How Dr. Kendra M. Harris turned a story born after Hurricane Katrina into an audiobook

Dr. Kendra M. Harris is a New Orleans native. She is an educator, transformation/management consultant, community anti-racist organizer, published author, and mother. Her passions lie in social advocacy and social development, self-identity and group dynamics. Dr. Harris has instructed a wide range of secondary school and university courses, which included Critical Analysis and Reasoning, as well as community entrepreneurial initiatives targeting wellness, ownership, and constructivism. She has served as founding executive director and educator at Natural Genius Homeschool Advantage, a self-standing community home school. Dr. Harris takes pride in building leadership curricula that direct and assist with understanding, self-care, and personal growth. Harris’ targeted transdisciplinary research scales humanities: sociology, cultural anthropology, history, and English. Her lived experiences and love inform her work, both in communities and in her personal life.

Circles: Break a Cycle was initially written by Harris as a form of coping with the twists and demanding transformations presented by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, 2005. Although the book begins in a story filled with struggle and uncertainty, it also paints a story of love, family, and breakaway. It presents a challenge and builds a platform for community organizers and everyday community people. It challenges the listening audience to reflect on their lives to see what needs to be broken and what needs to be grown.

Circles: Break a Cycle is a creative compilation (partially fiction) of Let Me Taste and Laced Bloodline (novellas in print). This audiobook has much more narrative and social research, complete with a curriculum model extended to those interested in leading classroom or community discussions.

Coincidentally, research is what also led me to Narration Box. I'd read about other voice production companies, but continued to circle back to Narration Box. It was the dynamic of relationship building! I needed to see a face(s). I needed to feel humanity. I chose Narration Box to help bring my project to life!

My vision was to bring this project to life with sound. Narration Box afforded that opportunity with voice selection. Karasi was given a voice thanks to Narration Box!

I faced challenges, however. I absolutely have to research all that I am putting my work, my heart and soul, into for public display. My worry was Narration Box is a company based in The UK, London, and I am in The US, New Orleans.

Special thanks to Narration Box for giving this book a voice! Their professionalism, even a sense of friendship, extended in this process is unmatched!

To any other author working to provide audible liveliness to a manuscript, I would certainly recommend Narration Box.

Let's promote laughter, love, and learning - together! Let's break a cycle!