Kristi Smith

Kristi Smith is a former nurse, turned author, who lives in Birmingham, Alabama. She was widowed in 2015. She has two grown children. She and co-author, Nena Jackson, have been friends since first grade and still remain an integral part of each other’s lives. Nena lives in Charleston, SC.

Although living in different states and collaborating on a book series might seem difficult, Kristi and Nena found scheduling time to write over the phone worked best for them. While the books in their five book series, Fruit That Lasts, are truly a representation of each woman’s creativity, they have their specialty areas. When it’s time to turn the rough draft of each book into poetry, Kristi takes the lead, and on administrative tasks, Nena steps in.

Collaborating on this series has been challenging at times, but so much fun as well. Over a period of five years, Kristi and Nena saw their dream come to life in the pages of this series. If asked, Kristi would encourage new writers to pursue their dreams by continuing to move forward, even if only in baby steps and not to be dissuaded due to obstacles that come their way. Having a partner has also helped, so while not everyone is called to co-author a book with someone, everyone needs someone to encourage them when the going gets tough.

Kristi and Nena have also written a VBS curriculum together and have taught it for the last two summers in Kenya, Africa. There they worked with the children of The Home of the Good Shepherd and co-authored a devotional on the fruit of the Spirit called Kingdom Kids Create: Kenya. Their work in Kenya has been very fulfilling and has allowed them to see the fruit of their labor, as the orphans at the home have embraced both the characters and the message of the Fruit That Lasts book series.