Introducing Shawneda Marks & Jewelry Marks (Lit Spotlight)

Written by RAWSISTAZ · December 4, 2009 · 609 views

Join me in welcoming Shawneda Marks as our Literary Spotlight for the month. While she is an author and could have been under our Author Showcase section, she does so much more that I wanted to showcase her here instead. Pay special attention to her beautiful Jewelry Marks, too.

shawneda-marks RAW: Who is Shawneda Marks? The author, activist, mother, entrepreneur & more…

Shawneda Marks’ true identity is found in Christ, which is funny cause I don’t like to be called religious. After my relationship with God, most important to me is being a good wife to hubby, and mother to my children. As an author, I love to pen fiction that shows real people from every dimension– spirit, body and soul as they discover life’s journey is best traveled with the Holy Spirit as an internal compass, Jesus as brother/savior and God as Lord. The activist is dedicated to raising awareness and funds. At the core of who I am, I have a passion for helping people and the earth walk in wellness.

RAW: Your website is a wonderful source of information & inspiration. How did you come up with this niche?

Thank you so much, it sounds really corny (which those close to me say I am), but I just love sharing and giving. It is an affordable way to share my passions with others and avail myself to those God has given me the heart to pray and walk with. Almost everything I do is related to writing and wellness with God as the foundation.

RAW: Who/what are Diamond Butterflies?

Diamond Butterflies are women who have experienced some emotional trauma in life due to sexual assault, rape, molestation, abuse, and parental neglect, but have the sincere desire to move past the brokenness to be emotionally whole. I’m a Diamond Butterfly. My past includes rape, sexual abuse and neglect which led to time in foster care, but I choose to look at the blessings that came into my life despite the evil done to me. I’m currently completing the devotional and finishing research on how to offer group mentoring and curriculums to be used for organizations mainstream and faith based.

RAW: This is wonderful, Shawneda! It’s so pleasing to see someone giving back to others; despite their past hurts. (I’m so sorry you went through all that too.)

How did you get started in the literary world? And, who do you turn to for inspiration?

I started in the literary world as a teenager. My foster father found one of my poems and sent it in to a poetry contest that I won. From that moment on he encouraged me to write. Even on his deathbed he told me to no matter what I did I needed to write and let nothing stop me. I’ve been writing in some form or another ever since then. I became serious about pursuing it as a career in 2004 and was called to the carpet by God through Tia McCollors after she read my website. Funny you should ask about who inspires me cause with the onslaught of “mainstream” publishing crucifying the technology I use and publishing path I’ve chosen over the last few weeks I’ve needed a lot. I turn to God through prayer and listen to my family, friends and writing circle for inspiration.

RAW: Now, to your book It’s In My Blood. You released it December 1^st to coincide with HIV Awareness month. Why? Also, please tell us about the book as well as the first one in the series and what you hope to accomplish by publishing them.

I released It’s in My Blood on World WORLD AIDS DAY in honor of my friend who passed and planted the seed for the need for a story like this to be told. It’s in My Blood uses the vehicle of fiction to show how HIV/AIDS is affecting the everyday family, raise awareness and funds for two deserving charitable organizations: Aniz Inc. and Balm in Gilead Inc. I’ve forged an official partnership with Aniz Inc., a local charity here in GA and Balm in Gilead won a twitpoll.

Synopsis: Rosalyn Bell has to return home after being tested as part of her routine pregnancy exam. She is at odds with her mother, who is praying for a chance at reconciliation. At the same time she adores her father and wants him to help her make her next move in the right direction. Her plan is to go home for a few weeks and sort things out, but God has other plans for her life.

Love Is…the first novel where we meet Rosalyn she is the “villain” in a story about best friends Toney and Colby. I follow Toney and Colby through the trials and tribulations of being attractive, platonic saved friends who everyone else believes will hook up. I wrote this book after reading so many stories and watching so many movies showing a distorted picture of relationships between men and women, and I wanted to show love from a different light. All of my stories are written to inspire readers into action even if its just starting a dialogue about the issue that is addressed in the book and for at least the first year of the books availability support at least one deserving charity.

