I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember sitting in your class when the dean came to get you and not knowing why. My experience of that day was very different than yours, but I experienced it with you. When May Day came out I came home laid on my bed and read it from cover to cover. I could relate. I could see what that book meant to you. You're an amazing speaker and person. Thanks for being a part of my life. God bless! -Brian

I'm reading all of the Mira James mystery novels and with each one I read, I'm continually amazed by the quality of your writing, complex characters, well developed plots, and razor-sharp humor. I had a feeling you had experienced personal hardships considering the amount of depth your novels convey, but I had no idea the extent of the tragedy you've experienced. I'm a psychiatric nurse practitioner by day and an avid reader by night and I thank you both professionally and personally for generously sharing your story.

This talk was vulnerable and raw. Not a lot of people can even stand to face down their daily demons..instead we distract. While you've gone a different route and put all of your pain into something creative, I don't see it as a distraction at all. It feels more like therapy. Thank You for the nice little take away exercise at the end as well. I'll be trying it out

Thank you, I experience the devastating feelings of loss after my husbands suicide 3 years ago. I am looking for ways to turn around and walk a new and better path. Your courage to share is inspiring and gives a whole new perspective. I will go writing!

Thank you for your vulnerability and hope. We've had 2 suicides in our family and understand the devastation. Yet, as you stated, good can come and it has. Blessings to you!

Such a beautiful talk!

Thank you Jessica. Your talk is a gift, handed to me at precisely the right moment in my life.

Thank you for sharing this therapeutic perspective. I can see how it could help the healing.

What a gift you've given, Jess. Thank you for your story, thank you for pointing a way to healing.

Absolutely brilliant ✨ Thank you for sharing your story.

This was moving in a manner I absolutely did not expect-thank you. Thank you as well for helping me to make a decision about an idea I have apparently been wrestling with, though hadn’t recognized such until now. I certainly plan to go and read your book as well, so thank you for the third time! May God continue to richly bless you and your precious family❤️

You did an excellent job speaking! This was such a compelling Ted talk and I admire your courage and strength! Truly inspired and moved!

Probably because I was nervously preoccupied with my own upcoming Tedx Talk, I listened to yours with only half an ear. I am very glad that this time, I was able to give it the full attention it deserves. You were moving, riveting, and inspiring. And of course, a great storyteller! Thank you for sharing so deeply.

Powerful! Thank you

Fiercely courageous. Thank you

Jess! It was great. I knew it would be but it was better than I expected. Thank you.

Excellent insights. So brave to share!

Thank you Jessica, that was beautiful. I'm glad you took to the stage. Wonderful words. All the best to you and your family xxxxxx

Well done, Jess. Thank you.

Very inspiring and motivating...thank you for sharing your story and encouraging all of us with a specific start to our own story.

Thank you Jessica. You have truly helped me write again and this time to change my life!! I love and adore you!!💖😇

Thank you.

I'm blown away just by the few things we have in common. I started writing poems when I was six years old also. My Grandma used to mail me poems she cut out of Grit magazine, Reminisce magazine and a few others. I continued writing right up until the second I stopped, when I became a single 19 year old Mother to a daughter and son. That's when life became real for me. I'm grateful my parents were always there for the three of us. It's ironic that a very dear friend of mine, she was a year ahead of me in school, and we went to a really small school, I discovered lives about 20 miles from me, she is a college professor and she has become a twice published novelist these past 7 years. My sophomore year, her junior year, there were right at 1,000 total students, K-12 in our Midwestern Rural School. We reconnected because of Facebook. Reconnecting with our extended family and friends we have lost track over the years, and that is the only purpose I've found for social media. When she and I reconnected, her first novel was in the process of being published and so excited about that. She asked me if I still wrote poetry and short stories like I did when we were in school. Sadly, I told her I did not and had not seriously written anything since I was in my early 20's, I'm 56 years old now. She told me to get busy because she KNEW I have at least one solid novel on me, she was certain there were probably several more. She told me she would help me with the proofreading and publishing process and I KNOW she will. In the time we lost track of each other, parts of my life had been very dark, hard painful and unforgivable for many reasons, more than a few of those reasons was because of my poor choices and decisions. It never even occurred to me to seriously turn that pain, disappointment, loss, but also love and grace, into a written work of fiction...but based on my life's experiences. What a truly phenomenal idea and I am so grateful for this video! Thank you, thank you, a thousand times THANK YOU Jessia!!! You, dear lady, are a gem! ❤️ I have homework to do...😁 ~ APRIL LIPKE

thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!! may you always shine like you do !!

Thank you for this

Wonderful talk, thank you.

Outstanding talk. Thank you so much for your generosity, vulnerability and love of writing.

Thank you

I LOVED this! Thank you!!!!

Amazing talk!

Thank you Jess. This is great ❤️🥰

Wow!! I don’t know what to say! Umm... thank you? That was amazing, and so are you. Thanks again for such a wonderful video

Great idea!

Thank you. I just finished my first book The Quarry Girls and read about the author. So informative.

Thank you all very much

I'm writing my story and it's rough due to all the trauma I've experienced. This is my first time writing and I'm having a hard time figuring out where I put my memories in the timeline of my life. Any suggestions?

omg i was born on aug 18, 2001🥺

5 minutes in and I love her ideas. As a firefighter, I lost friends and a son due to 9/11.