Tina Jones Williams

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About Tina Jones Williams

Biography
Award-winning author, Tina Jones Williams, A Reasonable Woman, has written eight books which pay homage to the rich traditions in the African American community. Born and raised in the all-black neighborhood on Julia Street in South Berkeley, Tina attended neighborhood schools until seventh grade when she was bussed out of her area to become a member of the first desegregated junior high school in Berkeley. Tina attended Berkeley High, the only public high school in town.
After high school graduation, Tina went to the University of Texas, at Austin where she earned a B.A. degree in Business/General & Comparative Studies. The lure of family brought her back to the Bay Area where she married, settled in Silicon Valley, and had a career in the Tech Industry. She is still happily married (to the same man) and the mother of two adult children who are the apples of her eye. She is close to her siblings, extended family and delights in her friendships.
Since publishing her Julia Street Series, Tina has led bi-annual neighborhood walks which begin and end on Julia Street where the four books are set. During the walks, Tina shares anecdotes, folklore, and history about times, places, and people she feels should not be forgotten. As a result of her books and neighborhood walks, Tina is pictured on a South Berkeley mural reflecting the city's history. Julia Street is also depicted on the mural and is listed among ten streets considered the "heart of South Berkeley."
Tina is a proud and active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the oldest African American Sorority with an international membership of 300,000 college-educated women committed to a lifetime of service to ALL mankind. She is a contributor to the Berkeley Historical Society and the South Berkeley Legacy Project. She is a member of the National League of American Pen Women and a literacy and career coach.
Reach Tina at areasonablewoman@aol.com

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Books By Tina Jones Williams

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Some Things I Want You to Know: "If the Lord delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm ... " Psalm 37:23-24 Feb 25, 2016

by Tina Jones Williams

( 7 )

$2.99

"If the Lord delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm." Psalm 37:23-24

Words have power. How you use them and how you hear them can transcend and transform. I have gathered my favorite words from scripture and quotes, added practical advice as a guide to navigate the twists and turns of life. As you find your way, here are some things I want you to know…

Other Formats: Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

For Their Convenience: ... ten days out of a lifetime (Bridge to Freedom Book 1) Jan 29, 2019

by Tina Jones Williams

( 5 )

$2.99

A lot can happen in ten days ...

For domestic worker Violet Banks,the party dragged on. When guests had enough to drink to blame their actions on the alcohol, the women began touching Violet's hair, her skin, even her uniform, as they overtly called out all the things that made her different.Their husbands covertly tried to touch her while whispering all the things they hoped made them alike. Not all of them behaved this way, some were even silently sympathetic; averting their eyes and shaking their heads. But this time it was too much, and Violet knew what she did next would change the course of her life forever.

For Their Convenience,Book 1 Bridge to Freedom Series

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Sara's Song: Bolstered by Hope (The Julia Street Series Book 1) Dec 1, 2018

by Tina Jones Williams

( 35 )

$2.99

Sara's Song: Bolstered by Hope ... a segregated train ride is only the beginning.

More than anything Sara hoped her life on Julia Street would be a sweet melody, but fate had more of a haunting refrain in mind.
After leaving Chicago behind, Sara and husband Ben Jameson settled into an all Black South Berkeley working-class neighborhood that sat in the shadow of the affluent East Berkeley Hills. They had left behind everyone and everything they knew and loved to go to a place they had never been. Armed with hope, Sara and family faced two wars, social injustice, economic challenges, personal sorrow, and harsh life lessons. Ultimately, they were defined by their unflagging hope, enduring friendships, strong neighborhood connections, and opportunities beyond their wildest dreams.

Sara’s Song, The Julia Street Series Book 1 lovingly spans 1940's - 1960's.

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All's Well That Ends: Disarmed by Dreams (The Julia Street Series Prequel) Nov 29, 2018

by Tina Jones Williams

( 7 )

$2.99

1943, Chicago. A segregated train ride is only the beginning to a bittersweet story of loss, courage, starting over, and the pursuit of dreams.
Sara Jameson had known in an instant she had made a terrible mistake when she discouraged everyone from coming to the train station to see them off. Standing on the platform with her three-month-old in her arms and a child at each elbow, she needed her family and friends to tell her she was making the right decision by leaving behind people and places she loved
in order to move to a place she had never seen. After the three-day train ride Sara needed Ben to be at the other end ready to start their new life together.
Would the move to South Berkeley help Sara fulfill her dreams or had she traded one set of problems for another?
All's Well That Ends, A Julia Street Series Prequel

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A Delicate Balance: ... days that shaped a lifetime (Bridge to Freedom Book 3) Jul 26, 2020

by Tina Jones Williams

( 2 )

$2.99

On their 50th wedding anniversary, Everett and Violet Banks take a look back at the days that shaped their life together. Going back to their shared childhood, teen years and eventual marriage, questions are answered and family secrets are revealed. A Delicate Balance rounds out the three book Bridge to Freedom Series and takes a last look into the all Black working-class community where Violet, a domestic day worker and Everett, a Pullman porter, perform their often demanding, sometimes demeaning jobs with dignity and distinction. Everett and Violet understand that their legacy jobs came with strings attached, strings that would entangle them in a social contract where personal and professional lives sometimes collide.

