WVU student holds book signing

LaToya Jones, sophomore pre-criminology and investigations major at West Virginia University, is holding a book signing for her first book, "Stripped and Scorned," Saturday at The Hilton Garden Inn.

The signing will take place from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Copies of Jones' book will be available for sale, and guests will also have the opportunity to have their picture taken with Jones.

Those who attend are encouraged to have their books and photos signed by the author.

Jones enjoys meeting people who have read her work, so guests will have a chance to speak with her and ask questions.

Arts and writing were always a part Jones' life. Her early life consisted of singing in school choirs and writing short stories and poems that were published in local anthologies.

After getting married and having two children, Jones decided to go back to school and pursue a degree in criminology. Writing was one of her passions, but it did not reemerge until a few things in her life changed and she went through a traumatic time.

"My divorce inspired me to write my book. He was the love of my life, it was a really hard time," Jones said. "I used this book as a way to channel something negative, my hurt and my pain, into something that I could learn from and reach out to others who go through the same thing."

It didn't take Jones long to finish her book.

"Pages started to turn, and before I knew it, I was finished," Jones said.

Jones juggled her time between her two sons, the most important parts of her life, school and writing her book.

Publishing a book was a dream of hers, but she wanted to be very involved with the process.

"Stripped and Scorned" is published by Publish America, a self-publishing company Jones found on the Internet.

"I went online and started to look up self-publishing companies. I wanted to be very involved because I knew what I wanted and Publish American let me do that," Jones said. "I chose everything from paper back or hard back to what I wanted the cover to look like and how I wanted my writing laid out on the pages."

Jones' book can be purchased on Pubish America's Web site www.publishamerica.com and Amazon at www.amazon.com.

The Hilton Garden Inn is located at Suncrest Town Center in Morgantown.