Tesa Jones
Fans often ask me . . . “When did you start writing?”
The answer . . . I was 10-years-old. For Christmas that year, my grandmother gave me a diary with a lock and key. When I opened the gift, she whispered in my ear, “Write what you feel.” To my surprise, words poured out of me and landed on the pages of that little red book.
At 15, I wrote the first story I was willing to share with my peers. The positive feedback from my teenage friends and my teachers was just enough encouragement for me to continue on my literary journey. Years passed. During my twenties, college and career got in the way of my dreams. When I hit 30, I was an at-home mother of a toddler. With all of my attention directed to my child and my husband, I felt a loss of identity and my self-confidence was waning; as a result, I decided to carve out some personal time for writing. With a detailed outline and my beloved characters constantly dancing inside of my head, I wrote the the timelines for my famliy saga and the first draft of Cobwebs of Time.
There were very few home computers in those days; therefore, the first draft was written on an IBM Selectric typewriter. At that time, a ream of bond paper was $24.99 — half of my weekly grocery allowance. To save money, I typed on both sides of the paper.
When I wrote the last word of that first manuscript, I felt a surge of pride for my accomplishment. However, it was short lived. I was pregnant with my second child and I knew my priority was — to be a mother first — plus — I had a home in need of my undivided attention. Consequently, I boxed up my manuscript and put it on the top shelf of my closet.
I do not regret one minute of those precious years I spent focusing on my family and our hectic, crazy schedules: the t-ball games, the bedtime stories, the Girl Scout Cookie sales, the soccer practices, the school plays, the homework, the softball games, the hours dedicated to “Hooked on Phonics”, the swim meets, the band concerts, the BLAST tournaments, the track meets, the constant carpool, the mess all over the house, the ‘what’s for dinner?’ when I hadn’t even thought about food until I heard the question, the award ceremonies, the proms and finally the graduations! As I lived those years, I felt as if our lives were wrapped up in a cyclone and often spinning out of control; however, as I reflect upon those active times, I realize — those might be — the best years of my life. I have no regrets.
When my last child graduated from high school and left “the nest”, I looked around my empty home and asked . . . what now? The house was clean and quiet. My calendar had very few events scheduled on it. I was proud and happy that my children were successfully transitioning into adults, but — at the same time — I felt a hole in my heart. My role as a mom would never be over; however, my “job” as a mother was completed. I had launched my kids into the world!
I needed to reinvent myself and find a new purpose. After dusting off my manuscript, typing it into a computer, polishing the grammar, elongating the plot and adding an epilogue, I pursued my dream of being a published author. Although Cobwebs of Time is the second book in The Malone Family Saga, it is the first book that was published. For a year and a half, my husband and I toured the country. He managed to get me to book signings, countless radio and television interviews and a different motel room in a variety of cities during the book tour frenzy. In an odd and wonderful way, it felt like a second honeymoon.
The fans enjoyed Cobwebs of Time so much, I was inspired to finish the prequel: Reflection of Memories. When a person looks at the timeline of how long it took me to complete my novels, one can see — I am a detailed oriented writer. Between occasional “writer’s block” and a busy life, it took me a decade to finish each book.
However, the result is . . . yes . . . my writer’s dream CAN and DID come true!
excerpt from my BLOG tab in web site www.booksbytesajones.com
The answer . . . I was 10-years-old. For Christmas that year, my grandmother gave me a diary with a lock and key. When I opened the gift, she whispered in my ear, “Write what you feel.” To my surprise, words poured out of me and landed on the pages of that little red book.
At 15, I wrote the first story I was willing to share with my peers. The positive feedback from my teenage friends and my teachers was just enough encouragement for me to continue on my literary journey. Years passed. During my twenties, college and career got in the way of my dreams. When I hit 30, I was an at-home mother of a toddler. With all of my attention directed to my child and my husband, I felt a loss of identity and my self-confidence was waning; as a result, I decided to carve out some personal time for writing. With a detailed outline and my beloved characters constantly dancing inside of my head, I wrote the the timelines for my famliy saga and the first draft of Cobwebs of Time.
There were very few home computers in those days; therefore, the first draft was written on an IBM Selectric typewriter. At that time, a ream of bond paper was $24.99 — half of my weekly grocery allowance. To save money, I typed on both sides of the paper.
When I wrote the last word of that first manuscript, I felt a surge of pride for my accomplishment. However, it was short lived. I was pregnant with my second child and I knew my priority was — to be a mother first — plus — I had a home in need of my undivided attention. Consequently, I boxed up my manuscript and put it on the top shelf of my closet.
I do not regret one minute of those precious years I spent focusing on my family and our hectic, crazy schedules: the t-ball games, the bedtime stories, the Girl Scout Cookie sales, the soccer practices, the school plays, the homework, the softball games, the hours dedicated to “Hooked on Phonics”, the swim meets, the band concerts, the BLAST tournaments, the track meets, the constant carpool, the mess all over the house, the ‘what’s for dinner?’ when I hadn’t even thought about food until I heard the question, the award ceremonies, the proms and finally the graduations! As I lived those years, I felt as if our lives were wrapped up in a cyclone and often spinning out of control; however, as I reflect upon those active times, I realize — those might be — the best years of my life. I have no regrets.
When my last child graduated from high school and left “the nest”, I looked around my empty home and asked . . . what now? The house was clean and quiet. My calendar had very few events scheduled on it. I was proud and happy that my children were successfully transitioning into adults, but — at the same time — I felt a hole in my heart. My role as a mom would never be over; however, my “job” as a mother was completed. I had launched my kids into the world!
I needed to reinvent myself and find a new purpose. After dusting off my manuscript, typing it into a computer, polishing the grammar, elongating the plot and adding an epilogue, I pursued my dream of being a published author. Although Cobwebs of Time is the second book in The Malone Family Saga, it is the first book that was published. For a year and a half, my husband and I toured the country. He managed to get me to book signings, countless radio and television interviews and a different motel room in a variety of cities during the book tour frenzy. In an odd and wonderful way, it felt like a second honeymoon.
The fans enjoyed Cobwebs of Time so much, I was inspired to finish the prequel: Reflection of Memories. When a person looks at the timeline of how long it took me to complete my novels, one can see — I am a detailed oriented writer. Between occasional “writer’s block” and a busy life, it took me a decade to finish each book.
However, the result is . . . yes . . . my writer’s dream CAN and DID come true!
excerpt from my BLOG tab in web site www.booksbytesajones.com
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