About
HI, I’M VONA
THE BEGINNING
I was born in America’s bicentennial year, six months before Jimmy Carter was elected president. In other words, I’m getting old and have gray hair.
I was an imaginative kid, inventing stories that sometimes got me into trouble. I had to learn that making up a story about someone and repeating it as truth wasn’t something those around me always enjoyed, especially if it involved (as it often did) someone getting eaten by a bear.
I began writing books in earnest after I was married and grown. I wrote a novel or two every year for several years, stuffing them into a password protected folder on my hard drive when complete. It took me a long time to work up the nerve to allow family members to read what I had written. My husband and children encouraged me to share my work with a broader audience, so here we are. (It’s scary!)
TIDBITS & ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
When is your next book coming out? I’m behind due to a devastating family tragedy – I don’t want to keep making estimates on a publication date only to disappoint. Know that I’m still working on book three and want to get it published as soon as possible.
Do you have any plans for audiobooks? My audiobooks are available everywhere, but here’s the link to them on Audible.
How do you pronounce Vona? VON-UH. It rhymes with Donna. The ‘o’ in Vona can be hard to pronounce if you aren’t an American English speaker. This might help. I do not pronounce it like this, but don’t worry, I answer to anything that comes close.
Is Vona your real name? No, it’s a nom de plume (pen name) made from part of my maternal grandmother’s name, LaVon (Listen to the pronunciation). Stewart is my paternal grandmother’s maiden name.
What is your real name? My real name is Jessica.
Why do you use a pen name? Because I never liked the idea of my real name up in lights.
Where do you live? Idaho, but I’d like to move somewhere else, though I’m not sure where.
Hobbies? Reading and napping. Does that sound boring? Never fear, I also enjoy reading and napping while camping in adventuresome places. My kids enjoy snowboarding in the winter and swimming in the summer.
Likes/Dislikes? I love dark chocolate — especially the ridiculously expensive kind with little toffee bits inside. I greatly dislike spiders who wander inside instead of staying outside in the garden where they belong.
Kryptonite? Math, dates, appointments, time… anything to do with numbers. I have dyscalculia, which is a sort of cousin to the better known dyslexia. Dyscalculia isn’t as well known or studied, but I’ve had it my whole life, and even as an adult I still have to work harder than others to remember math facts, read an analog clock, count out change, double a recipe, and remember appointments and birthdays.
Introvert or Extrovert? Introvert. I am a Myers Briggs INFJ.
Hogwarts house? Ravenclaw. I’m an over-analytical, deep thinking book worm, and I can come on strong during debates. I loooove researching and learning, though I’m not very good at riddles, so I might have trouble getting into Ravenclaw tower from time to time. (*See my note about J.K. Rowling below).
Favorite Fantasy Reads:
- The Old Kingdom Series by Garth Nix
- Nevermoor Series by Jessica Townsend
- The Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner
- The Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima
- A Face Like Glass by Francis Hardinge
- The Fablehaven & Dragonwatch books by Brandon Mull
- The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
- Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
- His Fair Assassin Series Robin LaFevers
- An Ember in the Ashes Series by Sabaa Tahir
- The Blackthorn Key books by Kevin Sands
- The Burning Sky Trilogy by Sherry Thomas
- A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
- The Belles Series by Dhonielle Clayton
- and many more.
Note: I can no longer recommend the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling or The Graveyard Book (or any of his other works) by Neil Gaiman without drawing attention to the ways in which both authors have or have allegedly abused their positions of power to oppress and harm others.
A timeline of Rowling’s transphobic behavior can be viewed here. A very adult and trigger-laden article about Gaiman’s alleged abusive behavior can be read here.
Separating the art from the artist is a very complicated issue and one I grapple with across many genres and mediums – I for one will buy no new books or merch put out or licensed by these authors, but I have not destroyed the well-worn volumes I already own… that may change. Here’s a think-piece on separating the art from the artist, and here’s an argument against doing so.
Favorite Classic Reads:
- Wives and Daughters & Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- Persuasion by Jane Austen (I love them all, but Persuasion is my favorite)
- A Room with a View by E.M. Forrester
- The Complete Sherlock Holmes (9 books) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- The Complete Anne of Green Gables Series (8 books) by LM Montgomery (Also check out Emily of New Moon, Pat of Silver Bush, The Blue Castle, and everything else she’s written, ever)
- I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
- Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Favorite POC Voices:
Please don’t let To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee be the only book you read about racial injustice! It’s an important book, but the below POC (people of color) authors can offer authentic perspectives and share a deeper representation of lived experiences with systemic oppression:
- The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin – Short, reflective essays on race in America that are accessible and meaningful for teens.
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – Highly appropriate for teens, dealing with contemporary issues like police violence and activism. The movie is really good, too – I cried my eyes out.
- Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds – Perfect for teens, written in verse and deeply relatable.
- Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi – A highly engaging and accessible nonfiction work for teens.
- Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward – Appropriate for mature teens; explores race, family, and justice with emotional depth.
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston – Suitable for older teens; focuses on identity, love, and independence.
- Dear Martin by Nic Stone – Great for teens, focusing on systemic racism and personal growth.
- Kindred by Octavia E. Butler – Sci-fi/speculative fiction: A compelling and age-appropriate introduction to slavery and its enduring impact, using time travel.
As my readership is fairly young, do check out books by Toni Morrison, Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie when you’re a little older. Their books are powerful but often more appropriate for older teens or advanced readers due to complex themes, mature content, or dense writing styles.