Bluefield State College alumna publishes inspirational memoir

BLUEFIELD,WV (WOAY) – A Bluefield State College alumna is now a published author, working to spread the gospel and inspire readers.

Leeta Rozzel’s life has been full of ups and downs. She says challenges she faced made it difficult to keep moving forward at times.

“After my accident and I’m sitting there not able to drive for seven years, you know we tend to get down on ourselves and wonder: where do I go from here,” Rozzel said.

After her accident, doctors diagnosed Rozzel with a condition that causes constant blinking. It kept her from driving for seven years. The entire time, Rozzel said she had one constant companion to push her through.

“People change, things change, I change. But, God never changes.”

While spring cleaning last May, she came across notes written on envelopes and church bulletins. After typing them out, Rozzel wound up with the first draft to her memoir: “Getting Up, Not Giving Up.”

After that, the words started pouring onto the page. By the end of October, the book was finished.

“[God] wanted me to tell others and to inspire others to get up,” Rozzel said.

She hopes that her readers can learn something about themselves and their life through her journey of faith.

“In some of these stories maybe they’ll see their journey,” she said. “Something they’re walking through now, something they may face tomorrow.”

Rozzel’s book can be ordered online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million. The book is also available as an e-book.

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Kassie Simmons
Kassie Simmons joined the team in January 2019 as a weekend journalist. She graduated from Virginia Tech in just two and a half years with a BA in multimedia journalism. During her short time at Virginia Tech, she served as the editor for the university’s chapter of The Tab. Kassie was named the top reporter for The Tab at Virginia Tech on multiple occasions and made the list for the top 30 reporters for The Tab in the U.S. She also studied theater performance and minored in creative writing. Before coming to WOAY, Kassie interned at WSLS in Roanoke and the Tidewater Review in her hometown of West Point, Va. She has loved following breaking news since her childhood and has a passion for delivering the stories people care most about. Kassie is excited to be working in Southern West Virginia and looks forward to all the adventures ahead of her. You can follow her on Twitter at @KassieLSimmons and like her page on Facebook. If you have a story you think she should check out, send her an email at ksimmons@woay.com.