book cover magazine | december 2014
DESCRIPTION
We Bring Authors and Readers TogetherTRANSCRIPT
BOOK COVER Magazine
December 2014
Meet Youth Author & Motivational Speaker
Nkiyasi Helm
www.bookcovermagazine.com
We Bring Authors and Readers Together
Holiday Family Traditions
New Spotlight Author Top 10 Things Writers Want For The Holidays
New Spotlight Author Foodie Corner
Holiday Party Tips: Planning Checklist
Holiday Greetings!
As we enter the time when everything starts
to be all about family, friends, shopping and
food, it’s important that we don’t forget
about those who are not as blessed. Every
year, I adopt a family who is in need. One
thing I look for when chosing a family to
adopt for Christmas, is the age of the children. I like to give the gift of the
written word, so I share great works of literature with them. I also aim to
plant the seeds of reading and writing into their minds.
This year, the family is a single gay father raising three children ages, 6, 9
and 11. He just lost his job and is in need of a lot of things, but he also told
me that he wants his children to read. He had the cable disconnected and
reading is a way his children can fill their time instead of in front of a TV.
I’m also excited that this issue is dedicated to youth with a very special
focus on the amazing Helm family. The Helms are my ideal family because
of one little girl that you have to get to know. At 13 years of age, she has
already written and published 11 books!
You will be inspired as we learn more about them in the next few pages!
*CONTEST ALERT*
Please sign your child up for the National Youth Eassy competition at
www.writtenbykids.com. BOOKCOVER Magazine is an official sponsor of
this contest that has a prize package worth $15,000.
In the name of good reading,
JL King, Publisher
BOOK COVER www.bookcovermagazine.com
FOUNDER AND PUBLISHER James L. King EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Reneé Lowe DIGITAL LAYOUT, DESIGNER AND COPY EDITOR OnyQueen Media (Graphics Division) CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS Felicia Younginer PUBLIC RELATIONS OnyxQueen Media (Communications) FIND US ON THE WEB!
Official Website: www.bookcovermagazine.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookCoverMag Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/bookcoverfbpage GENERAL INFO/ADVERTISING SALES [email protected] MAILING ADDRESS 3570 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Suite 340-175 Duluth, GA 30096
BOOK COVER Magazine is published by James L. King Publishing, LLC. Views expressed in articles, photographs or advertisments are strictly those of the author and do not reflect any position of BOOK COVER Magazine or OnyxQueen Media. No part of this publication shall be reproduced without written permission from James L. King Publishing.
Publisher’s Note
6 Cover Feature Story My name is Nkiyasi Helm.
I’m 13 years old and author of 11 motivational and inspirational children stories. Lansing, Michigan is my home town; I live there with my mom, dad, brother and my two sisters. I have been writing seriously for more than 3 years now and I really enjoy sharing my stories with others. I began making books at the age of 7 years old by folding and stapling paper together, then drawing all over it with crayons and pencils. Since then I have matured and now pretty much use the computer to do all my drawing and writing. I am an advocate for literacy, restoring justice, living a healthy, positive and productive life. One of my goals includes providing a conduit for other young people to share their story and insight on important issues
from a kid’s perspective.
13 Holiday Traditions By Felicia Younginer
15 Top 10 List: Things Writers Want For The Holidays
18 Foodie Corner: A Guide To Champagne Cocktails 21 Holiday Tips: Party Planning Checklist
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Youth Author and Motivational Speaker
Nkiyasi Helm
My name is Nkiyasi Helm. I’m 13 years old and author of 11 motivational and inspirational children stories. Lansing, Michigan is my home town; I live there with my mom, dad, brother and my two sisters. I have been writing seriously for more than 3 years now and I really enjoy sharing my stories with others. I began making books at the age of 7 years old by folding and stapling paper together, then drawing all over it with crayons and pencils. Since then I have matured and now pretty much use the computer to do all my drawing and writing. Currently all 11 of my books have been published and I aspire to write many more. I am an advocate for literacy, restoring justice, living a healthy, positive and productive life. One of my goals includes providing a conduit for other young people to share their story
and insight on important issues from a kid’s perspective. Writing is my passion and I plan to continue focusing on fundamental issues that affect young people around our nation. I believe that by sharing socially relevant stories directly with my peers, I can become a useful tool for opening a dialogue on issues that can be difficult to discuss. I have done several public speaking engagements, radio interviews, TV and newspaper interviews, etc. Through these channels, I have focused on anti-bullying, making healthy choices and improving literacy among youth.
