Monday, April 25, 2016

Book Excerpt: The Black Sheep Shadow by Ashley Terrell




Title: The Black Sheep Shadow
Author: Ashley Terrell
Publisher: Ashley Terrell LLC
Pages: 136
Genre: Christian/Religious/Memoir

The city lights blind your amazement. The sound of the traffic challenges you to be alive. Families ask bystanders to make magic and capture the moment with photographs. Newly engaged couples seal their union by kissing under shooting stars while loving by crossing their hearts.
 But what if your heart was under arrest, wouldn't want to embrace something to feel something like others?
Go inside the world of one courageous sheep as she discovers that her heart was under attack by darkness. As she travels on a spiritual journey to understanding her purpose, overcoming the understanding her purpose, self-acceptance, and the importance of inspiration, she rose against the odds with forgiveness and strengthening her faith.

For More Information

  • The Black Sheep Shadow is available to purchase at Amazon.
Book Excerpt:
I have always been told that with success on any level comes with costs, struggles and journeys that can take you off road and from the things that you have always known. In my mind as well as my life, I always considered myself one that would never understand what it was to succeed. I did not have the best support system - especially on any day ending in a Y.
Growing up, I remember the white picket fence in some instances, though they were blurry. What I do remember the most is the feelings I bottled, the conversations that pierced more than my self-esteem, but it factored into my confidence, my beliefs and my lifestyle.
You never know what someone is thinking or how their life has been affected no more than you know how damaging words and actions can be.
As one that was affected by the “what happens in this house, stays in this house” policy, I began to not say much. Unlike other households that had an “open door policy,” things were very strained in the Davis household. As I grew older, I felt like my opinion didn’t matter and affected how I treated others. It also had a bearing on how I treated myself.
My life isn’t ordinary. I was not a person that used to be happy. I was not a person that enjoyed the company of friends, nor did I have the desire to be a socialite. I was determined to come out from under the stigma of being the black sheep.
In all my years of living, the thing I found most profound is the power of God. God will have you speak to someone to deliver His words because He knows that person who is consulting with you will listen. That is trust. When God began to use people to speak to me, it was groundbreaking. It was scary. I never thought I was special enough to have such a privilege.
As I was sitting with my mentor to write an alternative book, we were brainstorming on paraphrasing when suddenly I blurted out, “There are no alternate words to describe my brother being murdered. There are no alternate words to express my darkness. People see the success of what I have done, not the pain that I endured to get there.”
Within that moment, I knew my time had come - I didn’t know for what though. My mentor slowly looked around, and I noticed his leg overreacting under the table.
“That’s your story,” he hissed.
I paused. For the first time, I felt like a big, fat old-school Jawbreaker was lodged in my throat.
“No one wants to hear my story. They want to know how to go from sleeping on air mattresses and eating Ramen Noodles to how to go on tour, promote and do the stuff celebrities do,” I replied.
Just from the tidbits I had told my mentor, I have never seen his face more flushed. “If you don’t tell your story,” he paused and looked away, “then the Devil wins.”
I noticed the goosebumps that wildly appeared on his arms. His body was still reacting. The scent of the air changed. His advice was no longer suggestive, it was pushing and piercing.
“Your story is the raw truth, this book here we are editing is pretty. We need truth. Help someone break out from feeling alone. Help others take a step forward to want to be better. Your story is compelling and can do that,” he told me.
For the first time ever, I confidently agreed with him - in silence.

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