Intimate Conversation with J.J. Michael

J.J. Michael is a numerologist, blogger and author who resides in Washington, D. C. She writes both non-fiction and fiction metaphysical/spiritual books: eBook Path to Truth: a Spiritual Guide to Higher Consciousness and Life is Never as It Seems and It’s Not Over Yet (Genesis Press). Her latest release is Secrets Unraveled, (Pathtotruth Press, May 2010).

Secrets Unraveled:
"Please go away,” Margaret Johnson Pierce pleaded with the voice inside of her head as she covered her ears with her hands, trying to block out the obscenities being hurled at her. But there was no getting away from it, just as there was no way she could escape from her husband, Pastor Alan Pierce, who knows her deepest secret.

Margaret's life is full of secrets that she can’t run from anymore. But who can she turn to—the new psychiatrist trying to make her believe the voice is from another dimension, the daughter who she hasn’t seen in years or the young new assistant minister of the church who has his own plans for the church and her. Margaret’s faith and survival are put to test as her life takes twists and turns that she didn’t see coming.

"A gripping story of madness and salvation that will have you reading through the night." Karyn Langhorne Folan, author of Don’t Bring Home a White Boy (And Other Notions That Keep Black Women from Dating Out).

BPM:  Do your books fall into the paranormal genre or more than one genre?
All of the books would definitely fit nicely into this category. However, there are no vampires or werewolves, but angels and demons have major roles. Additionally, one or more of the main characters have psychic abilities. Although I let my imagination run wild, the majority of the paranormal events described in my books are realistic. I put a lot of time in my characters making them authentic, and I use factual information about their paranormal abilities that add to their credibility. I want my readers to learn about metaphysics and the occult. There are so many people that have paranormal experiences such as ESP and clairvoyance but they think something is wrong with them or it is against their religious beliefs, and therefore they suppress them. Hopefully, my books will shed some light on the truth about the paranormal and spiritual laws.

BPM:  What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your book?
I had received many emails from readers asking me about one specific character that appeared in the first two books, Margaret Johnson Pierce, the mother of the main protagonist, Lindy Johnson Lee. Readers wanted to know if Margaret was "crazy" or just a "drama queen". Based on those letters, I decided to write Margaret's story.  Secrets Unraveled takes you not only on a fictitious journey, but touches on such topics as colorism, social injustices, discrimination, mental illness, parapsychology and religious superstitions. These are the elements that make up Margaret's life story.

BPM:  Introduce us to your main characters in Secrets Unraveled.
Margaret Johnson Pierce is the first lady of the prestigious Mt Olive Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. I'm sure you'll find her quite fascinating, but don't be surprised if she says or does a few bizarre things that are not sociably acceptable. At her father's funeral she tried to open his coffin and crawl inside with all the TV cameras on her. Of course, she became the talk of the town, but that was nothing compared to what she did to her husband, the Senior Pastor of the church. Is Margaret schizophrenic or a gifted psychic? That's what everyone wonders. Margaret had been hearing voices since she was a child. Her story of thirty years of family secrets and scandals climaxes in a sensational courtroom hearing.

BPM:  What are some of their specific issues or problems addressed in this book? A very strong issue in Secrets Unraveled is the main character’s relationships with her father, daughter, and the men in her life. Sometimes Margaret is the victim and other times she is the abuser. Besides the dynamics of human relationships two other strong issues are colorism and women’s inequity. Margaret’s belief that her family is better than others, because of their fair-skin and straight hair, was instilled in her from childhood. The reader will see how this belief played a major role in her life decisions. By the time the readers read the last book, Secrets Unraveled, they will understand the origin of colorism and how it still keeps the African American community divided. Margaret has a dream to become a minister. But she is constantly denied her dream by the men in her life and societal rules. I don’t want to give the story away, but Margaret learns against all odds what she must do to obtain her goal. Margaret’s life is an excellent example of the issues women face in today’s world.

BPM:  Can you enlighten our readers on your work as a numerologist? How does it influence and/or enhance your work as a writer?
When you read my books, you will always find a thread dealing with numbers. You will see 444 a lot in the books, meaning angel time. My characters have birthdates and I have done their numerology charts. I tend to stay within their personality traits as I write about their escapades. Margaret Johnson was born on July 7. As a Cancer, she is a water sign, and her ruling planet is the Moon. Cancerians run the entire gamut of human emotions, which clearly Margaret demonstrates in the book. On a personal note, I decided to drop my full name and just use my initials, J.J., based on the numerical vibration of the two letters (11), which means a teacher of lightwork and they are an alliteration. The titles of my books are also done according to numerology.

BPM:  How can our readers reach you online?
www.jjmichael.com
www.twitter.com/jjmichael
http://www.jjmichaelblog.blogspot.com/
www.facebook.com/jjmichael.author


JJ's  Fanpage
http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Unraveled-ebook
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/16025

ISBN-10: 0615359019
ISBN-13: 978-0615359014

Ten percent of book proceeds are donated to Neurofibromatosis Inc. and Hydrocephalus Association in honor of my son, Antoine Aparicio (1984-2001).


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