THERE'S SOMETHING YOUR SON NEEDS TO TELL YOU: AUTHOR Q & A with Vernon Ennels Jr. @vernonennels #blogtour

Today's guest is memorist, Vernon Ennels Jr.. His new book is There’s Something Your Son Needs To Tell Youand he is on a virtual book tour this month with Pump Up Your Book! We're very glad to have him here today to talk about his book, writing and what surprised him about getting his book published.

Welcome to The Writer's Life! Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process. Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning?

Yes. When did you come up with the idea to write your book? I started writing the book 5 years ago but decided not to publish the book. Instead, I shredding my original manuscript. In 2018 I was seeing so many stories of people who faced similar situations. So, November 2018 I decided to begin writing my story which turned into a book.

Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

My book was self-published through Xulon Press.

Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

The cost that’s associated in self-publishing a book.

Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?

Absolutely. People make purchased by how appealing it is to their eyes. Food, books, art, and cars are just a few items people purchase by how it looks.

How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

It was an extremely hard time writing this book. It was an emotional roller coaster. I had to separate myself for so many people. I focus on the end goal, helping others. Writers must stay focus on the purpose of writing the book. If they keep the purpose in front of you then you will finish their journey.

What other books are you working on and when will they be published?

At this time I’m not working on any other book.

What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?

I thought I would be set free when my abuser died but I still was broken for 20 years

Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?

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.

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/

Title: THERE’S SOMETHING YOUR SON NEEDS TO TELL YOU
Author: Vernon Ennels Jr.
Publisher: Xulon Press
Pages: 140
Genre: Memoir

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.”