Name: Kenya Gallion Johnson – Gallion is my maiden name
Home State: South Carolina is home but I was born in Pennsylvania
State of Residence: North Carolina
Height: I’ve been 5’5” since the nurses started asking me. Before that I was 5’4 and a half, which sounds silly to say it that way when you’re grown. I suppose that half inch will come back to bite me when I’m a little old lady and they start measuring me again.
Age: 42, I always have to think about that. I ask myself what year is it and then do the math.
Birthday: December 13th.
Hair Color: Thank goodness it’s not Rihanna Red; the color didn’t take. Naturally dark brown. By accident, dark brown with light brown highlights.
Eye Color: Well they look black to me, but dark brown is technically correct.
Home life (Family, pets, etc.): Married 15 years to a Marine, who is now retired. We have one son, Christopher, who is 8 years old. Since my husband has retired, he works full-time as a photographer – a business we’ve grown here in North Carolina and the main reason we are staying here.
Occupation: I’m a writer, author, SAHM, photographer’s wife (which means unpaid assistant)
Hobbies that you enjoy: Writing, reading, listening to music, singing and dancing (with no witnesses)
Top three favorite TV shows: Modern Family, Scandal, hmmm those are the only ones I’ll sit still for without folding laundry or looking at my phone.
Celebrity crush: I really need Denzel to play a good boy role and keep a mustache so I can crush on him again.
Favorite authors: Wow that’s really hard. I haven’t read everything any single author has written. I guess I’m pretty close with Maya Angelou.
Favorite book: I’ll say Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness since I bought it and its sequel on Kindle even though I own the hardbacks and had already read them. I intend to read them again.
Favorite food: Yummy. I’m approaching my third week of Weight Watchers and those two words together just made me excited. Hmmm. What is my FAVORITE food? I don’t want to think about this too hard. Okay Salmon. That’s safe. I love it and could eat it everyday.
Go-to beverage of choice: Water. I was supposed to say that. It’s really coffee. I’m currently in Barnes & Noble drinking tea. My coffee tastes better than theirs.
Favorite Outfit: What are all the women saying in 2013? YOGA PANTS. Add a Genie or Ahh Bra and a man’s large shirt from Old Navy’s clearance rack – then that’s my go-to stay at home outfit. I do change my shirt and bra if I have to go to Wal-Mart.
Favorite Accessory: My seven earrings never come off except to clean them. They are small hoops, four in one ear, and three in the other.
What's your blog/website(s)? www.kenyagjohnson.com/blog Titled: Here’s the thing… another storytelling publication dangling with participles. I try but don’t expect correct grammar through and through.
Why do you blog/write? What do you hope to accomplish with blogging? Oh it’s such a wonderful release to write and know someone is going to read it. Even before I really shared my posts in Social Media it felt good to put my thoughts on paper. I had no idea where blogging was going to lead me when I started. Now as an author, when people see the name Kenya Gallion Johnson on a book cover, I want them to say, “Hey I know her”, and then want to buy it.
What's the latest goings-on that you would want others to know about? The Christopher Chronicles (my book) is my “latest goings-on” and I take every new opportunity (like this one) to tell people about it. The Christopher Chronicles, Age 5 is my first book. It is available through Amazon on paperback and Kindle. The title and cover are misleading. At first glance people think it’s a book for children. It’s a guaranteed to make you laugh, humor book for adults. I’m currently working on a more grown up cover for the second book.
Any words of encouragement or wisdom to impart? This is like one of those what are your strengths and weaknesses kind of questions. I never know what to say until the moment has passed. Okay, I’ve got something…
In my late 30’s and even at 40, I thought I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I wondered what my purpose was. What was I called to do? I’m certain that God is happy with me, as I am on the ‘write’ path now. Whatever I do with my writing, I know that is the gift I was given. Where it takes me, I don’t exactly know. What I want to tell you is that if you don’t know what your thing is, it lies just beneath the surface of who you are. It’s painted on your heart. It’s buried under the phrase, “I can’t afford it”, “I don’t have time” and, “I’m too tired.” Do you have a recurring dream that disturbs you? I had one. Once I figured out that my dream was telling me that I was lost, I found my way out of it. Once I started writing again, I never had that lost dream again. When you “do you”, you’ll find your way around all the excuses that keep you from being who you are. If you can’t move the obstacle that hinders you from doing you, go around it.
Where can readers connect with you online? I don’t know if you can call it “connecting”, my posts on Social Media are probably like a needle in a haystack. But you can find me on Facebook, Twitter & Google. Links to everything, including my books can be found on my website www.kenyagjohnson.com
If you'd like to be featured in a "Getting to Know You" post, please email me at collettaskitchensink [at] yahoo [dot] com .
