Lithia Woman Realizes Dream of Becoming Published Children's Author

Author Jodi Stone of Lithia didn’t know she wanted to be a writer until she started writing.

Stone was then 22 years old and missing her Navy husband while he was deployed. The then-Norfolk, VA, resident would compose poems to her husband.

The poetry was natural to Stone because her own father wrote poems for her and the family when she was a child.

It was the birth of her first daughter that sparked a love for the written word. Her daughter was turning 2 and having a princess-themed birthday party. Stone thought it would be fun to write and illustrate a story about her daughter and her friends.

While Stone readily admits it probably wasn't the best story, she remembers the name, “Glass Slippers.”

From there, one daughter became two and then three, and the tradition of writing personalized stories for Brooke, Alexis and Savannah at their birthday parties was born. So did illustrating the books.

Soon family and friends were encouraging Stone to submit her stories based on her daughters to publishers. She decided to do so but became discouraged as the rejection letters poured into her mailbox.

Stone continued on her writing journey by taking writing classes and investing in Writers Market books. Four years ago she decided that maybe her dream of becoming a published author wouldn’t be fulfilled and stopped submitting manuscripts to publishers. Her mother renewed her faith in her dream by telling her, "Those publishers can't look at your work if you're not sending it out."

Her mother died in February 2008, and it was difficult for Stone to find the courage to pursue her dream. Then her father gave her a boost of self-confidence by showing a newspaper article featuring a local author. Her father’s rationale was simple: “If she can do it, so can you. Email her." And so she did.

The woman was impressed with Stone’s work and told her she would help Stone in any way she could.

Strengthened by support of a total stranger, Stone pursued her dream with renewed energy and faith. Then it finally happened — she received first acceptance letter.

“I have a hard time expressing in words what that day was like,” Stone said. “It was so surreal. I'd been so used to receiving rejection letters that I had to re-read the acceptance over and over again.”

To date, Stone has published five children’s books. She does the writing as well as the illustrations. The books are eBooks, but three books, soon to be four, are also in paperback/print.

The journey to become a published author was hard and long but so worth the wait for Stone. She shares her publishing triumph with her support group of her husband (the family lives in the Lithia house he grew up in), daughters, father, her “angel” mother, stepmother and friends.

Now that her dream of becoming a published author has become reality, Stone finds time to write between maintaining a home and being a full-time University of South Florida student.

“Sometimes I write while waiting in the car line to pick up my daughters,” Stone said. “Sometimes I write on break at school. And sometimes I write at midnight. It depends upon where the time is and the inspiration.”

Stone has words of advice for aspiring authors.

“Don't give up,” she said. “I would say if you really want to be a writer, you can. Don't let rejection or adversity knock you down.”

The Christmas-themed book, “A Christmas Princess,” is currently available as an eBook along with “A Louse of a Mouse” and “The Little Witch's Hat.” Jodi Stone Stories, a print book with “The Magic Paintbrush” and “A True Prince” is also available.

Stone's books are all available directly from the publisher at solsticepublishing.com and at amazon.com. She is also an author through Goodreads at goodreads.com/jodistone.

For more information, visit jodistories.mysite.com and facebook.com/JodiStone.ChildrensBookAuthor.