Kendra Norman-Bellamy

Kendra Norman (formerly writing as Kendra Norman-Bellamy)
Born (1966-12-17) December 17, 1966
West Palm Beach, Florida
Nationality United States
Ethnicity African American
Alma mater Valdosta Technical College
Period 2002-present
Genre Christian fiction; Christian nonfiction
Spouse Michael Holmes
Children 3
Website
www.royaltywriter.net

Kendra Norman (born December 17, 1966) is an African-American writer of Christian fiction and non-fiction Christian literature. Her novels are known and widely applauded for their positive male lead characters and their combined romantic and suspenseful storylines.

Biography

Kendra Norman is a native of West Palm Beach, Florida, but spent most of her formative years in southern Georgia. She graduated from Brooks County High School in Quitman, Georgia.

Kendra and her husband, Michael Holmes, share two daughters and one son, Brittney LaKendra (b. 1989), who is also a national bestselling author,[1] Dominique (b.1991), and Crystal Charmaine (b. 1992). The couple married at the Valdosta's St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church when she was 21 and he was 20.[2] Shortly after their daughter Crystal was born, Jimmy was diagnosed with AIDS, possibly as the result of a blood transfusion. He passed away on Oct. 5, 1995, a few days before their 7th wedding anniversary, and in her grief Kendra began to write.[2]

Kendra began writing poetry as an elementary school student, but did not recognize her gift as a writer until 1999 when she began keeping a journal during the heartache of the death of her husband.[3] Shortly thereafter, she wrote her first fictional manuscript, For Love & Grace, published in 2002. She worked days and went to college at Valdosta Technical College (Valdosta, Georgia), where she majored in Information Office Technology and was inducted into the National Vocational Technical Honor Society. She married Jonathan Bellamy, a friend of her first husband, and he gave her a computer as a college graduation gift.[2]

She has appeared in a number of televised programs, including a featured appearance on BET's Lift Every Voice, where she was interviewed by the show's creator and former host, Gerard Henry.

Kendra is a licensed minister and a member of the Iota Phi Lambda sorority.

Previously writing under the name of Kendra Norman-Bellamy, she began officially writing under the name of Kendra Norman in 2013.

Career

In addition to her own writing, Kendra is the founder and president of Royalty Publications (formerly KNB Publications), an independent self-publishing house that produces the works of up-and-coming writers of Christian-based fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. She is also the founder and organizer of Cruisin' For Christ, an ongoing Caribbean cruise that celebrates Christian artists and artistries, and the visionary of The I.S.L.A.N.D. Movement, a motivational ministry whose name is an acronym for "I Shall Live And Not Die."

She self-published her debut novel, For Love & Grace 2002. The book was re-released in 2004 through BET Books.

Kendra gained national bestseller status when her third release, Crossing Jhordan's River (Moody Publishers/May 2005), peaked at #1 on Essence magazine's best sellers list for paperback fiction.

The majority of her works have been produced through three large book publishers: Moody Publishers (Lift Every Voice imprint), Kimani Press (New Spirit imprint), and Urban Books (Urban Christian imprint).

Bibliography

Her published works include:[4]

Awards

References

  1. ↑ Poling, Dean (2007-04-27). "Mother-Daughter Authors Return To Valdosta". The Valdosta Daily Times.
  2. 1 2 3 Author finds purpose out of lost love, Gracie Bond Staples, The Atlanta Journal - Constitution [Atlanta, Ga] 16 Apr 2008: E.1. .
  3. ↑ Staples, Gracie Bonds (2008-04-16). "Author finds purpose out of lost love". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  4. ↑ Amazon.com
  5. ↑ Bentley, Rosalind (2008-08-01). "Christian Authors Write of Faith". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

External links

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