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Strength Within - Roland Tyler
Strength Within
Roland Tyler
ISBN: 9780615210315
Roland Tyler Productions
Reviewed By Heather Slocumb
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
This quote, which opens Strength Within, is the perfect summation of the contents within. Roland Tyler’s moving autobiography will altogether shock, sadden, and inspire anyone who reads it, ultimately fostering within the reader a strong fervor for making a positive difference in his/her own life.
All his life, Tyler never had it easy. His father abandoned him, his little brother, Andre, and his mother at an early age, leaving her to fend for herself in taking care of the two young boys. The family’s struggle lasted for years, as they were never able to escape the throes of poverty and rough living. Throughout it all, Tyler’s mother tried to show love to him and Andre, but ultimately she couldn’t stop herself from taking the frustrations of her hard life out on the youngsters, becoming increasingly abusive to them as time progressed.
The horrendous abuse, as well as other equally oppressive factors, engendered in Tyler a spirit of rebelliousness, and he found himself drawn to the streets and the derelict lifestyle that awaited him there. His particular vice of choice: becoming a thief. As his delinquent tendencies fortified themselves, his parents’ response was equally strong, and he eventually left home, spending an extended stay in foster care before ending up in a Psychiatric Children’s Center.
Tyler’s problems didn’t stop there, though – in fact, they had only begun. As time progressed, his attitude toward life worsened, his academic track record was abysmal, and his spirit continued its unimpeded freefall. However, things began to change for Tyler with the sudden, unexpected deaths of his parents, as well as the plights of other close relatives – culminating in the failed suicide attempt of his beloved brother, Andre. Tragedy after tragedy began to open Tyler’s eyes to a new reality, and he soon began to heed the inner voice that had constantly called out to him in the past – only to be ignored by him time after time. As he changed his outlook on life, Tyler eventually learned that all he’d ever needed to do to succeed was to tap into the eternal source of strength deep within himself – which had been present all along.
Strength Within is an eye-opening read, one that provides the reader with a poignant picture of a soul in constant flux. Survivors of challenging upbringings will surely relate to all the struggles of Tyler’s early life, and his inspirational account of spiritual triumph will, without a doubt, give hope to the hopeless and strength to the faltering. From an early age, we are all taught that “No man is an island,” but what we often fail to realize is that what we need most to survive and thrive is the spiritual lifeline that can come only from a supernatural source – and not our fellow man. In Strength Within, Tyler does an outstanding job of reminding the reader of this fact without doing so in preachy or pedantic fashion.
A highly recommended story of victory over the harshest of circumstances, guaranteed to inspire.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Roland Tyler (Strength Within)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Roland. We're looking forward to learning more about your moving life story.
Growing up, you endured everything from child abuse to trouble with the law to ongoing emotional turmoil. Was it difficult for you to recount all the painful experiences of your past and put them on paper to share with the world at large?
Roland Tyler: Yes, it was difficult for me to recount the tragic experiences I faced as a young man. I cried continuously and rocked back and forth with each sentence. Despite the pain, I was able to thank God for giving me the strength. For years after I left the second psychiatric institution, I blocked out many incidences (especially the incident with the worker and the key). When it came to writing about those moments, I was a wreck and often found myself sitting in a corner.
AR: As a teen, you almost lost your life over your refusal to give up your leather coat. What kind of emotional/spiritual state were you in to so brazenly stare death in the face without regard to your own life?
RT: When they tried to rob me, I did not view my fighting back as risking my life. I thought I was invincible, and it was one of the few times in my life where I felt like I had any control. Yes, some part of me knew it was ignorant and foolish not to just give them my coat, but the true ignorance was thinking that I was fighting alone and believing that God had nothing to do with saving me from death that night.
AR: Despite the abuse that you endured at her hand, losing your mother when she was only 34 was very difficult for you. Please share with our readers the precise impact that her premature passing had on your life.
RT: My life was filled with so many devastating things. When my mother died so early in life (hers and mine), I vowed to become a good son. I wanted to prove to her and everyone that I could be a good son. Before she died, I tried to be a good son because I thought that would help her, but I was too late. Sometimes, I felt like God punished me for my lying and misbehaving and that there was no hope for me.
AR: Following the deaths of both your parents, your brother regularly blamed you and your reckless behavior for driving them to early graves. What kind of effect did his stance have on you?
RT: Having my brother blame me for my parents’ deaths hurt me to the core. Hearing him say those things hurt me so much, I could not bear to look at myself in the mirror. No one could imagine the cold feelings I felt and that continued to come over me when he said those words.
AR: Over the course of your life, drugs became a major staple of your existence. How were you able to quit them cold turkey?
