GENERATING HEADLINES — During a recent interview with Making Headline News Editor Andre T. Johnson, Dr. Sabrina Watson, a Virginia Beach-based businesswoman, spoke at length about what greatly fueled her desire to compose her compellingly informative book entitled, “When You Have To Be The Man,” a 110-page paperback written document that officially hit the market in May 2013.
Time and again, it seemed the same five words kept coming up, as Dr. Sabrina Watson recalls.
So much, in fact, that those words had become so familiar that they began to rest and in her spirit.
“You should write a book,” Dr. Watson explained practically every time she finds herself sharing of her assortment of life experiences, most notably the disheartening, yet life-altering events amid the untimely death of her husband — a development that essentially forced her to assume a parental role about which she never envisioned would take place.
During a recent interview with Making Headline News Editor Andre T. Johnson, Watson, a Virginia Beach-based businesswoman, spoke at length about what greatly fueled her desire to compose her compellingly informative book entitled, “When You Have To Be The Man,” a 110-page paperback written document that officially hit the market in May 2013.
“As I kept sharing my story with others, the comment, ‘You should write a book’ kept occurring,” Dr. Watson said. “These were seeds that were initially planted before I heard the Lord tell me to, ‘Write it down.’ And I ‘m so glad I obeyed.”
Even after a little more than four years removed from the release of her inspiring, thought-provoking book, Dr. Watson thought it essential to discuss with us her book, courtesy of an exclusive Q and A interview. So enjoy.
“Because this book was written while I was going through very challenging times, I am rewriting this book from a perspective of lessons learned and to expose God’s hand at play in the lives of parents who are raising children under difficult circumstances,” Dr. Watson said.
ANDRE: When did God give you the vision to write this book?
DR. WATSON: As a Christian woman, I have listened to many spiritual leaders in my lifetime. While going through a particularly difficult time on my journey as a single mother, my heart and mind were particularly sensitive to sermons about the family and children. Most of what I would hear at that time was about the role of a father in children’s lives, or about the role of a man in the home to be the leader and the head of the family. I recall hearing sermons like these over and over and over again until I began to have some inner-dialogue with God about what all did this mean for me and my children since their father was deceased. I asked God, “God, the man I called my husband and the father of my two children is gone forever. Who’s going to be the man for me and my children? The question of who’s going to be the man for us was eventually answered with a warm sense of peace and calm and a presence that only could come through Jesus Christ, with an answer that I knew was God. That He would be the man through me, that He would be my provider, my comforter, my father, my husband, my partner and my friend. So the title When You Have To Be The Man came from the realization that I would have to be everything for my family and allow Christ within me have dominion in my home and in my life – and in Him, I would be the Wo- Man by allowing God to become my man. This is how God blessed my journey as a single mother and as the head of the household.
ANDRE: When did begin writing the book? When did you finish it
DR. WATSON: When I began writing this book, I started with writings from my personal journal which started about five years before it was published. The initial writings were based on my experience for being a fairly new mom wanting to do all the right things to nurture my children development. I discussed things about the benefits of breast feeding and reading to your child at an early age. I also wrote about my professional knowledge as an educator and offered advice about the best practices for supporting healthy growth from an academic perspective. However, once my children’s father died, the book took on a whole new meaning for me as a mother and then as a new single parent. And although I still included many of the aforementioned topics, the book’s premise changed drastically and I practically rewrote it in its entirety. Due to the emotional anguish that my children and I were experiencing, the book became a way for me to give a voice to what I was feeling but not able to express around my children. For me, it was more important to me to try to ease their pain than to deal with my own. For me it was more important to assure them that mom was okay, not crying, and that I wasn’t going to die on them as well. Writing this book was therapy for my mind and healing for my soul as I was able to document God’s hand on everything that happens in the life of single women everywhere. The struggle to cope with everything around me falling apart yet worried that your value as a woman decreased each day as daily stressors took their toll on your hair, skin, and body. In this book, I documented those feelings along with the self-doubt and loss of personal dreams and desires that faded under the circumstances. Also documented in this book were the blessings, healing, understanding and truth which God revealed along this journey.
ANDRE: Give me the titles of your other books and the year they were published?
DR. WATSON: “Going Beyond the Ph.D: The Next Step.” This is a collaboration I co-authored with Dr. Joyce M. Jones and Friends.
ANDRE: What is the divine message you’re sending to your audience through this book?
IN HER OWN WORDS — “What I did not expect was how deeply my readers would connect with the experiences and stories told within the written words, Dr. Watson said. For example, one reader shared that she had to stop reading after a certain page because of how she related to feelings of inadequacy which was written about in the chapter entitled: How Did I Get Here? Another reader wrote to me expressing how she began to read this book on the plane and could not make it threw one of the initial chapters without crying. She found a personal connection to her own experiences as a mother raising a son and shared that what she read had bless her heart.”
DR. WATSON: When You Have to Be the Man illustrates the extraordinary things that can be expected with God as the man of the house. Single mothers are great warriors, women who will sacrifice their lives for their children. Their lives can be difficult and complex. When You Have to Be the Man reveals the great strength and resilience women and mothers have together with God. An extraordinary life for you and your children does exist with Jesus. He will be the Man if your life and in your home if you will allow Him. The time has come for single mothers to arise and become great women of God. Shutting out the rhetoric, renouncing all the naysayers and letting God be glorified in blessing the lives of those the world has scorned. It is a relationship of love guaranteed to exceed beyond your greatest dreams.
