
difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?
I work a full-time job Monday through Friday, and I have a
husband who I adore and with whom I thoroughly enjoy spending time. Because we
both are employed in corporate America
and work full-time hours, Saturdays are largely geared to spending quality time
together and focusing on us. And on Sundays a large part of our time involves
ministry and corporate worship. So my most difficult writing obstacle is
finding the time to do it. I never have the time to write, but I always make
the time to write. All the talent in the world won’t get the book written. If I
want it done, I have to make it happen. So I do…late at night, on the
occasional Saturdays when my husband works a few overtime hours, during lunch
breaks at work, etc. It’s about how badly you want it. It takes sacrifice. It’s
the difference between writing being a pastime versus it being a passion.
What advice would you
give to a beginning author?
My advice always comes in the form of these three words: Prayer.
Patience. Perseverance. I strongly believe an aspiring writer needs all three. Personally,
I don’t know how anybody gets through anything without prayer. It’s the first
thing I do in the morning, and I find myself talking to God throughout the day.
He’s the source of my strength and the source of my inspiration. I can’t write
without Him. Success won’t happen overnight, but if a writer doesn’t get
anxious and exercises patience during the process, all the hard work will pay
off. And finally, writers need to understand that discouragements will come
along the way. We’ve all experienced them on our journeys, but with perseverance
and a dogmatic refusal to allow the stumbling blocks to make them give up, beginners
will eventually be able to taste the sweet fruit of their labor.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Blondeva’s Boys is a project that is near and dear to my heart.
The female matriarch in the story is named after my beloved mother who passed
away in November of 2014. While the only real likeness between my character and
my mom is their deep love for God and family, it was important for me to give
her the same name. My mom absolutely hated her first name and solely went by
her middle name. Although I didn’t care much for the name either, I’ve come to
appreciate it for being as uniquely beautiful as she was, and I wanted Mama’s
name to become a household one. In my story, Blondeva is a God-fearing woman in
her 80’s who, along with her husband, raised four children—all sons. Most of
them grew up to be successful in pretty much every aspect of their lives. However
their youngest, Isaac, has a history of disappointments in everything from
schooling to marriage and the shadow of those failures have followed him all
throughout his life. The story takes place in the fictitious town of Nona , Alabama .
Isaac moved away from the small city in which he was raised and even joined the
US Air Force in order to escape the constant reminders of his failures. Ms.
Blondeva (as she’s called by most) pulls a few strings to get Isaac back to his
hometown. He now works as a licensed contractor and her bait to lure him home
are the renovations that are needed on the home that she and her husband have
shared for several decades and her “failing health” (note the quotations marks).
What Isaac ultimately finds out is that he—not the family home—is the one in
store of a makeover: spiritually, mentally, and physically.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Blondeva’s Boys opens with a “prologue,” giving the readers
a peek into a dramatic incident that will happen later in the story. The
prologue takes readers to an injured Isaac who is lying on the side of one of Nona , Alabama ’s
roads. He’s seriously battered and bruised and a stranger, who Isaac doesn’t
even have enough strength to open his eyes and see, is talking to him and
trying to keep him conscious until help arrives. There are no cell towers on that
particular rural stretch of highway, so Isaac just has to suffer through what
he believes is a slow death while the stranger’s young son runs to the nearest
convenience store to get help. The first page of the book gives readers a taste
of things to come.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
My official web home is www.RoyaltyWriter.net. Readers may also
find me on social media through Facebook (www.Facebook.com/KendraNormanHolmes),
through Instagram (royaltywriter) and Twitter (@Royalty_Writer). I’m also the
host of a weekly Internet radio show called Royal Pen Network. Listeners can
tune in each Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. (EST) and listen live by going to www.JoynetRadio.com.Thank you, Kendra, for sharing this new book with us. I'm eager to read it.
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12 comments:
It's always a pleasure to hear from Kendra. She's consistent and bold in her testimony. She also knows that she's anointed to minister to people through her books.
You are so inspirational, you really make my spirit rejoice
You are so inspirational, you really make my spirit rejoice
Kendra I love that you view your writing as a ministry. God will touch people you will never know with your stories.
angela in ky would love to win.
A very interesting prologue thank you.
Mary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
Hi Kendra. I enjoyed getting to know you through this interview and I believe that your advice to writers is very applicable to all of us. Prayer, patience and persistence should be the goal for all of us.
Blessings!
Connie from KY
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
Kendra, I have read several of your books and enjoyed them very much. However, I did a chuckle in one of them when a character was driving in Virginia Beach enjoying the view of the beach on one side and the mountains on the other. Having spent most of my life in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and having visited Virginia Beach on various occasions over the years, I have to say that I have never found that stretch of highway. The important thing is I enjoyed the story so much that I went back to the library to look for more books by you. This new one sounds very interesting and I would love to read it.
Edward A in VA
SOunds like a good read. North Platte Nebraska.
Enter me!!
Conway, SC.
Blondes certainly is a unique name! I look forward to reading about her and her boys.
pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com
'Blondeva's Boys' sounds like a great read. Thanks for the chance to win a copy. I really enjoyed the interview.
Brenda in VA
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