Hello nice to meet you! Tell us a bit about you where are you from and other than writing what else do you enjoy?
Katherine Shears:
My name is Katherine Shears, I was born and raised in NYC (Harlem and The Bronx), with family in Georgia, Carolina, Mississippi, Florida and Texas. When not writing, I enjoy vacations, spending time with my family, getting to know new people, and sleep. I like driving in nice cars when there is no traffic, and I really enjoy watching people learn that they’re not stupid, and are actually capable of learning many complex things. I also really enjoy delicious food from different cultures around the world, when I can find it.
C.S. Whitehurst:
I am called C. S. Whitehurst. I like playing video games, reading a good book, and experiencing nature when the weather’s good. I enjoy programming games, and writing stories. And I love it when things in life just make sense.
How did you start writing? What was your inspiration to create?
Katherine Shears:
Ultimately, my inspiration comes from the Supreme Creator through so many beautiful, intelligent, and enlightening daily encounters. We all have infinite capabilities and various talents that come naturally to us. From as far back as I can remember I’ve enjoyed expressing myself through writing. I am inspired to write knowing that my writing will be around for future generations. That, to me, is important.
C.S. Whitehurst:
I’ve been writing stories since I was a kid. Then when I was in college, I was studying game development, and I had to write game narratives. And then I realized that there was a great need for a certain set of informations that I, my schoolmates, and my professors had, that people in many urban neighborhoods did not have, information that makes functioning in higher society possible. My coauthor and I stockpiled the fundamental information that could be used to help fortify the intellectual foundation while enhancing a person’s knowledge and logic. And there, our first published book was born.
Who is your favourite author, is there anyone out there that inspires you?
John Bradshaw. He has done a phenomenal job with his books and seminars on Family Secrets, Healing the Shame that binds you, Homecoming, On the Family, and others. These books gently show you a mirror of yourself, hug you, while passing you the Windex and newspaper, then support you as you clean. Great work!
What genre do you enjoy reading?
I am naturally inquisitive as well as analytical, and I enjoy reading all different genres. It all depends on the purpose of the read, and/or how it sparks my interest.
How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
Katherine Shears:
My process of writing is still the same as it was. It worked for me before, so I am sticking with it.
C.S. Whitehurst:
I learned to use an outline. Makes building a book a lot easier.
Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre? If you could what genre would you like to dabble in?
Katherine Shears:
I have thought about dabbling into stories that are based on true life events. That could be very interesting.
C.S. Whitehurst:
I already practice writing creatively for the purpose of video-game making.
Do you Google yourself?
Katherine Shears:
Only after other people google me and tell me what they found, so I can then see it for myself.
C.S. Whitehurst:
Yes, from time to time. It’s a good thing to do, so you can see the type of footprint you’re leaving on the cyber-enviroment. It’s a way to make sure your best efforts toward social positivity are being appreciated.
What three tips would you give any aspiring writer?
Katherine Shears:
When you have an idea, question, or thought, write it down! Get it out of your head onto something that will allow you to go back and work on it at will. Keep an open mind to criticism and review grammar. It will become one of your best friends.
C.S. Whitehurst:
1) Try to visualize who they are trying to reach, and imagine having a conversation with them where you share what you know, and have a voice recorder, to record what you want to say, and then type it up later.
2) Have a picture in your mind of who you want your book to reach, and imagine talking to that audience, sharing what you want them to know and learn
3) Try to remember to a voice recorder, or some other recording device, to not have it all in your head, so you can have an easier time when typing it up later.
What are you working on now? What will you release next?
Katherine Shears and C. S. Whitehurst:
We are working on a few more collaborations together currently, that are aimed at helping parent/kids relationship. One is Surrogate Re-parenting 2: AKA. Get Your Mind Right 2, and the other we have yet to choose a title for. Both of which should be released in early 2018.
So…. where can we get your books?
Katherine Shears:
I have a link on my website www.KatherineShears.com , as well as Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and other book retailer’s.
C.S. Whitehurst:
Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and wherever books are sold, as well as www.cswhitehurst.com
What does “success” look like to you? When would you say “damn, I’ve made it baby!”
Katherine Shears:
In my opinion, success from a societal perspective means fame and/or fortune; however, I acknowledge every goal I achieve as success. That is something that you might hear me say when I finally decide to retire.
C.S. Whitehurst:
Never. Because no matter what level you get to, or what level you reach, even if everyone was elevated by, through and with you, there is always another higher level of growth and development waiting for you, as a person, to be achieve.
Does a big ego help or hurt writers?
Katherine Shears:
I firmly believe that everything in life has to be balanced. The ego has an important job and is very good at doing it; however, as with everything too much is not beneficial.
C.S. Whitehurst:
A big ego can keep you from connecting with others. I mean, they’ll be beside you, but you won’t be able to see them, because you are so wrapped up in your own vanities and your own denials. How can you be about other people when you’re so wrapped up in yourself? In truth, the greater you are, the more you owe to others.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Katherine Shears:
Like baking a cake, getting the ingredients and putting them all together takes time. And figuring out when and how to put them together takes even more time. Then, there’s the time that it takes to decide first whether that cake is actually necessary. The thought process on a book can take months or years.
