Ellington

Jessica Auberney Smith, who writes under J. Auberney, is a self-proclaimed "hopeless romantic." So much so, that she is turning poetry and gift-giving into her livelihood.

A Byram native, Smith, 25, recently won a poetry contest through Medea Publishing based in Jackson. As the winner, Medea is publishing a collection of Smith poems titled "Just a Shadow of Me." The book will be available this month at Africa Book Cafe in Fondren.

Smith says she has always had an interest in writing. She graduated from Terry High School in 2003 and earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Mississippi College in 2008. Her poems explore themes of love and personal growth.

She is also working on a children's book, inspired by her three-year-old son who had trouble adjusting after his father, who serves in the military, went to Afghanistan.

"He was having a hard time without his father, so I wanted to do a children's series based on the different branches of military," she says. "I'm working on that now. It's actually harder than poetry because I want it to be simple, but not too simple."

This spring, Smith launched her own gift-consulting service, Awe Inspiring Moments. As a consultant, she prepares unique gift packages for people who need help finding a perfect present for someone.

"It's something that I love to do," she says. "...The last client that I had, I got her a gift for her business partner. I wrote a poem centered on reaching for the stars and got (the frame) engraved. I also got her a really nice leather portfolio. When she opened it, it brought her to tears."

Smith says she plans to schedule book signings in the next few weeks. For more information about Awe Inspiring Moments, call 601-212-7295.