Thursday, September 28, 2017

Don't Call Me Crazy! Book Trailer by Swiyyah Woodard

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Title: DON’T CALL ME CRAZY! I’M JUST IN LOVE WITH GOD
Author: Swiyyah Woodard
Publisher: Swiyyah Productions, Inc.
Pages: 229
Genre: Inspirational / Motivational / Romance / Christian




BOOK BLURB:
Because of God, nothing will stop Anika from marrying the love of her life, not even paranoid schizophrenia. You don’t want to miss this spiritual journey filled with inspiration and power.
This book is insightful and perceptive. Inspired by a true story. Few people consider the God factor in mental health. Join Anika and journey with her as she receives revelations from God while on her walk to overcome mental illness and naiveness towards religion. Required reading for High schools and colleges.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble




     Anika begins to lose her mind. While continuing to stare at the television set, Anika sees a vision of Jesus. He appears to her in just as perfect form and image as the paintings on Mary’s wall. She then hears Jesus speak, “I am the son of God.” Then just as fast as he appears, he leaves her vision.
     “Did you see him? Did you see Jesus?” Anika turns and looks at her friends. Words are stuck within their throats.
     “Did you see him? Did you see Jesus?” Anika repeats once more.
     “Anika, you’re really scaring us. I thought you were Muslim?” Mary says.

Anika then feels as if someone was controlling her thoughts. “Forgive yourself.”  

She then begins to ramble, “Atoms are neither created nor destroyed. There was always an existence. You have to take baby steps to understand how this existence works, where we came from, how it started. Don’t jump from A to Z. No, you must go from A to C. Take a break. It has been painted. First there was nothing; it was blackness, pitch blackness. There was first the black hole. A plumber can understand the black hole. There was a white light. The creator is positive energy. We all have a little bit of positive energy. A person of positivity can change your life without saying a word. We try to increase positive energy which is the same as increasing spiritually. Once we are of that same positivity as the creator, we become one with him. Only a few souls have reached this level of existence. The rest of us are growing spiritually so we can reach that level.“

     It appears to Anika that she is making sense as she began to explain herself, justifying her words.

   “Positive times positive equals positive. Negative times positive equals negative. Therefore, if you have any negativity in you, you cannot become one with positivity.”

   “The creator is all positive energy. Negative times negative equals positive. If you learn from loads of negativity you will learn from your mistakes and become all positive. It’s mathematics. Everything stems from mathematics. Less than a cup of wine is what I need to rest. Don’t want to scare away this beautiful spirit controlling my thoughts.” While holding the sides of her head trying to rid her racing thoughts, she runs into the kitchen and pours herself a cup of wine. She then thinks, “no one will ever have to go through what I went through again!”

Anika takes a look at her past to see how in the world she got to this point in her life.



Swiyyah Nadirah Woodard was selected as a Bay News 9 Everyday Hero, which was seen by two million viewers, for publishing a book and teaching the community about her own battle with mental
illness. She was hospitalized six times and misdiagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Her first book, Don't Call Me Crazy! I'm Just in Love, became required and suggested reading in Reading, Writing, Abnormal Psychology, and General Psychology classes at a four year Institution. 

She was born in the housing projects of
Saint Petersburg, FL. Her father left when she was three so she was raised in a single parent home. At the age of five she was
molested by her eight year old brother. She later started school, she had slurred speech and didn't care to make friends so she was bullied by her peers. At the age of eight, she wanted to kill herself because a girl wanted to fight her. She looked into the medicine cabinet for medication. Thank God, she couldn't find any.

As a teenager she was physically abused by her step dad. The abuse was so severe, God blocked it from her memory. At the age of 20 the brother that molested her committed suicide, which was devastating to her and the entire family. Swiyyah has always viewed herself as normal. She never received any disciplinary problems in school, made good grades, and received her BA degree in Psychology from the
University of South Florida.

