Meet This Sistah: Ninamaste MaTuri

Meet This Sistah is your chance to discover more about the authors of newly published books.

Meet Ninamaste MaTuri, the sistah who’s the creator of the Gerbera series – including The Preludes, Clear Sense and The Sweetness – featuring young women you will grow to love as they grow through each book.

Name:  Ninamaste MaTuri

Books Written:  The Preludes, Clear Sense, and The Sweetness

Where You Live:  Minnesota

Age:  35

Straight, Lesbian or Bisexual:  Bisexual

Stud, Femme or No Labels:  Femme

Your Hobbies:  Hiking, traveling, cooking, and painting.

Describe yourself in 5 words or less:  Enjoying my intended life.

Your philosophy on life:  Live mindfully.

Website address:  www.NinamasteMaTuri.com

Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ninamaste-MaTuri/166400743475599

Twitter:  @NinamasteMaTuri

What are your likes/dislikes:  Likes: God, writing, nature, art, and laughing. Dislikes: Complaining.

Political Affiliation:  Middle of the road

About the lives of three young women navigating love and family issues, the Gerbera series aims to be a five-part series that so far includes The Preludes, Clear Sense and The Sweetness. Where did the notion for these books stem from?
The notion of these books stems from the desire to illustrate a phoenix rising from the ashes. I want readers to finish reading this series of books with a renewed mindset of focusing on future possibilities instead of failures and disappointments of the past.

What was the motivation behind these books?
The motivation behind these books was to answer the frequently asked question: How was I able to get to where I am at given my wobbly upbringing?

What was your own upbringing like?
It was like riding a rollercoaster in the dark. A lot of the issues that my characters experience and navigate through are reflections of my own.

Which of the young ladies did you most relate to as a teen: Melanie, Adrianna, or Nicole?
I could relate to all three as a teen. The one I most relate to is Melanie because of the rejection I experienced due to my appearance. My dark complexion and hair texture was different from a lot of the people I was surrounded by during that time period. This led to a lot of ridicule.

The fourth book in the Gerbera series is planned for 2014. Can you give us a hint of what the next book holds for these young women.
Certainly. Family planning.

Young adults grow up so fast these days. How well do you believe teens can relate to your books?
I believe they will be able to relate to my books well. I agree that young adults are growing up very fast these days. I sometimes wonder what are they racing towards, running from, or avoiding in their present moment. I believe my books provide tools that someone can use to help navigate their own unique challenges.

How long have you been writing?
I have been writing since elementary school. Writing has been my outlet.

What inspires you to write?
My inspiration comes from experiencing the beauty that life has offered me. I want to share that beauty with others so that they too can enjoy the beautiful life intended for them.

Interviewed September 2013