Today's blog is focused on one woman, Pastor Shirley Lucas Cain, a Godly woman who I have had the honor of working with to help her publish her book. It has been months since we first met and during that time I have gotten to know her and respect not only who she is but also what she stands for. I have had the pleasure of serving as her developmental editor and helping her to publish her book through Absolute Author Publishing House and I want my readers to get to know her and her book Beauty from a Concrete Life: Blossoming in My Greatness. I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I have gotten to know her. Meet, Pastor Shirley Lucas Cain.
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Shirley Lucas Cain
Facebook: Shirley Lucascain
Twitter:propetesscain
Tell your readers a little about yourself. Where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school, etc. Let them get to know the personal you.
I am Shirley Mae Lucas Cain, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, later relocated to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where she grew up. I am a current resident of Houston, Texas. A graduate from M.C. Williams Jr.- Sr. in Houston, Texas. I am a single Mother of three sons, six grandchildren and two great-grands. It was impressed on my heart to start up a church of “Win the Walk to Jesus Ministry” as of May 23, 2008, in my home in Houston, Texas. I attended Hazel Hughes Whole Life Success Ministry Institute, Houston, Texas in October 2007 to further pursue my ministry and graduated with my diploma and became a licensed as Minister on January 10, 2010. As of June 2014, I became licensed and ordained as Pastor by Dr. Yvonne Mitchell. I am the founder of “Helping the Homeless to Jesus” serving them food and preaching the word of God and prayers.
Employed with Texas Department Human Services, later promoted to Office of Inspector General as Fraud Investigator II in Houston, Texas, I served 27 years and retired in December 2008. I was inspired to continue my education with Houston Community College majoring in “Liberal Arts & Humanities” pursuing my Associate Degree. My future vision is to start up a shelter for women “Overcoming Life’s Adversity” which will also provide counseling services. It is a place where women can come to find their place in society, be renewed, become refreshed, and learn how to adapt after being exposed to negative opposition in their lives.
What inspired you to write this book?
I believe that there are many individuals out there who have experienced pain, hopelessness, and rejection - the same as I have. My primary goal is to let you know that there is hope, there are healing and people who can support and love you. It was not easy reliving the abuse I suffered in my life. There were times as I was writing in my diary, the ink was running by me erasing the words from my tears. I had to tell my story not realizing it was my healing as well. This is my expression of “Beauty Grown from a Concrete life” which entails the details after the trails and storms have passed in my life. Now I am sharing with you how I overcame the hurt and rejection, but in this book, you will see my transgression turn to blessings. That is my motivation for doing this book.
Where did you get the inspiration for your book cover?
My concrete life showing that beauty has emerged.
Who has been the biggest influence on you personally and as a writer?
I have to give the glory to God for the late nights and support from my family when I wanted to give up writing this book.
What were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?
What struggles did I go thru? “Laughing” There are too many to talk about at this moment. I guarantee the book will tell you how something beautiful came out of a life that was so tragic. Let it be known that my biggest struggle was with Leukemia and having the strength to continue writing this book. It was the memories of old pain. I finally allowed myself to heal since I have finished this book.
Tell your readers what the book is about.
Have you ever experienced your life as useless and painful? Do you get to a point that you just want to end it all? Do you believe that there are advantages and disadvantages to the lives of most human beings?
It is indeed a pleasure for me to share with all of my readers the aspirations, impartations, failures, and experiences I have endured. There were positive spiritual events that really shaped my life. It is important that you read each chapter intensely so you can be helped and blessed, especially the trigger points that changed my life. I was a little girl born out of wedlock to a mother who was a deaf-mute and who fell in love deserting me as her child. My life was as if I was living motherless not from death, but because my mother chose not to be a parent. I was living from house to house on the streets with nowhere to go. In my life, I was misused, abused, raped and stripped of all my dignity. My journey was painful, but God had a plan for me.
Who is your target audience and why?
Anyone who has experienced. But, there is somebody who has experienced a concrete life as well as someone that has not had a concrete life. This is for everybody.
If you were going to give one reason for anyone looking at your book to read, why should they buy it?
We deal with people that are prisoners to their pain. I want to be that voice for those who don’t have a voice or choose not to use that voice. Allow this book to be the tool to help you heal.
What do you consider your greatest success in life?
My greatest success was when I first gave my life to God who has allowed me to live from a disease that wanted to take my life. Having the courage to write this book so I can close the final chapters.
Everyone has life lessons to learn, tell your readers one or two of yours and how they make you the person you are today.
Having the courage to write this book so I can close the final chapter of my life. Living a rough life and losing my way in life so that God gets the victory for the reason I am still here. What I do know, God had a calling on my life allowing me to trust him to do his will in my life.
What one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?
MY STORY
Tell your readers anything else you want to share.
It is my greatest desire that this book is a blessing to you and that you share it with someone that may be inspired by it.
COMING MAY 10, 2019
 
It is getting really close to this month's giveaway contest. Be sure to subscribe for your chance to win a book by Max Hawthorne from his series Kronos Rising.
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