As an author …

As an author …

I wish I could tell you I know all there is. I don’t.

Truth is, when i first started writing I barely saw a return on the investment I put in. Hours upon hours of writing but no money was being made. Time spent away from family and friends and even some of them will not support. My name printed real cute on the front cover of books and you can find me on Amazon but that’s about it.

I should quit, right? I BET NOT and neither should you.

Here’s some unsolicited advice.

1. Invest in yourself and your gifts. The same way you go to school for a degree or certification; study your craft. Spend money on the best book cover, editors, proofreaders and promoters. Cheap is not always the way to go. Trust me, I know.

2. Build you a team. People who will push you, encourage you and pray for you. Have someone on your side who will tell you the truth, even if it hurts your feelings. Get to know people who are on the level you’re trying to make it too and one day surpass. Ask their opinion and take their advice.

3. Do NOT write book series if you don’t have the time to finish it. You will lose readers that way. If I have to re-read the first book just to read the second one, issa no for me.

4. Believe in yourself. There will be some folk who will not like what you put out and you may get some bad reviews. Trust your gift. Family may not support. Trust your gift. Nobody showing up at your celebration, trust your gift. It will pay off.

5. NEVER GIVE UP. I told you, for years the royalties I received couldn’t even pay my water bill (the cheapest bill in the house) but I did not quit. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not in a position to quit my jobs but I am finally seeing a return on the investment I’ve been putting in. IT TOOK YEARS though! You will see it too.

6. Stop comparing yourself to someone else. You are you and they are them. I don’t care how many of their books you read, you will not write like them. It’s their gift the same as it is your. Find your own footing. Sure, I said before, take advice but don’t copy them because that will only make you a copy of them and not you.

That’s it for now.

I don’t know it all. I haven’t made the New York Times’ Best Seller. My books are not in Barnes and Noble or Walmart stores. My name is not rolling in the credits of movies. I am not being called on to headline book events. Fact is, I’ve never even won a book award but I’m Lakisha … Author Lakisha and people know me and they read my books.

“Writing didn’t find me, God etched it within my soul when He formed me in my mother’s belly.”

Keep writing, keep trusting, keep believing.

— Lakisha ❤️

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Lakisha’s Amazon’s Page

Daily Devotional – 11/19/18 “It’s due!”

When I miss writing devotionals, I feel as though I am missing an important event and I am letting you, the person I told I’d be there, down. I don’t know why and I can’t explain it but I do. See, penning a devotional is a release for me. It’s like preaching but I don’t have to stand before a congregation and sweat out my curls. LOL. You get it, right? I love Jesus and when He has instilled in me the gift, to share Him; through blogs, books, preaching, posting and etc. I try to be as obedient as I can but sometimes, God quiets me. I’m okay with that because it’s in those moments. when God doesn’t release me to share, that He is refueling me. This past week, I’ve been in and out of social media because I just wasn’t feeling it. God was quieting me. It’s not that I’d done anything wrong but I believe God is about to shift me again, spiritually and I’m okay with that too. I don’t know what He has planned for me but it is well because I trust Him. I can’t explain why I’ve been feeling like this but it is well because I trust God. My only prayer is to make God proud with every action AND reaction that comes from me. Why? Well because bible tells me in Galatians 6:9, if I don’t get weary while doing good, I shall reap in my due season when I don’t faint (lose courage). This is why I am feeling led to tell somebody, today, don’t get tired now. You’ve come too far to forfeit the harvest of your due season. This is for those of you who have planted ‘WELL DOING’ because you do know that you reap what you sow, right?

Yes, I know you’ve got to be tired of helping only to get hurt and hate back but your due season is approaching. Yes, I know you’ve got to be fed up with being what everybody needs when nobody is there for you but your due season is coming. Yes, I know you’re drained from giving and getting nothing in return but your due season is approaching. Don’t mess up your harvest by pulling up what you’ve planted prematurely. Don’t be quick to pack up the tools needed to harvest when your due season is coming. Sure, it’s growing slow but it’s growing. Sure, it looks like it will not pay off but it will. It looks like you’re spinning your wheels but aren’t they moving? Then that’s something. Beloved, don’t get tired in your season of doing good, even if people don’t tell you they appreciate you. Don’t get weary in doing good, even if nobody comes back to tell you thank you. Don’t get weary in well doing, even if it looks like your help is in vain. Because here is what I’ve come to realize. Somebody is always watching even if they never open their mouth to tell you. Somebody is proud of you even if they never come out and say it. Don’t get weary, servant, your due season is DUE soon and you SHALL (this means have to) reap. You have too because you’re owed what you planted. You shall reap because you’re owed a return. You got to get your due season because it’s due just don’t get weary now because you shall reap, if you faint not.

