Souls of My Young Sisters

For Immediate Release

Overcoming Fear and Finding Faith

Stories Told in New book Souls of My Young Sisters

New York, NY—For Kimberly Cooper King, her journey to embracing faith as the most important guide in her life has been a challenging one. She wasn’t raised in an overly religious way, but even from a young age, she could feel the power of spirituality in her life. Her mother called it “the vibes.” By her early twenties, though, Kimberly’s faith would be tested to its core.



Kimberly lost both of her parents to cancer by the time she was twenty-two years old. This devastating loss came coupled with the shocking revelation that her father had another child — an older sister she never knew she had. Despite the eventual comfort she found in her new sibling, Kimberly struggled with the loss of her parents. But as her professional life took off, she found herself more open to turning to God to help her through this difficult time.



Kimberly tells her story in Souls of My Young Sisters: (Souls of My Sisters, an imprint of Kensington Publishing; June, 2010; $15.00; trade paperback), written and edited by Dawn Marie Daniels and Candace Sandy with a foreword by Madeline Smalls and Mary J. Blige. She joins sixty contributors who all tell their true stories, sharing their private pain in the hopes that it will inspire other women during difficult times.



“God is in control, and He’s our source. When we focus our faith in Him, no matter what the circumstances or the situation, He will make apparent the steps to direct out path. You just have to believe,” Kimberly says. “It took a while, but I finally started to really believe God again. I knew He wouldn’t bring me this far to leave me. I really began to identify what it meant to diligently seek Him. There was a real desire and fire for Him. To be comforted by Him and to know Him was challenging and amazing at the same time. That was a very real experience that I believe we all deserve to enjoy, but you have to go there and dig deep.”



The women in these pages are survivors and have not even reached the age of thirty. If you are trying to figure out what’s next, headed to college, in the midst of a quarter-life crisis, or getting your career or family started, look to your sisters and their honest – sometimes heartbreaking – but, always encouraging real-life stories.



“These young women are powerful, and knowing the stories of other young women from around the world keeps you from feeling alone,” say Daniels and Sandy. “Our purpose is to give women the opportunity to be able to recognize themselves by reading about other women’s lives and gain the strength to move on and succeed as those have before them.”

Kimberly is a seasoned mass media professional with a proven track record as a writer, editor, copywriter, marketer, and producer across various communications platforms. In addition to being an Ambassador for Souls of My Young Sisters she owns BG Unlimited, Inc. Her work has been featured in Essence, Playbill, The Source, The Amsterdam News, NY, Scratch, and Honey magazines, among others. As a producer and brand strategist, she consults on integrated marketing executions with BET.

The authors, Dawn Marie Daniels and Candace Sandy, who have been friends since high school, enlisted the help of women between the ages of 18 to30 from United States, the Caribbean, and Africa. Sections of the book revolve around self-image, “I Had Enough,” “Why Does It Hurt so Bad?” “Why Am I Afraid?” “Am I My Mother?,” faith, decisions, careers, love, and death. Whether you’re dealing with issues of self-esteem, dating, domestic violence, cyber-stalking, or racial profiling, within these pages a diverse gathering of amazing women like yourself, from entrepreneurs to entertainers, have words of wisdom, inspiration, and practical information. Women of all backgrounds will find stories or issues they, or a loved one have confronted in their own lives.



This year marks the ten-year anniversary since the publication of the first volume of the national bestseller, Souls of My Sisters: Black Women Break Their Silence, tell Their Stories and Heal Their Spirits. We are honoring this release with a Souls of My Sisters conference on the island of St. Lucia, August 5 to 9, 2010.



About the Authors:

Dawn Marie Daniels has edited many New York Times bestselling books and has utilized her talents to ensure that African American projects get the attention they deserve.

Candace Sandy is the president of Candace Sandy Communications, a multimedia cooperative that targets women. For eleven years, she has also served as the communications director for Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY).



For a comprehensive list of upcoming Souls of My Sisters events, please visit our website at www.soulsofmysisters.com.



