First book by AC graduate offers ‘practical’ devotionals

Shelley Jones will have her first book, 30-Day Journey to Discovering Who I Am in Christ, published in May 2013.

“The book is about my personal journey over the years and what God has taught me,” said Jones, an Amarillo College mass communication graduate.

She said she hopes people will use the daily devotionals to help them in their daily lives.

In addition to her writing, Jones said she works as a claims training coordinator for Pro Ag Management Inc., a crop insurance company.

She said she travels all over the country conducting training seminars.

“I have Don Abel, assistant professor in the mass communication department at AC, to thank for my public speaking skills,” Jones said.

No matter how she tried to get out of making speeches in Abel’s class, he would not let her off the hook, she said.

Looking back at those times, Jones said she realizes how her time at AC prepared her for her career.

Going from having to give a speech to her class of maybe 20 people to now conducting training sessions for as many as 500 people at a time offers a true testament to how those classes really paid off, she said.

Working as editor of AC Current magazine and as a page editor for The Ranger newspaper gave her great experience, Jones said.

She said having those two positions gave her the diversity she needed for her future in the writing field.

“It gave me confidence in my writing abilities,” she said.

Together with her AC journalism experiences, Jones said she wrote freelance stories for the Amarillo Globe-News.

Although 30-Day Journey is Jones’ first published book, she also has ghost-written two books, she said. Various Christian publications also have published several pieces of her work, Jones said.

“This book is a very practical tool that people can use in their daily lives to help guide them to a happier life,” said Karri Snyder, CFO of Hearts Unveiled Ministries and a longtime friend of Jones.

Stephanie Woodard, executive pastor of operations at Amarillo Fellowship Church, said, “Shelley’s straightforward and practical devotions offer a perspective that makes this book something you will want to share.”

30-Day Journey to Discovering Who I Am in Christ is available for pre-order in paperback from www.heartsunveiled.com.