UPDATE: Because of of Twitter issues, we’re going to pick up with the chat right here Friday from noon-8PM EST. So, definitely stop back through and we can get to the book discussion part of things. 
Shawneda will be stopping in and out to answer any additional questions. Just jump down to the comments.
Tonight (Thursday 12/2) at 8:30PM EST, we are chatting with Shawneda Marks about her book, IT’S IN MY BLOOD which she wrote in honor of World AIDS Day. Don’t have it? Grab a copy now for 99 cents on Kindle http://amzn.to/dtZ4Zx & Nook http://bit.ly/ezMUR7.
The discussion is being held via Twitter using hashtag #blackbookchats, but if there are any problems — we’ll move it back here to the site. To access the Twitter chat, CLICK HERE. If you have any problems, give a shout out to us @rawsistaz and we’ll try to help.
ABOUT THE BOOK
It’s In My Blood by Shawneda Marks
A mother twisted by fear.
Naomi has prayed for God to send her daughter home to restore the relationship they once shared. Almost ten years of praying fasting and pleading has her face to face with her greatest desire and worst fear.
A father left in the dark.
The only thing more important to John than his wife and child is his relationship with Christ. Everything else in his life is going in the right direction he hopes that his daughters need to come home will be the start of a new chapter in their lives.
A daughter betrayed Rocked to the core by the loss of the last man she loved, Rosalyn isn’t sure how to continue on. Tragic news destroys what she thought would be the happiest moment of her life. Scared and alone she contemplates doing the worst thing possible in her mind, going back home.
Will faith be able to heal these broken hearts when there is no one and no where else to turn and home is where the hurt is?
THE AUTHOR SPEAKS – Why I Wrote IT’S IN MY BLOOD
There are several reasons I wrote It’s in My Blood. I’ll tell you the top five; five is one of my favorite numbers because it represents the grace of God. I’ve needed a lot of that like the lead character in my novel, Rosalyn, she is loosely based on me. I’ll get back to that in a moment.
The first spark for It’s in My Blood was the death of a good friend at my church. He contracted HIV and it developed into full blown AIDS but he only told a few people because he was afraid of being ostracized. I knew if God provided the means for a few or a multitude of people to read it I wanted them to know about a beautiful person who loved the Lord, served Him in their youth who happened to be infected with HIV/AIDS.
Second came the character of Rosalyn herself. She came from my first novel LOVE IS…and although I had plans to write a different story next, she wouldn’t leave me alone. When I prayed about it God showed me, I could’ve easily been her, at one point in my life I was her. Minus the HIV and a few other details her anger, rage and self destructive behavior was based on who I used to be before I gave my life back to Christ.
A third motivator is my desire to write stories that raise awareness about what is happening in today’s society as it relates to health and wellness.
Fourth is my abnormal interest in how the Body of Christ does or doesn’t address the health issues of the members who make up the Body. My lifelong battle with obesity makes me compassionate towards others with physical ailments preventable and otherwise. I think as a faith based community we need to talk about these things.
My final reason for writing IT’s in MY BLOOD was to start a conversation in the churches across America particularly those catering to African Americans. Whether God drew a lot of people or a few to this novel, I wanted a dialogue to begin because it is spreading fastest among our women and we need to stop it.
For more information about Shawneda, visit her website at www.shawneda.com.
View the transcript from the chat.
My apologies, everyone! Since we had no problems with the Twitter chat on Tuesday, I didn’t actually have my welcome here all ready to go, but thanks for your support! It’s hard doing the chats via Twitter at night sometimes since that’s the busiest time; especially if a game or popular show is on..so let’s try to catch up and finish here.
*Update — Shawneda has agreed to stop back through Friday from noon on to hang out with us again because we really didn’t get to the book discussion part of the chat. So, I’m going to move the questions she answered before Twitter went down (see below) and then we can pick up tomorrow. Or, I’ll post a new article and we’ll start fresh. Either way, I’ll have it live at least by 11EST. We’ll start at noon.
-Tee
A few housecleaning things…if you have a comment to something someone already said or you’re answering a question, hit REPLY under their comment vs doing a new comment in the box at the bottom.
Use the new box when you’re starting a new subject, making an unrelated comment or if you want to post questions. You can type QUESTION too, but it’s not really needed when the comments are threaded.
*And if you mess up, you can go ahead and reply correctly — I’ll see it and fix it.
*Another note — if you’ve never posted on our site before, there is a slight delay as newbies have to approved. After that, you can post away.
Ok, I moved over.
I’m here!
The Heat vs Cavs game is getting heavy traffic in twitterdom!
I thought it was just my network at first, but then it was like nothing for minutes.
Hi, I’m here!
Hey Brooks…we’re gonna pick up with things tomorrow at noon. Hope you can stop back through.
