Meet Joy Alantis | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joy Alantis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joy, what matters most to you?
Being true to oneself. I am my brand, so how I present myself to the world cannot be outside of who I am no matter what. The version of me you see cannot be a fabricated image with the sole purpose of simply making money. That will eventually collapse. If people find out that I am not who or what I claim to be, then I lose trust, I lose credibility. So I enter spaces as I am so I may give myself room to grow, to change, or to be different, based on what I have experienced and learned. If you trust me to be authentic, then you know you are getting the best version of me at all times, even when I am at my worst. That is who I am at the moment. Being honest about who I am allows me to not take the judgment of others so personally.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My passion for writing has existed for as long as I have. For years, I wanted to publish a novel, and I finally made that happen in December 2020. Initially, my writing was very personal, and I used it as a tool to express and release matters that had a profound impact on my life. So, whether it was exciting or scary, filled with love or pain, I turned to my pen to help me articulate what I was feeling.

When I began to write for others, I quickly realized that I had a genuine gift. I went on to help others write and edit books and articles for quite a while. Then I became the editor of a fashion magazine where I had complete creative control of the content. It was in this role that I learned to understand the business of writing. Unfortunately, I found myself completing projects for others and abandoning my own work.

I started a personal blog to challenge myself to publish more of my writing. That worked for a little while. However, once I got busy writing for other people and developing their content, I pushed my work to the side again. This went on for over 20 years!

It wasn’t until 2018 that I really had a long conversation with myself and recommitted to completing my project. When I lost my father, it triggered a reality in me about mortality. There was so much he wanted to do with his life but time got away from him. I had no reason not to accomplish my goal of becoming an author. Every hurdle that I encountered was one I created for myself by the choices I made. From that point, it took me two years to complete my first novel, The Goddess Journal | dys[FUN]ction. This book is fun, it’s shocking, it’s relatable and overall entertaining. I am so proud of this book and all the great feedback the readers are giving me. This book carries so much for both the reader and me, and I cannot wait to publish more.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh, God! I am such a homebody. I’ve designed such a beautiful, comfortable, and inviting place to call home that I honestly don’t get out much. It’s a gift and a curse. A gift because who doesn’t want a home that they love? A curse because Atlanta has so much to offer. But I will try to crank out a little list.

A few places I absolutely love are:

Piedmont Park for a light jog or stroll and to catch the Beltline, make a stop at Ponce City Market for a quick bite, cup of coffee, or a popsicle from King of Pops. We can also window shop here.

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen is the bomb! Everything is yummy. My favorite is the vegan platter, and I sometimes add salmon, chicken, and lamb tibs when I’m feeling carnivorous.

Le Bilboquet. It’s a cute French restaurant in Buckhead with Paris-esque patio seating. My favorite thing to eat there when I’m not dieting is their chocolate mousse! It’s amazing. And if I must have an entrée my go to choice is the cajun chicken and fries or, le cajun poulet and pomme frite if you want to be fancy.

If my best friend was a cigar smoker, I might take them to Highland Cigar Bar, Burn by Rocky Patel, or Fellaship.

Top Golf, or Axe Throwing, or Rock Climbing are a few of my favorites.

And, lastly, the Porsche Experience for a few laps around the track then hop and skip over to the Apron at Kimpton Overland Hotel for a cocktail.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This shoutout is dedicated to my favorite person, Azareah. She is my forever ‘why’.

Website: dysfunctionbook.com

Instagram: joyalantis

Twitter: joyalantis

Facebook: joy.alantis

Image Credits
Azareah York dysfunctionbook.com