Monica Marie Jones

While it is extremely easy to get lost in the ever-growing sea of writers, Monica Marie Jones seems to effortlessly distinguish her work from the masses with a style that is the epitome of art imitating life. What gives her novels a unique, realistic flare is that the pages are taken from moments in her real life.

Jones began drafting short stories and filling the pages of her diary with the emotional journey of a young girl growing up in Detroit as a child. Although she always enjoyed penning the details of her life she never aspired to be a writer. In fact she was lead to believe her writing was subpar in her advanced placement English class at Cass Technical High School. Feeling content with confining her emotions and adventures to the pages of her journal Monica pursued a degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Michigan University. After receiving her degree in 2001, she continued on to the University of Michigan and obtained her Master’s of Social Work a year later.

With two degrees under her belt from prestigious universities, tons of experience and credentials Monica still struggled to secure a full time job. Between part time gigs she circled back to her childhood journals and discovered the foundation for her first novel, The Ups and Downs of Being Round. During her writing and researching health and fitness she came across the submission guidelines for Chicken Soup for the Soul and decided to submit an excerpt from her work in progress for a book for girls. Two long years later Monica received an email saying her story was being considered for publication and was being reviewed by their target audience for the book, girls age 8 to 13. The next piece of correspondence she received was a letter saying, “Congratulations, you are a published author!” The book was released in September 2005 and almost instantly Monica began hearing from the readers.

“I started getting emails from little girls around the world that got encouragement, inspiration and comfort from my story,” says Jones. “That was the catalyst that propelled me into a life of writing and publishing.”

After receiving such positive feedback on her story Monica quickly finished writing her semi-autobiographical novel and self published The Ups and Downs of Being Round in 2006. Without pause, a year later she released a book of poetry, Taste My Soul, giving her readers even more insight in her trials and triumphs. Much like a meal, the book takes you through three courses, each more substantial and filling then the last. She starts with inspirational poems for the appetizer, then digging deep into issues of body image, mental health and relationships for the main course and leaving the imagination engorged with pages filled with scandal and erotica for dessert.

Continuing to pull from her personal experiences and observations, Monica got inspiration from the flashy lifestyle glamorized in her hometown and breathed life into the pages of her third novel, Floss. Set in Detroit, the city where they are known to floss, the book offers a cautionary tale of what happens when six socialites get consumed by their obsession with money and material things attempting to fill voids in their lives. The book went to press in August 2008 and instantly appealed to both men and women with characters that were easily relatable and a storyline that was all too familiar for many. Within a month of the book’s release the demand for a sequel was overwhelming. Currently Jones is extending the story to create the sequel to Floss set for print in 2009.

While continuing to draw inspiration from the world around her, Monica also purposes to be an inspiration. Although her books are fictional in nature, Jones writes with the intent to inspire, educate and motivate while entertaining and adding value to the lives of others.

”A long time ago I realized that I was blessed with the gift of influence and impact. When I made bad decisions and people that I cared about began to follow suit, I realized the power of my gift. As a result I make it a point to only do things that add value to the lives of others, which in turn adds infinite value to my own,” said Jones.

In addition to writing, she uses her spoken words to affect change and uplift in her work as a national motivational speaker on health, fitness, weight management, self-esteem and youth development. But Monica doesn’t just talk the talk, she walks the walk literally! When she isn’t cuddled in the chair of a coffee shop with a pen and pad, Jones can be found Monday through Friday teaching kickboxing, dance and serving as a personal lifestyle and fitness coach.

For more information about Monica Marie Jones, to purchase her books , or to book her for a speaking engagement, visit: www.monicamariejones.com or contact Cindy E. Folson: (313) 598.9707 or cfolson@eliteprllc.com or Monica Marie Jones: monicamariejones@hotmail.com

For More Information about the author please visit her other websites:

www.monicamariejones.com ~
www.myspace.com/flossthenovel ~
Facebook.com: Monica Marie Jones