Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in East St. Louis, IL, and raised in Lebanon, IL. I was raised by my grandmother who instilled in me at a very early age to love and fear the Lord. I am the eldest of five, three brothers and a sister, and I count it all joy to have been able to aid in their upbringing. To this day I still get phone calls to pray and help them through life lessons. I earned an Associate of Applied Science in Business Management from Southwestern Illinois College. Writing has always been a passion of mine. I was just an adolescent when I wrote my first book. I have been married to the world’s greatest husband, Paul Anderson, Jr., for almost 13 years. We met in an algebra class in college. At first he was not at all on my radar but God saw fit for me to need his assistance in the class and a wonderful friendship sprang up. As they say, the rest is history and we celebrated 14 years of marriage in April of 2017.
I am the proud mother of my 18-year-old daughter, Camille Harden. She truly has been my godsend. Being pregnant with her was my wake-up call and I thank God every day for allowing me to be her mother and for blessing me with her. She has graduated high school and I am so excited about what her future holds. I know she will be someone great and be used by God in tremendous ways. When Camille was around 2 or 3, I was told of the calling on her life, and the enemy has tried numerous times in the past 18 years to take her but God has said NO every time. I can’t wait to see what He has planned for her life. I know it will be grand.
I am the delighted grandmother of Landon Jackson. He turned 1 this past January and in his few months of life, he has brought so much joy to our household. I just know that he is going to be a Mighty Man of Valor.
I thank God for my mother and especially my grandmother, Mother Ina Neal. My granny, as she is called by everyone, is everything anyone would want their grandmother to be. She is kind, compassionate, caring, strong, and a bible toting prayer warrior. Her love and devotion for the Lord has been such an inspiration to me. While I love my mom and am so grateful to her, I genuinely thank Jesus daily that she allowed my granny to raise me because to see her in action categorically changed my life. There is no doubt in my mind that I am who I am because of her being who she is in God.
Being a former member of O’Fallon Apostolic Assembly in O’Fallon, IL, granted me the opportunity to grow in my walk with the Lord through the preached gospel and the occasion of holding several offices. I was permitted to serve as the superintendent of Sunday school, President of the Women’s Ministry, Vice President of Hospitality and former Vice President of the Pastor’s Aide Committee. I have been told that my love for souls, positive attitude, gift for administration, and willingness to serve makes me a true asset to the Body of Christ.
As of today, I have written two books and co-wrote on another. I am in the process of writing two other books hopefully to be published by late 2017. Be on the look out for With Prayers and With Love.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book was Fit For Your Future. It was a book written by a group of ladies from my old church. We collaborated on it in 2015 and it was published in June of 2016. Fit For Your Future is a 30-day devotional desired to align your body, mind and spirit. There are 10 devotionals about the mind, 10 devotionals about the soul, and 10 devotionals about the spirit. There is even a fitness tracker and some healthy recipes. The lady that inspired us on this collaboration is Dr. Tara Phelps-Jones.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think that my writing habits are unusual. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to write anytime of day. I am currently working on two books. I generally spend about 3-4 hours on each book daily. When I wrote my first book With Faith, I would get up at 5am to study and write, then go for a walk. But to me, this is not unusual.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Cindy Trimm and Rainie Howard have influenced me drastically. I first read Commanding Your Morning in 2010 and that book changed my life in so many ways. I love the way it was written and how powerful the information was. I first met Rainie in early 2016. Listening to her give her testimony of her life inspired me in ways unimaginable. These two ladies will never know how they have influenced all that I have done and all I plan to do for the kingdom of Christ.
What are you working on now?
I am working on two books currently; With Love and With Prayer. It is my desire to have them both completed and published by the end of 2017. I have several other book ideas in the workings. I plan to write a book for my grandson L is for Landon; a children’s series Courageous Camille and a fictional book series.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Up until this point, I have mostly used Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to promote my books. It is my desire to find and use other outlets.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My best advice for any new author is no matter how little of a fish you feel in an ocean of authors, you have a word that needs to get out and don’t stop until you get it out there. You never know who is waiting to hear it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If at you first don’t succeed, try, try, try again.
What are you reading now?
Other than reading the Bible, I am currently reading Life Leadership.
What’s next for you as a writer?
As a writer my next goal is to get my next two books completed and published. Following that, it is my plan to start on the fictional series. My ultimate goal is to have a book or two on the New York Times Best Sellers.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
This is a difficult question. Of course my first book would be the Bible. I think I would choose as my second book
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