JUMP, Shirley (Shirley Kawa-Jump)

PERSONAL:

Born in MA. Education: University of Massachusetts—Boston, B.A.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—Curtis Brown Ltd., 10 Astor Pl., New York, NY 10003. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer.

MEMBER:

Romance Writers of America, National Association of Women Writers.

WRITINGS:

UNDER NAME SHIRLEY KAWA-JUMP

Rex Trailer: The Boomtown Years (biography), Covered Bridge Press (Sherman, MS), 1997.

How to Publish Your Articles: A Complete Guide to Making the Right Publication Say Yes, Square One Publishers (Garden City Park, NY), 2002.

The Virgin's Proposal (romance fiction), Silhouette Books (Buffalo, NY), 2003.

The Bachelor's Dare (romance fiction), Silhouette Books (Buffalo, NY), 2003.

The Bride Wore Chocolate (fiction), Kensington Books (New York, NY), in press.

Work represented in anthologies, including Chocolate for a Woman's Soul II; Chocolate for a Teen's Dreams; Finding Your Voice; Nudges from God; and 911: The Day America Cried. Contributor of 3,000 articles to national journals, regional magazines, and newspapers. Editor, New Homeowner.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

The Tutor's Lesson (tentative title), for Silhouette Books (Buffalo, NY); The Lady Had Nine Lives (tentative title), for Silhouette Books (Buffalo, NY); The Devil Served Tortellini for Kensington Books (New York, NY), completion expected in 2004; The Angel Craved Lobster, Kensington Books (New York, NY).

SIDELIGHTS:

Shirley Jump told CA: "The most important lesson I have ever learned as a writer is to never give up. Perseverance is what has gotten me from those childhood dreams to the reality of all the articles and book titles under my belt. I did give up once, however, and thankfully my husband was there to shore up my confidence on a day when the realities of this business hit me hard. A week later, everything changed for me, and my career took a 180-degree shift. All the perseverance paid off, and my fiction dream became a reality. Hold on to your dream—and believe in yourself."