I am sharing an Interview with Corina Junghiatu, Founder of the Verseum Journal, and Brenda Mohammed, Founder of How to Write for Success Literary Forum.
CORINA: Brenda, your journey is nothing short of extraordinary: banking, insurance, surviving cancer, and then becoming a multi-award-winning author. How do you define resilience, and how has it shaped your life and career?
BRENDA: First, Corina, thank you for this valuable opportunity to share my life’s journey with your readers.
It has been a winding road for me, but everything falls into place when you put God first. My favourite song, which my sister sang at my wedding, “Each Step I Take, I know my Saviour leads me,” defines me.
My strong faith in God and prayer saw me through every path I undertook. I loved banking and retired as a Senior Manager at an early age. I loved to grant loans and overdrafts to commercial businesses and see the towns build up. I turned many into millionaires. When I moved into Insurance, I also loved to help my clients obtain medical benefits and leave a financial benefit for their loved ones. I qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table six times in a row and had the opportunity to attend MDRT Conferences in various states in America. MDRT is the premier financial institution for financial professionals who excel in the sales of financial products.
While I was working in Insurance, cancer struck, and the Insurance Company paid all my medical bills, which was a hefty sum because I obtained surgery and chemotherapy at the Sylvester Cancer Centre in Miami University Hospital. There were no oncologists in Trinidad at the time.
I started writing in 2013 when I published my first book, “I Am Cancer Free.” I never stopped writing, and as you stated, I have published 62 books to date, and many have won awards.
CORINA: Your memoir "I Am Cancer Free" became a bestseller and inspired countless readers. What was the most challenging part of writing about such a personal and life-altering experience?
BRENDA: After undergoing such a traumatic and near-death experience, it took me a while to write about it. I wrote the book seven years after my battle with cancer, so it was not difficult to put my experience into words. I was surprised at the response I got from readers and also when it became a bestseller. I entered the book in the Readers’ Favorite Awards in Miami, and it won an award in the category of health and fitness. At that same award function, I also won an award for my science fiction novel, Zeeka Chronicles: Revenge of Zeeka. It was a double win for me.
CORINA: You have authored an astonishing 62 books across multiple genres. What fuels your creativity, and how do you maintain such a prolific writing pace?
BRENDA: I have always loved Writing. When I worked at the bank, I was required to submit lengthy proposals for finance for amounts above my assigned limit for commercial businesses to the Head Office. My proposals were always approved without question because I covered every aspect clearly in my proposals. With that background, I knew that I had a writing skill I could use after banking and insurance. Added to that, my husband is very supportive of my writing, and he prepares the meals while I write. He is a gem. I still have lots of time to watch movies on Netflix and to have fun with my sisters, children, and extended family.
CORINA: Among your works, you have written memoirs, science fiction, thrillers, romance, and even children’s books. Is there a particular genre that resonates with you the most, and why?
BRENDA: I love every genre that I write in, and my books have received exceptional to fairly good reviews. I prefer to write thrillers with good overcoming evil. I believe that life must have a happy ending.
Recently, I have started writing Christian books as I feel we are living in the end times, and the world needs to be aware.
I have also written nineteen poetry books of enlightening poems.
CORINA: Your sci-fi thriller "Zeeka Chronicles" won prestigious awards and was even developed into a five-series screenplay. What inspired this futuristic narrative, and do you see it being adapted for film or television?
BRENDA: I was lying on my bed one day in 2017, and the idea to write a sci-fi thriller sparked. The story is purely my imagination, inspired by the Zika virus in 2016. The five-episode futuristic sci-fi thriller is set in 2036 on an imaginary tourist island paradise. Classic sci-fi elements, dark fantasy, and high-tech weapons blend with Caribbean folklore and lifestyle, creating a unique and visually stunning world.
I have submitted my pitch for the screenplay to several entities. Most have responded positively, but the fires in Los Angeles have slowed down activity in the movie business. It will be a while until things pick up again. My readers will be the first to know when I receive the nod.
CORINA: As the founder of the How to Write for Success Literary Forum, you have created a space for writers worldwide. What motivated you to establish this platform, and how has it impacted emerging authors?
BRENDA: In December 2017, When I received an overwhelming response to my Self-Help book, “How to Write for Success,” I decided to start a group for new and aspiring authors to learn to write books. The book received a five-star review from Readers Favorite one month after it was published.