When the doctors misdiagnosed her with the most debilitating mental disorder known in mental health, paranoid schizophrenia, she denied it. She questioned their expertise. She refused to take medication. She was then hospitalized six times. Her family took a picture of her at her worst and that's when she knew she needed help. She has been taking medication now for ten years without a relapse.

She is now a published author and a National Inspirational Speaker. Her first book is entitled, “Don't Call Me Crazy! I'm just in Love,” and is inspired by her true story. 

She was raised Muslim and the revelations she received from God and placed in her books, didn't make any since until she meet her Christian husband 14 years after her first relapse. 

Please contact Swiyyah to book speaking engagements, life coaching, author and speaker coaching, radio and TV interviews, or to purchase her books at 727-495-3217, Swiyyah@swiyyah.com.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK




RESEARCH LIKE A BOSS: TIPS FOR WRITERS l Kathryn Troy

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Not everyone who writes successful books—be they writers of historical fiction, fantasy, or narrative nonfiction—have advanced degrees in research or disciplines closely related to their topic. But they all have one thing in common. They kill it in the research phase of writing. Ignoring the urge to pull out my eyeballs and give up is a huge part of what filled my new historical nonfiction book The Specter of the Indian: Race, Gender, and Ghosts in American Séances, 1848-1890 with illuminating details about nineteenth-century dark rooms and the phenomena experienced there by waves of Americans from all classes.
For many writers, the thought of research can be intimidating. How do you know you’ve collected enough information? All the information that you need? When do you start to see yourself as an expert, and able prove it? And let’s not forget the all-important question: when do you stop researching, and start writing?
Everyone’s mind is different, and therefore everyone’s method is different. In some cases, every project is different, and requires a unique approach. But today I’m sharing some of my research principles—things that I consistently do whenever I conduct research, whether for nonfiction or fiction, that help me achieve my research goals and incorporate what I learn into my writing successfully.

1. Being thorough = being exhaustive
Before I could fully formulate my ideas and conclusions for The Specter of the Indian, I had to know everything about the Spiritualist movement. So I dug up everything I could about Spiritualists in the 1800s. Everything. Every. Single. Word. Everything Spiritualists themselves had written, everything their critics had written, every pamphlet, newspaper article, book, journal, photograph, advertisement. Everything that had already been written by scholars. If something was printed in the 1800s, and included the words “spirit,” “ghost,” “medium,” or “séance,” I’ve read it.
This maxim is more in tune with the rigor expected of academics, and for nonfiction is absolutely essential. You know you’ve gotten it all when there’s nothing out there you haven’t seen. In the world of fiction, your goal to, say, understanding Venetian culture so that you can twist it around and use it as inspiration, will be reached faster. When you start thinking more about the world you’re building and less about its muse, you’ve gotten what you needed. The need for details just won’t stretch as far, because your mind will (at some point) start using what it’s learned to create a new world.

2. Learn to use a Microfiche Reader
I use the dreaded microfiche as an example here. My ultimate point is not to fear outdated or unfamiliar technologies. This also applies to archives. Don’t be afraid to travel to a resource, or copy down something in a foreign language, or interview an expert. Sometimes it’s the only way to get what you want. Not everything you need is on Wikipedia, and plenty of times, Wikipedia gets it wrong. The internet is wonderful, but if your research repertoire is solely digital, you’re barely scratching the surface. I’m thinking specifically of world-building here, whether it’s a fantasy world you’re creating, a historical context you’re trying to conjure, or one you’re trying to explain to a reader who knows nothing about the time period you’re writing about. Authenticity is found in the details, and unfortunately, the details that might bring your book to life could be stored in the human memory, in another language, or be shuffled away onto minute print that requires patience, a good librarian, and a boatload of Tylenol.

