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STAND UP, SPEAK UP BECAUSE YOUR TIME’S UP

Greenville native and author Lawanda Lewis Burrell recently had a book signing at the Greenville-Butler County Public Library from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. this past Saturday.

Her book is titled ‘Stand Up, Speak Up Because Your Time’s Up’.

LaWanda said, “It is a self-help book which motivates you to live a life of purpose and be kind to one another, know your self-worth, and learn to love and forgive.”

She added, “This is my first book signing and I had to bring it back home. It feels good to be blessed by your own community.”

She is originally from Greenville but now lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband DeMorris. They recently celebrated 14 years of marriage on Dec. 17. In her book, LaWanda talks about her love story with DeMorris.

After attending Greenville High School, she graduated from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa and then moved to Houston and began a career in Human Resources.

After nearly twenty years in the profession she was fired from a firm over speaking out about unethical behaviors.

LaWanda said, “I had my pity party for a week or so and said I have got to get out of this. I prayed in my closet and said to God please tell me what you want me to do.”

She then pulled a box down and one of her old writing journals she had written five years earlier fell out.

She starting reading and then started typing on her laptop. Two weeks later she had a 250 page book.

“I started typing on Martin Luther King’s birthday. I said you, you know what, I have a dream too,” she said.

After holding onto the book for nine months, DeMorris asked what she was going to do with it.

Before submitting it to Christian A. Publishing in Pennsylvania, Pa. she went back into her closet.

LaWanda said to God, “The ones that did me wrong, and I called them by name, I forgive them whole heartedly. That same week I got a book contract.”

She added, “Forgiveness is power. It means you move forward and you open the window for blessings. Be open to change. Sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone.

“We need to be open to trials and tribulations of life because sometimes it turns out to be a blessing.

“I tell everybody; sometimes the letdown is not always bad. Sometimes God is redirecting you to where he wants you to go, not where you think you should be.”

LaWanda and DeMorris recently completed and audio book together and hopes it will be on Amazon in mid to late January.

Her book is available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Books-a-Million, Lifeway Christian Online Stores, iTunes, and E-books.

Her email is LaWanda.Burrell02@yahoo.com and her Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/authorlawandaburrell.

 

4 Comments

  1. Lashonda Fields on January 3, 2020 at 1:55 pm

    Good article and the book was great!

  2. Monique Michaelle Savage McCall on January 3, 2020 at 3:07 pm

    Amazing story of an amazing, beautifully aspiring, blessed cousin, childhood and lifelong friend, and church member. Many blessings to you and your family in all you do. I love you and may God continue to use you.

  3. Debra Hawkins on January 4, 2020 at 7:27 pm

    This article was well written and definitely shows the journey of a truly blessed child of God. Congratulations cousin.

  4. Shahzad Awan on January 13, 2020 at 4:26 am

    yes it’s necessary for every one.

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