Greetings Kendra and welcome to APOOO! 

KNB: Thank you for having me, Yasmin. I’m honored. 

In 140 words or less, tell readers about Kendra Norman-Bellamy.

KNB: I once heard my father say that happiness is what people have when everything is going well, but joy is what they have regardless of the situation. I think I’m one of the most joyful people in the world. I love God, I love my family, and I love my life as a writer, publisher, and motivational speaker. I have been privileged to identify my purpose and pursue my destiny. I am abundantly blessed.
 

 In 140 words or less, tell readers why Fifteen Years would make a great addition to our personal library.

KNB: Fifteen Years has received glowing reviews since it released in February, and I’m grateful for that. It’s one of those stories that make you think. It tackles a wide range of subjects that I believe readers will find thought-provoking and intriguing. This is a story about hidden pains, inner struggles, and unexpected love. The main character in this book is Josiah “JT” Tucker, and he is a man who in no way looks like what he’s been through. He’s proof that looks can be deceiving. On the outside he’s the picture perfect depiction of a happy, successful man, but his insides tell a different story. Fifteen Years tackles the long term effects of child neglect, substance abuse, family secrets, the foster care system…and how, with God’s help, one can rise above it all.
 

How did you come up with the plot for Fifteen Years?

KNB: My father has a very large family. He’s one of eighteen children born to the same mother and father. There were no multiple births among his siblings, so my grandmother actually went through eighteen separate pregnancies. Because the family was so large, some of my older aunts and uncles would be getting married and leaving home at the same time that my younger aunts and uncles were being born. As a result, my dad and his siblings didn’t grow up to be very close knit. Several years ago, one of my uncles died suddenly. His wife had been killed tragically a few years earlier, so my uncle’s death left my cousins (there were eight of them) parentless, and because the aunts and uncles were so spread out and in many ways, disjointed, the children ended up in the care of the state. Growing up in foster care affected those cousins of mine in different ways. Some lashed out and ended up in legal trouble that landed them in jail while others went on to live normal “working American” lives. But one cousin in particular thrived. He was the only one among them who finished high school and then went on to complete college. He’s now a highly successful executive. For years, I’ve pondered their situation and how differently they turned out even though all of them suffered pretty much the same tragedies and endured the same hardships. I had that one thriving, successful cousin in mind when I created Josiah Tucker. He’s a man who life handed some very tough and sometimes impossible situations. Like my cousin, Josiah survives victorious, but not without scars that constantly remind him of the battle.

Are you working on another book, and if so, can you share a brief summary with us?

KNB: Well, I’ve had another book to release since Fifteen Years came out. Song of Solomon just hit bookstores everywhere on July 1^st, so it’s still hot off the press. My job as a writer is never done, so I am always working on something new. Currently, I’m writing the fourth and final installment of what has been dubbed as my “Shelton Heights Series.” Previous books in this collection are In Greene Pastures, Battle of Jericho, and The Lyons Den. The last book in the set will be entitled Upon This Rock, and it is slated for release in May of 2011. This book will capitalize on the life of a man simply known as Rocky (thus the title of the book). He’s a recently released prisoner (after serving more than 20 years) who was introduced in the first book of the series, but was really given an identity in The Lyons Den. Rocky is recently reformed and is now a born again Christian, but the transgressions of his past just won’t seem to leave him alone, and in the end, he begins to wonder if he were better off living the life of a sinner. Like its predecessors in the series, Upon This Rock is a healthy mix of drama, mystery, and romance. It will answer many of the questions surrounding the mystifying and infamous neighborhood known as Shelton Heights, and it comes with a twist that I hope will take readers by surprise.
 
Thus far, what has been your favorite 2010 moment?

KNB: The moment I wrote the final word on my first nonfiction/ministerial book. It’s titled I Shall Not Die, and it’s a book that has been fifteen years in the making. It only took me five months to complete the project, but I had been charged by God to write it nearly fifteen years ago. So to finally be obedient and now be on the brink of its release (October 2011) and the launch of a partnering motivational ministry called The I.S.L.A.N.D. (I Shall Live And Not Die) Movement, is a monumental moment for me. I’m very excited at what I know God is going to do by way of this book and ministry.
 
What are your most overused words or phrases? 

KNB: I don’t really want to call it an “overused phrase” because I don’t think I can ever say it enough. But I repeatedly say, “To God be the glory” whenever people shower me with praises or compliments for my books or any other achievement. I know that I’m nothing and can do nothing without Him. I very much appreciate the accolades, but all the glory belongs to God, so that’s my general response.
 
What is your biggest pet peeve?

KNB: I have two biggies that run neck-and-neck, and I don’t know which irks me most. I can’t stomach a user. A person who abuses/misuses another person’s generosity or kindness; basically bilking everything out of them that they can, and then disrespectfully and cold-heartedly tossing them aside when they feel they don’t need them anymore. In my opinion, it’s one of the worst kinds of deceptions. I’m also very annoyed by chronic complainers. Despite the bad economy, the mass majority of us are very privileged. We may not have an overabundance of money and material possessions, but God has provided us with many of our needs and even our desires. Yet greed and discontentment blinds us, and we choose to focus on what we don’t have rather than what we do, thereby making complaining an art form.
 
What is your most surprising talent or interest – the one that makes people say “I didn’t know you (did/liked/knew)…”?

KNB: I can sing, and most people don’t know that because I do it so rarely. It’s not necessarily something that I enjoy doing, but I used to be one of the lead vocalists in a family gospel group as a teen and young adult.
 
What’s one song that people would be surprised to know is on your IPod (or in your music collection)?

KNB: “Halo” by Beyoncé. When it comes to secular music, I lean heavily toward old school artists, so I think most people, especially those who know me well, would be surprised to know I have any of her music. I happened to take one of those “Which R&B Song Are You?” surveys on Facebook one day when I had nothing better to do, and when I finished, the result said “Halo.” I wasn’t familiar with the song, so I immediately went online and found a link that allowed me to listen in its entirety. I appreciated the implication of the lyrics and ended up going on Amazon and purchasing the MP3 download of the song.
 
Name five things that make your world go round.

KNB: Daily prayer, the love of my family, the support of my friends, my writing ministry, and good music 

Kendra thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules and spending a few with APOOO.

KNB: The pleasure has been mine. Many blessings to you and APOOO!

Before you leave check out APOOO Reviewer Donnica’s review for Fifteen Years.

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