Born in the village known as Mer Rouge, one woman has accomplished her dream of writing and publishing a novel in California.

Billie Jean King was born in Mer Rouge and grew up in Bastrop, where she graduated from Bastrop High School.

She never had any real urges to write while growing up with the exception of her first short story at age 16. The story was called “That Summer in Milwaukee” and was about a summer vacation she had. At this time, she knew she enjoyed writing but never thought to continue with it as a profession. Writing soon was put on the back burner as life changes began.

After graduating high school in 1971, King moved to California. She now lives in Castro Valley, Cali. She worked a number of jobs, such as dental assisting, administrative assistant with the City of Oakland, the United States Postal Service, an advertising account executive, a manufacturer’s representative, medical and dental sales representative, an insurance broker-producer, a notary-loan document signer and realtor. Today, King is a reserve mortgage consultant for the senior market.

“I always loved to write, [but] I didn’t desire to be a writer,” King said. “It’s something I fell into in the 1990s. I decided I wanted to write a book.”

In 1997, she enrolled in a Christian writing correspondence course. Her dream to write a novel was placed aside in order to enjoy special moments like her daughter’s college graduation.

Several years passed before the writing bug latched back on to King. In September of 2005, she was watching the Christian Broadcasting Network and saw a man who had written a book after 10 years of back and forth attempts.

This renewed King’s spirit, and she attempted to write a book again. During the day, she came up with the title, “At Last,” of the book and wrote 10,000 words; however, the book was shoved into the corner as her career required her to travel.

Almost a year later in August of 2006, King was reading Zig Ziglar’s “Better Than Good.”

“He motivated me to pursue [writing],” she said. “I started writing in 2006. By the time I started, I had the idea. It all came together. I finished in two months.”

After the book was written, it took a year and a half to edit it completely. The book was published through Xulon Press.

“[The book] deals with relationships [as it pertains to Christian singles and dating],” King said. She has three main characters that are female and are looking for their true loves. Each have remained celibate while searching for their future husbands. “They decide to go on a quest to find love. I’m trying to show how single Christians should remain celibate. It’s like a self-help book. My being single and never married, it’s still desired. I saw where a lot of women find themselves getting into relationships [that weren’t right]. I want to encourage single women and let them know why are not alone.”

“Hopefully [it can be] an eye opener,” she said. “I want it to be something they can be open-minded about. It’s a shortage of men [out there. They should be] open to younger men and interracial relationships. I’m sure there will be a little controversy.”

King said she hopes by writing she will “help people to realize their dreams. We all have a gift. Hopefully, people will be inspired.”

She is planning on writing another novel but is keeping quiet on the details for now. “I have an idea. I’m still mulling it over,” she said.
The book will possibly focus on helping people discover their purpose.

King will be appearing as a guest on TCT Television Network’s Rejoice today. It airs on DirectTV at 11:30 a.m. She will be in Bastrop in August for a class reunion and is working on a possible book signing.

King has one daughter, Shari Ignont, and one granddaughter, Jordyn Ignont.

For more information on Billie Jean King and her novel, “At Last,” view her website at www.billiejeankingatlast.com.