When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be according to the beloved hymn. I believe that is true, but until we all get to heaven, we will experience grief and heartache when we lose a loved one. So it is with a sad heart that I type these words this morning. The Christian writing world specifically and the book publishing industry in general lost one of its own last week so as a fellow writer myself I’ve decided to post a picture of Dee Stewart and as well as her biography. While we are all sad that she has left this world, I am confident that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord…In spite of the many health challenges she faced including lupus and heart disease, Dee Stewart was a committed mother and crafted a wonderful career….
Below is her biography…
At DeeGospel PR, my role is to share my client’s stories with my peers, who are also gatekeepers. Be it traditional pr opps: radio, tv, print and performance engagements, online(internet tv, radio, networks, media,) or new marketing initiatives and inbound marketing services that infuse traditional public relations and events promotions with new technologies that channel and broadcast our client’s core messages, I work hard to build a communication bridge for my clients. I specialize in supporting publishers, music lables, musicians, authors, events planners, and businesses that support the publishing industry(music and literary.)
At Christian Fiction Blog, my role is to support writer’s of Christian Faith. I started Christian Fiction Blog in 2005 to help other writer’s deal with the sometimes overwhelming prospect of book promotion and book events marketing while still running a household and increasing in spiritual maturity. Today the blog has over 1000 email subscribers, a blog community of 300+ authors, and has been the catalyst for launching DGP.
As a journalist, my role is to compile and share stories I know will benefit the media outlets I support. I have been an editor, book reviewer and journalist for ten years. My writing has appeared in: RT Book Reviews, Gospel Today, Precious Times, Anointed, Hope for Women, Rejoice Atlanta, Romantic Times,Christianity Today, Spirit Led Woman, Atlanta Christian Family and Spirit Led Writer Magazines, to name a few. I also edit non-fiction for Christian ministers and authors.
As author Miranda Parker for Kensington Publishing’s Dafina Books, my role is to create stories my readers would love to read over and over again. My two books are “A Good Excuse to Be Bad” and “Someone Bad and Something Blue.”
Editor’s Note: This post originally ran in September 2011, but as today is Mother’s Day, I believe that Dr. Thompson’s book can help people who have challenged relationships with their mothers…With that said, today is a day to honor our mothers even if those relationships are challenged. As it is stated in the Bible, “Honor your father and mother”–which is the first commandment with a promise–that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:2-3
Hello World!
As you know by now, I am a serious book lover and am always excited when I encounter a “must-read” book! My friend Dr. Pamela Thompson has written such a book!
In the black community, “Mama” is revered above any other figure in our history. Dating back to slavery, when all else failed, “Mama” was the one to hold it together. Even today, Mother’s Day is nearly as popular as Christmas, Thanksgiving & Easter…which makes it that much harder to admit if you have a problem with your mother or the way that you were raised by the woman that gave you life.
1. Tell me about “Surviving Mama.” Describe how you fused Biblical and psychological principles in the book.
I understand that my calling is to highlight the intersection of God’s timeless teaching and wisdom with things that can be explained in the natural or clinical world. In bringing both worlds together–the clinical and the biblical–I hope to cover as many bases as possible in providing guiding principles that give people the tools to KNOW better, DO better, and LOVE better with boundary-setting and choice as a part of the equation.
2. Why did you write “Surviving Mama”, and who is your target audience?
I wrote “Surviving Mama” for anybody who is a daughter -whether she has issues with her mom or not. The perfect audience would be those who are Christian women (African- American women in particular) in search of deeper truth with a willingness to pursue answers and make radical changes in the way they’ve lived life thus far. However, the book is applicable to anyone experiencing discomfort, strife, distress in any close, complex family relationship that just doesn’t work. Ideal age
for the reader would be 25 and up.
3. How did you find the women you featured in the book? You also mentioned a well-known mother and daughter prolific author Alice Walker and her daughter Rebecca Walker, who is also a writer. What about their relationship made you include a reference to them in the book?
I found the women from among my clients and friends. I’ve
literally interviewed thousands of women in my career from murderers to physicians and lawyers, and this topic comes up frequently. I’ve worked with women who have killed their mothers or their daughters and women who have good mothers who still have their own issues and deficits that spill over into the mother-daughter relationship. I’ve always had a close-knit circle of girlfriends, and I’ve seen the mother-daughter issues change from decade to decade as I have experienced in my own relationship with my mom who’s lived with me for
the past five years.
The Walker mother-daughter duo was just a perfect fit for that chapter on control. Certainly it would appear that the daughter of Alice Walker would be edified as a woman, a “sister” and certainly would enjoy the privileges of her mother’s wisdom, insights and wealth. Yet, this was not the case, and it underscored my point very richly that the nuances and inadequacies of any mother-daughter relationship cannot be determined from the outside looking in.
4. What feedback have you received about the book, particularly since “Mama” is a revered figure, particularly in the black community?
I approached this subject gingerly specifically because of the
reverence bestowed upon “Mama” in our communities, and I didn’t want the purpose of this book to be Mama-bashing. It’s bigger and deeper than that. In fact, it’s not that at all. It took me four years to write, not because it’s so lengthy, but because I wanted to treat the issue just right.
I’ve received overwhelming response to the book. I have been blown away at how women have responded across race and socio-economic status. It appears that the book has given women “permission” to discuss this taboo topic with greater confidence that they’re not alone. I usually end up doing “therapy” at each of my book signings as women discuss their long-held pains on this issue quite openly. I pray that it serves as a tool of self-discovery, healing and transcendence.
5. What was your process for writing this book?
I had my best success when writing EARLY in the morning
for 45 minutes or so before I started my day. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would baptize me daily and instruct me accordingly in what I should write before I started every writing session. It is a God-inspired work.
6. As a writer, I write to know. What did you learn from writing the book?
I’ve received confirmation that the issue is as big as I’ve
experienced in my personal and clinical experiences. I’ve learned that mothers are often blind in many ways, as we all are, to how we impact others with our misdeeds. I’ve deepened my understanding of the guaranteed silver lining in any contentious relationship and how our “enemies” can be the members of our family, and yet those enemies probably do more for us than those who’ve always cheered us on IF you allow it. I truly get that ALL things work together for good for them that love the the Lord and are called accordingly to His purpose.
7. Where can you buy the book?
Book can be bought at survivingmama.com and amazon.com(Kindle and paperback). It will be moving into bookstores soon, starting with Medu at Greenbriar Mall. People can also call me directly at (404) 644-0710 and come by my office to buy a copy. I’m available for women’s workshops and conferences.
Any thoughts?
P.S. Check out Dr. Thompson’s video about her book.
As a single woman, it is sooo easy to get caught up in what happens to ME, MYSELF & I…But as a Christian, I know that I am charged to love my NEIGHBOR as much as I love MYSELF…(Luke 10:27)…And so from to time, I have to examine how I am actually helping those around me…
When I went to Blogalicious (a convention for bloggers) last year, I was introduced to the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life Campaign in which Americans are encouraged to learn about, advocate for, and donate vaccines to children around the world…
Below are the facts:
1. 1 in 5 children die of a vaccine-preventable disease. That’s one child every 20 seconds and approximately 1.5 million children each year.
2. In countries like the U.S., most children already receive life-saving vaccines. Because of this, American parents don’t typically worry about losing their children to deadly diseases like measles or pneumonia.
3. Seventy-five percent of unvaccinated children live in just 10 countries. For children in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, China, Uganda, Chad and Kenya, access to vaccines mean the difference between life and death, a healthy life or a lifetime of struggle.
1. Donate $5 – For the cost of a gourmet coffee drink, you can protect a child from polio and measles for his or her lifetime…
2. Donate $15 – For the cost of an inexpensive concert ticket, you can pay for vaccines to protect a child from the two most deadly diseases – pneumonia and diarrhea…
3. Donate $20 – For the cost of a pedicure, you can give a child a lifetime of immunity from pneumonia, diarrhea, polio and measles…
Of course, you can always give more :)….The point I’m trying to make is that I can easily fritter away cash on all kind of things like gourmet coffee drinks, concert tickets, pedicures and on and on…While I love these things, I am also commanded to love my neighbor…
Also please take less than 2 minutes to watch this video:
Finally, as part of World Immunization Week (this week), help spread the word about Shot@Life! Did you know that some mothers throughout the world walk 15 miles to get life-saving vaccines for their children?! I waste more than 15 minutes probably an hour on Facebook…Why not join me this week in not only investing my disposable income to saving the lives of the world’s children but also donating my time to spreading the WORD and the word…Next to loving God, we are also called to love others as we love ourselves…Shot@Life gives me the opportunity to love my neighbors….
However, in her new book, 