In August 2019 it topped all the books in the Non-Fiction category of Connections Emagazine Readers’ Choice awards and won the gold medal.
The merits of the book were featured in a review in the Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition on February 16th, 2020.
I started the How to Write for Success Literary Forum on 6th February 2018 but it soon turned into a poetry group. I believe this is what influenced me to start writing poetry, and poetry became one of my genres.
However, I opened another group for Book Reviews where writers can advertise their books.
CORINA: Your latest book, "SAVE GOD’S EARTH", focuses on climate change and environmental awareness. What inspired this project, and what role do you believe literature plays in driving social change?
BRENDA: The poems in SAVE GOD’S EARTH open our eyes to stark reality. The Earth does not belong to us. It belongs to God and we are only the tenants.
Our purpose and duty to our Creator is to take care of what He has blessed us with.
Through the Earth, God provides us with fresh water, food, and oxygen.
One of the biggest environmental challenges right now is Climate Change and its adverse effects on human and animal life.
Military activities are harmful to the social environment, disrupt peace, and produce extensive amounts of greenhouse gases that contribute to anthropogenic climate change and pollution.
Literature can play a great part in bringing awareness to the damage that human activities are causing.
CORINA: Having received international awards from 45 countries, how do you see literature bridging cultural and national divides? What has been the most memorable recognition in your career so far?
BRENDA: Firstly, let me be honest and say that I do not write for awards. I appreciate every award I receive and in my groups, I give awards to motivate writers to write more.
I see literature bridging cultural and national divides and it pleases me. In the recent call for poems for the 7th anniversary of How to Write for Success Literary Forum, I was thrilled to see poets from every corner of the world participating.
The most memorable recognition in my writing career is being appointed as National President of two important institutions. They are the International Chamber of Writers and Artists [CIESART] – Trinidad and Tobago with headquarters in Spain, and Unión Hispanomundial de Escritores - Trinidad and Tobago with headquarters in Peru. These institutions allow me to spread Peace, Love, and Humanity internationally by way of Literature and the Arts, and the Facebook forums which I also manage.
CORINA: Your work has gained significant recognition on Amazon, with multiple bestsellers. What is your strategy for engaging readers and maintaining relevance in today’s digital literary landscape?
BRENDA: I only use social media to spread the word about my books. I also have a book club on Amazon where readers read a book each month.
CORINA: As someone who has travelled extensively, how have your global experiences shaped your writing, and which country or culture has left the deepest impression on you?
BRENDA: I have travelled to many countries of the world and learned a lot from each of them. Some of them are the settings for some of my books. I have enjoyed many vacations in many states in the USA, Canada, London, Switzerland, Germany, Amsterdam, France, Italy, Spain, and many islands in the Caribbean. I have also been on two fantastic cruises with Royal Caribbean. I have several videos and pictures among my memories. One of my books, “Stories That Intrigue” a romance/mystery was born after a trip to New York, London, Switzerland, and France. However, as the saying goes, “Home is where the heart is.” I love my country Trinidad and Tobago.
CORINA: Your poetry resonates deeply with your readers. How do you approach the craft of poetry? Do you start with a concept or an image, or does it develop organically as you write?
BRENDA: Ideas turn on in my mind like light bulbs. I may hear a phrase in a movie or church and pen a poem when I am at the computer. I have no specific structure for writing a poem. Sometimes, it is just what comes to my heart.
CORINA: What is your perspective on postmodern poetry and contemporary literature? Do you believe the digital age has altered the essence of literary expression?
BRENDA: In literature, postmodernism refers more to the qualities of a particular work, whereas contemporary refers to the time in which it was written. I have no conflicts with either. I believe literary awareness has increased with the dawn of the digital age.
CORINA: As a highly accomplished figure in literature, what legacy do you hope to leave behind, and what projects can your readers look forward to in the future?
BRENDA: I want to be remembered for the lives I have touched with my writings, the culture I cultivated, and the vision I projected. If I have empowered others, built strong relationships, and made a positive impact on family, friends, colleagues, and readers, that would be my legacy. As for future projects, readers can look forward to more books that I plan to publish in the New Year, and some surprises from my Facebook Groups.
