“What’s Your Story?” is a guest post feature on BCBA’s blog. Indie/Self-Published authors are invited to write about their books, writing journey, creative process, inspiration, rewards and challenges of publishing, etc. We are excited and grateful for their willingness to share. Go here for more WYS? Posts.
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I have been an author and educator for about six years now, and I get better with time. My first book was written when my father died. There were a few factors that I took into account when I wrote my first book, like what legacy will I leave for my children other than just memories and how I could display that death is a transition that’s sad but really a beautiful thing.
I did research and partnered with an illustrator who was also attending college. When I got my refund, I invested it into my first creation, Poppy’s Garden. In the story, a little girl learns a lesson about life and death through the power of her flowers. The death of favorite pets can be heartbreaking to see in children who don’t understand why their favorite animal friend had to leave. And my heart goes out to the children who experience the death of loved ones and don’t yet understand why this is a part of life. It can be a hard process for parents to explain when they are in a bout of grief themselves, so that’s why Poppy’s Garden was born to help parents have that needed conversation.
While having my first daughter, Reign, the labor experience was not what I’d hoped. I woke up from a C-section missing an ovary, and I had no consent or knowledge about this procedure beforehand. This indignation fueled my passion for teaching mothers about using their voices in the birthing process and taking better care of their bodies. However, I am a children’s book author, so I also wanted to teach my daughter about the power of her voice. So, I wrote my second book, Where Is My Voice?, from the perspective of a young girl who woke up one day and couldn’t say anything. As the saying goes, children are our future, and I believe they must be taught early on about speaking up to defend themselves, their rights, and the rights of others.
My most recent book, Guns Down So No One Gets Gunned Down, was released on February 14, 2023. Gun violence is starting to be so trendy in America. I think we should have hard conversations early so that children won’t grow up misusing guns. Children should understand the proper use of such a deadly weapon, especially due to news stories like the child who shot his teacher in Virginia.
I recall a situation when I was five years old, a little girl I used to play with was killed by gun violence, and I didn’t understand why I couldn’t play with her anymore. The books I write are for the little girl I used to be, who had many questions that no one wanted to address. Children are human beings with emotions and powerful personalities and should be educated as future leaders of our world. The innocence of a child does not give us the right to ignore their feelings and questions but to do what’s in our power to guide them to the right answers.
Valencia M. Perkins is a Charter School teacher, holistic educator, and children’s book author from Memphis, Tennessee. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English and minored in Spanish at Tennessee State University, the HBCU of Tennessee. She enjoys spending time at the park with her two girls and trying out the best vegan restaurants in town.
Connect with Valencia M. Perkins: Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
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