Jessica Roberts, Atlanta Author, Keynotes the 2020 Read.Write.Share Weekend
The 2020 Writers Weekend will be April 24-26, 2020 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Shackleford Road in Little Rock, Arkansas. A highlight of the event will be "A Conversation with Jessica Roberts", followed by a book review of her book,
Author | Advocate
Triumphant!: One Woman's Journey From Prison to Purpose
Jessica Roberts was raised in a two-parent home.
She is the middle child of three (two sisters) and grew up in a middle-class household. Her mother and father both worked outside of the home,
which afforded the family a comfortable lifestyle.
Her parents were committed to their children and instilled in them the concepts of high morals, values, independence, responsibility and a strong/firm work ethic.
Prior to October 2007 (the whole drug conspiracy ordeal), the author’s life was happy. She was a proud and responsible first-time mom to her beautiful little girl. She was also gainfully employed at a well-known Company.
With only three weeks away from graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management (she was unable to complete due to being arrested and sentenced to prison), Jessica was on the fast track to success having landed an interview for a higher salaried government contract position due to take place once she returned from court (again, this didn’t happen because of being sentenced to jail and prison).
The author cites her role in the drug conspiracy case and subsequent indictment was due to her relationship with her daughter’s father and the people with whom he associated.
The criminal case that Jessica was part of consisted of a 38-person indictment with her being number 38. According to her hired attorney, she wasn’t granted an evidentiary hearing because there was no evidence against her. Her entire involvement in the case hinged on the DEA thinking she knew something but wasn’t telling it.
Having had no prior criminal record, the entire ordeal was emotionally and physically traumatic.
Jessica’s life took a complete turn away from the direction in which she was headed.
In short, a once promising life was now reduced to a ten-year federal prison sentence. Thankfully, after unimaginable judicial system torture and lies, she was actually sentenced to 27 months in a Federal Prison Camp, 5 years of probation and a $5,000 fine.
By God’s grace and her morally sound upbringing, the experience made her better not bitter.
“I tried to live my life the way I’d been shown, and early on, it wasn’t as hard to do. But as I got older, choices weren’t so black and white. Love can make you do things that you otherwise would not do. Haven’t you ever done something that you really didn’t want to do, but it was for someone you really loved? I’ve come to understand that sometimes, the places we find ourselves and the experiences we encounter serve to prepare us for our purpose. Now that I have the benefit of age, experience, and wisdom, I can see how the things I went through has shaped the woman I am now. The dreams and goals I have now were not the dreams I started out with. My love and my choices left me facing a ten-year prison sentence! In spite of my choices and what I thought I wanted for my life, my dreams took a different turn. My new dreams have been directly influenced by the direction my life took. Coincidence? Read my story and then you can decide.”
About the Weekend Session Leaders…
Janis F. Kearney is a presidential historian and founder of Writing our World Publishing, and publisher/owner of the award-winning Arkansas State Press newspaper founded by civil rights leaders Daisy Gatson Bates and her husband L.C. Bates. Janis has spent the last 15 years writing, publishing, lecturing and teaching writing. A number of her books have been adopted by schools and colleges around the country, and she has won numerous awards and critical acclaims for her writing and her books. In 2014, she received the University of Arkansas Lemke Journalism Award, and in 2016 was inducted into the Arkansas Writers Hall of Fame.
After the death of global literary icon Maya Angelou, in 2014, Janis and a handful of friends created a Day of Remembrance in honor of Dr. Angelou’s life. It was held in Stamps, Arkansas, which was home to Maya Angelou through much of her childhood. That event was the precipitant for the Celebrate! Maya Project, a nonprofit organization she founded to celebrate Maya Angelou’s life and legacy, and to share the Angelou legacy through educational and literary initiatives in Arkansas schools and communities.
Iris Williams founded Butterfly Typeface Publishing House after twenty-five years in corporate America. After interning with a North Carolina Publishing Company, she took the giant step of becoming a published author, then later founding her own publishing company, and an online magazine. Through her company, Iris assists new authors with editing, writing, ghostwriting – and realizing their dreams.
Renee’ La Viness is the Children’s Corner imprint editor at 4RV Publishing. An award-winning author, she has written for magazines, newspapers, and anthologies and has also served as contest judge, acquisitions editor, and lead editor. She founded the Tulsa Area Children’s Book Writers critique group and Designing the World with Words, an editing workshop.
Brittany Reese is an Arkansas State University graduate, with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism -emphasis on Photojournalism, and a master’s in mass communication. She is founder, creator, and visionary of BTR Productions, an all in one production company specializing in photography, social media, and content management. Brittany combines her passion for visuals and communication to provide elements that will resonate social media and traditional media.