RT: It didn't feel like quitting cold turkey. When I looked up at the sky into the stars, I knew it was time to stop. I said, “Enough is enough.” I now know that two angels (my mother and father), along with God, were helping me. I still thank God for helping me to overcome the drug abuse.
AR: Please share with our readers the significance of your tattoo.
RT: After going through the last (and hopefully final) tragedy, I felt like I needed a symbol. I wanted a constant reminder of the fact I was able to fight and survive. Tigers are renowned for their power and strength. They are fascinating creatures often misunderstood, and they’re now endangered. In many ways, I was no different than the tiger: misunderstood and in danger. After going through all the tragedies, outside of my belief in God, looking at the tattoo helped.
AR: What advice do you have for other individuals who, like you, have struggled to escape the twin perils of poverty and abuse?
RT: Often, people can rise above, but you don't escape your past. It's important that you remember the distinction between rising above the peril and ignoring the fact that those perils helped determine your current situation. You can never forget where you came from. I encourage others not to use their past as a crutch; instead, use it as a shield of courage and deflect all of the negativity (which is bound to come from those who don't understand).
AR: Please share more with our readers about the publishing company that you started, Roland V. Tyler, Jr. Productions.
RT: After unsuccessfully signing a contract with a publisher from New York who did not have my best interests in mind, I faced a number of problems while trying to publish and promote the first edition. I knew I needed to do get out from under his grasp. I had to learn the hard way that there are some unsavory people out there, and the best way to break free was to start my own production company.
AR: What are your future writing/publishing plans?
RT: My life is a work in progress. There are more stories to tell. I plan on writing at least three other books, sharing those details with others. If they liked my first book, I just know that my second book, "I Am My Brother's Keeper," will touch just as many people. Each upcoming book will show readers that there is so much in life that we can rejoice about - even in the midst of drama, hurt, pain, and disappointments.
AR: Will you be making any appearances anytime soon where our readers can come support you?
RT: I've recently completed a number of book signings and plan to have a number of signings and appearances across the east coast once the book hits bookstores in 2009.
AR: Do you have a website address where our readers can learn more about you?
RT: www.rolandvtyler.com
AR: Also, how can people contact you directly?
RT: r.tyler38@yahoo.com
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
RT: I hope that people will not only learn from my story but be inspired to find their own strength. In the meantime, never give up because your true strength comes from God. Lastly, they should know that God will never forsake you!
AR: Thanks again, Roland, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
Roland Tyler
ISBN: 9780615210315
Roland Tyler Productions
Reviewed By Heather Slocumb
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
“Strength is only
The exercise of faith;
The more you hold on to it
The stronger you become.”
Carlethia Starks
The exercise of faith;
The more you hold on to it
The stronger you become.”
Carlethia Starks
This quote, which opens Strength Within, is the perfect summation of the contents within. Roland Tyler’s moving autobiography will altogether shock, sadden, and inspire anyone who reads it, ultimately fostering within the reader a strong fervor for making a positive difference in his/her own life.
All his life, Tyler never had it easy. His father abandoned him, his little brother, Andre, and his mother at an early age, leaving her to fend for herself in taking care of the two young boys. The family’s struggle lasted for years, as they were never able to escape the throes of poverty and rough living. Throughout it all, Tyler’s mother tried to show love to him and Andre, but ultimately she couldn’t stop herself from taking the frustrations of her hard life out on the youngsters, becoming increasingly abusive to them as time progressed.
The horrendous abuse, as well as other equally oppressive factors, engendered in Tyler a spirit of rebelliousness, and he found himself drawn to the streets and the derelict lifestyle that awaited him there. His particular vice of choice: becoming a thief. As his delinquent tendencies fortified themselves, his parents’ response was equally strong, and he eventually left home, spending an extended stay in foster care before ending up in a Psychiatric Children’s Center.
Tyler’s problems didn’t stop there, though – in fact, they had only begun. As time progressed, his attitude toward life worsened, his academic track record was abysmal, and his spirit continued its unimpeded freefall. However, things began to change for Tyler with the sudden, unexpected deaths of his parents, as well as the plights of other close relatives – culminating in the failed suicide attempt of his beloved brother, Andre. Tragedy after tragedy began to open Tyler’s eyes to a new reality, and he soon began to heed the inner voice that had constantly called out to him in the past – only to be ignored by him time after time. As he changed his outlook on life, Tyler eventually learned that all he’d ever needed to do to succeed was to tap into the eternal source of strength deep within himself – which had been present all along.
Strength Within is an eye-opening read, one that provides the reader with a poignant picture of a soul in constant flux. Survivors of challenging upbringings will surely relate to all the struggles of Tyler’s early life, and his inspirational account of spiritual triumph will, without a doubt, give hope to the hopeless and strength to the faltering. From an early age, we are all taught that “No man is an island,” but what we often fail to realize is that what we need most to survive and thrive is the spiritual lifeline that can come only from a supernatural source – and not our fellow man. In Strength Within, Tyler does an outstanding job of reminding the reader of this fact without doing so in preachy or pedantic fashion.
