May 1, 2026 • 26 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Anytime ash Roman and I go somewhere where we're together,
Rome wants to be the one who dresses ash Rome
sometimes forgets that besides being a preteen with his own
sense of style, our son knows exactly how to throw
that shit on. I was about to go off on
this man, but I looked in the backseat and saw
Ashton waiting for me to react to his dad the
(00:21):
way he knew I wanted to. Ashton cracked a little
size smile looking up to the sun roof. I let
out a deep sigh, closed my eyes and counted.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Welcome to the Public Library Podcast. Sorry, here's your host.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
And podcast librarian Award winning PUET, future bestselling author and
host of one of the most listened to radio shows
in America, Helen Little. Hello, book lovers, and welcome to
another episode of the Public Library Podcast. I got a
very special guest today. Jess Hilarious is here and her
(00:58):
book is Till.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Death Do We Parent? Yes, ma'am, thank you so much
for being here.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Hi, Helen, how are you?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I'm great.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I'm happy and honored to be on your podcast. When
you talk to authors about their.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Books chat, well, you know, I am really glad to
talk to you about yourself.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I loved it.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
We got to tell people what the book is about.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, So the book is about my co parenting journey,
raising my son with his father at a very young age.
I was nineteen when I found out I was pregnant,
and I thought that I was going to have the sun,
the moon and the stars given to me by this
man who was a boy, but in my mind at
that time, he was my man, right, and that was
(01:37):
my mindset. I'm going to be a wife, I'm gonna
have children, and we're gonna have the white pick of fence,
the dog, the everything, the kid, the kaboodle.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
All at you know.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
And that was quickly abrupted by all the adversities that
we had to face in our relationship. And if it
wasn't for me trying to force that peace to that puzzle,
like no, you are gonna be my man, you are
gonna be I thought I was completely in control of
my life. You know, you know, how delusional of me, right,
but yeah, you know, and I'm twenty when I have
(02:06):
my kid and everything, and then we go through things
and then we end up having a beautiful relationship and
raising our son together. So that's why the book even
exists because till death do we parent.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
It's a life sentence. Parenting is a life sentence.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
So you decided to write this book specifically to tell
that story or how did it come about?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
The like? You know, I think I should write a book.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
About this because we are best friends right now, like
we're like brother and sister. And I know that that's
kind of weird when you first hear it, right, but
it's something beautiful about going through turmoil and facing dysfunction
and toxicity and all of that and then coming out
of it on the other side close, like really close,
like it never happened.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Although it happened, and we got through it.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
We did the work so it wouldn't keep happening, you
know what I mean. It's just something real beautiful about that.
Because when I mentioned earlier, my mindset was to be
a wife and all that I had to change my
mindset and my mindset went from okay, his wife to
now his friend because with all of that happening, I
(03:11):
had grown to be bitter and I didn't see us
being friends.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
I didn't see that wasn't on my Bengo card.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
After I was I'm gonna hate this guy forever whatever,
and I'm going to try to show up to be
the best parent I can for my son while I'm
a bitter baby mama. That's like oil and water. It
didn't flow like that, Yeah, because I started to bleed
the energy onto my child.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Oh yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
And that's ultimately who feels it, you know, your child.
And so once I became a happy person, I was
able to be a happy mom, which raised a happy kid.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Did you always know you were going to write a book?
Speaker 4 (03:50):
No?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Wow, I didn't realize I was going to write a
book until maybe two years ago.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Wow, Yes I did. I never thought.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
I don't know why I never thought about writing one.
I love books, I love I love reading. I love
reading our stories most of all. But I never thought
I would write it. But I honestly thought that we.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Would have a show before a book.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
But to put it in a piece of literature is
amazing and very impactful because it can help a lot
of people, whether you have kids or not.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
I agree with there.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
And one thing I know about you from going to
your shows and seeing you on stage is you are
a great storyteller.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yes, So that carries over into.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
The book, and what was it like reliving these stories
and putting them down on paper for the world to see.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Helen now we coulokn agrees because I was pregnant when
I wrote this book.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Wow, I was pregnant.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
So imagine like having to relive while you hate your
first baby daddy, why you would the current baby daddy,
you know what I mean? And so I found myself
like just hormonal and the emotional. And then I had
to get on the own with Jerome, my firstborn.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Son, who the book is about.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
I had to get on the phone with him and
he had to help me relive a lot of the
trauma that he had put me through. And I'm not
just gonna put it all on him. I take accountability
in the book as well, which is very important for
us moms to do.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Because we ignore a lot of flags.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
A lot of people can play full blown victim if
they want, but I saw a lot of the flags
and I just ignored them because of what I.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Wanted, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
But it was it was liberating yet challenging writing it.
