Questions for the Author

1) How did you come up with the title for your book? What is the significance to the number 10?
I didn’t set out to write a book, but was journaling things I do in my life to stay happy and centered. Be, grateful, Be loving, Be positive, etc. There ended up being ten things. Ten is a significant number for me. The topics in this book are about movement. You need to take action to experience results. We have ten fingers and ten toes, both help us move forward. Among some practitioners, ten means rebirth, so starting to work with the ten Be’s means a new beginning. The number ten is a symbol of perfection, and the mystical number of completion and unity. Ten is the number of the Commandments revealed to Moses by God. Ancient Chinese thought of ten as the perfectly balanced number. So it is a pretty powerful number.

2) Who is your publisher?
Marble House Editions, in New York

3) What is the significance of the picture of the dream catcher on your cover?
We all have the ability to catch, visualize and manifest what we dream of. The dream catcher reminds us to keep our dreams alive. I resonate with what Native Americans describe as the purpose of the dream catchers, which is to say that while sleeping, our dreams send us messages. Legend says that the dream catcher has a hole in the middle and our good dreams travel through the hole, but our bad dreams get caught in the web of the dream catcher and do not reach us. They vanish as the first morning light appears. I feel very connected to my dreams and have studied their messages for many years. I like this vision of the power of the dream catcher and I have them everywhere - over my bed, in my meditation room at home, at my office at work.

4) How long did it take you to write the book?
A couple of years

5) Where are you from?
I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, where I lived until I was two. Next we moved to Japan for two years, and to Anchorage, Alaska when I was four. I consider Alaska home.

6) Tell us your latest news?
I am very involved in a project I started called, Words Across The World, which sends books to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation in Limbe, Cameroon. The foundation’s resource center is used by many in the community for reading and studying material. This same foundation is establishing an Africa Peace Institute and I am working on the cultural arts portion of this project.

7) When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing poetry and journaling as a teenager. It was a fun and easy way of expression for me.

8) Who or what has influenced your writing?
People who do good for others inspire me to do the same. My parents are very giving people and that has influenced me. My dad would give you the shirt off of his back. My partner is the same way and I’ve seen him give away his last dollar. Oprah Winfrey’s actions empower others. Christian Tanyi, the head of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation in Limbe, Cameroon who works so hard so that the people in Africa will have a better life in terms of health care, education, gender issues. Watching people empower others inspires me to write.

9) Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?
Decide to live a positive life and you will

10) How much of the book is realistic?
All of it. We can do whatever we set our minds to.

11) Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Yes, based on my life and how I try to live it

12) What books have influenced your life most?
The major one is Siddhartha by Herman Heese. It’s about one mans search to find himself. I like that and can relate to it.

13) If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Maya Angelou, June Jordan and my favorite write, Nikki Giovanni. She wrote a poem called Ego Tripping, which blows my mind. It’s not about ego in the typical way, but in a way that celebrates appreciating ones self and all we have to offer in a passionate, but to me not egotistical manner. Everyone should have that.

14) What are your current projects?
The Africa project I mentioned earlier is exiting volunteer work and takes up a fair amount of time

15) Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Well, I think it’s important to mention family members in my case, because my family has always been very supportive of my endeavors, and everyone isn’t so lucky. The person I would mention outside of my family is my partner Rick who is wonderfully encouraging, full of creative, attainable ideas and unconditional.

16) Do you see writing as a career?
I see it as a way of life

17) If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No, I don’t believe I would. I’m passionate about the topic and it’s been an amazing journey. I’ve been blessed to have so many wonderful people supporting my efforts.

18) Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
It was a way of expression like music or dancing, two other things I like to do.

19) What do you see as the influences on your writing?
Life experience

20) Can you share a little of your current writing work with us?
I am fascinated with past lives and have been since I was in Jr. High School so I’m writing about that.

21) Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The most challenging thing is committing the time to write on a regular basis. I have so much going on that this can sometimes be tricky.

22) Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
No I don’t for my books, but I love to travel. I’ve had the travel bug forever and like being on a plane going anywhere. I love meeting new people and exploring new landscapes both in the US and abroad. Experiencing other cultures is so rich because it reminds us that the way we live our life in the United States is not the only way of existence.

23) What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Writing was easy; trying to decide whether to self-publish or find an established publisher was more difficult

24) Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
Be true to yourself

25) Do you have any advice for other writers?
Keep writing and keep asking questions

26) Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Live in the light and don’t give up on your dreams. As I recommend in my book, journal, meditate and laugh every day.

27) Where can the book be purchased?
My website at. www.PositiveBliss.com  

28) How do you promote your books?
In-person book signings, Internet, newspaper and radio interviews

“A portion of book proceeds will be donated to the Words Across the World Project,
sending much needed books to the community of Limbe, Cameroon.”