Happy Friday all! Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July, enjoyed good food, and watched plenty of fireworks! Starting this quiet morning with an artist spotlight, and I'm so excited to feature his story.
To my upcoming artists, designers, producers, etc, out there, I would love to hear your story too! It's my goal to feature at least one person a month, so feel free to email me for a feature!
Author Malik Saunders, pen name Blatant Guyon, has made a major impact telling his life story and speaking about a near-fatal accident that has greatly affected his life. Taking what seemed like a negative
Read more about Malik below!
Born in Sacramento, CA, Malik Though Malik grew passionate about the sport of boxing, even winning the novice Golden Gloves in San Francisco, and eventually had his first child, a baby girl, he got caught up in the street life and was eventually arrested. However, instead of a jail stint, the author was sent to a half way house in Oakland, which had a positive impact on his life. “There I was enlightened by some strong Black men that were teaching me how to be a man,” Malik said of his experience. There, he grew greatly and became the man that he needed to be in life.
He also enrolled in college, graduating with a certificate in massage therapy.
Months later, Malik had a life-altering, near-death experience. While riding in the backseat of a car with friends one night, he was in a terrible accident when a truck quickly pulled out in front of them. The impact, at 65-70 miles an hour, almost killed him. “I heard a loud crack, and then I could no longer breath,” Malik said of the accident. He was transported to the hospital, where he went into a coma for a week.
After waking up, Malik spent two months in the hospital, and was told that he would never make a full recovery. “When I got out, I had to learn to walk again, talk, eat, and take care of myself,” he said. He had metal put into his lower back after his body snapped forward from the impact of the accident, as well as an illeostomy (a surgical opening to remove wastes). He’s also on what is called H.P.N. (home parenteral nutition) which gives him a mixture of fluid, electrolytes,vitamins ,and potassium to stay alive. “God is good and life is good,” Malik said. “I have good days and bad days and I'm in the hospital 4-5 times out of the years, but 10 years later I'm still here. This was a test. Now it is my testimony.”
Malik turned this tragic and difficult experience into a huge blessing. In the hospital, he took up writing about Memoirs from the 5th Floor: Fighting for My Life in December 2011. The book is Malik’s own reflection of the accident, as well as his recovery process, family relationships, and his relationship with God.
his experiences. “I had so much time of isolation, I began to write like the wind,” he said. His “scribbles and ripped up papers” he saved from his time in the hospital turned into a perfect masterpiece for him. Using his writings, he released his first book,
Malik is currently back in Sacramento, spending time with his family and children, Adrianna-Malika and Isaiah-Malik, as well as his grandson Adrian. The author is featured at venues across California doing readings and spoken word, as well as speaking to kids about cars, the dangers of texting and driving, as well as making better life choices. If I can stop one person from going through what I've been through, I did my job,” Malik said. “I believe I am here for a reason and that reason is to save a life.” He’s also finishing up his third book, Pain MediZen, a book of spoken word, and also is planning to take a chapter from Memoirs from the 5th Floor and turn into a one man show!
Readers will be inspired and motivated by Malik’s testimony! It’s absolutely amazing to see a man who has overcome obstacles, and decided to share with others in hopes that it will reach them in a special way. To learn more about him, you can connect with him on
Twitter,
Facebook, and
YouTube. And be sure to pick up your copy of
Memoirs From the 5th Floor here!
Shonda Rhimes, the creator of hit shows Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder, revealed the cover of her forthcoming book, Year of Yes!
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