The Truth Behind Why Kinyatta E. Gray Wants to be a Published Author

I remember writing fictional stories as a child. Since I was an only child I always found several ways to entertain myself. Growing up, I owned a lot of books. I did a tremendous amount of reading in elementary school. My favorite book series back then was the Baby Sitters's Club. Every time the Scholastic News would have a book fair, I'd beg my mom to let me order more Baby Sitter's Club books.

I was not the only avid reader in my family. My mother, Beverly was also an avid reader. My mom used books as a means of escape. She loved to read and her passion for reading also made her a phenomenal writer.

My mom had a lot of favorite authors such as Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, and J. California Cooper. She had amassed a prized collection of books over the years that she kept in storage and later in the basement of her townhome that she occupied before she suddenly passed away in October 2018.

I kept every single one of her books. I plan to create a library of all of her prized books in my home. She loved those books and I will always cherish them.

My mom also wanted to one day write her own book. She had many ambitions in life that centered around writing and communication. One time she launched a weekly event called "Woman Talk" for the women in her community and she served as the facilitator of the group. They'd discuss different topics related to women empowerment, aging women and getting past old emotional wounds. My mom loved mentoring and ministering to women. She had been through a lot in her lifetime and was regarded as a woman of wisdom.

Before my mother passed away, I tried to encourage her to launch her very own blog. I knew that she had a gift and wanted her to build an audience and share her gift. I believe that she was working on it, and had even developed material for her blog. She was focused on writing content for women in their 60s.

She looked forward to turning to the big “60“ last year.

In 2010, my mom wrote a play called: The Great White Throne. This play was her pride and joy. She established the Clarion Call Productions and wanted to house all of her writing products under the Clarion Call Productions.

She enlisted the help of her church members to serve in various acting roles in the play.

The day finally came when she was able to have her dream play performed for a small audience in a brand new theater in Washington, DC. She called this preview of her play, the Chic Peek.

She felt so extremely accomplished and wanted to pursue other similar writing projects in the future. But doing so took both time and money, which she was short on.

She continued to write narratives and other sorts of scripts for large churches in the DC area. She was heavily relied on for her writing talents. Not to mention she was a very well established gospel singer who also wrote some of her own music. She was extremely artsy and musically inclined.

In light of all these accomplishments and her dedication to writing, she never fully completed her attempts at becoming a published author.

I have made a commitment to honor's my mother's legacy in every way I can until our spirits join in heaven.

In my mother's honor, I will become a published author. The story is mine to tell, and I'm sharing it in honor of my mother.

My book is called: 30 Days. Surviving the Trauma and Loss of a Single Parent as an Only Child.

I hope that you'll support me in making this book a best-seller! I know that my mom is looking down on me, and I know that I am making her proud. Hopefully mommy, through my efforts you will get the sunshine you deserved for your talents.

I'll keep everyone posted through my blog and social media accounts about the expected book launch activities.

Peace, Love & Light

~ Kinyatta

Instagram: @flightsinstilettos

My mom’s Eventbrite information for the play that she wrote and produced in 2011.