I’m Tessonja Odette, a young mother living in Seattle. And by young, I mean 30-something. It’s the new 20, right? I have been writing fiction since I was a child. My wild imagination, my love for magical things, and my fascination with the great unknown led my writing into the realm of fantasy.
My debut novel, Shadows of Lela, is book one in The Lela Trilogy. This YA fantasy features strong female characters, swooth-worthy romance, epic magic, and unicorns. It is available on Amazon as an ebook and on most online retailers in paperback. Read more about it here.
In addition to writing, I am a multi-passionate creative with a ton of artistic hobbies. I believe in the importance of following your joy, and hope to inspire others to live their dreams.
My Writing Story
I wanted to be a published writer ever since I wrote my VERY first draft of my very first novel at age 18. However, like 99.9% of ALL first drafts, it was NOT ready for publication back then. Not realizing this was perfectly normal, I felt discouraged and shrank away from my dreams as I went on to navigate the minefield of my twenties. Even though I did continue to write and work on revising and improving that first manuscript, I also continued to take on layers of self-doubt.
But like many a hero’s journey, I reached a breaking point in my when I realized it was time to make a choice. Did I want to be a writer, or not? YES! Was I going to let self doubt and fear hold me back for one more day, one more year, or one more minute? NO!
While that sounds like a heroic moment, in reality it felt more like a slow dance of putting the pieces of my life back together after after a chain of mild mishaps. That’s the great thing about hitting your own personal rock bottom: you have nowhere else to go but up.
I took a new look at my life, my dreams, my goals, and decided to build a new reality. My hero’s journey became a spiritual quest that resulted in me finally making writing a priority. Once I made that choice, the manuscript that had undergone fifteen years of procrastination, fear, abandonment, and self-doubt was finally finished in under a year.
I was amazed at what I’d been able to accomplish from a few shifts in mindset, perspective, and priority. My life began to feel more magical. Creative joy was the norm. And, best of all, I finally published my book.
Life
When I’m not writing, working, reading, or having dance parties with my daughter, I enjoy my other hobbies as an artist and musician. My goal is to follow my joy and encourage others to do that same.
FAQ
- Who is my photographer? Kathryn Louise
- Who is my cover illustrator for Shadows of Lela and Veils of Mist? Merilliza Chan
- Who is my cover illustrator for Shades of Prophecy? NibelArt
- Who is my editor for the Lela Trilogy? Kristen Portillo