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New Book Alert

Has fear of the past ever kept you stagnant? Ever felt like you were been chased but didn’t see nobody?

Get your copy!

Magnolia is a 32 year old female who was recently asked to lead the congregants of a growing church in Memphis, TN. She thought she’d be happy but as soon as the words, “We want you to lead…” left the mouth of Senior Pastor, Lucas Carrington, fear set in.

It isn’t fear of the position because Magnolia has been under the leadership of Pastor Carrington for five years. It isn’t even fear of being the church’s first woman pastor. Her fear is the secret she’s carrying. Her secret … Magnolia is being chased.

Chased – pursued in order to catch.

Magnolia is being chased by the demons of her past and it is the one thing she can’t get away from. No matter how much she prays and fast or the many times she lays on the altar, she cannot outrun it.

But she’s tired.

Tired of running but afraid of being caught. Will Magnolia finally surrender to stop the chase or will her fear be too hard to face?

Get your copy!

Happy Reading,

Lakisha ❤️

Daily Devotional – 11/12/18 “You can’t get comfortable!”

My husband finds it odd that I am nervous every time I preach or speak in front of people but I am. It never fails. Yet, here’s what I have discovered. Being nervous, is not about the people I’m speaking to, the message in which I’m speaking or the place where I stand but it means I am not yet comfortable. Get this though, I never want to be because God didn’t call me to be comfortable, He called me to be a mantle carrier, game changer, curse breaker and message deliverer. Now understand something, this is just the thoughts of Lakisha, you may not feel the same and that’s okay but I never want to get comfortable working for God. See, when I get relaxed in doing what God has asked of me, it will become as easy as putting on my favorite pajamas and sitting in front of the TV. In other words, there won’t be much effort put into it and when that happens, flesh can take over. When I get comfortable, I will not do as much as I would have before because flesh is saying, you’ve done enough. You’ve encouraged enough, nobody needs to hear it anymore. You’ve preached enough, no need to study, just keep using the same message over and over. You’ve done enough for free, only go now for the money. You’ve served enough, let them serve you now. Being comfortable leaves room for doing my will, not God’s and this isn’t what God has set us apart to do.

Beloved, sometimes, on this journey doing the Will of God will make us feel uncomfortable but it’s to correct us. Sometimes, the Will of God will make us feel some type of way but it’s to teach us. Sometimes, the Will of God will penetrate places we’ve long shut off but it’s for correction. And sometimes it’ll step on some toes and hurt but that’s because it’s for training in righteousness. And serving God should take us out of our comfort zone because there are lives on the line. We don’t have time to be calm because there are some strongholds and curses to destroy. We don’t have time to be content when we’ve been called to conquer. We don’t have time to get complacent when there are valleys, alleys, pits and places we might have to visit to save the lost. We can’t relax the word of God, the serving of God or the will of God when there are people prematurely dying. In Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” I don’t know about you but there is nothing, absolutely nothing comfortable about denying self but it’s worth it when you do.

Beds for Kids

Beds for Kids I have been asked to share this awesome event with my family and friends.

The Family Resource Center Of North Mississippi will be hosting its Beds for Kids Benefit Concert at First Baptist Church in Olive Branch, MS on Thursday, December 13th at 7PM.

This event will feature Grammy Award Winning, Christian Artist Jason Crabb along with a night full of music, worship, and fun! Come and celebrate while being apart of a great cause.

The goal of this event and The Family Resource Center is to ensure every child, in the state of Mississippi, has a warm and comforting bed to sleep.

How much is it? Admission is FREE however, donations are greatly appreciated.

Items needed are twin sized comforters, mattress protectors and any bedding items you can think of. Please see the flyer, for more information and pass it along to anyone you know that might be interested in attending or donating.

Thank you in advance,
Lakisha

Beds for Kids