Please tell us a little bit about your most recent work. My most recent book, Shattered living, was inspired by my personal struggle with mental illness, as well as what I’ve seen with family and friends who’ve suffered the same thing. It took a lot of courage to write, but honestly, it also gave me relief. Not only did I write it for me and those who’ve been down the same road, but for those who never have. My hope is that this collection of poetry brings much-needed awareness to these diseases What was your motivation for writing it? Again, to raise awareness, but to also reach the ones who suffer as I have. I want them to know they’re never alone. Are you currently working on any side projects? Yes, one is top secret, though it will be revealed soon. *wink* The other is titled Shattered Loving. It’s the sequel to Shattered Living and is written from a different perspective. More details to come! What motivated you to become a writer? I’ve always enjoyed writing. It’s in my soul. But I never thought I was good enough for anything special until a very talented author (and dear friend) saw something inside me and helped fulfill my dream. I’m still shy when it comes to my writing, and I’m sure that will never change, but I’ve learned that to do great things, you have to take chances and put yourself out there. Do you have any unique writing rituals? Words come to me out of nowhere, so I always have to be prepared to jot them down before the ideas are lost. If I had to claim a specific ritual, though, it’s that I need to be alone and closed off from the world. No interruptions, just me and my thoughts and my words. I can’t even write a grocery list in chaos. Do you feel close to your characters? If yes, how so? If no, how do you maintain a distance? In Shattered Living, I am the character, so I felt every bit of emotion all over again as I worked through the poems. As for my super-secret project, it’s a work of fiction, but the co-author and I feel as close to the characters as one can feel. They’re all a blending of us and people we’ve known, and something like that is extremely personal. Especially when you pour your blood, sweat, and tears into it. It’s like we’re leaving a little piece of our soul behind in the pages. Do you find it difficult to maintain a career as a writer? Having just published my first book, that’s a difficult question to answer. I'll have to see where my career takes me. What I can say is that it’s not my goal to be famous and make a ton of money, it would only be bonus. My true goal is to reach people and leave a legacy behind. To be remembered by my words and how they may have touched or helped someone. Tell us about your day jobs. My day job consists of being a secretary, a psychiatrist (and a psychologist), a taxi driver, a cook, maid, lover, a fighter and defender. So basically, I'm a stay-at-home mother and a wife to a wonderful man. And that is a full-time job, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. When it comes to developing a plot and the characters where do you find your inspiration? In real life experiences. And in what I think is not only relatable, but funny. We have to find the humor in even the darkest situations, or life will chew you up and spit you out whole. Believe me, I would know. What would you like to tell your readers? First, I’d like to tell my readers is that is no one is better than you, so never give them the power to make you feel inferior. You’re an original, so never forget that. Second, always chase your dreams… no matter how small. Go after things that make your life a happier place and give you purpose. And lastly, never stop reading. You’ll find it gives you not only a chance to escape from everyday life, but the best kind of stories also give you hope, and restore your passion and faith. It’s why I do what I do. ![]() Justice K. Chambers is from the suburbs of Atlanta, GA and is a stay at home mother of two. Her passions include reading and writing poetry, and taking care of her farm animals. Find her here: AMAZON | AMAZON UK | NOOK | KOBO | SMASHWORDS
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