Hey Family!
Guess what! We have added a new author to our roster. The third one this year! 🙂
I am super excited to introduce to you the newest addition to the With a Capital M Publishing Group, A’von McKenzie! Along with a new author comes a new book to our collection. “As They Taught Me… Life Lessons Learned from or Influenced by Women in My Life” is about growing up into womanhood. The author uses her real life experiences and conversations as a guide for young women and parents of young women.
“My hope was to lessen the feelings of loneliness and insecurity when wanting to, and hopefully discussing the many facades of growing up…” – A’von McKenzie
I asked A’von a few questions. Take a gander at her responses:
What was the inspiration behind As they Taught Me?
The inspiration behind As They Taught Me was the many conversations I would have with my mother about raising my kids and the comparisons in how she raised me and my brothers. We would talk about the similarities amongst my kids and me and my brothers, but more specifically between me and my girls. That despite the years and experiences many things I was going through were the same my mom experienced with me and what my friends were also going through and on many occasions around the same time and ages. I enjoyed those conversations and in hindsight considering I would lose my mother around 2 years after I started this project, it was amazing to have shared those experiences with her as a mom talking to my mom.
You’ve addressed many life experiences in this book, which do you feel has left the most impact?
I don’t know that I believe any particular lesson is more impactful than another because I believe the entire book, as amateur as it may be, will serve a bigger purpose of making someone feel less loss; hopefully, a young person. I recently heard an interview amongst female comedians in which they discussed being so lost and feeling alone when it came to being interested in shaving their legs and wearing make-up and talking to boys and it just resonated with me so much because that was part of the motivation of me writing this book. It was those feeling and the many others that you go through while your body goes through this purely biological process. No one should have to feel alone while going through what every BODY must go through for you to grow.
What is one random fact about yourself?
I am obsessed with languages but I find it hard to learn them as an adult. So, I love to listen to other people speak in different languages and I try to discern what they say by the intonation of what’s being said.
What do you hope your readers will gain from reading this book?
I hope one person feels less alone. I feel like the book has completed its purpose and I have finally done something God has directed me to do. I’m a hard-headed child but I believe that I do have a purpose and this is one of them. I love children and young adults and I think there is a desperate need for guidance and understanding amongst them, so I really hope this helps and no one feels that I am judging or directing them how they should live their life.
Be sure to purchase a copy of As They Taught Me… here