Many kids at my previous school thought I was intimidating because I’m
tall, very physical and I look strong, but instead of accepting that identity I
chose to stand up for kids that are bullied and teased. Rather than joining in
on the teasing and bullying I would focus on restoring justice by nurturing
the situation and maybe become the friend that they never had, this is one
of the reasons why I wrote “The Day Before Yesterday and Bully A Bully
With Love.”I enjoy expressing how I feel about situations on paper!
BCM: When did you know you wanted to become an author?
NH: It started when I won first place in a contest at school for my book
called The Best Camping Trip Ever. I then decided that I wanted to be an author. My father later went to a meeting
and he there met a publisher who loved my work. I then published about five books at her company. I decided I
wanted to go even further and I started my own publishing company called Written By Kids.com. The main goal of my
publishing company is to be able to give kids a voice. Also to give kid’s perspective on issues taking place today.
BCM: Who is your favorite author and why?
I do not have a favorite author. It is impossible to choose considering everyone has a different writing style. The last
book I read was The Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey.
Cover Feature Story
BCM: Did anyone inspire you or encourage you to start writing?
NH: My mom took our cable away at the age of eight. I have always loved to write but because we did not have
cable, writing was my main source of entertainment. My mom at the time was working on getting her doctorate and
always encouraged education to be the first thing we thought about. When she saw I took a liking to writing she
always encouraged me to further my skills. She is the main reason I am where I am today.
BCM: What advice would you give to young authors just starting out?
NH: I definitely advise young people that want to write books to do it! I say that because I have heard so many adults
talking about how they wished that they finished the books they have started. I think you should always finish what
you start so you do not have to wish you did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nkiyasi has the full support her family. We felt since this was our holiday edition, that we would spotlight her family
as well. Supporting the youth so they reach and exceed their potential is something the Helms family knows very
well! We spoke with Nkiyasi’s father, Robert Helm, to find out more about them. Read on and be Inspired!
BCM: Can you tell us about your children?
RH: Sure, I have four wonderful, beautiful and intelligent children that are unique in their own ways. First my little
princess Nxalati my youngest, she is a real entertainer that loves to dance and sing in front of as many people as she
can get to sit and watch. Then I have my superstar Little Lindiwe, she has a big imagination and enjoys playing dolls
and roll playing with them. She also loves to dance and play spy games. My son Jonasi is growing into the man of the
house. He has always shown a special leadership quality and he is a fierce salesman at the ripe old age of 12. He has
the sweetest, most compassionate soul that I have ever seen in a young man with a desire to lead the masses on to a
positive path. Nkiyasi, is the matriarch of our family, she is the first born and has always been a leader to her siblings
and we encourage to her set good examples for them to follow. She is a 4.0 GPA student, been voted Example of
Excellence multiple times by her school. She is a motivational speaker, mentor, author illustrator, publisher,
entrepreneur and a wonderful big sister.
BCM: How long have you been married?
RH: 14 years
BCM: Please tell us a little about your wife.
RH: My best friend, teacher, business partner and the
love of my life, Dr. Lindiwe Mhlongo Helm is the best
person I know. She’s a vibrant, compassionate and
encouraging woman that has overcome many hurdles.
She was born and raised in Tzaneen, South Africa
during apartheid and she has a real value for life and
family.
BCM: As a father of a young author, how did she get
started writing?
RH: Nkiyasi has been writing and drawing since she was able to hold a pencil and hasn’t stop since she begun. Her
love for reading, writing and drawing grew even more when we decided to
get rid of cable TV over 7 years ago.
BCM: Are any of your other children writers?
RH: Yes, my daughter Little Lindiwe is a beautiful writer, I mean literally
she has eye-pleasing hand writing. She has a few books that she is
currently working on converting them into an electronic format so that we
can publish them. We are planning to release them next year.
BCM: What is a typical day like in the Helm home?
RH: We definitely love to discuss different issues ranging from the
importance of education, self-love, confidence, how to handle situations
we come across daily effectively. We love to put on each one’s favorite
music, dance and clown together, we also love watching certain
documentaries as well. Our daily life pretty much consists of talking about
what we are doing, what we have to do, or what we plan to do. Definitely
a lot of talking and asking questions. However, in the course of doing all
that we are an ordinary family, we play video games, talk mess, jack each
other up and so on.
BCM: What are the holidays like at the Helm home?
