Today we’d like to introduce you to Aspry Jones.
Hi Aspry, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The first time I was published professionally, it was for an article in the Asbury Park, NJ community newspaper. I was 16 years-old. My high school Honors English teacher pushed me into it and I called myself a writer from that point on. Having achieved a yen for it, I found myself writing poetry for literary magazines and ended up Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper.
Upon graduating, I was awarded the Asbury Park Press Academic Scholarship and interned at the Asbury Park Press that summer before school at Norfolk State University. I wrote two articles for them. Later, majoring in Mass Communications, I was Program Director for WNSB-FM by my senior year.
I’d forgotten about writing because I was focused on a career in television. After a stint at Clark Atlanta University, I began a 25 year-long profession in broadcast TV in New York City. I had written a few screenplays along the way, but they weren’t very good. After 18 years in New York, the TV industry dried up and I moved to North Carolina in 2013.
With no job or anything even remotely productive to do, I got it into my head to write a book. Just like that.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were a few bumps, as no road is perfect. For many years, I struggled with alcoholism until rock bottom changed my mind for good. June 3rd 2018 was my last drink. I have never craved a drop since and my life utterly changed over night. Astounded at incredible highs, experiences and positive emotions that weren’t there before, I began studying religions and spirituality to see what concepts resonated with me. I cannot accurately describe how wonderful the results ended up being.
Because of ups and downs, I took a break from my sci-fi/fantasy book. When I returned to it, I re-read it to update myself and found the science aspects laughable. My science was terrible! So, I took two more years off to study quantum physics, which not only increased my book’s scientific plausibility, but further increased my grasps on what I learned from religion and esoteric research. What I found was that life was and is not what we’re trained to believe it is.
When the book was finished, I shopped for editors, cover artists and a publicist. The editor and artist landed magically into my lap. I won there. But, no matter how deeply I felt I’d vetted the publicist, my choice was a major fail. They lost the first payment, ruined all my social media stuff and never completed their long list of promises. I fired them and their replacement popped up out of nowhere (magically, yes) and she has been killing it ever since. I’ve used Winning Proof for many months and have been nothing short of satisfied.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Two years ago, if you’d Googled my name, you’d have found random inconsequence. But now, the searches are packed with all things writing. And I love it that way. Long retired from the world of television, what I do now is simple to express: I’m a novelist. I write fantasy books. Yes, I have a spiritual journal that I plan to publish, but I identify as a fantasy author. But, why?
Because the world of fantasy has severly lacked in diversity since its inception. As far back as my childhood comic book fan days, I’ve been waiting and waiting for someone to fix these problems. To create more diverse characters for fantasy. To come up with more black superheroes. I’ve waited and waited, until one day it dawned on me – that’s my job! I’m supposed to do it. So I did.
“Protectors of the Light Crown” is a sci-fi/fantasy story with a multiversal twist. There’s high fantasy, there’s time travel, there’s a superhero element. Book one in the trilogy has already won three awards, of which I am endlessly grateful.
I’m breezing through book two and it’s a glorious ride. And I’m doing it in a very inclusionary fashion where, unlike when I was growing up, a person from any random background, color or faith can pick up one of my fiction books and see themselves in a character of my creation. I am fixing an age-old problem with fantasy that I thought was someone else’s job. It was mine the whole time. Sorry it took so long.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I have never had a “mentor,” and couldn’t dream of giving advice on anything outside my realm of experience. But when it comes to networking, I’ve always been bad at it. I’ve only become better in recent years after somehow shifting into a “people person” instead of a card-carrying introvert. I think in order to truly excel, you must actually have to want to meet people. Even if you have to fake it or convince yourself to turn it on once in a while.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Aspryjones.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asprywrites?igsh=cTBsN2U2NThoZ2d4
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CEBwZUcxe/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aspryjones
- Twitter: @asprywrites
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/5N30m0Mij5
- Other: Quora.com – https://www.quora.com/profile/Aspry-Writes
