Intimate Conversation with Nakia R. Laushaul



Nakia R. Laushaul resides in Houston, Texas with her lovable teenage son. She is an inspirational poet, motivational speaker, novelist and entrepreneur. She recently stepped away from Corporate America to pursue a more creative life. She is the CEO and chief designer of A Reader’s Perspective, which offers a host of literary services ranging from publishing consultations to typesetting.

Nakia is the author of, “The Truth As I See It: In Poetry & Prose,” “Running from Solace,” a 2011 USA Book News Best Books Award Winner and 2012 Finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Nakia is featured in the Writer’s Digest inaugural publication dedicated to self-published authors: “2014 Guide to Self-Publishing.” Nakia is proud to present her 2014 title to readers, Locked in Purgatory.

Nakia is committed to challenging everyone within her reach to find compassion and empathy in the differences that exist among us all. Nakia truly believes that by doing what you love, you become happy! She hopes that you will go find your happiness.

For more information or to book Nakia R. Laushaul for your book club meeting or other special event, visit her website: www.NakiaRLaushaul.com. Check out her blog, Random Rants of Truth of a Social Butterfly: http://nakialaushaul.blogspot.com. For more information regarding publishing services please visit: www.areadersperspective.com.


BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing this book? Why now?
I started writing this book two days after I finished writing my first novel, Running from Solace in 2010 because there was so much more that needed to be said on the topic of generational curses. I finished it in 2012 and I’ve had an interesting journey to publication up until this very day. Why now? We have got to save our families.

BPM: Does your upbringing, prior relationships or life experiences inspire your writing?
Definitely. If I touch a tree limb, I am inspired. I see a character, a setting, and snippets of dialogue in everything. I have had an amazingly tumultuous and blessed life. And many of my experiences have been just so I could write from the inside out.

BPM: Where do your book ideas come from? Are your books plot driven or character driven? 
A character will begin speaking to me around the same time I see a title and a new book idea is born. I think I go right down the middle between character and plot driven stories. The characters drive the plots/the plots move the characters. Both are important and need to be well-developed.

BPM: Introduce us to your current work. What genre do you consider your book? Is this book available in digital forms like Nook and Kindle?
I write Inspirational Fiction. All of my books are available in paper and digital formats.

BPM: Give us some insight into your main characters. What makes each one so special?
I have three main characters: Luther Bennett, the family Patriarch who has fallen from grace. He’s the kind of man you’ll love to hate. Maybe. Next, there’s Lynne Bennett, Luther’s misguided adult daughter. She’s the woman we all know and love who just can’t seem to get it together in the romance department. Finally, Samuel Bennett, Luther’s eldest son, a man after Luther’s own heart, but at what cost?

BPM: What topics are primarily discussed? Did you learn anything personal from writing your book?
Locked in Purgatory tackles the very sensitive subject of fatherlessness and abandonment from a very real perspective. It’s not just another story about a deadbeat dad, it’s so much more than that. I am still in awe that I wrote it. I feel as though I experienced an amazing level of growth as a writer and a human being and I am humbled for being chosen to deliver this message.

BPM: What defines success for you, as a published author? What are your ambitions for your writing career?
If my books are being read by people I don’t know and will most likely never meet, I’ve accomplished my goal—I’m being read. I am a success.

BPM: What are your expectations for this book? What would you like for readers to do after reading this book? 
I want my readers to feel the emotions, to understand and have empathy for the characters who are all far too real. And after the last word has been read, and the one final sigh escapes your lips, if you are a woman reading Locked in Purgatory, I want you to pass it on to a man. If you know a father heading down purgatory road, like Luther—give him this book.

BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
Website: www.NakiaRLaushaul.com
Blog: www.nakialaushaul.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/nakiarl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nakia.laushaul
Instagram: www.instagram.com/agirlnamedkikiwrites


Purchase Locked in Purgatory by Nakia R. Laushaul
Link:  http://amzn.com/B00KG3J9NA