RH: We celebrate one another as often as possible, I
guess it’s just a habit now so we tend to do things very
different. For example, during the Christmas and Kwanza
time of year we just hide gifts randomly throughout the
house and tell them that there is something somewhere
for them and they just have to find it. It is so great to
watch them running around the house, having so much
fun looking for presents. They are guaranteed to have
any present they want as long as it is educational or
enhances their imagination and creativity. Of course, at
the end of it all, we put on various types of music,
especially South African music and dance our hearts out!
BCM: Does each of your children have a computer, tablet or cell phone?
RH: All of my kids have desktop computers which are usually not hooked up. They all have their own laptops
including my 6-year-old which they use more often than not, especially since my three youngest children are home
schooled. They also have a tablet and cellphone. We choose to invest gradually in these devices so that it provides
them an opportunity to become tech savvy as well as stay on top of school and research things that can help improve
their intellectual capacity and the ability to practically apply the knowledge they acquire to their lives.
BCM: What are your dreams for your children?
RH: I dream that they will have an opportunity and the wherewithal to become everything they desire to be. We are
raising them up as leaders and therefore I expect nothing less from whatever they choose to do. We raise them to
become the utmost effective contributing members of any community in which they live; we encourage them at
every opportunity to seek true happiness and success in their own definition, in all their endeavors.
BCM: Is your family a traditional one?
RH: I am not sure what a traditional family is, but we are a family that loves, supports and cares for one another and
those around us. We are a family that understands Systems Thinking thus, the importance of appreciating and
understanding how everything is connected and interconnected, related/interrelated and how every component
directly and indirectly affects one another and the system as a whole. This forces us to be conscious of our
interaction and the impact we may have on others and our planet.
BCM: What is the number one rule in your home?
RH: Respect self, respect others, respect the environment and most importantly be the best at something!
BCM: What advice do you give parents who want to develop their child’s talents?
RH: The most important thing you can give your children is your time. Encourage them, listen to them and facilitate
their growth. Pay attention to what your children really enjoy, help them and encourage them be the best at it and
lastly, validate them at every opportunity.
BCM: Do you have an in-home library?
RH: Yes, we have a complete collection of Nkiyasi’s books and our children love reading them especially our 6-year
old. Nkiyasi’s books are a focal point of fundamental understanding in our household. We also have many different
types of literature including but not limited to: world history, politics, sciences, biographies, poetry, geography,
finance, accounting, business, cartoon and coloring books. My wife is definitely a hoarder when it comes to books, I
mean, she still has some text books she had as a kid in South Africa.
BCM: What are the core ethics of your home?
RH: - Ubuntu. A South African concept that directly translates to human
interconnectedness, interrelatedness and
therefore calls for human kindness, altruism, humanity towards others,
the innate belief of consideration,
justice, sharing and the universal bonds that connect all of us.
- Anything more than fundamental is abundance and needs to be treated
as such.
- Good things happen to good people, bad things may happen to everyone
so, always choose wisely.
- Follow your passion. In doing so, you have already been paid.
BCM: How has the internet influenced the way you raise your children?
RH: It certainly strengthened their ability to research, find information about anything they’d like to know, educate
themselves particularly in regards to a subject they may be struggling with in school. Thus, GOOGLE has indeed
become their best friend and my wife and I enjoy challenging them in regards to how credible their sources are. No
topic is beyond discussion in our household. However, there are certain subjects I have notice my 13-year old may
not be very comfortable asking about, so in recognition of this, my wife provided her with a credible medical website
to learn about the reproductive system. This allowed her to approach the changes she’s facing with a scientific
understanding that facilitates a fruitful and educational discussion between her and us. Predictably, she is very
interested in becoming the best obstetrician when she completes the required university studies. Lastly, children are
usually more tech savvy than adults and that pretty much holds true in our household. So we do our best to educate
them as to what types of things they may encounter online.
BCM: What do you wish every child would receive this Christmas?
RH: Well one thing for sure, I wish that we were in a position to give every family a full set of Nkiyasi’s motivational
and inspirational books. My wish would be that parents would sit down and read these short stories with their
children and discuss the important issues within them on a regular basis. Not only is this likely to facilitate a fruitful
discussion, but it will also provide many parents the opportunity to bond as they spend time reading with their
children as well as encouraging their children to bring the issues that are of concern to them to the surface so they
can be tackled effectively.
BCM: When you think about your daughter, what do you want her future to be?
RH: My wish is that Nkiyasi continue to have a great disposition in all that she’s faced with and not to waver to any
external influences, particularly if they do not bring about positivity in all her endeavors. I want her to build an
enduring foundation that provides a voice that echoes for years to come and inspires change in the hearts of
humanity to create a better tomorrow.
