So is that your mom on the cover?

Greetings Readers:

I get this question all the time. Is that your mom on the cover? No, the little girl on the cover is not my mom. It’s my grandniece Samira Rose Best. During the time I was writing the book I realized that my mother had no pictures from her youth of herself.

I asked my oldest cousin, Gwendolyn in Indianapolis, Indiana, if her mother, my mom’s older sister, had any old pictures of my mom. She could not find any. We have an one old black and white picture of my mother with her sisters and cousins, but I didn’t want to use that picture or crop my mom out of the picture to use as the cover.  It just didn’t look right to me.

So, one day my mother and I were visiting my sister-in-law, Joanette, who is Samira’s grandmother. The picture of Samira was displayed in Joanette’s living room and my mom and I both thought the picture would be a great representation of my mother for the book cover. 

We, of course, consulted with the then nine year Samira, who was tickled to have her picture on a book. Samira’s mother, Nicole, excitedly agreed and the rest is history.

Samira is 19 years old now. She graduated from high school in 2014, and is currently enrolled at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Maryland, as a physical therapy major.

Until next time, happy reading!

Liz Hawkins