Fifteen Years Blog Tour 
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 www.knb-publications.com.
Kendra, tell us about yourself.
I’m a southern girl, born and bred. Admittedly I’m a small town girl at heart, but my dreams and goals are big; huge actually. Originally, I am from West Palm Beach, Florida, but I’ve lived most of my life in Georgia. I love God, my family, and my career. Aside from the obvious (writing) I also enjoy reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
What type of jobs or careers have you worked in the past?
I’ve worked as an administrative assistant, a customer service representative, an assistant director of a childcare center, an executive secretary, and as an underwriting assistant.
Who are your favorite authors?
Maya Angelou is my all-time favorite female author, and the now retired author turned pastor, Timmothy McCann, is my all-time favorite male author. I enjoy the works of several current writers, but they are too many to name. My favorite genre is Christian fiction because of the inspirational and redemptive nature of the stories, but I read other genres as well. There are many authors in the business whose works I appreciate.
What are your favorite books?
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (by Maya Angelou) is my absolute favorite.
When did you begin to realize you wanted to write?
I was writing for a few years before I recognized that it was a divine calling and a passion for me. Initially, I was writing for the joy of it, but at some point in 2001, I began to realize that it was more than a hobby or pastime. That’s when I embraced it as my life’s purpose.
Tell us about your journey to publication.
I’d written a number of manuscripts before I made my first attempt at getting a publishing contract. Once it became clear to me that this was what I was born to do, I sent query letters to several mainstream publishers in an attempt to get them to see the potential of my debut project, For Love & Grace. None did, so with the financial backing of extended family members, I moved forward to self-publish in 2002. About a year later, as I was still peddling the book from the trunk of my car, I got a call from BET, who at the time had a book publishing division, and the editor there had gotten her hands on a copy of the book I’d self-published and offered me a multi-book contract to turn it into a 3-book series. Two weeks later, the editor of Moody Publishers (Chicago, IL) called regarding a manuscript I’d sent them, and she offered me a contract as well. Thankfully, both companies agreed to give me nonexclusive book deals so that I could write for both. It was an exciting time for me. And then in 2006, I was approached by the owner of Urban Books (New York) who was launching a new Christian fiction line, and he presented me with the opportunity to be the flagship author of that line. That’s how I evolved from being a self-published author to being one who writes for three esteemed mainstream companies. It’s been a challenging, but blessed journey.
Are you a full-time writer? If so, describe your day?
My writing demands wouldn’t allow for a corporate American job even if I wanted one. Each of my days is bursting at the seams with literary obligations! I get up at around 9:00 every morning and spend about 20 minutes in prayer and meditation, and then 40 minutes working out in my home gym. After I shower and get dressed, I head to my upstairs office and officially start my workday. Aside from writing my own manuscripts, I’m also the owner and operator of KNB Publications, an independent self-publishing house that produces the works of up and coming Christian writers. So my day hours are largely spent working on the process of editing and/or publishing the works of others, and then around 9:00 p.m., after I’ve cooked dinner and taken time to feed my family, I carve out the time to focus on my own projects and work toward meeting my personal writing deadlines. On average, my days start at 9:00 in the morning and don’t end until around 3:00 the following morning. The hours are long, the work is hard, and the pay is modest, so I’m glad that God has assigned me to a job/ministry that I genuinely love!
About the Book
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.
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