Do you feel a constant tug on your heart to go after your goals? Do you feel a constant tug at your heart telling you that you were meant for more?
If so, Kimberley Carter Spivey wrote her new book for you.
Bloom: How to Get from Good Enough to a Life You Love is part memoir, part self-help, and Kimberley wrote this book to help you make the life of your dreams a reality.
Kimberley is the woman behind the blog Girl, You Write and as she juggles marriage and motherhood with a writing career and a day job, she certainly knows what it takes to go after goals. It’s her go-getter attitude that made her See Jane Write Member of the Month back in September 2019. And now the See Jane Write community can’t wait to dive into her new book.
For people who are new to you, briefly tell us what your new book is all about and who it’s for.
My book is about providing women with the tactics and tools to shut out voices of dissent, dream bigger, work harder, and focus more on what they want out of life. Being a woman, I wanted to write a book that would be relatable to other women with some of the many obstacles that they’re facing or will face in life. How to overcome feeling stuck when you’re at a place in your life that your heart desires to pursue audacious goals, but your inner critic is telling you that you can’t do hard things. Through writing Bloom, my goal is to shift the narrative by empowering women from my personal experiences that those desires and dreams that keep them up at night—both the audacious ones that scare them and the adventurous ones they want to experience — are possible.
What inspired you to write your book?
Several things inspired me to write my book. My love for writing, the feminist within that wants tribes of women to win at life and claim their power and purpose—a passion that lies in my heart to share strategies because I’ve faced the same obstacles. But mostly, I felt a calling from God to write a book that would be deemed for a higher purpose. In the book, I dive much deeper into how He laid the foundation for me to write it.
What do you hope people will get out of your book?
An awakening. To create an actionable plan to take charge of aspirations that have been lying dormant in their lives for far too long. Do the hard work, stay on course, be consistent—even when they think things aren’t possible. My heart’s desire is that I empower readers with the first steps towards taking control of their life, stepping outside of their comfort zone, and conquering all of their fears. Understand that it’s no magic formula for transforming your life, but if you put a plan of action in place, dig deep and commit to yourself, a transformation will happen.
Why did you decide to self-publish?
I wanted my book out into the world sooner rather than later. Bloom is a text that is much needed, especially now more than ever. During this time of the pandemic, people are yearning for direction, encouragement, and a safe refuge.
I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to publish a book. I think it’s all about personal preference. And I’m not opposed to traditional publishing in the future. With self-publishing, I do like the fact that you have total control over your book and promoting. Also, I had a talented group of friends who I knew would help my book be everything that I wanted it to be.
How did being a member of See Jane Write help you with completing and publishing your book?
The final stage of completing my book is how I discovered See Jane Write I was looking for an editor. My original editor had experience with smaller pieces of work and, after a few days, he realized that he lacked the experience to complete a book project. He said to me, “A friend of mine recommended someone for you, and she is the real deal.” After looking at the See Jane Write website, there was no question that the community was what I needed. Not only did I become a member, but you also recommended a member of See Jane Write who’s a phenomenal editor—Mandy Shunnarah-Reed. It was a joy working with Mandy. One of the many things that I love about SJW is the resource library. It’s what I like to call the gold mine. It has so much valuable information. The videos on book writing and publishing (among many other resources) were extremely helpful as I prepared to publish my book.
Where can people buy your book?
Bloom is available on Amazon. The direct link is amzn.to/3lySn2w. Signed copies are available on my website at http://www.girlyouwrite.com.
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The See Jane Write book club See Jane Read is back! And we’re reading Bloom by Kimberley Carter Spivey. Join us on October 18 at 3 p.m. CT for a virtual discussion of the book. RSVP on Facebook.
Love, love this book! For any woman in need of encouragement and having her own personal cheerleader, this book is for you. In Bloom, Kim shares her heart—how she faced her fears and lack of self-confidence and self-worth that was hindering her from going after goals and dreams she has for herself. She shares how her faith in God helped and guided her to have the courage to open up and share her story with the world. Kim’s sincerity and warmth comes through as she supports and encourages women to dig deep from within themselves, step out of their comfort zones, kick doubters to the curb, and go after dreams and goals that seem too big! Kim demonstrates that with faith in God and a willingness to do the work, every woman can BLOOM! I strongly recommend this book.