CONTACT:

Tiffany Dean  - Souls of My Sisters (212) 407-1581
Soulsofmysisters@gmail.com
119 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018
T (212) 407-1581
F (212) 935-0699
www.kensingtonbooks.com

Ten Days Deep

I've been floating for the past 10 days since our wedding day.  Our day was magical, beautiful, refreshing and overall just blessed.  The energy that was present was ultra magnetic, and love was very much in the air.  I wasn't too sure that I could let go and be present to enjoy the moment as everyone suggested.  I knew I had to adhere to a schedule...the very detailed "Flow Doc" I created, but I tend to always want to micro manage my stuff.


I went to sleep in prayer and woke up cheerful and hungry,  I called my husband to be around 8a and he appeared to already be on the go.  The hours seemed to go by so slowly in the morning which could have easily been disguised as my anxiety.  I was ready for hair & make-up.  Ready for the arrival of my bridal party, ready to see the groomsmen in their tuxs, ready to hear our Pastor give a good word, ready to see how all of the pieces to the puzzle I had been placing together for months was finally going to come together. As the time ticked, the photographer and videographer arrived.  My godmother was right by my side to make sure everything was moving along.  I called my planner/cousin to check in.  Everything was just as it was supposed to be.


We were off schedule about 30minutes plus by the time I finished hair and make up so my picture plan at the hotel was kabashed.  :(  Guests had begun arriving when we pulled up to the Manor, but they were ready for us.  Dirt on the front of my dress distracted for a minute but we kept moving.  Pictures, cocktails, laughter, my girls and I were all excited.  They looked fab and so did I.  The guys were outside doing the same thing.  My godmother had not arrived.  Her mother took a spill down the stairs.  Slight moment of panic.  It was resolved, and then it was time to line up.  I couldn't hear my cue...the fountain was too loud.  I moved up with my godfather/uncle and it was showtime. Don't fall Kim, don't look down at the ground keep your eyes on Rod.  I can't see him over all these people.  Smile.  Don't cry and make the ugly face.  There he is :)


Once I saw Rod it made me smile big.  I could tell he thought I was beautiful. I could tell he was fighting the tears.  We were both overwhelmed with joy, happiness and love.  The best moment was when RK drank all the Communion wine and left me the suds.  HILARIOUS :)  By the time we lit our Unity Candle and Memorial Candles, I was so overwhelmed with the joy of the moment I could not believe how fast it was all happening. 


Pastor had such a focused look when he was delivering the message and vows to us that it didn't even matter that the sound system connected to his mic was janky. (It really did matter but I could not look away to tell them to CUT IT OFF). Pastor talked to us about our roles as husband and wife.  About our responsibilities to each other - RK as profit, priest and provider for our family.  Mine - acknowledging my power to support my husband with my words and in our home - I am to provide a safe space from the world in our home.  It was so amazing and intense.  Then it was over.  We paraded out and then it was time to sign the marriage license.  Our brother and sister signed as our witnesses and we are now officially Mr. & Mrs. King.


By that point I had no concept of time but I did witness everyone enjoying cocktail hour while the wedding party and I took LOTS of pictures.  I just remember feeling WOW, we did it!  By the time we were announced for the reception, everything had fallen into place.  The uplighting looked fabulous and our gobo (above) was an amazing surprise gift from our cousins.  Our DJ absolutely kept the room rocking and we had a blast.  I remember being present and enjoying our guests, the food, the atmosphere and each other.  Never mind that the timing for My Fair Wedding with David Tutera didn't work out.  Never mind that our venue, Westbury Manor, wouldn't even engage in a conversation with the producers for my participation in Four Weddings for an all expense paid honeymoon.  After that night, we knew we would have won...but never mind. :(  Everyone looked like and told us they enjoyed our day - from the ceremony to the reception to all the details in between.


While 4+1+5 = 10, in 2010, on our 10th day of marriage, I believe we are both still as excited, as committed, as connected as we were on our day.  The prayers, well wishes, blessings and support we have received is such an awesome thing.  We identify that we are as responsible for each other as we are to lead by example in our marriage.  The journey has just begun.  Join us for the ride.