C.S. Whitehurst:
I’ve been observing and studying things that are a part of my writing all my life. I observe, I interview, I survey, I test, and I read.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
Katherine Shears:
Yes, I love feedback! Both negative and positive reviews are helpful. Positive ones let you know you’re on track, and negative ones give you areas to improve in.
C.S. Whitehurst:
I’ve been observing and studying things that are a part of my writing all my life. I observe, I interview, I survey, I test, and I read.
What’s your favourite movie?
Katherine Shears:
The Blind Side, amoung many.
C.S. Whitehurst:
“The Postman” is one I like.
What’s your favourite book and why?
Katherine Shears:
A Course in Miracles. This is the most enlightening and conscious awakening work I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
C.S. Whitehurst
By constantly learning and growing, my list of favorites is constantly changing. One book I like currently is The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
What music do you like?
Katherine Shears:
I am a music lover! I love all kinds of music, both old and new.
C.S. Whitehurst:
Fast-paced music, slow-paced music, I enjoy different music when I’m in different moods.
Where would you like to travel to and why?
Katherine Shears:
Any white sand, clear water, warm weather island. I love the beach!
C.S. Whitehurst:
Around the world to meet and see people and places that I have read about, first-hand.
Do you need a lot of sexual experience to be a good erotica author?
Katherine Shears:
I don’t think the experience necessarily gives an advantage with this genre of writing. In my opinion, the main goal of fictional writing is to allure your reader into your fantasy, which means the imagination, passion and good skill is what would prove most beneficial. Many people have a lot of sex without passion.
C.S. Whitehurst:
I agree with my co-author’s answer.
If you could do it all again would you change anything?
Katherine Shears:
My writing is an expression of what I have studied, experienced, and most of all my comprehension thereof. Every person, event, or situation in my past added to what I share through my work today. No, I wouldn’t change anything.
C.S. Whitehurst:
I would have done it a year earlier, and would have given it to my cousin and the rest of my family, before she died of cancer.
Pick one: a one time “Bestselling author” or an author with longevity–what would you rather?
Katherine Shears:
I write because I love to naturally, so my choice would be an author with longevity.
C.S. Whitehurst:
A one-time best-selling author is a career without many goals and objectives, whereas an author with longevity can achieve many goals and objectives toward many different causes. So I choose longevity.
Meet The Authors:
Katherine Shears is a mom, graduate of Strayer University, and an executive consultant, who is dedicated to bettering the social function and overall visibility of all she encounters. She is a deep thinker with an open mind who stays on the cutting edge of learning, having read over one hundred self-help titles and counting.
C.S. Whitehurst is a psychology-based UX/UI designer/tester, computer programmer, IT Project Manager, and self-help enthusiast, who is a student of science, philosophy, life, and NYU. As a native of New York, having been exposed to social diversity, he has been coached by life to respond to the issues plaguing inner-city youth.
Links
http://www.katherineshears.com/
https://www.amazon.com/C-T-Like-Kid-T-H-I-N-K-Parent/dp/1547102888
About the Book
Title: A-C-T Like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K Like a Parent
Author: Katherine Shears and C.S. Whitehurst
Genre: Nonfiction self-help
Just for kicks, have you ever wondered what your parents really want from you in life? Is it you, or do your parents want you to have no real fun? On any given day, do you want to make your parents proud of you and still do what makes you feel really happy within yourself? Of course you do! But the real question has always been, and still is…how? How can we actually get this done?
Well, with A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent, a.k.a “the child-part consoler”, you will get past common misunderstandings by learning how to truly talk, hear, and listen to your parents, guardians or caregivers instead of feeling like you have to run to friends to find some sense of acceptance, understanding, and real connection.
In this book, chock-full of questions and answers gotten directly from the source, you’ll learn what your parents, guardians or caregivers really expect of you—and maybe you’ll even find out how to explain to them what you really expect from them! Not that this book could ever replace a parent, because it can not. But when it comes to openly communicating certain key ideas, this book comes really close.
This tell-all guide contains lots of enlightening explanations and helpful answers to many common kid questions like:
- What do my parents really want from me?
- Why do my parents do what they do and say what they say?
- What do I really need to know about my parents’ parenting skills?
- How can I keep my parents happy with me?
- How can I help my parents to help me?
- How can I get what I want from my parents every time?
A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent is an intro to the secret knowledge of adults which is a set of informations that is mainly covered in the book entitled Surrogate Re-Parenting: A.K.A. Get Your Mind Right, and even more thoroughly covered in the book The Secret Knowledge Of Adults. While this book, A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent is intended for kids 10 and up, the info in this book is beneficial and useful to the intelligent kid parts in all of us. Yes, this means you too.
The information in this book will help you and yours to start to see your parents, not as the enemy, but as the caring human beings they really are, and take the first step toward family unity, understanding, growth, success, and happiness! Both you and your parents really deserve this, and with this book, A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent, you and your parents can actually achieve this.
Author, Kim Knight 