A cum laude graduate of Alabama State University, Eartha S. Dunston also holds a Master’s Degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. Eartha S. Dunston is a career civil servant with over twenty years of experience and service at three separate Federal government agencies.
In 2016, Eartha was named an honorary Board Member of The Kidadah Project, Inc.—a non-profit mentoring program for girls in Atlanta, GA. Eartha S. Dunston is currently an Honorary Board Member of the Celebrate! Maya Project.
Eartha resides in the Metro DC area and enjoys traveling, writing poetry, and creating stories in all genres. She is currently working on her debut solo cookbook and releasing a line of journals.
Visit her website: earthasdunston.com
BPM: When did you get your first inkling to write?
I’ve always enjoyed writing. I started keeping a journal and writing poetry when I was in college. At the time, I never intended to share my writings publicly. I was going through a very tough time. Both of my parents were terminally ill. I was struggling emotionally, financially, and in every way imaginable. Writing consoled me. It was my escape. I always felt better because my journal and poems were where I could be totally raw and honest about my feelings. I could cry out to God and be mad at him at the same time for what I was going through, and no one was there to judge me.
One of my friends discovered a poem I had written, and he persuaded me to perform at his fraternity’s poetry night. I protested with everything in me but eventually gave in. I was determined not to cower. To my amazement, the audience loved it; and I received a standing ovation. I knew in that instant I wanted to write professionally one day. Within the next few days, several individuals and organizations invited me to perform on campus and at local venues in the city. It was an epiphany!
BPM: How did you advance the call for writing?
After graduate school, I settled into a comfortable career and tucked my writing dreams away. However, the passion never died. One summer, while visiting my brother in Atlanta, I received profound confirmation about my writing, which changed my life.
I dusted off all my old ideas and put work behind my faith and dreams. I started traveling the country to attend writing seminars and conferences and ventured to New York, Houston, and Atlanta, to name a few. I soaked up as much knowledge about the industry and writing process as possible, attending seminars and writing classes featuring some of the best in the business.
A couple of the authors and I connected. One accomplished, seasoned author took me under her wings and began to motivate me with words of encouragement. Another well-known author referred me to her publicist, and things took off immediately.
A couple of my writing mentors continued to nudge and encourage me to move forward. I could no longer mask the dream. It reached the point where everything I thought would be challenging was lining up without much effort. It’s as if my dream started chasing me!
I knew it was time to launch my long-desired writing career. I knew all this was not coincidental, but God orchestrated divine connections in His timing.
BPM: Introduce your book, The Hair Adventures of Princess Lindsey Sidney, and the characters.
The book’s main character, Princess Lindsey Sidney, admires her hair each day of the week as it transitions from straight to frizzy and all textures in between. My debut children’s book, The Hair Adventures of Princess Lindsey Sidney, was birthed from the struggles with my daughter’s hair. I was never good at hair. I cropped mine off years ago and never looked back.
God really has a sense of humor. He gave me a beautiful daughter with the biggest, thickest, and coarsest hair ever. I knew I was in trouble when it came to grooming it. I knew there had to be other parents going through the same struggles. I knew others could benefit from a book celebrating the various phases of our sometimes straight, sometimes kinky hair.
BPM: Tell us about your passion for writing. Why do you write? What drives you?
I write because it’s liberating. I write because it is the one thing I will always do, even if I never make a dime from it. I love writing, and it would be even better if it could help someone along the way.
Creating characters and giving them life is exhilarating. I‘m driven by the power and emotion well-developed characters evoke. I will always have a passion for writing, whether it’s another children’s book, a simple article, or a fast-paced spy novel. I’m just getting started!
Purchase The Hair Adventures of Princess Lindsey Sidney
https://www.amazon.com/Hair-Adventures-Princess-Lindsey-Sidney/dp/0996930272