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Perfect Pitch: Galvanized by Grace (The Julia Street Series Book 3) Dec 14, 2018

by Tina Jones Williams

( 10 )

$2.99

Perfect Pitch: Galvanized by Grace ... a segregated train ride is only the beginning.

People thought Mr. Gregory had seen everything. He knew he hadn't.

For seven decades, M r. Gregory bore witness to history unfolding right before his eyes from his shop in his beloved
South Berkeley neighborhood. His father had opened the cleaners before he was born and M r. Gregory had joined
him as soon as he was old enough to see over the counter. There was no place he would rather be. He had watched as businesses opened around him , all owned by Colored people— a medical practice, a pharmacy whose pharmacist went on to become a politician in Washington, D.C., a dental office, two beauty salons, a record shop, and the list went on. Those days had been South Berkeley’s heyday and it had done Mr. Gregory’s heart good to see Colored people owning businesses and
buying homes in the neighborhood. But every silver lining has a cloud and a dark cloud descended on South Berkeley, bringing crime, drugs, and personal heartache. But, Mr. Gregory clung to Sara Jameson’s words: “We fall from grace, but we always get up.”

Perfect Pitch, The Julia Street Series Book 3 lovingly spans 1943 through today.

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On Closer Inspection: ... ten days out of a lifetime (Bridge to Freedom Book 2) Sep 8, 2019

by Tina Jones Williams

( 3 )

$2.99

A lot can happen in ten days ...

From the Pullman porter binder, “The Pullman porter has the privilege of serving elite guests. He stands quietly waiting to serve, listening for the smallest rustle, aware of the slightest nod or watching for eyes averted from a conversation in his direction signaling that the guest was in need of the porter’s attention.”
The first Pullman porters were hired for their looks and for their familiarity with serving privileged White people. The men had to be as close to jet black as possible, reinforcing the closely held stereotypes a likely Pullman passenger would bring on board. The porter also had to have a broad, almost startlingly white smile and an “attitude that shows he understood the privilege of serving.”
Everett, an experience Pullman porter, had a split second to note and memorize the on boarding family’s name. In the same split second, the porter determined if the passenger was Old or New Money and decided in which luxury car they should travel. Everything about Old Money said quality, the best that money could buy, including their demeanor and manners. Old Money’s clothing and accessories were never trendy or the latest in fashion, but were tasteful and stood the test of time. Women from old well-established families had a strict code of rarely speaking to service people and allowed their husbands to do their bidding. Their clothing and accessories were the highest of quality, but never showy, always understated and appropriate to the time and place. Old Money passengers never raised their voices or sought to bring attention to themselves, but relied on their status to insure their rightful place in the world. New Money passengers tended to be flashy and everything about them was brand new—their money, clothes, and accessories. Both men and women had an aggressive way of pushing to the front of every line. Women from Old Money felt a woman should not wear diamonds during the day, with the exception of her sizable engagement ring, usually a family heirloom. New Money women tended to be dripping in diamonds, day or night, all newly purchased from the Diamond District.
It was Everett's primary responsibility to insure Old Money and New Money co-existed comfortably within the confines of a the opulent Pullman cars. It was to his advantage when they did.
On Closer Inspection, Book 2 Bridge to Freedom Series

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Dance Or Get Out: Unfettered by Fears (The Julia Street Series Book 2) Dec 7, 2018

by Tina Jones Williams

( 16 )

$2.99

Dance or Get Out ... Unfettered by Fears ... a segregated train ride is only the beginning.

She should have seen it coming.
Life was becoming increasingly complicated for Sara Jameson in South Berkeley. She watched her neighborhood change as beloved neighbors and shop owners moved out and their replacements moved in. Life was moving too fast and spinning out
of control as personal worries, neighborhood concerns, and world conditions became more tumultuous. But most disheartening was the widening gulf between her and her husband. When she and Ben had chosen one another, Sara had believed the choice had been made once and for all, but Ben continued choosing.
Sara was facing fears she had never imagined and found herself dancing as fast as she could.

Dance Or Get Out,The Julia Street Series Book 2 lovingly spans 1960's through the 1990’s.

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Julia Street Series Books 1 - 3 : Sara's Song, Dance or Get Out, Perfect Pitch Mar 8, 2019

by Tina Jones Williams

( 1 )

$7.97

As part of the Great Migration in 1943, from the South side of Chicago to Berkeley, California, Sara and Ben Jameson moved their young family out West hoping to leave the past behind and make a new start. Arriving in South Berkeley, the only part of town open to Colored home owners, the Jamesons found conditions much the same as those they had left behind. As they unpacked their dreams, they also uncovered limited employment, restricted housing, and separate but unequal education for their children, but on closer inspection the Jameson family discovered opportunity beyond their wildest dreams. Join the Jamesons, their extended family, friends, and community as they navigate two wars, social change and injustice, economic bust and boom, and dizzying opportunity. By some yardsticks they could be considered unremarkable, but to many they are extraordinary. Follow the Jamesons' journey from the unforgiving 1940's, through the turbulent 1960's, to the triumphs and challenges of today.

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

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