3. Browse the stacks
What made the presence of Indian spirits so important in nineteenth-century séances was their context—how they were perceived in a world that contained publicly visible living Indians (think Plains Indians Wars) at the same time that Americans imagined them dead and gone (The Last of the Mohicans). Spirits are neither living nor dead, so where do they fit? This is one of the main questions I pose in The Specter of the Indian. But, if I’d only ever troubled myself with materials that said “Spiritualists” or some such on the cover, I would not have found very much. And, I had to remember that Spiritualists did not live in a bubble, or walk around with blinders on. They lived in the real world, with a million and one things shaping their worldview. In order to understand the importance of spirits, I had to understand lots of things—the history of religion and religious experience, in America and Europe (their cultural ancestor), the relationship between religion and science, religion and medicine, religion and technology, religion and politics. And just like that, my reading list got five times bigger. Any world—fantastical or historical—needs a context, or the story you’re trying to tell has no meaning. That context is all the different facets of society that work together to make a whole, and all of them should be taken into account when describing worlds. What you chose to emphasize is what gives your narrative (true or otherwise) its flavor.
The path to those details is not always clear, and doesn’t always show up in a Google or Amazon search. But if you find a book you think is useful, peruse the titles on the shelf next to it. I’ve found some excellent resources that way, that I might not have found otherwise, simply because of how libraries categorize books.

4. Compartmentalize
The first three tips are about getting enough material to drown yourself in. This last one is about how to keep your head above water, and remain sane. My research bin is so minutely managed that if I stood it upright, it would function like the Dewey Decimal system to my own private library of Xeroxes, handwritten notes, and photographs of archival material. This is where my A-type-on-overdrive personality serves me best. I know where everything is, I don’t have to waste time re-reading material or searching for it in a useless pile, and I can access only the pieces that I need at any given time. When you’ve compartmentalized all the information you have, it becomes that much easier to compartmentalize your writing as well—to make an outline, or split up your workload into smaller, manageable pieces, rather than feeling overwhelmed and backing off from the project and slowing your momentum. It can make sense of all you’ve found, give it a semblance of order, and allow your mind to focus on one thing at a time while, somewhere in the back of your head, you keep in mind how all the smaller pieces fit together into a cohesive, compelling whole.
There you have it. The keys to the research universe. Use wisely.
About the Author


Kathryn Troy has two Master’s Degrees in History from Stony Brook University. She contributed to the anthology The Spiritualist Movement published by Prager in August 2013, and teaches at Farmingdale State College and Suffolk County Community College. In her spare time she pours all she knows about the ghostly and supernatural into her fiction writing.

Her latest book is The Specter of the Indian.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

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About the Book:

Title: THE SPECTOR OF THE INDIAN: RACE, GENDER, AND GHOSTS IN AMERICAN SEANCES, 1848 - 1898
Author: Kathryn A. Troy
Publisher: SUNY Press
Pages: 200
Genre: Historical Nonfiction

The Specter of the Indian unveils the centrality of Native American spirit guides during the emergent years of American Spiritualism. By pulling together cultural and political history; the studies of religion, race, and gender; and the ghostly, Kathryn Troy offers a new layer of understanding to the prevalence of mystically styled Indians in American visual and popular culture. The connections between Spiritualist print and contemporary Indian policy provide fresh insight into the racial dimensions of social reform among nineteenth-century Spiritualists. Troy draws fascinating parallels between the contested belief of Indians as fading from the world, claims of returned apparitions, and the social impetus to provide American Indians with a means of existence in white America. Rather than vanishing from national sight and memory, Indians and their ghosts are shown to be ever present. This book transports the readers into dimly lit parlor rooms and darkened cabinets and lavishes them with detailed séance accounts in the words of those who witnessed them. Scrutinizing the otherworldly whisperings heard therein highlights the voices of mediums and those they sought to channel, allowing the author to dig deep into Spiritualist belief and practice. The influential presence of Indian ghosts is made clear and undeniable. 