A highly recommended story of victory over the harshest of circumstances, guaranteed to inspire.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Roland Tyler (Strength Within)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Roland. We're looking forward to learning more about your moving life story.
Growing up, you endured everything from child abuse to trouble with the law to ongoing emotional turmoil. Was it difficult for you to recount all the painful experiences of your past and put them on paper to share with the world at large?
Roland Tyler: Yes, it was difficult for me to recount the tragic experiences I faced as a young man. I cried continuously and rocked back and forth with each sentence. Despite the pain, I was able to thank God for giving me the strength. For years after I left the second psychiatric institution, I blocked out many incidences (especially the incident with the worker and the key). When it came to writing about those moments, I was a wreck and often found myself sitting in a corner.
AR: As a teen, you almost lost your life over your refusal to give up your leather coat. What kind of emotional/spiritual state were you in to so brazenly stare death in the face without regard to your own life?
RT: When they tried to rob me, I did not view my fighting back as risking my life. I thought I was invincible, and it was one of the few times in my life where I felt like I had any control. Yes, some part of me knew it was ignorant and foolish not to just give them my coat, but the true ignorance was thinking that I was fighting alone and believing that God had nothing to do with saving me from death that night.
AR: Despite the abuse that you endured at her hand, losing your mother when she was only 34 was very difficult for you. Please share with our readers the precise impact that her premature passing had on your life.
RT: My life was filled with so many devastating things. When my mother died so early in life (hers and mine), I vowed to become a good son. I wanted to prove to her and everyone that I could be a good son. Before she died, I tried to be a good son because I thought that would help her, but I was too late. Sometimes, I felt like God punished me for my lying and misbehaving and that there was no hope for me.
AR: Following the deaths of both your parents, your brother regularly blamed you and your reckless behavior for driving them to early graves. What kind of effect did his stance have on you?
RT: Having my brother blame me for my parents’ deaths hurt me to the core. Hearing him say those things hurt me so much, I could not bear to look at myself in the mirror. No one could imagine the cold feelings I felt and that continued to come over me when he said those words.
AR: Over the course of your life, drugs became a major staple of your existence. How were you able to quit them cold turkey?
RT: It didn't feel like quitting cold turkey. When I looked up at the sky into the stars, I knew it was time to stop. I said, “Enough is enough.” I now know that two angels (my mother and father), along with God, were helping me. I still thank God for helping me to overcome the drug abuse.
AR: Please share with our readers the significance of your tattoo.
RT: After going through the last (and hopefully final) tragedy, I felt like I needed a symbol. I wanted a constant reminder of the fact I was able to fight and survive. Tigers are renowned for their power and strength. They are fascinating creatures often misunderstood, and they’re now endangered. In many ways, I was no different than the tiger: misunderstood and in danger. After going through all the tragedies, outside of my belief in God, looking at the tattoo helped.
AR: What advice do you have for other individuals who, like you, have struggled to escape the twin perils of poverty and abuse?
RT: Often, people can rise above, but you don't escape your past. It's important that you remember the distinction between rising above the peril and ignoring the fact that those perils helped determine your current situation. You can never forget where you came from. I encourage others not to use their past as a crutch; instead, use it as a shield of courage and deflect all of the negativity (which is bound to come from those who don't understand).
AR: Please share more with our readers about the publishing company that you started, Roland V. Tyler, Jr. Productions.
RT: After unsuccessfully signing a contract with a publisher from New York who did not have my best interests in mind, I faced a number of problems while trying to publish and promote the first edition. I knew I needed to do get out from under his grasp. I had to learn the hard way that there are some unsavory people out there, and the best way to break free was to start my own production company.
AR: What are your future writing/publishing plans?
RT: My life is a work in progress. There are more stories to tell. I plan on writing at least three other books, sharing those details with others. If they liked my first book, I just know that my second book, "I Am My Brother's Keeper," will touch just as many people. Each upcoming book will show readers that there is so much in life that we can rejoice about - even in the midst of drama, hurt, pain, and disappointments.
AR: Will you be making any appearances anytime soon where our readers can come support you?
RT: I've recently completed a number of book signings and plan to have a number of signings and appearances across the east coast once the book hits bookstores in 2009.
AR: Do you have a website address where our readers can learn more about you?
RT: www.rolandvtyler.com
AR: Also, how can people contact you directly?
RT: r.tyler38@yahoo.com
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
RT: I hope that people will not only learn from my story but be inspired to find their own strength. In the meantime, never give up because your true strength comes from God. Lastly, they should know that God will never forsake you!
AR: Thanks again, Roland, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!