Vernon
Ennels grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and now makes Arizona home for he and his
family. After a long day at work in the business world…he found that writing
his book was most productive in the evening hours sitting by his swimming pool.
Vernon holds a BS and an MBA in Business Management. “I was inspired to write my book thinking of
my own six-year-old son,” he asserted.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
Author website: www.vernonennels.com
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/vernon.ennels
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Vernonennels
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vernonennels/
Page six
of Vernon Ennels, Jr. book, THERE’S SOMETHING YOUR SON NEEDS TO TELL YOU,
reads, “I still remember his face, his breath, and hear his voice demand me
to lie on my stomach. He would down my pants my mother so proudly dressed me
in. And then my Superman underwear…
When he was done, he walked me to school and
warned me, ‘If you tell anyone, I’ll kill your mother.’”
Author
Vernon Ennels, Jr. lived with the horrible secret of being sexually abused and
ashamed for some 40 years before he was able to recently summon the courage to
tell his own family. “Studies show that one in six men have been sexually
abused,” said Mr. Ennels. “Most are afraid to talk about it.”
This book
reflects the experiences of males, specifically black males, but encourages
both men and women and those from various racial backgrounds to recognize the
signs of sexual and mental abuse and to combat the epidemic. “My book,”
emphasized Mr. Ennels, “is a mirror of my abuse to shed light on an on-going
issue to inspire others to take immediate action when they suspect child sexual
abuse. #Saveoursons is my mission to help spread awareness and spark change to
save current and future victims of sexual child abuse.”
Forty-something
Vernon Ennels, Jr. says his new book THERE’S SOMETHING YOUR SON NEEDS TO
TELL YOU is an “open letter” that
prompts other men to step forward and share their very own experiences of child
sexual abuse in order to save other young boys from the hands of an abuser.
My moniker
‘Save Our Sons’ encourages discourse and social activism to help boys and men
who have been sexually abused,” said Mr. Ennels. “Many, many people believed
these victims were lying, making up a story for attention. Since I am a
certified ‘non-celebrity’ I wrote my book for every child abuse victim out
there who is terrified of stepping forward.”
ORDER YOUR COPY:
Amazon:
https://amzn.to/2ROniJL
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/30fPMzh
Xulon Press: https://bit.ly/2Ns26L6
Thank you for this interview! I’d like to know more about you as a person
first. What do you do when you’re not
writing?
I’m a father, a project manager, church administrator, and
executive director of a non-profit youth leadership company.
When did you start writing?
I never thought I would every write a book. However, I begin
writing my first book in the Fall of 2018.
As a published author, what would you say was the most
pivotal point of your writing life?
My goal was to help others but I found out that writing this
book was also very therapeutic.
If you could go anywhere in the world to start writing
your next book, where would that be and why?
I would go back to Africa. I would
like to be inspired to tap into my culture and write from a place of
observation.
If you had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you
do?
Volunteer for my non-profit organization to continue to help
our youth.
Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done
yet?
I would love to share my story on a major media outlet so
people can see a non-celebrity surviving their tragedy.
Back to your present book, There’s Something Your Son
Need To Tell You, how did you publish it?
I self-published my first book through Xulon Press
In writing your book, did you travel anywhere for
research?
No, I did not.
Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think
that is?
Through prayer and self-evaluation. I had to take a good
look at myself and write based on the person I become not the person who was
victimized.
Any final words?
I decided to self-publish my first book because I wanted to
share my story to help others. Honest, raw, and completely vulnerable, There’s Something Your Son Needs to Tell You
acts as an open letter that encourages other young men to step forward and
share their stories about sexual abuse in hopes that we will save our little
boys.
At least one and six men have been sexually abused. And many of them are afraid and ashamed to
talk about it. This fear is heightened in the black male community where a
stigma persists around sexual abuse and sexual identity that reflects a
homophobic and hypermasculine society.
While many victims turn to religion to cope with their
trauma, many religious organizations have either perpetuated the abuse or swept
it under the rug.
This book uses one experience to shed light on an ongoing
issue and inspires others to take immediate action.
There’s Something Your
Son Needs to Tell You is more than a book; it is a movement.
Inspired by #MeToo and Black Lives Matter, “Save Our Sons”
encourages discourse and social activism to help boys and men who have been
victims of sexual abuse.
This movement examines the intersectionality between race,
class, gender, and religion. And acknowledges the silence around sexual abuse,
specifically how it persists in traditional black households and how that puts
black boys at higher risks of sexual abuse and/or from speaking out about it.
In addition to the book, There’s
Something Your Son Needs to Tell You, being a vulnerable autobiography, it
contains open letters from other young men who have similar traumatic
experiences.
The goal is to encourage more boys and men to share their
stories in hopes that we can shed light on this epidemic.
#Saveoursons will help spread awareness and spark change.