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Suny Press

Monday, September 18, 2017

Zoom with us Today! l Gary & Susan Eby @EbyGary

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Disclaimer: You are completely free to reject everything we have to say about spirituality.  But why don't you talk to us face-to-face? It's all free. All you need is a webcam/mike connected to your computer.  Then you can Zoom with us!
 As you know there are many great books out there.  The key and trick to success rests squarely with your marketing approach.  How do you get people to visit your blog?
We suggest you start by asking questions.  Try and hit upon something in your book that will draw people into your world.  For example:
"We promise to make you smile, warm your heart, and provide you with some relief from real life problems.  Are you interested to find out the differences between religion and spirituality?  Have you ever questioned why you are here on earth and what your true purpose might be?
Want to ask questions about spiritual healing for depression, anxiety, stress, addictions, relationships, and health challenges?
Would you like to know more about yourself?  You may not be as far off the path from joy and happiness as you may think you are.  Relationships can be healed, problems can be dissolved and what seems like major issues can be brought down to size.  Nothing is impossible."
See where we are going with these questions? Try to engage the reader in reasons to visit your blog via new and interesting approaches.
 Let's talk.  Let's connect.  It's all good.  It's free.  Check it out.
Here's a quote from one of the reviews on our book: "Reflections: A Journey to God":  
"...I would mention the manner in which they managed to incorporate in their book a touching dose of feelings, emotions and life lessons, captivating me, as a reader, down to the last page.
But, what I mostly appreciate is the way in which Gary B. Eby and Susan Eby mixed the realism of nowadays with the concept of a “self -discovery journey.”
If you would like more information about our Zoom process, please visit us here: http://reflectionsinspirit.blogspot.com/  Just scroll down to "Zoom with the Authors".
Oh... let us know if Zooming caught your interest.  You can even try it out yourself.  Smiles...
Joy on your Journey, Gary and Susan Eby.
About the Authors

Gary Eby is a retired social worker, mental health counselor and addiction therapist. He writes about self-help and spirituality. Gary loves playing the piano, the drums and walking on the beach with his wife, Susan. His motto is "Choose the positive, because it's all good!"
Susan studied philosophy in college. Some of her favorite philosophers are Socrates, Plato, William James and St. Thomas Aquinas. She is currently enjoying Emerson's mystical essays. We have conducted an interview with them.
Their current book is Reflections: A Journey to God.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

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About the Book:

Title: REFLECTIONS: A JOURNEY TO GOD
Author: Gary & Susan Eby
Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing
Pages: 268
Genre: Spirituality/Self-Help/Healing/Poetry

BOOK BLURB: 
Our disclaimer: you are completely free to reject everything we have to say about spirituality. What we believe in is not that important. What really counts is what you believe that gives your life meaning, direction, and purpose.
This book is about our personal stories with Spirit and what we've learned along our journeys. We're sharing it with you because it might help you on your own journey to God. We only ask that you read this book with an open mind and heart.
We suggest you pick one of these spiritual essays. Ponder it, meditate for a while, even read it out loud. Allow yourself to feel the words and the light, which may lead you to discover the better life you truly deserve.

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Monday, September 11, 2017

WHERE I GET IDEAS FOR WRITING FICTION l Gaelle Lehrer Kennedy

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I’ve always wondered what brings people into a room together or onto a street at just that time, and where their journeys are taking them. This can give rise to many stories. Sometimes, one truly captures my imagination.

For example, the love story in Night In Jerusalem came to me on a movie set. We were filming on a blazingly hot day, dressed as lightly as possible. A young Hasidic woman in long black clothes and a wig kept coming out to look at us from her balcony. We spent most of the afternoon shooting there, and she kept reappearing. I realized she was attracted to one of the crew members who had unbuttoned the top of his shirt, exposing his chest. I sensed how strongly she yearned for contact. The gap between us could have been crossed in a few paces, yet we were centuries apart. I imagined what it would be like to be her, what courage it would take for her to break free, how she might do it. Decades later, I wrote her story in Night In Jerusalem.

I set the book in Israel at the time of the Six Day War, which I experienced firsthand. I remember vividly huddling in shelters with other women, listening to Arab radio news reports proclaiming victory while we contemplated how we would end it for ourselves. It turned out, of course, that the war went the other way. We were to live! Winston Churchill wrote that there is nothing as exhilarating as when someone shoots at you and misses. Emerging from that shelter sure was exhilarating! It also brought up questions that have been with me ever since - why does it take such courage to truly love, how impossible it seems to bring peace to the world, and, of course, how “God works in mysterious ways.”  The characters in Night In Jerusalem, and their responses to the challenges they encounter, express different points of view that I share, even as they conflict with each other.

There are endless ways to work with these themes - it’s a matter of grounding them in a time and place with characters you love. As you get to know the characters, they will tell you more about themselves. That’s when the story begins to reveal itself, often in surprising ways.

About the Author

Gaelle Lehrer Kennedy worked as an actress and writer in film and television in the United States and Israel. Night in Jerusalem is her debut novel, which she has adapted to film. She lives in Ojai California with her husband and daughter.

She writes, “I lived in Israel in the 1960s, a naive twenty-year-old, hoping to find myself and my place in the world. The possibility of war was remote to me. I imagined the tensions in the region would somehow be resolved peacefully. Then, the Six Day War erupted and I experienced it firsthand in Jerusalem.

I have drawn Night in Jerusalem from my experiences during that time. The historical events portrayed in the novel are accurate. The characters are based on people I knew in the city. Like me, they were struggling to make sense of their lives, responding to inherited challenges they could not escape that shaped their destiny in ways they and the entire Middle East could not have imagined.

I have always been intrigued by the miraculous. How and where the soul’s journey leads and how it reveals its destiny. How two people who are destined, even under the threat of war and extinction, can find one another.

Israel’s Six Day War is not a fiction; neither was the miracle of its victory. What better time to discover love through intrigue, passion, and the miraculous.

Writing this story was in part reliving my history in Israel, in part a mystical adventure. I am grateful that so many who have read Night In Jerusalem have experienced this as well.”

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

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About the Book:

Title: NIGHT IN JERUSALEM
Author: Gaelle Lehrer Kennedy
Publisher: PKZ Inc.
Pages: 246
Genre: Historical Romance

A bewitching love story that is also an extraordinary portrait of Jerusalem, its faith, spirituality, identity, and kaleidoscope of clashing beliefs, Night in Jerusalem is a novel of mystery, beauty, historical insight, and sexual passion.
David Bennett is invited to Jerusalem in 1967 by his cousin who, to the alarm of his aristocratic British family, has embraced Judaism. He introduces David to his mentor, Reb Eli, a revered sage in the orthodox community. Despite his resistance to religious teaching, David becomes enthralled by the rabbi’s wisdom and compassionate presence. When David discloses a sexual problem, Reb Eli unwittingly sets off a chain of events that transforms his life and the life of the mysterious prostitute, Tamar, who, in a reprise of an ancient biblical story, leads both men to an astonishing realization. As passions rise, the Six Day War erupts, reshaping the lives of everyone caught up in it.

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Tuesday, September 5, 2017

TO OUTLINE OR NOT TO OUTLINE l Jennifer Chase

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There is no wrong way to write a book. If you can imagine it, then you can write it. Just sit down, gather your thoughts, and do it. At least that is how I feel about what it takes to write a novel. There are two types of writers and they are loosely referred to as either an outliner or a pantster. There are varying degrees of both of these types of approaches, and any writer will undoubtedly tell you which one best describes them.

As for me, I’m an outliner. It’s just how I roll. I’m one of those people who have lists and even lists for my other lists. You know the type—being obsessed by organization. I find that having an outline gives me a solid roadmap through my story before I sit down and write it. That doesn’t mean that you cannot change something, go in another direction, or even add or remove a character. When adjusting an outline is what I refer to as taking one of those side roads from your roadmap.