Whew…geez. Twitter’s slow, I broke the keyboard tray on my desk, so now it’s hanging to one side…lol. Ahem, ahem.
Welcome, welcome!!!
Where were we? ROFL.
Lawd have mercy we were chatting about the response from my previous church. They do carry my book in their store now…
LOL, Tee you’re crazy. Ok Shawneda, I have a question, how hard is it to write fiction then switch to non-fiction? Or is it not a problem for you? I hope my question doesn’t confuse anyone.
It’s not hard for me to switch. My imagination is very vivid and my fiction is an extension of my passion and what I write nonfiction about. To be honest my nonfiction is really the foundation for curriculums I’m writing for use in the churches and cell groups etc and the stories I tell put flesh to them. Like parables…
Ok I got you.
LOL…having issues, but I do prefer this format — when my keyboard has somewhere to sit. Ahahha!
Some of the previous questions & comments, I will clean up and post below, just so we have the thread of what was talked about already.
And Shawneda, I know there were a couple of people who didn’t finish, so is it possible we can do a follow-up during our noon-8pm block tomorrow?
-Tee
Yeah I’ll check in and out throughout the day.
Thanks!
So does that mean we’re done for tonight?
i”ll be back tomorrow.
Thanks Dee, preciate it!
Thanks, Dee!
Yes. I think that’ll give everyone time to regroup, finish reading and then come back strong.
okie dokie smokie…tomorrow at noon…I’ll go to the gym early to be back home by twelve!
Thank you again! From the comments on the group, a few folks are presently reading and I know I’m trying to wrap up the last pages. I’m just getting back in, but will be catching up–probably after 8. I’m so sorry. Thankfully I’m a fast reader, so I can read the book the night before the chat, but too much has been going on this week…
I’ll share the link with those who won the freebies too and hopefully they can stop through when they finish as the post will remain open for a while.
Everyone, please subscribe to the post so you can get the comments when they come through and come on back tomorrow and let’s talk about Rosalyn & crew! Mmkay?
Will do
Subscription DONE!
A special thanks to those of you coming back to join us today. We will be here from Noon – 8PM EST (in and out) to chat about the book. I apologize in advance for my absence, but I’ve got to get my daughter to a doctor’s appt, so I’ll be attempting to check in from my phone, but will not be back to fully chat until about 4ish.
I’ve uploaded the chat transcript, but here are some of the questions/answers from last night’s Twitter Chat:
Q: How about giving us an intro with a little about yourself?
Shawneda: love to write, read and have a passion for raising awareness, promoting wellness and empowering others
Q: What did you hope your reader gain after reading It’s in My blood?
Shawneda: I hoped readers would have great compassion and want to be involved in raising awareness and prevention about #HIV
Q: How have the members of your church received your book and do they discuss Aids/HIV at your church
Shawneda: the church I attended when I wrote the book did a few AIDS awareness events ’07-’09 but didn’t continue
Shawneda, share your other programs, services & don’t forget Jewelry Marks please.
Sure, my daughter knocked my hand and cleared this last time so I’m gonna be brief this time cause I need to get back to family time.
Wellness Walkers Foundation Inc http://www.wellnesswalkers.org is my nonprofit organization it is the parent of Diamond Butterfly a women’s emotional wellness initiative and ABC’s to End Emotional Eating a healthy living initiative using scripture to help strengthen the bond between food and feelings.
Faithful Folios is my online Christian book review tv show and blog. My passion writing is as strong as my love for reading.
Jewelry Marks is my crafty way to incorporate my love for making things with my love for books. Eco-friendly handcrafted book marks that are binder friendly too!
There are a few other things in development which I’ll be announcing once solidified on my website http://www.shawneda.com. They are all related to awareness, wellness and empowerment!
To reply, simply hit “Reply” under the comment you’re referring to or use the box below to start a new “thread”. I’ll start us off with a few general questions and then post the more discussion questions a few at a time.
For those who read the book already, what was the biggest message you received from it.
For those who didn’t, do your churches teach on HIV Awareness? What are your thoughts?
Hey Tee and Shawneda
No, my church don’t teach HIV Awareness. I’ve wanted to do a seminar on HIV awareness a couple of times but changed my mind. Reason: There is a lady at my church who has AIDS. The “church folks” would think I’m trying to get something started by doing the seminar. They would think that I’m trying to single her out. Well, the pastor would definitely say I was. Sad, but true!!
One way to overcome the objections would be to include her in the seminar and study…pray and ask God to show you how to do that. The fact that she shares her status is a great thing! She is not ashamed of it.
Neither of the ones we attend do either. Maybe some frown upon it because they think it only affects drug users or gays? And perhaps they think if they did, they’d be condoning either?
