Blog Article

VFI consumer becomes published author!

Posted by admin VIP     0 Comment(s)    Add a Comment 
05/24/2012 07:05 AM

VFI would like to celebrate Angela M. Johnson and her great accomplishment of becoming a published Author.  

She has become a proud mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.  Angela is a writer, singer, artist, and sculptor with a passion for nature and photography.  And now, she is an author. This is her first book, where she has combined her skills, zeal, and dedication.  

She was born in Gary, Indiana. Only three years later did her family move to Erie, Pennsylvania. Now she resides in Erie with her husband after having two of her own children.  

She attended Erie Business Center, where she earned her Associates Degree in Business Administration: Marketing and Management and a Retail Management Diploma.  

She was once a Service Coordinator and eventually a Peer Counselor and Skills Trainer for Voices for Independence.  She has a disability and chose not to allow it to become a barrier. She said “having lesions from Multiple Scleroses has been a challenge when trying to complete the book”.  

Angela said she felt inspired to write to encourage others to think and speak positively. “Check Your Order! What You Say Is What You Get” does just that.  It encourages us all to look to a higher power.  Some of the chapters are about purpose and value, faith, consequences, etc. as a human being.  

She said this book falls into the category of self-help and inspirational. Angela said what caused her to write this type of book is “personal inspiration from above.”  

She says she is not a counselor but people often come to her and she simply wants to offer encouragement through her writings. She humbly stated she was “excited” that she completed the project (with a little perseverance and help from within) even if no one buys or reads it.  

She continued stating her kids have told her how proud they are of her so much that her daughter and granddaughter gave her a plaque that says, “Angela M. Johnson – Author”. We at Voices for Independence are proud of you, too! 

Angela is currently working on another book. It will consist of people with disabilities telling their perceptions of how those without disabilities perceive people with disabilities.  She said it will be called, “Disability? The Only Dis In My Ability Is You”. It is intended to be presented to those in the medical profession and the general public who simply may not understand disability.  

When asked about barriers she faced when trying to get her first book published, she responded by saying there are many publishers out there and cost was one of the biggest challenges. She shopped for the right publisher. Ironically, the publisher she chose and that chose her was located not from her hometown in Gary – Bloomington, Indiana.  

The publisher is called XLibris which represents the man who started the company, Xavier Libris.  

Now what is in store for you, Angela? Will we see you on Letterman or Leno? She laughed but with a serious, confident demeanor and said she hopes to start by sharing the book with the local community.  She would love to be contacted by national TV / radio stations if the opportunity arose.  

Read her book. You may find inspiration. You will definitely find a friend. Contact Voices For Independence at 814-874-0064 and leave a message for Mrs. Johnson if you would like to inquire about how to get a copy of this uplifting book.