Copperas Cove author releases third book
By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
A Copperas Cove author has now released her third book and first children’s book.
Shawntae Sneed released her first two books, “Igniting Your Inner Fire” and “You Are A Work In Progress”, in 2021, after writing them in 2020. “Igniting Your Inner Fire” is a 21-day interactive, optimistic workbook and journal for adults. Sneed described it as a book that offers positivity each day and gives the reader moments for reflection and a section for “joyful journaling.”
“You Are a Work In Progress” is a memoir of Sneed’s life and faith while also doubling as a book of affirmation and encouragement.
Sneed, who has been a paraprofessional for the Copperas Cove Independent School District for the past eight plus years, grew up in Miami, Florida. She has been married for 24 years, and she and her husband have two children. They moved to Copperas Cove several years ago when her husband retired from the military.
In her first interview with the Leader-Press, Sneed mentioned that she hadn’t planned to write a children’s book but was considering it.
This year, Sneed released her first children’s book, “Activate Your Inner Power: Inspiration and Affirmations for Children”. The book is written in three sections: “I Am”, “I Can”, and “I Can Be.”
The “I Am” section says things such as “I Am Loved” and gives powerful declarations for the children to read and say out loud to empower themselves.
The “I Can” section is aimed as increasing the children’s mind and expanding their understanding of what they are capable of, with phrases such as “I Can Do This”. Examples include: “I can read books” and “I can use my active imagination and travel all around the nation”.
The “I Can Be” section features a series of 10 possible career choices, from police officer to author.
The book also features inspirational messages that Sneed wrote for the young readers.
The recommended age range for the book is ages 8 to 14, Sneed said.
“I noticed with working with children all these years in different age groups, and when they start to battle with low self-esteem and thinking that they cannot do things and feeling bad about themselves, so I want to empower them to let them know they can, and they are and just to let them know who they are in themselves,” Sneed said. “So, it’s just powerful statements meant to empower them.”
Sneed said that she is familiar with the importance of children feeling confident in themselves. Growing up, she dealt with people who didn’t think she was good enough or pretty enough or was going to be successful enough, she said.
“Letting them know that this story has a happy ending because you can- you can believe in yourself, and you can do it, and that you don’t allow people to stop you from achieving your dreams and goals,” Sneed said. “So, I want them to know that they can do things and boost up their self-esteem because I dealt with that as a younger child. Many people didn’t believe in me, so I want them to rise up.”
The theme of Copperas Cove ISD’s school year hashtag is #CCISDRiseUp, which Sneed said was something she thought about in connection to her book.
Sneed shared that she is working with her school’s librarian to possibly visit with students and share about her book and encourage students to “rise up. Rise and shine. Rise above obstacles. Rise above defeat. Rise above their fear and rise up and be all that they can be, and don’t allow anybody to stop them.”
“Even ones who are close to you may speak things over you that to make you feel like you cannot do things, and you’ll rise up and say, ‘I can,’” Sneed added.
Sneed’s children’s book released in hardcover form on October 15, which is her son’s birthday.
“That’s very sentimental to me because my son and my daughter are the main characters in the book,” Sneed said. “They are the cover stars of the book.”
Sneed said that publishing her third book was an amazing feeling.
“It’s surreal,” she said. “I mean, just thinking about I, I’m almost in tears.”
Sneed said that after her first two books made the local newspapers, one of the school’s counselors made a bulletin board display featuring the newspaper article about Sneed, with a quote from Dr. Suess, “Oh the places you’ll go.” The students were excited for Sneed and wanted to read her book, and one of the teachers at the school encouraged her to write a children’s book, leading Sneed to seriously consider authoring the children’s book.
Sneed said the teacher told her that she felt the children’s book of positive affirmations would be successful and that “‘children need their fire ignited’, which was a nod to Sneed’s book.
Sneed began writing her book in January 2021 and saw it published just 10 months later.
Sneed had a message of encouragement to any person considering their own foray into writing and becoming an author.
“I’ll say go for it,” Sneed said. “Because my books, I look at them as my legacy to my children, to my grandchildren, to all the children of the world. Now that I have a children’s book that just means so much more to me because our children are our future. I’ll just say go for it. Do not ever give up on your dreams. If you have a dream inside of you, don’t let it die inside of you. Do not leave this earth without fulfilling your dream and your purpose.”
Sneed’s books can be purchased on Amazon. “Activate Your Inner Power: Inspiration and Affirmations for Children” retails for $25 and is available at https://www.amazon.com/Activate-Your-Inner-Power-Affirmations/dp/1667862...
Sneed also has her own website: https://bookedforpurpose.com/. Readers can also find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author-Shawntae-Worth-It-Sneed-102440778486531.