We were lucky to catch up with Mary Elizabeth Jackson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Mary Elizabeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Taking a Risk
In my life, I always dreamed of possibly being an author or published poet one day, but life happens, plans change, and so do dreams. After the birth of my late-in-life son, a risk I took on myself commenced. While nursing him one day, when he was five months old, I felt intense gratitude that we both survived his birth, and I survived after. When I was in those deep moments, a story was downloaded to me.
Believing it was precious, I planned to keep it for my children. While the story sat in a notebook for two years, I would sometimes feel this nudging and words saying, “You need to do something with that little story.” Without any idea of what to do and the belief that I was just a mom, who would want to read my book–I eventually gave up, listened, and decided to take a chance on myself. I shared my little story and all that I had written at the time with someone I knew, who happened to be published. In terms of advising me on what to do, he had no clue except for introducing me to his friend, Thornton Cline who has been my writing partner for the past nine years.
After looking through my writings at our first meeting, Thornton loved the little downloaded story. Curiously, he inquired if he could write ten original songs for the book. Little did I know, upon our initial meeting, that he was a “Dove Award” nominee and had composed over 1000 songs. The songs Thornton wrote for my story were perfect, and after that I found an illustrator. Shortly following we were pitching the manuscript and found a traditional publisher.
Seemingly, it all happened so fast, and taking that risk and believing in myself has resulted in many positive experiences. Although there have been negative ones along the way, that goes with everything in life. After three months of being published, Perfectly Precious Poohlicious was awarded the Gold Maxy Literary Award in 2017. Through recording the songs for the book my daughters found their music career as Sisters J.
I started the Writers Corner Live show in 2017 and my friend, co-host and I are celebrating six years of author interviews from around the globe. In 2022, a PR company approached me about doing a book podcast for their company. Taking another risk on myself I started Cover to Cover podcast. At the start of 2024, I joined the Brushwood Media Network syndicated radio and presently have over 342,865 listeners globally. The show features author interviews, their journeys, and inspirational stories. My children’s books the Inspired Kid Series-Perfectly Me, Look at Me, and The Wonder of Me, formerly Perfectly Precious Poohlicious, published, are with my new publisher, Norns Triad Publications.
As I reflect on all that has occurred from that one experience, I am forever grateful for those few moments in an engulfed space of gratitude. Although I could have kept it to myself and for my children, I took a chance. By taking that risk, it completely altered the course of my life and the life of my family. My story will be featured in an upcoming anthology-Bold Risks Big Rewards (Aug 2024 Action Takers Publishing).
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I have three main areas I focus on, and my work branches out from these. I am an author, special needs and disability advocate, and a radio show host. I became an author through the birth of my late-in-life son and a beautiful story that came to me. This turned into what I have published now-The Inspired Kids Series (Norns Triad Publications). I have a middle grade reader coming out well as a series soon. I have two shows where I interview authors and their stories as well as book coaching and ghost-writing services. I also have a parenting article that I do for WOW Warrior Women’s online magazine.
My advocacy work began with two of my children and the struggles they faced as well as a traumatic experience my daughter had when she was five. I have been an advocate for over twenty years and the things I do in that capacity have changed over time. I have helped families understand how to help their child from getting a possible diagnosis of autism, adhd, and other challenges to getting services in schools and knowing their rights. Along my journey I have pursued changing laws in my state to better the environment and experience in the classroom for children with needs. An area of focus now is education and consulting. I train pre-schools, daycares, schools, and businesses on the early signs and symptoms of autism and how to help staff and families. I consult and help create with libraries, airports, and any kind of business about sensory rooms, sensory awareness, and making their environment more sensory friendly. Since we all experience the world through our senses these kinds of rooms and spaces are beneficial to us all.
Being a live streamer, podcaster, and radio show host developed throughout my author journey. I created and started an online live show called Writers Corner Live TV (2017) and Special Needs (2018) TV with my friend Bridgetti Lim Banda. We stream out on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, and Amazon Live. We feature authors from debut, New York Times best sellers to Indie sensations from around the globe every Tuesday. Special Needs TV is airing again soon.