BCM: This has been inspiring! Is there anything else you would like to add about your family?
RH: My family is the most important asset I have. They give me strength when I am weak and make me feel better
when I am questioning my wellness. Therefore, everything that I do is for the growth and development of family and
the understanding of what it represents. Unconditional love, support, and understanding are the focal point of many
of our family discussions and is an important factor of how we relate to one another. We teach our children to make
inclusive decisions that benefit all those involved. But first, we teach them how to think and how to apply knowledge
they continue to acquire in real life. I would also like to add that in our household the standing rule is to do the right
thing at all times and we make sure that they know what the right thing is to the best of our ability, therefore if they
“choose” something other then what they know to be correct, consequences will follow.
BCM: What holiday greeting do you have for our readers from the Helm family?
RH: During this Holiday Season remember, define your own success and happiness uncharacterized by material
possessions and pseudo fame that cannot be sustained. Remain confident, articulate about your intentions and be
utterly committed to your own true and sustainable success. Enjoy your journey at every opportunity, be happy and
reward yourself often. Lastly, remember to treat anything more than a fundamental necessity or need as an
abundance. You’ll be surprised at the wealth of intelligence, strength, endurance, tenacity and grace you possess that
you haven’t had an opportunity to tap into. Have a blessed Holiday Season!
Connect with The Helms: Nkiyasi’s Website: www.nkiyasihelm.com | Company Website: www.writtenbykids.com Twitter: @WBKPC
When I was a child, the holiday season meant traveling out of
town to go visit my grandparents and eating the best food
that could be found. It was a time when I got to see all of my
cousins and we had the most fun. I was fortunate because
both my maternal and paternal grandparents lived in the
same town, so I saw more of my family then, than at any
other time of the year.
Growing older and losing both sets of grandparents meant
changes would occur. Now, my parents are the grandparents and we now gather at their house to celebrate the
holidays. While many things have changed over the years, the one tradition that we have still maintained is choosing
a needy family in the community to help during Christmas. It was always a way to focus on how fortunate we have
been as a family.
Though the location of our holiday meals has changed over the
years, it still feels the same. There are always those food items
that are served during the holidays that are not eaten any other
time of the year, such as my mother's sausage stuffing and her
chocolate delight dessert. It is still a time when we gather as a
family and enjoy the love we share for one another. Eventually,
the children will grow up and become parents of their own and
things will change again. However, the one thing that will
never change is the love we feel for each other and our desire
to help those less fortunate than us for the holidays. This year, I
challenge you to find a way to give to those less fortunate as
you spend this holiday with the ones you love. From my family
to yours, have a Merry Christmas!
Felicia Younginer Bio:
Felicia Younginer is an educator, published author, and public speaker. She is the author of 180 Days: How Ineffective Leadership Can Ruin an Excellent School and Fractured. She writes three blogs: The Spirit Within, Gift of Teaching, and Just My Thoughts. She is currently working on a new book, Being Celibate in a Sex Crazed World. Felicia Younginer resides in Douglasville, GA.
Connect with Felicia: Web: www.180dayseei.com | Email: [email protected]
Holiday Traditions
By Felicia Younginer
Keurig K65 Special Edition Single Cup Coffee Maker
Things Writers Want For The Holidays!
1. Time to read or write
2. Support from family and friends
3. A good laptop with updated software
4. A professional editor
5. A workable and affordable budget
6. Someone to market their book
7. A bestselling book
8. A call from Oprah, to invite them on a show
9. A book distributor
10. Inspiration to become the best
~Public Relations and Branding~ (Branding Events and Individuals)
-Social Media (Management and Campaigns)
-Media Pitching and Editorial Placement
-Bespoke Stationery and Custom Gifts
-Media Kits (Electronic and Printed)
~Writing Services~ -Blogs
-Websites
-Proposals
-Press Releases
-Sponsorship Decks
-Partnerships
-Fundraising (Non-Profits)
-Gifting Suites
-Reputation Management
-Crisis Management
-Media Training
-Image Consulting
Contact: [email protected] | Web: www.onyxqueenmedia.com
Contact BOOK COVER Magazine For Affordable Advertising! Email: [email protected]
Director’s Cut:
Meet Dee Dee M. Scott
BOOK COVER© Magazine
We Bring Authors and Readers Together
Connect With Us
Official Website:
www.bookcovermagazine.com
Twitter:
@BOOKCOVERMag
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/bookcovermagazine
For Ad Rate Inquiries or to Send Artwork: