Becoming An Author

I recently began sharing my testimony with people and have since decided to go ahead and publish a book. I have been writing the book for about 3 years now and could not get the events or all the details together until I condensed them and made them a testimony. I haven't had a writing class since 2000 and I know that my writing skills are not near where they need to be, but I feel God taking me in that direction is I am moving forward in spite of the oppositions!

Through writing my story and a little souls searching I began to feel a pull for becoming a Motivational Speaker. Through out the years I was called to speak at school and to several groups of people while I was in the WRAP program. (Women's Rape and Resource Program)This is one of the few things in my life that I loved to do and felt accomplished and proud to do them. My story is kind of unique and I feel like most people don't hear my point of view on it so I believe that I will do pretty good at getting my message out.. One thing is for sure, I like to talk and I like to talk about me so speaking and having a book seem like a good combination for a career.

I also did some research on Motivational Speaking on the Internet and came across an AMAZING man who is an accomplished Author and Speaker himself. His name is Rene Godefroy. In his free online course speaking For A Living he tells his story and trains people on how to get started getting paid to speak. One of his "Secrets To Success" is to write a book. Now for me this was conformation that this is the direction God is leading me in. Mr. Godefroy also talks a lot about God and being lead and how anyone with a story can become a speaker.

As I began to look at who and where I could get a book published the prices became crazy real to me. This is not a cheap process! I have a cousin who has had 2 books published and she got me in contact with a family member who is a Publisher.Now I'm not sure how she did it or whom she went through but her book is on Amazon and Barnes and Nobel. She also has ebooks that are available on Kindle.Her name is Therza Cox and she writes Poetry Her book.Life Is A Story is a great read and her writing skills make mine look worse than a kindergartner's.  The other thing I was overwhelmed by was the publishing companies online who are trying to scam people! They are requiring BIG BUCKS and claiming to insure Top Selling Books to those willing to pay. Last year I was a victim of an Internet Scam which cost me $8000 that I didn't have to begin with, that I now owe to the bank. After this incident I have become vary weary of most things online, so now before I give up any money I do a search query of any company and afterwards type in the words "scam" and "reviews". Upon doing this small action most of the sites I had decided to go with were eliminated. I did find one site that could proofread and edit my manuscript and also allow a plan to market it. The site also allows you to design your book cover and if you want a more simple service(like having an individual copy of your book) they provide that as well. At Createspace.com they offer a variety of options to create your book the way you want, at a reasonable cost. I did the research and found very good reviews on their services. Even though I will ultimately have to save up (or wait for income taxes) to publish my book. I am looking forward to using their services and getting my story out for the world to see!

And that's LaJaunda's Word!
                                                   

Coupons to your Inbox

I've come  a couple of websites that are worth mentioning on my "Deals and Steals Blog. I am always on the look out for a deal or coupon to make things a little more affordable for me and my family. After doing some research on the internet and talking to some friends and family I came up with two outlets to find some various coupons that are area specific.

Groupon.com is a nifty sight that allows you to find deals on any and everything. From Photo Shoots to restaurants even to socks, groupon provides a percentage off right to your daily inbox. The site even provides you with a way to acquire steals elsewhere on the internet where you may have not know the website even existed. The site is very easy to navigate and you can view the details (fine print included)   a click of the button. When you are ready to accept you are directed to the page where they tell you the exact location and whether the deal is accepted online or at the location. You can even decide if you'd like to give the deal as a gift to a friend or family member.


 Now my aunt introduced me to the next one. She heard from a friend of a friend about Snagmob.com. The premise here is exactly the same as Groupon.com. They provide similar deals except it is extremely localized. I myself am from a small town where there is very little to do and not very many things that interest me. So Snagmob is limited to the deals they can present to me. While Groupon expands to the surrounding cities as well even within a 80 mile radius. I do like this sight though because if I'm at home at night and need an immediate deal I can catch one. The page has the most popular area of town on my homepage. These are places I already know and may not have tried yet. So not only do I get a coupon but I also get to try a new place.

So check them out see what you can find that appeals to you. with all the different choices to pick from I'm sure there is something on one of these sites for you. And if you have to eat and have to show, may as well catch a deal in the process.

And that's LaJaunda's Word!

Salvation The Ultimate Deal

I started Blogging last week and am really enjoying myself. As I began to look for more Deals and Steals I  ran over into my daily time with God. Upon reading his Word I thought about the "Ultimate Deal and Steal" which I consider to be salvation! I know, I know, people don't want to hear about God but I've been doing a lot of changing and thinking about my life in the past months and what I've realized is that I became tired of things being the way they were. I HATE giving my testimony but in this instance I think it's necessary for you to see where I've been to understand where I am. I promise you this is an abbreviated version, and it's not a pretty story, heck it doesn't have an amazing ending but, it will one day....

I always grew up in church, my mom was a typing teacher and my dad worked various jobs. We were lower middle class but we were happy. I guess the religion came in because my mom found out she had breast cancer when she found out she was pregnant with me. My mom was a virtuous woman who never complained, and I knew she was sick and hurting but she never said anything. We were just always at church shouting, praying, worshipping. Even with this going on I had a cousin who introduced me to sex. It was a girl and she started touching my private parts and performing oral sex on me. To be completely honest she would ask me too touch her and perform the same on her and I did. I knew to some degree that this was wrong and didn't want to do it. But at some level it felt good. I always wanted my big cousin to come and play with me because I looked up to her and didn't want to get her in trouble. My mom always kept an open dialog with me so I ended up telling her and it did eventually stop. It has never really been mentioned or talked about since she stopped and I guess that was the beginning of me pushing my feelings aside for other's. When I was 9 my mother  died. I didn't know how to be or act, we were expecting it I even asked God to take me instead but, he didn't. My dad came home one day and told us she had passed I think I tried to hug all the pain away when I hugged him, but he hugged me about 2 seconds and pushed me away. I don't think I've ever gotten over that. What I know is I knew what death was I knew she wasn't coming back, but all these so called "saints" we crying and mourning so hard. We had numerous discussions about death and heaven and God but no one ever told me that you cry because you miss the person and because your life changes without them. To me they were all hypocrites, because no one wants to go to the glory they try so hard to get to. I didn't cry at the funeral.

I spent the next few years trying to figure out what happened, and became ANGRY! I went from being the apple of my mother's eye to being passed around from house to house to go to school and so my dad could work. I became a nuisance, inferior and unwanted. Unloved, my brother acted like he hated me and my father thought that everything I did wasn't good enough, so at age 12 I began to get tired of being whopped for doing nothing, and disrespected. So me and my dad began to fight. Which was mostly him slapping me and shaking me and pinning me down. I was never a bad kid, I didn't do drugs I had a B average I didn't go out and I wasn't promiscuous until age 17. I talked to way older men, but never slept with them, I think I was looking for the love and acceptance my father never gave me.

At 17 I started having Sex, I met an older guy who had been around, but that time I was so curious it could have probably been anyone, but hardheaded me always chooses the worst ones. He convinced me to have sex with him and after a month of two of that he convinced me to have sex with 2 of his friends. One only once the other twice. He said if I loved him and wanted to stay with him that I would do him these favors often having sex with them and then him multiple times in one night. I eventually had sex with another one all on my own, calling myself "getting back" at him that lasted about 9mths then I kept hearing about the fact that he was married and all the other girls my age that he was doing the same way. The only difference between them and me was that he was proud of what he had done to me often telling any one who would listen how I was like a guy and would leave afterwards and how skilled I was. About that time I started drinking every weekend. After that I met my son's father.  We were together a year when I got pregnant and 3 mths after I had Kameron he left us and ran in and out of our lives the next 12 yrs 

3yrs later I met my daughter (Kamaria's) father. After 3 mths I was pregnant but 2 mths in he started. hitting me. At 23 with 2 kids I never thought anyone else would want me so I stayed, he promised to get help so I stayed He went to counseling, so I stayed. He hit me, punched me, tried to mace, stab and hammer me. He choked me on a continuous bases, even while pregnant. And I hide the bruises, he flipped dope and exposed me to that life while I worked hard for him to spend my checks. I eventually started to see my son telling people that he was hitting me I say him scared and crying as this man put a gun to my head and threatened to kill me so I let him go live with his grandparents. After that I was completely broken until I had my daughter. She gave me the strength to start looking for a way out. I did not want her to be the same way or to get another him. One afternoon after he broke my jaw for  coming home early he kidnapped us after my workday. He threatened to kill all 3 of us after that I was done. It wasn't all bad, I enjoyed having someone to be with and travel with. We liked the same music and jokes, we got along so well when we weren't fighting which happened once every month. The rest of the time we were good, we were happy. After threatening to take my daughter and letting his baby momma drive my car I walked out and never came back. I went into a WRAP (Women's Resource and Rape Assistance) women's shelter where I received a place to stay and some much needed counseling. I pressed charges against him and he went to jail for the next 4 yrs.

After leaving the shelter I had to fight to get my son back because his grandparents didn't think I deserved him. But I did but after I got divorced I became promiscuous and drank heavily. I did go back to school and ended up getting a couple of certificated and an Associates In General Tech. I had other encounters with men and eventually had an abortion by someone who lied about having a girlfriend and about being my friend. Facing being a single broke mother a third time was to much for me, so was the disappointment and shame. I even thought of killing myself a couple times but leaving my children was to much for me to go through with.

So there it is, my story, the highlights at least. What I have learned over 32years of life is that God has forgiven me for all those things. His word says so. God is about Love and even through what I've been through and feeling like I was alone and unloved he was there. I heard him saying No on days I wanted to kill myself, I felt him as the car tire went out on the day of my abortion, he lifted me as I dodged knives and screw drivers, he guided my car as I drove home drunk night with my children in the car. He walked me  home after night I was passed around and wiped the tears away, he  was even whispering in my ear about all the glories of heaven as I sat at my mother's funeral. His Words says he will never leave me or forsake me, and he hasn't yet. I continue to have hard times and hard days struggling to survive and feed my kids but I know it would be even harder without him to lean on or to talk to. I think of how he died on the cross so I could be forgiven of those sins and one day join him in heaven. knowing that he loved me enough to do that for me, little old hard headed me, makes it all worth it. I struggle to be positive and to be good but if he could endure death for me I can endure hard times for him. I see the miracles he works in my life, sometimes when there is no food and I tell him he makes a way. sometimes someone gives me $10 for no reason or my aunt gives me something from her fridge. Or when there is no gas and someone gives me a ride or when the bills need to be paid and some child support comes when it's never there any other time.

My story is not anyone Else's. My life is not sad. I am more happy now than I've ever been. I wanted to be married and have children and have a career. God blessed me with all those things but  just not the way I planned. The more I read the Bible the more I find out how good God is and has been. I couldn't take anybody Else's word I had to try him for myself. And If he could do it for me, he will do it for you. Salvation is free all you have to do is believe in Christ, believe that he died for your sins and ask him into your life. Ask to be forgiven and turn from the old life you had. If your like me it wasn't all that great anyway. Salvation is NOT PERFECTION! It is TRYING to be the best person you can be, and it's not always easy and we ALL fall short, but what's wrong with trying to be a better person? I am changed and better than I was. That person in the story seems like a completely different person and maybe it is. Jesus changes you. And I am so thankful to him for that!


And that's LaJaunda's Word! God forgives ALL sins!

Lunch For The Kiddies

For the last two months my children have been bugging me for a Lunch Box. While I don't mind buying this for them I pride myself on finding deals, and when I say deals I don't mean paying $20-$40 for a lunch box. I'm BROKE! There I said it, point blank and then the period! So a deal to me is less than $20. So I shop around and surf the net to look for anything that I can find for a cheap price. I also like to compare prices that I find at already discount store like Fred's, Walmart, and the Dollar store so if I can find a deal for what I might spend at one of these store (shipping included or within a dollar or two) I'm coming out on top! I have two children ages 9 and 12 and again I don't make a lot of money so I look for sales and clearance items. I also try to utilize coupon codes and discounts to get the best bang for my hard earned buck!

On one of the Celebrity Blog sites I use daily Tmz and Mediatakeout I encountered a pop-up for Zulily. There I found the cutest totes and lunch bags for an affordable price! They come in different shades and patterns for both boys and girls. and when I say affordable, I mean affordable!Prices start at $7.99 and go up to @21.99. With prices like that I can get both my kids a bag and still have money in my pocket to actually fill it with food! And something health not one of those nasty little Lunchables, not the good updated ones but those old ones that they first came out with. You know the ones with the wet circle meat and square cheese!

Now I haven't made a purchase from Zulily  before but I have looked at multiple things on the site. They also sale regular and plus sized women's clothing, and clothing for children. They also give shipping for a year for $49 and a refer a friend program that gives you $15 for the referral and $5 to the friend. You can also chose to pay with Paypal or a Credit Card just like with most purchases.  But all and all I think this is a good purchase. And I will let you all know on a later blog, how well I was (or wasn't ) please with the purchase.

And that is LaJaunda's Word!