Kheris Rogers is the author of Shine Bright. Shine Bright follows Imani as she learns to be fearless as she embraces what makes her truly special. The novel is inspirational and aspirational as it encourages kids to love their skin. YEM was able to speak with Kheris about where the inspiration for her book Shine Bright came from, if any of it was inspired by her real life, and how she balances everything as she is also an actor, model, and dancer.
Young Entertainment Mag: When did you first know when you wanted to be an author?
Kheris Rogers: I had my first desire to write a book during the pandemic, because I wanted to share the resilience of children of color in a light that would inspire them to push through adversity
YEM: Where did the inspiration for your book Shine Bright come from?
Kheris: The inspiration came from my personal experience of being bullied
YEM: Is any part of Shine Bright inspired by your real life?
Kheris: Shine Bright was inspired by my real life desire to be seen, loved and accepted by my peers.
YEM: As someone who does so many other things besides write such as act, model, and dance, how do you balance your time
Kheris: I’m still working on balancing my life day by day. It’s a work in progress and I’m getting better daily.
YEM: When did you know you wanted to write a book about race and skin color?
Kheris: I knew wanted to write a book on colorism and racism when I constantly kept seeing on the internet children still being bullied for their looks.
YEM: What is your favorite thing about writing for a young adult audience?
Kheris: Being a spokesperson and someone they can look up to, because I was once in their position and I know how it felt to be alone.
YEM: What is something you learned through writing Shine Bright?
Kheris: I learned that the more you shine …the more people will love and hate you.
YEM: What is something you hope that your readers will take away from Shine Bright?
Kheris: I want my readers to know that they are special and unique
EM: What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an author?
Kheris: The advice i would give to anyone that wants to be a writer is to be fearless, don’t be afraid to put your feelings on paper.
YEM: Do you find that being an actor helped you at all in writing your book?
Kheris: Yes, i believe being an actor helped me with character development.
YEM: Who is your favorite writer of all time?
Kheris: Currently my favorite writer is Kwame Alexander, he recently turned one of his books into a tv show. He’s a great storyteller.
YEM: Do you have any other books in your future?
Kheris: There are plenty more books in my future, this was just the beginning!