I hope that is not the reason. I know it’s possible but it could just be lack of knowing where to start or what to do.
Hello everyone. Shawneda, thanks for joining us. I met you at the RAW Affair!
To your question, Tee, unfortunately, my church does not teach on HIV Awareness. My church is pretty contemporary so I’m surprised that this isn’t a topic that has come up, at least to the larger congregation. Perhaps, it is a topic that’s discussed in smaller groups.
Hey Hope!
If you have a health ministry it is possible it is being covered there. If not volunteering and being involved in the community is important.
Thank you to everyone who read my book. I’m popping in to check for new questions. Going to step out for a moment but will be back on around 230 3ish!
Glad you made it back, Shawneda and again thank you. We appreciate you spending so much time with us.
As we wait on others to come through, would you share more of your experience with your church and the book, as well as the workshops & seminars you do?
The knowing is beautiful workshop and awareness are covered. I share about the emotional impact and importance of being engaged and involved with those around for a person who has found out they are positive. I incorporate elements from the book to put a “face” to the disease for those who don’t know someone personally with HIV it makes it easier to have an interactive workshop or seminar about the topic.
I will be popping in an out as well because I’m trying to get this project done for school.
Okle dokle!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Is Rosalyn justified in trying to keep an emotional distance from Naomi?
**Reposting these individually. Please hit REPLY under the one you’re replying to that either I posted or Dee posted. And feel to start a new reply with any questions you’d like to ask.**
1. Is Rosalyn justified in trying to keep an emotional distance from Naomi?
No. I understand she was trying to take care of herself after Naomi let her down, but at some point she needed to forgive her, in order to enjoy her own peace. So I didn’t feel that she was emotionally distant, but physically distant. If she was emotionally distant she wouldn’t care what Naomi thought about her ten years later. I also think that is why this story is important. Mom and daughter relationships are so unique and can be so high charged at times.
Dee, I shouldn’t have posted all the questions right there like that, but I wasn’t sure what time I was going to get back and I wanted to make sure they were there. So, thanks for answering this way. I’ll add a note above and ask people to reply to your comments and move the other questions down.
My answer: Justified…no, probably not, but I can understand the pain. I see where you’re coming from Dee. I think though sometimes it’s easier for us to forgive and move on. I also think sometimes we think we’ve forgiven someone (or ourselves), yet those feelings are hard to let go.
I can’t imagine not having a relationship with my mom though. Sadly she’s deceased, but I would like to think that wouldn’t be a forgive and move on situation. A man? Yep… Someone I thought my friend? Yep, but not my mama.
2. Was it unreasonable for Rosalyn to believe she could keep her illness a secret while living at home? Was it considerate to her parents to keep her status from them?
It was reasonable, but understandable. The fact that she’s returning home pregnant is defeating enough, but on top of that a chronic illness that can become terminal and the stigma the illness carries…child, please.
It wasn’t considerate. She was wrong with that.
I think that it was unreasonable…but understandable. It’s interesting how her status was ultimately revealed.
Yeah I wanted to rustle some feathers with that because as an intercessor I’ve served with one person too many that joined the prayer team and would gossip about the details later. I think group prayer atmospheres should be more general and if as a church community we built more personal authentic relationships the intercessors we have personal relationships should get more of the details. In my humble opinion…
3. Is God orchestrating the provision in Rosalyn’s life despite her behavior because of her parents’ prayers or her previous relationship with him as a child?
both
If your child or a close relative came to you and revealed they were HIV positive or had full blown AIDS would that change your relationship? Why or why not?
No. My relationship’s actually got stronger. Why? Because I live with a chronic illness. It’s not HIV, but if I didn’t manage my heart failure I would die. plus we’re family.
I think it would change in some instances, but not in a negative way. I’d have to educate myself on things and get up to speed and all that, but I’d still love & support them like Rosalyn’s dad did with her in the book.
I think that it would change to some degree….perhaps I would feel more of a need to be their for them and to be a support to them in ways that I may not have previously felt obligated.
Tee and Hope I love your honesty!
5. Your pastor announces a new ministry in your church focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness is this going to affect your membership? Why or why not?
No. It’s needed.
Yes, I think it would affect the church. Some would be for it/some against it, but I do think it’s needed. I like the idea of health ministries that Shawneda mentioned earlier. I’ve never been a member of a church with one of those. I know some of the mega churches have them.
I don’t think it would affect the membership of my current church, but I think that it could affect other churches I’ve attended in the past. Some people feel that anything having to do with sex, drugs, etc. has no place being discussed in the church and so this type of a ministry would be in direct conflict with that.
I’d love to start a stripper pole class for every married women’s ministry and let Jesus keep you ministry for every single ministry with a condom dispenser and anonymous HIV testing receptacle in the back. If we as Americans and Christians were more open and honest about these things it would help things alot not to be crass but to be comfortable with our humanity.
