Sometimes the worst of times brings out the best in people. The current pandemic has sparked a sea of goodwill across the nation: neighbors helping neighbors, organizations offering aid and communities reaching out to assist those in need. Among the philanthropists emerging during this crisis is a woman with much to offer, a creative facilitator whose charitable work ascends to a level that enthusiastically rises to the occasion.

Dawn Jones is a Middle Tennessee author who has navigated her way through the romance genre with inspiring awe. In addition to starting Jones Media in 1998, she has written various well-received books. The daughter of a storyteller and man of the church, Jones focuses on romance novels because she’s drawn to the happy ending.

“There’s enough bad in our world. All of my books end with a ‘happily ever after,’” Jones says, exuding a joie de vivre and passion about her work and her life, and good will towards humanity.

The celebrated author is no stranger to giving back, having previously raised funds for the Alive Hospice of Murfreesboro. Her parents had received care through this system, and Jones was grateful. In response to the organization’s kindness, and in expression of her gratitude, Jones put together a small anthology called ’Tis the Season, with all proceeds benefiting the Alive Hospice.

Jones’s current project, Feisty Heroines, is a compilation of stories from various authors. She had the idea of putting together a collection of stories by various authors while toying with the idea of hybridizing different genres.

“There’s so many subgenres in romance, and most people don’t understand that. So, I wanted to marry the different genres, or cross-pollinate the genres, to give readers an opportunity to look at a book that they may never have looked at before,” Jones said excitedly. “I sent out an inquiry to authors I had already met at different conventions and authors I had previously worked with. I started getting replies.”

She goes on to say that she got many more replies than she had anticipated.

The book has five different volumes; it starts off with paranormal fantasy, then goes to contemporary romance, which is romance/suspense, then there’s historical romance, otherwise known as regency romance, then back to contemporary romance and then back to paranormal fantasy. There are 36 stories in all. Jones spent the better part of five months editing the stories along with a team of award-winning writers and editors.

“When the stories started coming in and I started reading them for the first time, I thought, ‘Oh my goodness! These are really good stories!’” Jones said.

When COVID-19 became a pandemic, Jones decided that the project, Feisty Heroines, could be a way to help support medical personnel during the pandemic. After careful consideration, she approached her fellow authors asking them what they thought about donating the net profits to a charity that is helping fight the disease. She took a poll, allowing everyone a chance to voice their opinions. Several authors that had written stories for the compilation work in the healthcare industry, so they all ended up supporting her idea, agreeing to donate the net profits for the project to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and International Red Cross.

The book contains almost 1,500 pages, so it could easily be a summer reading project, keeping the reader entertained for hours on end, and this compilation is being sold for only 99 cents.

“From English lords to business moguls to Irish vampires, the heroes are hot, the rules are unyielding and the tycoons ruthless. But it’s the heroines who steal the show,” according to promotional materials for Feisty Heroines. “You’ll travel to ancient English castles, mystical lands and the streets of Chicago, meeting billionaire bad boys, sexy exes and seductive half-angels willing to risk it all for the tough, spunky—and often stubborn—females who invade their lives.”

“If you look at the content, what the readers are going to get for 99 cents, it’s unbelievable!” Jones said.

This is an easy way to show support for those on the front lines during this crisis. It is affordable, goes to a great cause and promises to deliver a wealth of well-written and entertaining stories. The release date for the e-book is currently set for June 16, with pre-orders already coming in. For more information, to contact Dawn Jones or to order the collection, visit dfjonesauthor.com.