This book is my journey from darkness. Though it is God-inspired, it is not all pretty. It is like going from darkness, to dimness, to light in the span of a book. I have never read anything similar to it, and it is unlikely that you have either. I believe that my journey was purposed and that God allowed me to experience all that I experienced, so that I can relate my story from a viewpoint of having been. That is so that I can reach those for whom the story is sent; for those who don't know God and for the addicted. But all who read it are blessed by it and learn from it, and are better for having read it. You walk with me through the story and experience what I experienced; you see what I saw. I thank God for using me to write it--for calling me to His purpose.
About the Author: I was born Michelle Elaine Jones in Washington, DC and was raised it Washington, DC until my adolescent years, then taken to Buckingham, VA, where segregation had recently ended. I became quite outspoken and I had a lot of friends who respected that. I ended up being a cheerleader from Jr. High School through High School. I was editior of the high school paper "The Knight Rapper" until I graduated in 1976, a year early. My first church was Union Hill Baptist Church, which I joined in 1971. I would continue to write while in college, St. Paul's College in Lawrenceville, VA, where I majored in English and the Humanities from 1981-1985 earning a BA degree. I wrote for the college paper and joined the sisterhood of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., in 1982. I met and married my first and only husband in 1986. We had two beautiful children.I continued to flourish and went on to my first real job as a legal secretary for the communications firm, Fisher, Wayland, Cooper and Leader. As my book will attest, lost my way for many years, but I continued to work and to be productive (in spite of.) From Islam (which I began living in 1984), I returned to the Christian faith in 1996. I began to write again in 2006. Since 2004, I have worked in the marketing field for 12 years and will be returning to the field soon. I was a mortgage loan officer from 2006-2008. After returning to the Christian faith, I first joined the Richmond Christian Center (1996), the Church of God in Christ in Gladstone, VA (1998), then New Bible Baptist Church of Washington, DC (2004), Ebenezer Baptist Church, Orange, NJ (2008) and finally, Bethesda Baptist Church of Washington, DC (2011) where I still attend and where I am an active member today. After the success of this book, I do intend to write others, such as the children's series "Keep My Commandments", and another series about the lives of others who overcame "by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony" (Rev. 12:11), titled"Portraits".