BOOK COVER Magazine December 2014 Meet Youth Author & Motivational Speaker Nkiyasi Helm www.bookcovermagazine.com We Bring Authors and Readers Together Holiday Family Traditions Top 10 Things Writers Want For The Holidays Foodie Corner Holiday Party Tips: Planning Checklist
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BOOK COVER Magazine
December 2014
Meet Youth Author & Motivational Speaker
Nkiyasi Helm
www.bookcovermagazine.com
We Bring Authors and Readers Together
Holiday Family Traditions
New Spotlight Author Top 10 Things Writers Want For The Holidays
adopt for Christmas, is the age of the children. I like to give the gift of the
written word, so I share great works of literature with them. I also aim to
plant the seeds of reading and writing into their minds.
This year, the family is a single gay father raising three children ages, 6, 9
and 11. He just lost his job and is in need of a lot of things, but he also told
me that he wants his children to read. He had the cable disconnected and
reading is a way his children can fill their time instead of in front of a TV.
I’m also excited that this issue is dedicated to youth with a very special
focus on the amazing Helm family. The Helms are my ideal family because
of one little girl that you have to get to know. At 13 years of age, she has
already written and published 11 books!
You will be inspired as we learn more about them in the next few pages!
*CONTEST ALERT*
Please sign your child up for the National Youth Eassy competition at
www.writtenbykids.com. BOOKCOVER Magazine is an official sponsor of
this contest that has a prize package worth $15,000.
In the name of good reading,
JL King, Publisher
BOOK COVER www.bookcovermagazine.com
FOUNDER AND PUBLISHER James L. King EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Reneé Lowe DIGITAL LAYOUT, DESIGNER AND COPY EDITOR OnyQueen Media (Graphics Division) CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS Felicia Younginer PUBLIC RELATIONS OnyxQueen Media (Communications) FIND US ON THE WEB!
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BOOK COVER Magazine is published by James L. King Publishing, LLC. Views expressed in articles, photographs or advertisments are strictly those of the author and do not reflect any position of BOOK COVER Magazine or OnyxQueen Media. No part of this publication shall be reproduced without written permission from James L. King Publishing.
I’m 13 years old and author of 11 motivational and inspirational children stories. Lansing, Michigan is my home town; I live there with my mom, dad, brother and my two sisters. I have been writing seriously for more than 3 years now and I really enjoy sharing my stories with others. I began making books at the age of 7 years old by folding and stapling paper together, then drawing all over it with crayons and pencils. Since then I have matured and now pretty much use the computer to do all my drawing and writing. I am an advocate for literacy, restoring justice, living a healthy, positive and productive life. One of my goals includes providing a conduit for other young people to share their story and insight on important issues
from a kid’s perspective.
13 Holiday Traditions By Felicia Younginer
15 Top 10 List: Things Writers Want For The Holidays
18 Foodie Corner: A Guide To Champagne Cocktails 21 Holiday Tips: Party Planning Checklist
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Youth Author and Motivational Speaker
Nkiyasi Helm
My name is Nkiyasi Helm. I’m 13 years old and author of 11 motivational and inspirational children stories. Lansing, Michigan is my home town; I live there with my mom, dad, brother and my two sisters. I have been writing seriously for more than 3 years now and I really enjoy sharing my stories with others. I began making books at the age of 7 years old by folding and stapling paper together, then drawing all over it with crayons and pencils. Since then I have matured and now pretty much use the computer to do all my drawing and writing. Currently all 11 of my books have been published and I aspire to write many more. I am an advocate for literacy, restoring justice, living a healthy, positive and productive life. One of my goals includes providing a conduit for other young people to share their story
and insight on important issues from a kid’s perspective. Writing is my passion and I plan to continue focusing on fundamental issues that affect young people around our nation. I believe that by sharing socially relevant stories directly with my peers, I can become a useful tool for opening a dialogue on issues that can be difficult to discuss. I have done several public speaking engagements, radio interviews, TV and newspaper interviews, etc. Through these channels, I have focused on anti-bullying, making healthy choices and improving literacy among youth.
Many kids at my previous school thought I was intimidating because I’m
tall, very physical and I look strong, but instead of accepting that identity I
chose to stand up for kids that are bullied and teased. Rather than joining in
on the teasing and bullying I would focus on restoring justice by nurturing
the situation and maybe become the friend that they never had, this is one
of the reasons why I wrote “The Day Before Yesterday and Bully A Bully
With Love.”I enjoy expressing how I feel about situations on paper!
BCM: When did you know you wanted to become an author?
NH: It started when I won first place in a contest at school for my book
called The Best Camping Trip Ever. I then decided that I wanted to be an author. My father later went to a meeting
and he there met a publisher who loved my work. I then published about five books at her company. I decided I
wanted to go even further and I started my own publishing company called Written By Kids.com. The main goal of my
publishing company is to be able to give kids a voice. Also to give kid’s perspective on issues taking place today.
BCM: Who is your favorite author and why?
I do not have a favorite author. It is impossible to choose considering everyone has a different writing style. The last
book I read was The Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey.
Cover Feature Story
BCM: Did anyone inspire you or encourage you to start writing?
NH: My mom took our cable away at the age of eight. I have always loved to write but because we did not have
cable, writing was my main source of entertainment. My mom at the time was working on getting her doctorate and
always encouraged education to be the first thing we thought about. When she saw I took a liking to writing she
always encouraged me to further my skills. She is the main reason I am where I am today.
BCM: What advice would you give to young authors just starting out?
NH: I definitely advise young people that want to write books to do it! I say that because I have heard so many adults
talking about how they wished that they finished the books they have started. I think you should always finish what
When I was a child, the holiday season meant traveling out of
town to go visit my grandparents and eating the best food
that could be found. It was a time when I got to see all of my
cousins and we had the most fun. I was fortunate because
both my maternal and paternal grandparents lived in the
same town, so I saw more of my family then, than at any
other time of the year.
Growing older and losing both sets of grandparents meant
changes would occur. Now, my parents are the grandparents and we now gather at their house to celebrate the
holidays. While many things have changed over the years, the one tradition that we have still maintained is choosing
a needy family in the community to help during Christmas. It was always a way to focus on how fortunate we have
been as a family.
Though the location of our holiday meals has changed over the
years, it still feels the same. There are always those food items
that are served during the holidays that are not eaten any other
time of the year, such as my mother's sausage stuffing and her
chocolate delight dessert. It is still a time when we gather as a
family and enjoy the love we share for one another. Eventually,
the children will grow up and become parents of their own and
things will change again. However, the one thing that will
never change is the love we feel for each other and our desire
to help those less fortunate than us for the holidays. This year, I
challenge you to find a way to give to those less fortunate as
you spend this holiday with the ones you love. From my family
to yours, have a Merry Christmas!
Felicia Younginer Bio:
Felicia Younginer is an educator, published author, and public speaker. She is the author of 180 Days: How Ineffective Leadership Can Ruin an Excellent School and Fractured. She writes three blogs: The Spirit Within, Gift of Teaching, and Just My Thoughts. She is currently working on a new book, Being Celibate in a Sex Crazed World. Felicia Younginer resides in Douglasville, GA.
Connect with Felicia: Web: www.180dayseei.com | Email: [email protected]