RAW: I’ve joked around with you about the video vlogs and how I would probably NEVER record a video of myself to show via the website. I love the concept of Faithful Folios though. How has it been received and do you plan to continue this into 2010? If so, how can someone get more information on how they can set up an interview or get their book/product reviewed?

Those who have seen it really enjoy it. To be honest many authors are just now getting webcams since Oprah started skype (thanks O!), so it was hard to get a video to video interview at first. Booker T Mattison was the first to go “live” with me and the feedback has been great. It’s raw and untouched (for now) but I do plan to continue it in 2010. I’m actually getting more books and agreements for video interviews for the new year; I’m really excited. People can contact me via the correspondence form on my website or @shawneda on twitter for info on requesting an interview on the show. My only requirement is I read the book first.

RAW: Tell us about your custom jewelry marks and the various events you’ve participated in to showcase them? I love the play on your last name.

jewelrymarks Jewelry Marks are environment and binder friendly book jewelry. They have been used as swag gifts for Tyler Perry’s I CAN DO BAD ALL By MYSELF celebrity premiere in NY, and a featured sponsor for Sheryl Lee Ralph’s 19th Annual DIVAS SIMPLY SINGING HIV/AIDS fundraising event. I’ve gifted a community baby shower for Wayne Metro and Hot Pink Nights a breast cancer fundraiser in Virginia. They were also gifts for Jene Luciana’s THE BRA BOOK fundraiser book release in New York last month. I have another event I’m doing for this month and a huge event in January I’m really excited about. I’ll post the media alerts about those in the months once their completed.

RAW: Can you share more information about the It’s in My Blood New Voice Book Club Contest?

I would LOVE to! As a new voice in fiction I wanted to give something back to book clubs who decided to read my novel. Two deserving book clubs who select It’s in My Blood as their book of the month will be selected next year to receive awareness gift baskets which will include 12 It’s in My Blood HIV/AIDS jewelry marks, gift certificates to Kingdom Klothes and other awareness items like the awareness bracelets, posters et cetera. The first book club will be announced June 27 National HIV testing day, and the second winner on Dec 1 2010.

I’m also doing the Green Readers Choice Award where one blessed reader of It’s in My Blood who fulfills all of the criteria for the contest will receive a free eReader of their choice (up to $299). The details are on the readers page of my website (big smile).

RAW: Woo hoo! Sounds like I need to highly encourage RAWSISTAZ (and our local chapters) to select It’s In My Blood, huh? LOL. These are both wonderful contest and as a reader…I love it!

Any words of wisdom for our readers and/or aspiring authors?

For readers don’t be afraid to share your books and lives with others. The best gift you can give someone is your time and why not talk about something beautiful, liberating and creative like a book when you’re together (of course as a word addict I’m biased).

For writers I say read, study, write, rewrite, study and read again. Follow your heart and no matter what path of publishing you choose, embrace the journey. There are pros and cons to everything. Each blessing comes with responsibility. Whatever you do share your gift with the world even if you start out doing it for free on a blog. There are billions of people in the world and there will never be too many books or authors. Go to conferences and festivals online and in person. I’m host author for the MACWriters Festival October 2010 featuring Booker T. Mattison and Stanice Anderson, as well as other African-American authors and industry professionals. I hear this fabulous Literacy Advocate and founder of RAWSISTAZ is gonna be there (smile). There is an early bird rate of $55 you can find more about it at www.macwriters.info.

RAW: I am looking forward to the conference! What else are you working on for 2010?

I’m currently completing my devotional Diamond Butterfly: Share Heal Sparkle Shine Fly, and working on the rough draft of the next novel My True Essence set for release in October 2010. My True Essence chronicles the lives of Rebecca and two of her friends battling triple negative breast cancer. People can find more information on my website www.shawneda.com and if they sign my guestbook and tell me they learned about me here on RAWSISTAZ, I’ll make a custom jewelry mark with the RAW Sistaz logo (if that’s okay with you).

RAW: Oh, it sounds fabulous to me, so I’m headed over now to check out the website and sign the guest book. I want one too. Thanks for the offer and thanks so much for a wonderful interview and allowing us to spotlight you on RAWSISTAZ. Definitely keep us posted and know we’re rooting for your continued success.

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