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“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can,” a quote from late civil rights icon Dr Martin Luther King, inspired Michelle Borel, a 38-year-old author, wife, and mother of four, to use her talents as a writer to promote positive family values.
A former student of St François Girls’ College, the certified motivational speaker, radio personality and marketer, recently completed her latest book, Magic Words with Max. The 30-page publication contains fun activities and explores words that are polite or used in expressing kindness.
Not only does the main character, 8-year-old Max, use magic words, but his mother and father parent by example in and out of the home. The book uses rhymes, which make it fun and easy for children.
Max is modelled after Borel’s 16-year-old son, Elijah, and in the book, his interactions with other children and his parents, and what he does in general, put the spotlight on positive social values.
“I’m always inspired to see children learn and continue to develop,” said Borel who credits her teachers for helping her discover and develop her talents.
Borel, the daughter of Roxanne Browne-Phillip and Jean Borel, lists baking and painting among her talents, but topping her list is writing, especially poetry
“I carry a book with me everywhere and always ensure I squeeze reading into my schedule,” she said.
Her earliest stint at writing was as a contributing poet in 2002 in the Book of Laughter & Forgetting, followed by the International Who’s Who in Poetry in 2012. Her first collection of poetry, Soulspection, was published in 2016, and in 2018 she won the Bocas Lit Fest People’s Choice Book of the Year award. She has also contributed chapters in collective books soon to be released.
Borel came up with the idea for her latest book after looked at her mother give her one-year-old his bottle.
She recalled, “She would not allow him to start to drink until he said, ‘Tank ouuu Nanny.’ I can, therefore, preserve and share good experiences, knowing that it takes a socially sound village, only to help raise a socially sound child.”
On her experiences as a writer, she revealed, “Publishing benefits my soul just by the birthing process of creativity being completed. I feel extra motivated as creativity connects us to our Creator. Then, to see children from around the world reading and enjoying my books is an indescribable feeling.”
Borel’s next book, to be published in May is Now I’m Two, while Dance with Emma and Responsible Rosana! are also on the front burner.
Magic Words with Max is already available on Amazon. The Kindle version is $5 and paperback $12, with a hardcopy version soon to be released locally.