Daniel expresses more than plutonic interest in Rosalyn even after discovering she is HIV positive, would you embrace or support your friend if they chose to date someone with HIV?
Yes. If they both know about the disease and she is taking care of herself, then yes. My cousin remarried after he was diagnosed. They had a child together(non HIV) before he passed.
I would always support my friend, but this one is hard to answer. I’d like to think I’d support her relationship, but I’d probably also worry about how it would turn out.
I respect your honesty Tee. I included this element because if most people are like I was before I started researching they may not think about love after HIV with a non-infected person. But the heart loves who the heart loves…that’s what they say anyway. You all know I don’t believe in soul mates but that is a topic to be explored in another book
Kudos to you Dee…the world would be a better place if everyone loved that way!
6. Is John’s relationship with Naomi and Rosalyn healthy? Does he favor to one more than the other? Should he?
Hmmm, I think he tried to stay in the middle of the road. Let me think more on this one…
7. Would you accept financial help from someone who may have negative motivations behind assisting you?
No, not if I was aware of the motivations.
What you said!
8. Rosalyn’s best friend is close to Rajj’s ex fiancé should she expect her best friend to dislike someone just because she does?
No. This is one it took me a while to learn. I’ve had mutual friends with someone who’s done me wrong and I just couldn’t understand how they would want to remain friends. I don’t like that “in the middle” feeling, but I get it now… A girlfriend told me once “I don’t like what she did, but we all make mistakes. You love people, flaws and all” or something to that affect.
Once she schooled me, I got it.
9. Rosalyn reconnects with an old friend from her youth and makes them the legal guardian of her child in the event something happens to her; would you rather your child be with a family member who hurt you or a friend who loved you?
It would depend on the situation and if it was something I think would possibly happen to my child too, I’d prefer them be with the friend who loved me. Blood is supposed to be thicker than water, but I don’t agree with that. I look at my friends as family…
Well said Tee! I agree…
With the opening scene of the book we find Rosalyn being chased down interstate by Rajj, then the accident and his death. Okay….ummm, crazy! ROFL. Sorry, I know the topic matter is serious and all, but that scene tripped me out. It sounded like some soap opera stuff. And ummm, I felt bad for Rosalyn, but I was slapping her around in the hospital with her “but I love him” comments.
I know, I know…call me mean, but he just tried to run me down?
Shawneda…how’d you come up with that scene? ::giggle:: Also, I loved the line in there about dead men not falling in love or changing their minds.
**I’ll be back later tonight or tomorrow…gotta tend to my crew.
That scene actually happened in the first book Love Is and I made it the opening scene at the input from my critique circle to pull the reader into a highly charged emotional scene from the start. I knew Rosalyn would not be well liked initially so I wanted whatever readers felt for her to be very strong…
I gotcha! Please share info on the first book, please.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like her either, I just thought she was gonna be another “silly woman syndrome”. I think I’ve mentioned my issues with them before. LOL!!
LOVE IS is currently being revised to rereleased as a FREE ebook on all platforms because it birthed the characters in IT’S IN MY BLOOD, MY TRUE ESSENCE, BEYOND MY STATUS AND CURVE OF MY GENES the next three novels I’ll be releasing.
LOL…I was already thinking of suggesting that. That’s a wonderful idea.
The car chase scene was definitely over-the-top. It grabbed my attention and immediately pulled me into the book. I’m still very early into the book. So far, I’m feeling sympathy towards Rosy because of how her mother handled the situation involving Tyrone.
Awesome…mission accomplished. I’m glad you’re still into it. I hope you’ll enjoy it and is inspires you to raise awareness and encourage prevention in your own way.
Thanks, Shawneda. Yes, the book is definitely raising my own awareness of some of the things that those who are positive go through…since I don’t “know” anyone that’s positive, it’s something that I admit I haven’t devoted much time and thought to.
Yeah it is heartbreaking. My friend was such a cool guy…if I hadn’t known him I don’t know that I would have been able to be as passionate about it. I met opposition from several people about writing this book because they said it might be taken as an indictment on the church and others just felt like fiction was not of God (can you say look up the definition of parable, please). I believe having a good friend that was positive created even more compassion and fire in me to be healthy and help others who want to do the same thing, even if it is only in planting seeds for others to think about things.
Just popped back in to again to say THANK YOU for everyone who joined in already or may join in at a later time/date. It is important that books like these are written, discussed and shared with others.
As I said, I’ll be back with more thoughts, comments & fav lines later. Gonna feed by folks and try to get some rest.
Awesome, I have several favorite lines. I’m known for cmoign up with very catchy one liners and sassy zingers. It’s fun…and a gift I don’t own it!