ANDRE: Overall, what kind of feedback have you garnered through this book?
DR. WATSON: What I did not expect was how deeply my readers would connect with the experiences and stories told within the written words. For example, one reader shared that she had to stop reading after a certain page because of how she related to feelings of inadequacy which was written about in the chapter entitled: How Did I Get Here? Another reader wrote to me expressing how she began to read this book on the plane and could not make it threw one of the initial chapters without crying. She found a personal connection to her own experiences as a mother raising a son and shared that what she read had bless her heart.
ANDRE: In what ways is this book part of the purpose for which God has created you?
“As a Christian woman, I have listened to many spiritual leaders in my lifetime,” Dr. Watson said. “While going through a particularly difficult time on my journey as a single mother, my heart and mind were particularly sensitive to sermons about the family and children. Most of what I would hear at that time was about the role of a father in children’s lives, or about the role of a man in the home to be the leader and the head of the family. “
DR. WATSON: God place this book upon my heart with the idea that I would chronicle my experiences and lessons learned as a single mother. My personal goal was that the book would bring hope and encouragement to other parents through the experiences and knowledge I have gained through my walk with God and journey as a single mother. However, this book turned out to be so much more than this. Ephesian 3:14-21 sums up what the purpose God intended for me in writing this book: (14) When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father; (15) the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth; (16) I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give us (me) mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit; (17) and I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in our hearts as we trust in him. May our roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; (18) And may we have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is; (19) That we may experience the love of Christ, though it is so great that we will never fully understand it. Then we will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes only from God; (20) Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us (right now), that he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope for; (21) to Him be the glory in our family, in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:14-21 (Life Application Study Bible) (biblically prayed by the Apostle Paul for (us) the church)
ANDRE: Are there any other books you’ve assembled or plan to write?
DR. WATSON: Because this book was written while I was going through very challenging times, I am rewriting this book from a perspective of lessons learned and to expose God’s hand at play in the lives of parents who are raising children under difficult circumstances. It’s hard for some people to see God in the midst of their struggles, this second book will encourage and empower and uncover the blessings on the other side of these struggles. This book will be a collaborative effort consisting of interviews with the mothers of high-profiles figures in this country who will share tips and strategies for their success as parents and how other parents can make decisions right now to provide their children the best of themselves as parents. These interviews with mothers of successful children will validate why the fight is worth it in the end.
ANDRE: Working on any speaking engagements as it pertains to promoting your book?
DR. WATSON: Not at this time.
ANDRE: Anything else you’d like to share with your reading audience?
DR. SABRINA BLOUT WATSON
DR. WATSON: One misconception that people may have about this book is that it is a “male bashing” book, possibly because of its title. When women talk about being “the man,” there is naturally as assertion that women are trying to be above men, or declare our independence of not needing men. However, this book is about none of that. In fact, through my experience of losing my children’s father in death, I have gain such an enormous appreciation for fathers and the powerful contributors to positive development that they provide. The gift that fathers are and the benefit of present fathers can be read about in almost any chapter of this book. To the contrary, there is also a chapter entitled “Are You the Problem” which exposes women who use children to gain power and revenge over fathers and obstruct the emotional and mental support that some fathers could provide their children’s, but are not allowed to because of an inhibiting mother. So although the title of this book may be misleading to men but I believe that even men would gain great insight and great pleasure knowing how much they are needed in families today as is expressed time and time again throughout this book.
ANDRE: Where can people find you and learn more about your book?
DR. WATSON: When You Have to Be the Man is now available online at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, producer, author, athlete, musician, barber, life coach, motivational speaker, cosmetologist, tax preparer, model, or pastor/minister who is seeking exposure and would like to share your story with an in-depth news feature, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
Andre Johnson is Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to [email protected] or to [email protected]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
ABOUT ANDRE: Andre Johnson is a longtime sports journalist and a 2000 graduate of the University of the Memphis with Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. A native of Memphis, Johnson is a former sport reporter Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper and Memphis Sport Magazine. He worked as full-time staffer for The Commercial Appeal from 2000-2002, in which he was the beat reporter for the Memphis Houn’dawgs of now-defunct American Basketball Assocation and the Memphis Xplorers of the arenafootball2 league. He has interviewed numerous sports personalities, most notably Archie Manning, LeBron James, George “Iceman” Gervin, Issac Bruce, Laila Ali, Vince Carter, Paul Westphal, Phil Jackson, Ken Hamlin, Cortez Kennedy, Michael Oher, Kobe Bryant, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Marc Gasol, Dwight Howard, James Harden, Patrick Willis, Stanley Morgan, Dirk Nowitzki, Rick Carlisle, Mark Cuban, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, John Force, Lamar Odom, Alexandra Stevenson, Derek Fisher, Penny Hardaway, Phillip Rivers, Colin Kaepernick, Jim Harbaugh, Tyreke Evans, Kirk Ferentz, and O. J. Mayo, among others. To reach Johnson, send email to: [email protected]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
Andre Johnson 
ANDRE: When did begin writing the book? When did you finish it
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, producer, author, athlete, musician, barber, life coach, motivational speaker, cosmetologist, tax preparer, model, or pastor/minister who is seeking exposure and would like to share your story with an in-depth news feature, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