I started Cover to Cover podcast with RapidFire PR after they approached me in 2022. They provide both music and book reviews and wanted to add a book show to their podcasts. In January 2024 I was approached and joined the Brushwood Media Network syndicated radio and the show has blossomed to 342,865 listeners at this time. I feature interviews about all things in the writing world which includes debut to New York Times bestsellers, publishers, illustrators, songwriters, and inspirational stories. I enjoy interviewing and providing a platform for others to share their stories.
I believe that my passion to inspire and empower others is my gem. In all that I do my focus is to help educate, share resources and tools, and the ability to help others rise up in their life. The challenges in my own life personally and in raising my children have formed what I do and teach others. With the right tools, guidance, and inspiration we all can overcome many obstacles we encounter or possibly are born with.
In my writing I focus on the story and winding positive language with life lessons within the reading journey. My children’s books The Inspired Kids Series include positive ‘I am” statements to get children and families started early in life with empowering words.
Through book coaching I help others along their writing journey. Whether they want to be published, are stuck, or learn therapeutic journaling. As a ghostwriter I am hired by others to write their story in their words.
I am grateful to be a part of the advocacy world and helping families to understand what to do to help their child or children. I also share positive tools and interventions so children and families can have a healthier life experience. Consulting with a variety of businesses, corporations, libraries and others to create sensory spaces is something I am very excited about and proud of. Educating on early signs and symptoms of autism and being a part of helping staff and administration have more success is a win win for everyone.
I also manage my daughters music career. They began singing very young but became Sisters J through recording the songs with my first book and the desire to bridge the gap between diversity and inclusivity.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
On my journey being a parent, my advocacy work, and writing have all had experiences where resiliency was required to overcome. I never imagined I would encounter and go through any of these. I will share three times along my book path that required me to make a decision to keep going or give up.
My first traditional contract for my children’s series came in 2016 with a 2017 publication date. I published two books in that series and was about to sign a contract for an eight book middle grade series. At the end of that two year contract it was clear that I needed to walk away. My books were now ‘homeless’ that is how it felt to me. A friend of mine who went into publishing said I will publish your series and one middle grade reader I had ready. I was so excited- she published the first book right as the pandemic happened and everything shut down. She panicked and quit. People were trying to order from me and I was left not knowing what to do and in disbelief. Throughout 2020 I decided to take a step back from books and I had no choice. My focus had to turn to home schooling my children. I also needed to reassess if it was worth all the hassle of being a published author.
In 2020 I was introduced to Jim Christiana with a small publishing press company and he agreed to publish my books. I was thrilled and thought God was leading me back into the world of publishing. My books were very important to me and something I could not give up. In June of 2022 Jim died unexpectantly and I lost someone who had become a mentor and dear friend. I felt lost again, took a break and grieved my dear friend.
As this particular journey would have it by the end of 2022 I had a contract with Norns Triad publications. They revamped my series title and covers and I am excited to have the Inspired Kid Series is out and doing very well and our middle grade reader will release hopefully before the end of this year. Having these seemingly impossible situations taught me resiliency, made me more determined in my life, and gave me the courage to know I can get through some tough situations and come out the other side.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I have had a passion for creativity my whole life. Now my goal and mission is to use the gifts I have to help inspire and empower others in their life. With the birth of my author career and my son the goal is to help children, kids, and adults accept themselves exactly as they were born. To accept others and to know we are all amazing. I want to share tools and resources to help all of us live happier healthier lives. We need to teach our kids skills so they can get to better mental emotional spaces when needed.
My own parenting challenges of raising children with needs gave me the drive to help others because I had no help and had no idea in the beginning how to help my children who were on the spectrum, or non verbal and had other challenges. We are not meant to do this life journey alone and I believe we are supposed to share what we have learned to help others along their journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maryejackson.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryejackson5/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackson.mary.elizabeth
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-elizabeth-jackson-514a1122/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mary_E_Jackson
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@maryelizabethjackson5,
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mary-Elizabeth-Jackson/author/B01MUVRWQ8?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1721180484&sr=1-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Image Credits
Stephanie Ann Paperdolls Photography for one picture