Q&A: Keith Sykes, Author of Being Present #Q&A #Interview

Keith Sykes grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana with his 7 siblings; he is the youngest of 8. Keith attended Xavier University of Louisiana where he studied Computer Information Systems and Graphic Design. He lost both parents by the age of 20 and joined the United States Army in 1990 where he completed 20 years of active military service. He continues to serve as a Department of Defense civilian where he works as a Health Systems Specialist at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He is a freelance writer, photographer and event planner and is heavily involved in the community. Keith is a cancer survivor as of February 2022 and attributes his positive attitude in dealing with the condition to his mother Violet who succumbed to cancer in January 1990. He loves exploring nature and traveling. Some of his most memorable trips have been to Egypt, Belize, and Cuba.

You can visit his website at https://kasykes.com/ or connect with him at Facebook at www.facebook.com/ikreate4u.

Thanks for this interview, Keith.Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to getting your book written and published or pretty much smooth sailing?  Can you tell us about your journey? 

I would say, it has been mostly smooth sailing. I think the most difficult thing for me was deciding what to add and what to leave out. Even though I had my very own monthly published column, I was a little intimidated by the idea of writing a book.

When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun? 

My two biggest things are traveling and hiking. I absolutely love the outdoors. Photography is my passion and I love to take photos from an artistic perspective to make the individual look at things differently than they normally would.

What makes your book stand out from the rest? 

It is written from a completely transparent place and it will pull the reader into my life and experience as if they were a part of it.

Can you give us the very first page of your book so that we can get a glimpse inside?

My earliest memories of growing up in the St. Bernard housing projects in the 7^th ward of New Orleans, Louisiana, were playing outside for hours. I remember when I would go in the house after doing whatever I was doing, my mom would always say, “Keeto! Go take a bath. You smell just like outside.” I’m sure you’re familiar with exactly what that smell is. It was nothing for me to play outside for most of the day on weekends, many times without eating. My mom would yell out, “Keeto! Come in here and eat. You’re gonna disappear.” Obviously, she was referring to the fact that if I continued not eating, I would shrivel up from malnutrition. Times were so different back then. Interactions were more intentional. There were fewer distractions than now, but we understood the importance of quality time spent and being in the moment.

I was very sociable as a kid but extremely shy. You could always find me around the girls, because, let’s face it, I was cute. Well, I was. With a nickname like Keeto, how could I not be? I got that nickname from my sister Kim, who is ten years older than me. Her nickname as a kid was Kimbo, and she and I were the closest of the eight siblings. I remember always hearing how spoiled I was. I was the youngest of eight, and that came with its perks and pitfalls. I recall stories of how bad my brothers and sisters had it growing up in the house with my father. I never had a relationship with him because he was sick when I was born, and he died from complications of diabetes when I was 11. One thing I never lacked as a kid was love and affection. It mostly came from my mother and sisters, but my brothers expressed themselves primarily through gift-giving and spending quality time with me. However, I remember them expressing themselves verbally a few times, but it didn’t happen quite often.  

If your book was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday would that be and why? 

Christmas, because it was the holiday that I remember the most as a kid, it was the holiday that brought my entire family together.

Would you consider turning your book into a series or has that already been done? 

I would be honored if that was a possibility. 

When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or full-time profession? 

Not so much, when I was young. Probably more so as I got older. 

What’s next for you? 

Next up is my official book release in February and I will be taking part in a literary book tour in South Africa in March.

 

Title: Being Present: The Gift of Experiencing Life As It Happens
Author: Keith Sykes
Publisher: Chosen Pen Publishing
Pages: 104
Genre: Memoir

Being Present details my life growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana, the youngest of 8 children. It gives the reader an intimate look at the relationship between me, my parents, and my siblings. It discusses life and death, joy and pain, and strength and perseverance. The book talks about love and loss and is an optimistic look at overcoming the obstacles of life.

Being Present talks about how I dealt with life after my parent’s death and how joining the military completely changed my life. It gives a glimpse into how the military inspired my love for travel and the many places that I was able to visit as a result. Read about my life after the military and the challenges I faced that shaped the man I am today. Lastly, the book will provide samples of my photography and discuss how it was inspired by my travel.

Release Date: ‎ January 5, 2023 

Publisher: Chosen Pen Publishing

Kindle: ASIN: ‎ B0BRT7CRWH; eBook $1.99 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3jWFLpw