ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2026 NATIONAL ADVANCE COVERAGE: Los Angeles writer Adeja Spain finally makes her long-awaited authorship debut
Andre Johnson 
PERFECT TIMING
First-time published author Adeja Spain was only being forthright when explaining the awe-inspiring uniqueness surrounding her fascinating, life-altering story.
“I didn’t write this from a place of arrival,” Spain said. “I wrote it from a place of honesty. I’ve always been a journaler, so the chapters take you through the moments of life where it was all unraveling in real time. And by the end, you’ll see I’m not standing on the other side of a perfectly resolved life telling people what to do.”
As part of Making Headline News’ 2026 Essence Music Festival advance national coverage for “the party with a purpose” event July 3-5 in New Orleans, Spain, a rising Los Angeles-based writer, recalled how her new book, It Had To Happen: You’ve Seen My Wins, Not My Wounds!, comes amid what she describes as “real loss,” most notably the sudden passing of my father, Freddie Spain Jr., in 2020.
“I chose to let that grief fuel something meaningful rather than silence me. I live the message,” Spain said. “That’s what makes it real.”
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BUY SPAIN’S BOOK: https://sherobookstore.com/non-fiction/it-had-to-happen/
A riveting, spiritually-empowering read that is comprised of 183 pages and is powered by Dr. Erica Perry Green’s SHERO Publishing, Spain’s It Had To Happen: You’ve Seen My Wins, Not My Wounds!, by all accounts, is a powerful and transparent memoir, one that pulls back the curtain on the pain behind the wins, according to a thorough synopsis of her written work via Amazon.com.
“With raw honesty, Adeja shares her journey through life’s defining moments, revealing how heartbreak, challenges, and unexpected turns shaped her identity, strengthened her faith, and positioned her for purpose,” said an Amazon spokesperson for Spain’s It Had To Happen. “What once felt like setbacks are reframed as necessary experiences that refined her, teaching readers that nothing they have endured is wasted. This book is both a testimony and a call to see your own story differently, not as something to hide, but as something that holds the power to heal, transform, and lead you into who you were always meant to become.”
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Widely regarded as an author, speaker, and emerging thought leader whose voice is rooted in truth, resilience, and transformation, Spain emphasized, among other things, the vision for her new book “didn’t come all at once.”
“It came in layers,” Spain told MHN. “God began stirring something in me at a young age. My late grandmother, Lillie Spain, told my mom that I was going to be an evangelist. Through years of experience, moving to several cities across the country, I didn’t fully understand at the time what was happening or why. It wasn’t until I started connecting the dots between my pain, my purpose, and my persistence that I realized the story I had been living was always meant to be shared.”
When asked what the defining reason was she composed such an intriguingly powerful book, Spain said:
“The defining reason was the people who were quietly carrying wounds they had never spoken out loud. I kept meeting people, men, women, young, older, who were celebrated for their highlight reels but had never been given permission to be honest about the hard parts.
“To talk about the journey while climbing. The pivots. The adjustments. The silence from God. I wanted to create that permission. This book is for everyone who has been through something that didn’t make sense at the time but needed to hear: It Had To Happen.”
Not to mention it had to come to pass, a book that figures to help enrich and impact lives — thus help advance the kingdom — for years to come.
“My deepest prayer is that readers walk away knowing that nothing in their story was wasted,” Spain said. “The detours, the disappointments, the losses, God was present in all of it. Even when it didn’t feel like it, or when He was silent. I want readers to stop being ashamed of their wounds and start seeing them as proof of what they survived. Healing begins when we stop hiding the full story.”
After all, she’s only being forthright when assessing the awe-inspiring uniqueness surrounding her fascinating, life-altering story.
IT SURE DID!
EDITOR’S NOTE: Your story has the power to build authority, create opportunities, inspire others, and generate income when positioned correctly. Dr. Erica Perry Green’s SHERO Publishing helps women transform their stories, expertise, and experiences into bestselling books, powerful brands, and profitable platforms. Whether you are launching a book, coaching business, speaking brand, or thought leadership platform, SHERO Publishing provides the strategy, structure, and support to help you build a legacy through your voice. Learn more at https://sheropublishing.com/start-here/.
For more information about Los Angeles Author Adeja Spain, to inquire about her book or for interview requests, connect with her via Instagram: Personal: @_adejavu | Business: @sparkedbyspain; Facebook: Adeja Spain; LinkedIn: Adeja Spain; Email: sparkedbyspain@gmail.com; Contact Number: 757-831-7937.
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WHAT’S YOUR STORY? 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 the award-winning Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to makingheadlinenews@gmail.com or to memphisgraduate@yahoo.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist or Instagram at @makingheadlinenews.
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