I have known Ramona Jones for the majority of her life. I was honored with the opportunity to serve as an editor for her upcoming poetry release and can attest to the fact that she started and completed this process in what felt like mere WEEKS!
I am SO proud to be a part of this journey with my dear, loving friend!
Here is the story of Miss Ramona Jones…
Background
Thank you for your willingness to share a bit about yourself and your experiences with the Sh’Shares NETWORK audience! Please tell us a little about your background including your childhood.
I had to laugh at this question. Because as much as my childhood defines me I constantly give it constant shade and absolutely no props. We’re frenemies maybe? I was born and raised in the Bangem, Duval County. I pride myself in being a contradiction since I was a little girl. I read books. I gave death stares. I ate knowledge for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I dreamed of escaping my given existence to be reunited with my real family in my real home which had to be lightyears away because the people who they told me I shared DNA with were nothing like me and the place they say I was born was a joke. A lifeless place with nothing to do. Nothing to explore. No claim to fame on the global scales. So to keep this sad story short I’m a broken girl from a broken home just trying to put the pieces back together again. My father had a drug problem and a problem keeping a job or being found when child support was due. My mother is mystery with a mysterious mental instability and we share a mysterious soul connection relationship that is not really a relationship at all. My sister is my alter ego so we fit perfectly together forever and always. I have always been a writer. I have always been horrible at relationships. And that about sums it up.
Give us an idea of where you currently are in life and how that came to be?
I am currently taking complete advantage of my career perks, charting my financial course for the next few years, living off of green smoothies and green curry shrimp, wrestling with God for control and recovering from a break up that I thought would take me under. How did I get here? A nightmare first job, a chance certification and some resume savvy landed me at my current job and my current plot to retire super early. Green is my fav color. God and I stay fighting. And I guess stars, butterflies, my tendency to overlook character flaws and my inability to be in true relationships got me dumped.
Going a little deeper, what types of challenges have you faced over the years prior to arriving where you currently find yourself?
I think my biggest challenge has been relationships period. Parenting. Handling difficult people at work. Marriage. My relationship with money lol. And just trying to navigate how I do relationships and how I can get better instead of trying to do relationships like I see in books and movies and TV shows and life in general.
On Being an Author…
Did you always know that you would be an author? Was this a goal of yours? OR Did it just happen?
Absolutely. It has always been a goal. I crossed it off my bucket list a while back to focus on what I thought were more important things like financial freedom and relationships. But a friend sent me something that pretty much summed it up, “I didn’t choose writing. Writing chose me.”.
Tell us about your book.
Love Letters is me venting to my best friend, poetry, through my best friend, poetry, sometimes about my best friend, poetry. Writing is how I process life. Just like breathing is how I process air. It’s me being me. The me I haven’t found a way to actually be in real life.
What inspired you to write the book? How did it come to be?
I’ve always been a writer. I’ve always wanted to be a published author. So when my ex who badgered me about writing incessantly became…my ex…I pulled out all the poetry I had ever written and went from there.
It took a major life event to push me to do some major research and put a plan in place. Copyrights. ISBNs. Retail vendor accounts and contracts. HTML formatting. Peer editing. Cover designs. All the things writers don’t think about when they dream about becoming an author.
On Living Your DREAMS…
While writing, were there ever any instances where you thought to give up? Give some examples.
Nope. This has been a whirlwind 2 months. I’m not sure on the average lead time for writing, editing and publishing a book but I’m pretty sure I beat it by a mile.
Why didn’t you give up? Why are you still writing Love Letters, Ramona?
I had to finish something. I felt like all of my life was a series of incomplete stories that left off at some tragedy. I wanted this book to end like all fairy tales should…with a happy ending. I’m still writing “love letters” because there is absolutely nothing wrong with love. There’s usually just something wrong with the people claiming to be in love.
What is your focus? / What guides you on your path?
Still trying to figure that out. At times it’s trying to be who I think I should be spiritually. At other times it’s financial freedom. Still other times it’s being a great mom or friend or girlfriend or wife or employee. I’m kind of wandering aimlessly right now from focus to focus. What I’m missing is a foundation.
Provide an example of sacrifice that you have made for the sake of your career/goals.
I don’t know that I’ve made good sacrifices. The 2 dumbest sacrifices I’ve made to date were sacrificing my marriage for my supposed ideals on self preservation and sacrificing my childrens stability for what appeared to be love. In both instances my children suffered just as much if not more than I. I can’t change either act of stupidity. Guess all I can do is pray and flood their childhood with good memories and experiences going forward.
Has it all been worth it? Are you fulfilled?
They weren’t worth it. Life in general has been worth it. I feel 80 years old with what I’ve learned in just 28 years. No, I’m not fulfilled, but I’m grateful. I have been blessed tremendously in this past year. Almost as much as I’ve experienced some really tragic unfortunate circumstances. But life’s about balance right?
In Closing…
If you could share a word of advice or tip with others, what would you share?
If you are a parent, put your children first. They didn’t ask to be here. Show them the time of their lives. If you’re not a parent, put yourself first. Have the time of your single life. Because once you “choose” to become someone’s wife/husband/mother/father the focus forever shifts.
Finally, knowing where you are now and all you have experienced up until this point, what TWO words of advice would you share with your younger self?
Wow. That’s easy. Keep your legs closed. Leave no stone (stone being experience) unturned.
What do you have in store for your future?
More books. More experiences. More relational epiphanies. More meaningful connections. Another house. Early retirement. Taking my boys on the ride of their lives. And if the good Lord sees fit, a Ramona sized Prince Charming and another little boy or girl. If not, eh. Leaves more room for more of all of the above.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Sharing is exhausting. I think I’ll go home now (Forrest Gump voice).
Visit Author Ramona Jones with
Love Letters: To Whom They May Concern TODAY!
Book will be available on 10/18 for just $2.99!!!
amazon.com | barnesandnoble.com | Google Play | iTunes
Writing is how I process life.
Just like breathing is how I process air.
It’s me being me.
The me I haven’t found a way to actually be in real life.– Author, Ramona Jones
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