Book: Redefining Normal
Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Justin and Alexis are authors, speakers, business owners and part of the Forbes Next 1000 class of 2021. Together, they’ve published an award-winning, bestselling book titled Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat The Odds and Discovered Healing, Happiness and Love that has impacted over 15,000 individuals and families. With ROSE (Rising Over Societal Expectations) Empowerment Group and Redefining Normal, they hope to continue the conversation on healthy relationships, mental health, and healing through speaking engagements, trainings and book clubs.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Redefining Normal’ book?
Redefining Normal book is an intimate and personal journey of two individuals learning themselves outside of the unhealthy generational practices. We want to take people into the rooms where things happened, meaning we had to relive these situations ourselves. During this progress, we had a roller coaster of emotions and needed to find healthy outlets to continue out healing journey as we continued writing the book.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. It is a story of shame and redemption that reaches across racial and religious gaps. That no matter your environment, even in war, you can find joy.
I can see this reflected in my own life that no matter what I go through and what my environment looks like, I have the power to choose joy in any situation. This reminds me of the power of our mind and our words and how we can reframe our situations so that we can learn and be empowered from it.
Q4. What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
One of our favorite places we’ve been to is Washington D.C. It’s a place known for politics but truly a beautiful and historic place to be. The energy of the city forces you to be focused and disciplined like no other place.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
Yes, the book writing process can be exhausting but it all starts from an idea. With our latest book, we primarily focused on a concept that we’ve pondered on for years. We believe that challenging concepts and issues bring people together and that’s what we wanted to do with our book and business.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Redefining Normal’ book?
We started writing the book in March of 2020, the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic where we were locked down and looking for employment. Instead of continuing to search for job, we decided to put our full effort into creating this book and releasing it in 2020. The final product, Redefining Normal, was released on November 9th, 2020.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘Redefining Normal’ book to buy?
Readers can find our book at re-definingnormal.com! You can also find it on Barnes & Noble as well as Amazon along with the audiobook.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Redefining Normal’?
Your normal is the identity that has been shaped by your family, community, and society. For those with trauma and abuse survivors, we inherited a culture of ideas that was a reflection of the trauma of our family and community. This became our reality and the image we had of ourselves. We needed to go through the process of redefining our normal and challenging others to do the same.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
Living life and allowing yourself to process what you’re writing and your experiences keep things fresh. For us, we felt like we’ve lived four lives in one and we’re only in our 20’s. Being as detailed as possible also allows the reader to have the impact in living that experienced as well.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
The last chapter ends with us getting married. Not that it’s a surprise but it lets readers know just how far we’ve come from our childhood.
Book Is Available On Amazon
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