“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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As a child, my aunt kept my sister and me engaged in various activities that would help shape our futures. One of those activities was reading. We participated in our local library’s summer reading program each summer. We would visit the library and read a book of our choice for 30 minutes to an hour before moving on to our next activity. Although I failed to see the benefits then, I truly see the benefits now. I try to instill the same lessons in my daughter that I was taught. I firmly believe that you should train your son or daughter in a way that he or she may return to the same teachings in the future (Proverbs 22:6).
Reading is an important part of everyone’s life because it can give you strength, provide assurance, teach you information, and provide many opportunities. I write because it’s just as important as reading. It allows me to take control of my own narrative and people just like me. It allows my daughter and other children to see their culture and heritage displayed in a way that is expressive, creative, and imaginative, with a hint of love, family, choices, and relationships.
My road to authorship led me to create a publishing company in 2010 and publish over 22 works as a multi-genre author. Some of my books are distributed globally and can be purchased in France, Germany, Australia, the Czech Republic, Canada, Poland, and other countries. Currently, I write under the pen names Melica Niccole and Arima Imaboya. The difference between the two is that under Arima Imaboya, I focus solely on children’s books about healthy food, healthy options, exercise, and wellness activities. In the future, I may also create publications under this name for things dealing with cultural awareness and African American History.
Now, let’s get into some of my newest releases. Georgie Eat Your Peas and Gracie Eat Your Peas is a one-of-a-kind children’s book duo. This means that the books are exactly the same. They just have different main characters. I created these books because I know how important it is for kids to see themselves in the books I write. This will provide them with insight and encouragement. I wanted my newest books to be different, creative, innovative, and receptive to boys and girls. Only time will tell how these books are received by others. Side note: Georgie released on January 5, 2023, and Gracie will release on February 5, 2023.
My next book displayed is Good Morning Amira. This book was co-written by my daughter. Although she’s only three years old, the book was inspired by her daily morning routine. It’s funny reading this book with her because she knows the book is about her, and she is able to describe each picture on the page. The book is an easy read, and she’s actually reading the book as she describes each picture. I love seeing her reactions and having her describe what she sees and thinks. The book is very interactive if you read it that way.
When it comes to awards, I have received a couple from my undergraduate alma mater due to my work with planning/creating programming and collecting over 250 literacy items for disadvantaged populations. These awards were the Diversity (2018) and Leadership and Citizenship Awards (2019) from Otterbein University. In 2022, I had the pleasure of participating in Otterbein’s first African American Read-In Program, an initiative developed by the National Council of Teachers of English. The initiative allows various schools and organizations to create similar programs based on their resources.
In addition to writing and publishing, I am a career counselor who loves reading to children, presenting career and disability-related information, and organizing the annual Read to Lead/Write to Enlight Book Festival.
Want to find out ways you can get involved or what I’m doing next? Feel free to connect with me: Website | Blog | Instagram
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