TO OUTLINE: DETAILED SNAPSHOT OF THE STORY

Benefits: It gives a complete overall view to the story before you begin writing. You’ve spent the time to work out any questions, inconsistencies, or lags in the storyline. You can see the entire story play out and can decide if you want to change anything that appears to be a problem. It will shorten the rewrite time later. You will be able to see if you need more research, tweak the storyline, or if a particular character needs more development. One of the most important aspects of outlining is that it will almost guarantee no writer’s blocks or not knowing how to end the story. What a relief!

Drawbacks: It can take more time than expected to work out an outline. The outline may become too detailed and eat up time from your budget process before you ever write your first chapter. It could also cause the story to become stilted—taking away from the more organic flow of writing. You don’t want your crime story to read like a dull police report.

NOT TO OUTLINE: JUMP RIGHT INTO THE STORY

Benefits: Just because you don’t have an official outline doesn’t mean that you don’t have some notes or simple guides as you write. It’s not as if you’re wearing a blindfold sitting in front of your computer and someone yells, “GO!” It just means that you don’t want to take the time to complete a full outline. You would rather have the freedom to create and not be bound by notes and detailed scenes, but to just write. It gives you the opportunity to create in a less stressful manner giving a freer tempo to the story. If you foresee obstacles or a need for more research, you can complete these tasks as you go, or when you’ve completed the first rough draft of your story.

Drawbacks: It can be easy to write yourself into a corner of not knowing how to proceed or when to end the story. It may seem workable in your mind, but in reality, it becomes a stumbling block. Not creating a more detailed outline may cause the first draft to have more rewrites than with a more completed outline.

It’s basically up to the individual’s personality and writing habits to find out if outlining, or not, is the right fit. My advice, try them both and you’ll immediately know which side of the writing fence is the most comfortable.  

About the Author

Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning crime fiction author and consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent sociopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling.  She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists.

Her latest book is the crime thriller, Dead Cold.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK



About the Book:
                                                              
Title: DEAD COLD
Author: Jennifer Chase
Publisher: JEC Press
Pages: 326
Genre: Crime Thriller
BOOK BLURB: 
What happens when one California community has a disturbing spike in homicides? It catapults cops into a deadly game of murder. Frozen human body parts hideously displayed at the crime scenes offers a horrifying interpretation that only a sadistic serial killer could design—and execute.

On the hunt for a complex serial killer, vigilante detective Emily Stone must face her most daring case yet. Stone’s proven top-notch profiling skills and forensic expertise may not be enough this time.

Young and ambitious, Detective Danny Starr, catches the homicide cases and discovers that it will test everything he knows about police work and the criminal mind. Can he handle these escalating cases or will the police department have to call in reinforcements—the FBI.

Emily Stone’s covert team pushes with extreme urgency to unravel the grisly clues, while keeping their identities hidden from the police. With one last-ditch effort, Stone dangles someone she loves as bait to draw out the killer. She then forces the killer out of their comfort zone with her partner Rick Lopez, and with help from a longtime friend Jordan Smith. A revelation of the serial killer’s identity leaves the team with volatile emotions that could destroy them.

The killer continues to taunt and expertly manipulate the police, as well as Stone’s team, and as they run out of time—they leave behind everyone and everything—in Dead Cold.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

Guest Post Video: How to write fiction like a best-selling author? by Award-winning author Swiyyah Woodard @swiyyah

12:00 AM 0 Comments

About the Book:

Title: DON’T CALL ME CRAZY! I’M JUST IN LOVE WITH GOD
Author: Swiyyah Woodard
Publisher: Swiyyah Productions, Inc.
Pages: 229
Genre: Inspirational / Motivational / Romance / Christian

BOOK BLURB: 

Because of God, nothing will stop Anika from marrying the love of her life, not even paranoid schizophrenia. You don’t want to miss this spiritual journey filled with inspiration and power.
This book is insightful and perceptive. Inspired by a true story. Few people consider the God factor in mental health. Join Anika and journey with her as she receives revelations from God while on her walk to overcome mental illness and naiveness towards religion. Required reading for High schools and colleges.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Book Excerpt:

