25 Millennium - Twenty-fourth Edition ARTS, MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT Ms. Jones-Nelson is the author of the “Tyler City Trail Adventures” book series, featuring the titles, “Tyler City Trail Adventures: The Trail Begins” and “Tyler City Trail Adventures: The Haunted Woods.” She first wrote the works earlier in her career and has re-released them through the self-publishing company iUniverse. Her forthcoming entry in the series, “The Creator’s Call,” will be available soon. Ms. Jones-Nelson’s first book, “Adventures in God’s Little Meadow,” was published in 1992. She also wrote the acclaimed book “Habititus Fever: Infected with a Desire to Help Others,” published by Habitat for Humanity, with study questions by a Habitat employee. Available through the Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity or Amazon, the book is set to be re-released under a new name. Beginning her career as a receptionist at GTE Airfone Inc. in 1989, Ms. Jones-Nelson found herself needing work when the company closed due to the rise of cell phones. She found a silver lining, though, as the closure enabled her to establish her own business, Wanda’s Piano Studio, in 1995. Music has been a significant part of Ms. Jones-Nelson’s life, as she has served as a pianist at every church she attended. Through her studio, she has shared her expertise with students of all ages for more than 30 years. She and her son, Bryan, are currently building a recording studio at home. Ms. Jones-Nelson is now focused on expanding the reach of her books and the ministry she supports. Her son, a singer-songwriter, biker evangelist and ordained minister, has a bold vision for the ministry’s future. They aim to build momentum close to home through local outreach to the large churches and faith communities in their region. From there, they hope to grow steadily and eventually travel across the country. While working at a bookstore in Tennessee more than two decades ago, Wanda Jones-Nelson noticed that among all the children’s books, there was little Christian literature for young readers. This inspired her to write faith-based books to fill a market gap, and she has since been creating valuable resources to nurture young readers’ faith. WANDA JONES-NELSON AUTHOR Aurora, IL
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