The Meaning Of “Swag” With Author Monica Marie Jones

Monica Marie Jones is an author whose published works include The Ups and Downs of Being Round (Fiction/Self-Help), Taste My Soul (Poetry) and FLOSS (Urban Fiction). She is a contributing author in Chicken Soup for the Girls Soul, New Directions for Youth Development, and 44th (A full color coffee table book about President Barack Obama that is a compilation of front page reprints of actual African-American published newspapers and poetry.)

Her newest book, Swag follows Noelle Dresden, an aspiring singer who left her full time job to pursue her dreams of super stardom.  Her pursuit leads her to accept an invitation to be a house guest on the popular, hit reality show, House of Swag. On the show, aspiring entertainers with the potential to take it to the next level are trained to become multifaceted mega stars.

Monica took some time out of her busy schedule to talk with me about her new book and what the word “Swag” means to her.

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Swag is a word that exudes confidence. Do you consider yourself a person with Swag and why?

The other day I posted the following status message, “I feel beautiful, and that’s not conceit, that is something that took me most of my life to be able to say and truly feel and believe.” I say that because I feel that every woman goes through a time at some point in her life where her confidence falters, so it is a beautiful feeling when you can finally say, “I love me!” and mean it. I am finally at a place in my life where no matter my size, the length of my hair, or any other factor, I love every bit of me. As a result, I exude confidence and that is what Swag is.

Do you think having swag and being a diva are the same or are they different from one another?

Both words have been misused in negative contexts, but in my opinion both terms lend themselves to the same general idea which is one that is positive and powerful. When you have a true love for yourself, that translates into confidence. True confidence begins within, then shines on the outside. Someone who is a diva or someone that has swag are among the best at what they do. When they enter a room their presence is felt because they exude an aura and a light that cannot be ignored.

I love the reality show aspect of the book. Is there a reality character that you looked to for inspiration?

Definitely. I love…love..LOVE… P.Diddy. Every time he has a new reality show I am glued to the television screen. There is just something about his drive that draws me in. One day, I was watching MTV’s Making The Band, and I dozed off. When I was asleep, I had a dream that I was on one of Diddy’s reality shows. When I woke up, I began writing “Swag”…so he definitely inspired the Monroe “Paper” Chase character in the book.

I know you’re working on something else because you’re one hard working Diva. So what’s next for you?

Right now I am working on my fifth book, “Intrigue”, which is the third installment of my urban fiction series (Floss and Swag are numbers one and two.) I am also working on another poetry book, a marketing book for authors, and an inspirational book. When I am not writing I am working to officially launch my new businesses, particularly a company called Inspirationista Ink! which has the sole mission of inspiring others, particularly women and girls.

You can purchase Swag and all of Monica’s books by visiting her website, MonicaMarieJones.com