GUEST POST and EXCERPT
The Black Sheep Shadow
by Ashley Terrell
The Black Sheep Shadow by Ashley Terrell is currently on tour with Bewitching Book Tours. The tour stops here today for a guest post by the author and an excerpt. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
“We have symptoms of ‘The Black Sheep’. Aren’t you aware?”
The city lights blind your amazement. The sound of the traffic challenges you to be alive. Families ask bystanders to make magic and capture the moment with photographs. Newly engaged couples seal their union by kissing under shooting stars while loving by crossing their hearts.
But if your heart was under arrest, wouldn't you want to embrace something to feel like others?
Go inside the world of one courageous sheep as she discovers that her heart was under attack by darkness. As she travels on a spiritual journey to understanding her purpose, overcoming the undertones of low confidence, self-acceptance, and the importance of inspiration, she rose against the odds with forgiveness and strengthening her faith.
Book Video
Excerpt
Miles Away From Ordinary
I have always been told that with success on any level come prices, struggles and journeys that can take you off road, and from the things that you have always known. In my mind as well as my life, I always considered myself one that would never understand what it was to succeed. I did not have the best support system especial y with any day ending in a Y.
Growing up, I remember the white picket fence in some instances though they were blurry. What I do remember the most is the feelings I bottled, the conversations that pierced more than my self-esteem, but it factored into my confidence, my beliefs and my lifestyle.
You never know what someone is thinking or how their life has been affected no more than you know how damaging words and actions can be.
As one that was affected by the “what happens in this house, stays in this house” policy, I began to not say much. Unlike other households that had an “open door policy”, things were very strained in the Davis household. As time I grew older, I felt like my opinion didn’t matter and affected how I treated others. It also had a bearing on how I treated myself.
My life isn’t ordinary. I was not a person that uses to be happy. I was not a person that enjoyed company of friends, nor did I have the desire to be a socialite. I was determined to come from under the stigma of being the black sheep.
In all my years of living, the thing I found most profound is the power of God. God will have you speak to someone to deliver His words because He knows that person who is consulting with you will listen. That is trust. When God began to use people to speak to me, it was groundbreaking. It was scary. I never thought I was special enough to have such a privilege.
As I was sitting with my mentor to write an alternative book, we were brainstorming on paraphrasing when suddenly I blurted out, “There is no real word to describe my brother being murdered. There is no real word to express my darkness. People see the success of what I have done, not the pain that I had to endure to get there.”
Within that moment, I knew my time has come I didn’t know for what though. He slowly looked around and I noticed his leg overreacting under the table.
“That’s your story,” he hissed. I paused. For the first time, I felt like a big, fat old-school Jawbreaker was lunged in my throat.
“No one wants to hear my story. They want to know how to go from sleeping on air mattresses and eating Ramen Noodles to how to go on tour, promote and do the stuff celebrities do,” I replied.
Just off the tidbits I had told my mentor, I never seen his face more flushed. “If you don’t tell your story,” he pauses and looks away, “then the Devil wins.”
I notice the goosebumps that wildly appeared on his arms. His body is still overreacting. The scent of the air changes. His advice is no longer suggestive, it is pushing and piercing.
“Your story is the raw truth, this book here we are editing is pretty. We need truth. Help someone break out from feeling alone. Help others take a step forward to want to be better. Your story is compelling and can do that,” he told me.
For the first time ever, I confidently agreed with him- in silence.
[Want more? Click below to read this excerpt on Amazon.]
Praise for the Book
“I think this would be a great weekend read. It does deal with some rough subjects so I think it really does take your mind off your own problems and focus on someone else's issues. This is a short book and would easily be read in one weekend.” ~ Kristyn
“The author Ashley Terrell gave her readers a very simple cover that says much. It immediately makes you wonder what it's all about. The story is the reader's story. Those readers who want to learn about themselves and who they are, what they want out of life. It's like finding yourself. […] If you as the reader, have those Black Sheep hiding deep in the darkness of your heart and soul, release them. Let the light shine. If you let your light shine perhaps that will encourage someone else to let their Black Sheep out and shine their light. The author wrote a book that can help break the light out of the darkness and shine. First we have to try!” ~ gayle pace
“I was drawn to this book simply by its title. I've always seen myself as the ‘black sheep’ of my nuclear family, and I was interested to see how someone else might deal with feeling that way. We've all been hurt in our lives, and the only way to heal from those hurts is to admit we feel them and work through them. The most important thing to learn in life is to BE YOU! It's not about being who others tell you to be, or want you to be. Be positive about yourself, and you'll feel yourself begin to heal.” ~ Teresa Kander
Guest Post by the Author
5 Facts in 5 Minutes: Author Ashley Terrell
Many journalists venture within the lines of standard interview questions, but we wanted to know Ashley Terrell, the author inspired to publish The Black Sheep Shadow. The Virginian native, author and entrepreneur indulges in a round of speed talk about her daily life and her memoir, The Black Sheep Shadow.
1. She takes her time with writing.
“For each book, I invest about a year to plan, write, and promote. It allows me to plan for my release and tour dates. I like to proofread my writing prior to sending it to my editor. I’m very hands-on with my publications, like The Black Sheep Shadow, because each writing is special and close to me,” says Terrell.
2. Loving herself isn’t an option.
“Enduring to persevere had a lot to do with acceptance of myself,” Terrell explains. “To go through a season means that you’ve accepted it, desiring to press forward. Dealing with bullying while learning to love myself were my obstacles (as mentioned in The Black Sheep Shadow), but I had to find it for myself to know overcoming was the ONLY option.
“There’s a teenage girl wanting to know if someone can hold her hand through her challenging time. There’s a single woman thirsty for inspiration. I can’t stop. The Black Sheep Shadow shows my trials and tribulations as building blocks for them to become better. I don’t give up. It’s not in me.”
3. Becoming an author wasn’t her first career choice.
“I wanted to become a chef,” Terrell expresses. “I began learning how to cook when I was seven years old.”
As Terrell entered high school, culinary arts began to confirm her decision to further her passion for food. In 2015, Terrell established Stella Bistro Foods.
“Cooking has been my bread and butter, just as much as I like it!” Terrell jokes. “Writing was number three on my list for career choices. Writing was between real estate and working for another entrepreneur.”
4. THINKING about breakfast is her motivation for rising early morning.
“I like the ideas of [what could be breakfast] if I wanted an early wake up - crepes, chicken and waffles, continental breakfast - in bed. The only thing I want to see before sunrise is the back of my eyelids,” Terrell laughs.
5. She doesn’t have a FAVORITE food dish!
“I can’t do that to myself, nor my taste buds,” Terrell explains. “You can’t show favoritism in food. Food is for your taste buds to evolve in learning new foods and their cultures. Having a favorite food dish limits them.”
About the Author
Ashley Terrell is founder of BSC and Co. She resides on the East Coast where she enjoys blissful sunsets and sounds of ocean waves.
Links
