About the Author of Here Comes Little Jenna Jafferty
Hi! My name is Terra Kern and not only am I an Amazon Best Selling Co-Author for the book Girl, Get Up and Win, but the author of Forgiven And Not Forgotten, Oasis or Mirage: Which Jesus are you following? And of course, The Little Jenna Jafferty Series including Here Comes Little Jenna Jafferty, Little Jenna Jafferty in Changes, Challenges & Chuckles, and the newest release, Little Jenna Jafferty in Life Lessons. I have been telling stories since I could talk and dream things up. Once I discovered that I could create something out of words, I was hooked. That’s when I began my writing journey that ultimately led to becoming the author of Here Comes Little Jenna Jafferty, the first book in the Little Jenna Jafferty chapter book series.
But that is jumping way ahead. Allow me to tell you more about myself. I am author Terra Kern, a woman, wife, mother of three, and Nana of nine grandchildren thus far. I find life is most precious when I’m surrounded by children. To me, they are the most adorable and funniest little people that do and say the cutest and sometimes most profound things.
I attribute my love of reading and writing to my mom. My earliest memories include her reading me children’s story after children’s story. When she read, I always had questions about things the author didn’t include in the story. I would then ask my mom the question and she would tell me the author didn’t say and my imagination was off and running as I dreamed up what I thought might be the answer. Once I learned to write, Mom would encourage me to write what I thought the answer to the question I had about the chapter book would be and include it in my story. It was at this point that the writer within me was born. The first time I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was an author.
I was a very talkative little girl and had to relate everything in story form. Writing is merely talking with your fingers after all, whether you’re using pen and paper or tapping away at a keyboard. Anyway, I just wouldn’t shut up. When my little mind was onto something, it just had to be shared and then all the questions followed. I remember one of my mom’s friends rolling her eyes as I talked and talked away from the backseat as Mom drove. That lady was never my favorite of my mom’s friends anyway. Haha!
I always loved writing stories and poems while in school as well. Particularly, I remember a writing assignment in the third grade where we had to write a rhyming sentence in the pattern our teacher gave us. Mine was, “The world is round with more water than ground.” An A+ is the grade I received. Which is probably why I remember it so vividly. All throughout school I entered writing contests. Winning some encouraged me to continue writing.
In my teenage years, I loved babysitting and enjoyed writing little rhyming ditties for the children to jump rope or clap to. In school, I was on the school newspaper staff and yearbook staff as well. I have always enjoyed writing in many forms.
I have always had a heart for children too. I have taught Sunday school as well as worked as a paraprofessional in an elementary school. I especially liked working with troubled children and those with a learning disability. To see the look on their faces when they finally understood something was priceless. Seeing the light bulb turn on and shine right through their eyes, putting a sparkle in them and a beaming smile on their face is the ultimate.
I decided to follow my first passion and write for young readers when I became sidelined from a bum back. I couldn’t do much else being benched so I thought to myself, why not? It is said write about what you know and I know children. That’s when “The Little Jenna Jafferty Series”, chapter books for children, was born and my journey to become published began. It was an exciting and intimidating journey at that.
When I was about to hit the send button to submit my manuscript for the first time, I felt like I was on a diving team and it was my turn. I was atop the 10 meter diving platform and questioning myself as to why I was attempting this being afraid of heights. I told myself to just shut up and do it. My heart was beating so hard, I thought it was going to crash through my chest with the next beat. My hands were soaking wet although I hadn’t touched the water yet. My stomach felt as though it were harboring a butterfly house. I slowly blew out a breath to relieve the pent up stress threatening to freeze my body. I then took in a deep breath and held it as I took the plunge and hit send.
The rest, as they say, is history. Little Jenna Jafferty made her debut in the first chapter book of my series in Here Comes Little Jenna Jafferty and her adventures continue in the second, Little Jenna Jafferty in Changes, Challenges & Chuckles, and again in the third, Little Jenna Jafferty in Life Lessons.