     Anika begins to lose her mind. While continuing to stare at the television set, Anika sees a vision of Jesus. He appears to her in just as perfect form and image as the paintings on Mary’s wall. She then hears Jesus speak, “I am the son of God.” Then just as fast as he appears, he leaves her vision.
     “Did you see him? Did you see Jesus?” Anika turns and looks at her friends. Words are stuck within their throats.
     “Did you see him? Did you see Jesus?” Anika repeats once more.
     “Anika, you’re really scaring us. I thought you were Muslim?” Mary says.

Anika then feels as if someone was controlling her thoughts. “Forgive yourself.”  

She then begins to ramble, “Atoms are neither created nor destroyed. There was always an existence. You have to take baby steps to understand how this existence works, where we came from, how it started. Don’t jump from A to Z. No, you must go from A to C. Take a break. It has been painted. First there was nothing; it was blackness, pitch blackness. There was first the black hole. A plumber can understand the black hole. There was a white light. The creator is positive energy. We all have a little bit of positive energy. A person of positivity can change your life without saying a word. We try to increase positive energy which is the same as increasing spiritually. Once we are of that same positivity as the creator, we become one with him. Only a few souls have reached this level of existence. The rest of us are growing spiritually so we can reach that level.“

     It appears to Anika that she is making sense as she began to explain herself, justifying her words.

   “Positive times positive equals positive. Negative times positive equals negative. Therefore, if you have any negativity in you, you cannot become one with positivity.”

   “The creator is all positive energy. Negative times negative equals positive. If you learn from loads of negativity you will learn from your mistakes and become all positive. It’s mathematics. Everything stems from mathematics. Less than a cup of wine is what I need to rest. Don’t want to scare away this beautiful spirit controlling my thoughts.” While holding the sides of her head trying to rid her racing thoughts, she runs into the kitchen and pours herself a cup of wine. She then thinks, “no one will ever have to go through what I went through again!”

Anika takes a look at her past to see how in the world she got to this point in her life.

About the Author


Swiyyah Nadirah Woodard was selected as a Bay News 9 Everyday Hero, which was seen by two million viewers, for publishing a book and teaching the community about her own battle with mental illness. She was hospitalized six times and misdiagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Her first book, Don't Call Me Crazy! I'm Just in Love, became required and suggested reading in Reading, Writing, Abnormal Psychology, and General Psychology classes at a four year Institution. 

She was born in the housing projects of
Saint Petersburg, FL. Her father left when she was three so she was raised in a single parent home. At the age of five she was
molested by her eight year old brother. She later started school, she had slurred speech and didn't care to make friends so she was bullied by her peers. At the age of eight, she wanted to kill herself because a girl wanted to fight her. She looked into the medicine cabinet for medication. Thank God, she couldn't find any.

As a teenager she was physically abused by her step dad. The abuse was so severe, God blocked it from her memory. At the age of 20 the brother that molested her committed suicide, which was devastating to her and the entire family. Swiyyah has always viewed herself as normal. She never received any disciplinary problems in school, made good grades, and received her BA degree in Psychology from the
University of South Florida.

When the doctors misdiagnosed her with the most debilitating mental disorder known in mental health, paranoid schizophrenia, she denied it. She questioned their expertise. She refused to take medication. She was then hospitalized six times. Her family took a picture of her at her worst and that's when she knew she needed help. She has been taking medication now for ten years without a relapse.

She is now a published author and a National Inspirational Speaker. Her first book is entitled, “Don't Call Me Crazy! I'm just in Love,” and is inspired by her true story. 

She was raised Muslim and the revelations she received from God and placed in her books, didn't make any since until she meet her Christian husband 14 years after her first relapse. 

Please contact Swiyyah to book speaking engagements, life coaching, author and speaker coaching, radio and TV interviews, or to purchase her books at 727-495-3217, Swiyyah@swiyyah.com.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK


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