Throwing Thunder: Awakening the Forces of Nature Within Every Woman was the winner of the Inspirational/Spiritual category of the 2022 IndieReader Discovery Awards, where undiscovered talent meets people with the power to make a difference.
Following find an interview with author Kendra Ward.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Throwing Thunder: Awakening the Forces of Nature Within Every Woman, published 11/21
What’s the book’s first line?
“In the liminal space between waking and dreaming, I began to hear her stir.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Charged with introspective questions and journaling prompts, Throwing Thunder is an immersive journey into the heart of our confidence challenges, awakening the memory that unworthiness does not exist in the matrix of the living earth. An earth-based model of confidence reminds us of our innate enoughness, which exists despite our fears, flaws, and insecurities and the ways we try to separate ourselves from the wholeness of our being.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
For almost two decades, I listened to stories of not-enoughness from thousands of women in my acupuncture practice. I watched the way they kept trying to find their worth in their schedules, in their responsibilities, in their job titles, in their extreme competency of parenting, looking for their value anywhere but within themselves. I wanted to write something that spoke directly to these challenges, helping women remember the deepest kind of self-trust and inner-knowing.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Thunder as a main character makes her home in the groundless, transitory edges of space where she reminds us that we are not here to chase the passing weather of comfort or control. We are not here to be safe. We are here to risk everything and to feel exhilaratingly alive in the process.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
This is not a boss babe confidence book that promotes some antiquated ideas of confidence, where you look good on the outside, but still shiver with self-loathing on the inside. So often women are persuaded to fake it till they make it, stuffing some polyester filler into their innards to help them appear bigger than they really feel, ultimately leaving even the most seemingly accomplished, well-put-together woman feeling a secret, inner ambivalence. Instead, Throwing Thunder offers a revolutionary vision for any woman who wants to remember her instinctual nature and essential belonging. In this era of the collective wake-up call, it is time for women to fully awaken the truth of their confidence and to wield their thunder well.
When did you first decide to become an author?
I first started writing about seven years ago and honestly it felt like the book chose me, not the other way around.
Is this the first you’ve written?
This is my first book.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I teach classes on Earth-honoring practices and work as a licensed acupuncturist.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
Helping people feel more inspired and connected is my primary motivation.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
I have a deep respect and love for Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, and her trailblazing, subversive work as a musician and writer.