4 minute read
Kinyatta Gray
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“ I support the protesting and the constructive social activism. I’m incredibly proud of this generation of strong, educated and resilient people from all backgrounds who are fighting for justice and equal rights that POC have been denied for too long.”
Q. Thanks for Interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and where you’re from?
A. It’s my pleasure. I am Kinyatta Gray and I’m from Washington, D.C. I am a published author and the C.E.O. and Creator of Flights In Stilettos, LLC.
Q. Tell us about your book “30 Days: Surviving the Trauma and Unexpected Loss of a Single Parent as an Only Child”?
A. My first published book is often referred to as “30 Days”. This book takes you on an emotional journey because it details my thoughts, feelings and experiences 30 days prior to my mother’s sudden and unexpected death, without knowing I was actually living in my mother’s last 30 days on earth. My book also describes in vivid detail, the anguish I suffered during my mom’s 2-week hospital stay leading up to the day that she took her last breath.
Q. What or Who inspired you to be an Author?
A. I began writing this book about 6-months after my mother (who was a single parent) suddenly and unexpectedly passed away in October 2018. I am her only surviving family member. She was adopted, and her adoptive parents transitioned before I was born. Having to face life without my mom and no maternal family members were unbearable and traumatic. My entire world as I once knew it had been tossed upside down. In light of my mom not having any other family members to help me keep her memory alive, I became fearful that people would soon forget about my mother. So, I began to think about how I could honor her legacy and keep her memory alive. My mom was a writer, songwriter, and playwright. However, her dream was to become a published author. Unfortunately, she was not able to complete that dream before she transitioned, So I went the rest of the way for her and became a published author. My book ‘”30 Days” is dedicated to her memory.
Q. What was a challenge for you when you wrote this book?
A. The biggest challenge for me was reliving the moments between October 8 and October 21, 2018. This was the time period that my mom was hospitalized until she transitioned. Once I wrote the book, it took me several weeks to actually read and digest what I had just written because again, I had to revisit horrific and painful memories. The only reason that I was able to complete this book is the belief that I was making my mother proud by becoming a published author. That was my “why” and that’s what gave me the motivation to press forward with publishing my book.
Q. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?
A. I would travel to Kericho, Kenya. I’d travel to Kenya because my mom traveled there about 15 years ago on a mission trip and was very beloved by the people she was there to serve. My mom stayed in contact with a woman who was running an unofficial orphanage (this was of course dear to mother who was adopted). I knew how much my mother loved the people of Kericho, and therefore 100% of the money that I received in cards at my mother’s funeral was donated to the lady running the orphanage in Kenya. Yes, all these years later, she was still running the orphanage with new abandoned children. The people of Kericho paid homage to my mom after she transitioned and told me that I have a home there and that I am their sister.
Q. How do you feel about everything that’s going on with the Covid-19 and the protesting?
A. I feel extremely concerned about COVID-19 and saddened by the devastation it has caused. I have several friends who have lost parents to this deadly virus and I personally have family members who have contracted the virus and survived. I currently still take precautions and require that anyone in my immediate family take precautions in order to remain safe and healthy. I support the protesting and the constructive social activism. I’m incredibly proud of this generation of strong, educated and resilient people from all backgrounds who are fighting for justice and equal rights that POC have been denied for too long.
Q. What is one fun fact about yourself?
A. I love shoes (stilettos) more than I love food! LOL
Q. What new projects are you working on?
A. I recently released a new eBook titled “So You Want To Be An Author: A Step by. Step for Aspiring Authors”. This eBook provides 10 important steps for an aspiring author who wants to publish their first book. I’m also preparing for a virtual press event for the launch of my 2020 Glam Girl Beach Towels!
Q. What advice would you give to your younger self in order to pursue today’s society?
A. I would tell my younger self to soak up the wisdom and love from my mom. Memorize those sayings and quotes that your mom said because those are the breadcrumbs you’ll need to follow on the biggest journey you’ll ever take – called life.
Q. Where can the fans follow you?
A. Thank you for asking. I’m on:
Instagram: @kinyattagraytheauthor @flightsinstilettos.