And one of the best things that came out of
writing it while I was pregnant with Jerome.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Was he told me.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
After we wrote it, after he read it, like, Yo,
I'm so sorry writing this book with you or helping
you write this book.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Was it was.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
It was emotional because I didn't realize that I was
that fed up of a person to you. We were
so young, and so I didn't realize that I caused
a lot of hurt that had a rippel effect on
your relationships after me. You were picking men in relationships
based on what you It just went through with me
(06:15):
like everybody became like somebody that you had to help,
like a project or some sort.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
Because I got a soft spot.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
A soft spot. I had a soft spot for men
who needed something they had voids.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
To fill, you know what I mean. So I would
always right exactly and we.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Do that at the expense of our feelings and you know,
our hearts and we're great people. That that's a side,
that's one of the down sides of having a big
heart and trying to take on a man as a project.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
No, no, no.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
And he apologized to me about that because he was like, dang,
your relationship with me shaped how you went on about
to be in the world with other men, you know
what I mean. And I'm sorry I caused all of that, y'all.
I'm very very sorry, but I'm glad. I'm grateful. It
makes me a lot more grateful for our relationship now.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
So I love it. I don't regret it.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, yeah, that's really big.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
You know. One of the things I enjoyed most about
your book is hearing your voice on the page. Y,
thank you. A lot of people are involved with making
a book come to life.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
How are you able to keep it?
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Jess? Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
I implement comedy and my personality in everything I do.
I wouldn't be me if I didn't.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I think that's why sometimes when I'm overthinking and trying
to take comedy out of or my personality out of things,
it's visual like for anybody to see that I'm struggling, like,
oh no, Jess ain't being herself. She's trying, she overthinking,
she thinking too hard, like even my rate like the
radio job, I want a breakfast club, and I'm like,
like my fans can see, my co host can see, like, yo,
(07:51):
take a deep breath, just be yourself like you're you're
trying to fit in when you don't have to.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
You already in.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You know, and and that's just putting humor in everything.
I'm like, I'm a natural humorous person. You know, it's
gonna come out. It's gonna come out wherever I am.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Well, it came out on the train when I was
reading in front of people. I would be reading and
I would just bust out laughing and people would look
at me like, what's going on with her?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Life is funny because it'd be life and sometimes and
you bring that out in your book. How much did
you find yourself even laughing or even crying in the
process of writing.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
I laughed a lot. I cried a lot. The crying,
I'm gonna equate that to me being pregnant.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Okay, right, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I can't believe he did this to me and my
husband walking the room like I did what now, I'm like, no,
not you, not you?
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Who was Rome? You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (08:45):
But I laughed a lot. I laughed a whole lot
because a lot of it was funny. It wasn't funny
in the moment when I was going through it, but
when I look at it, I look back on him,
I'm like, Yo, what what was I doing fighting Rome?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Other? Baby mother?
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Why was I Why was I fighting one of the
other baby mothers, dragging her across the parking lot. Why
did I say that the little baby girl didn't have
no eyebrows? I didn't have to say that, even though
she didn't, you know, yeah, she was born with a
cute little ball face.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
But it's all right, you know. Why did I have
to say that?
Speaker 1 (09:16):
You know, and and and that's why I ended up
fighting the girl, you know, That's why she ended up,
you know, challenging.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Me to a fight.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
And I just was like, oh my gosh, you know,
but I look back at it, and a lot of
it is funny, and all you can do is laugh
at some of it, and and say, yo, you was
buck wild. Yess that that's all I kept saying about.
Your eye was wild. Oh my god, Rome was wild.
We were wild as a team. But now but now
(09:43):
everything we're reformed. We're great parents. We could be serious
a little bit, you know, a lot more than we
used to be. But laughing is medicine, Helen. Yes, we
gotta laugh, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
And you gotta be able to laugh at yourself, at yourself.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
I do it the best.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
At the end of chapter one, your revelation, when your
son goes from being the baby to being Ashton.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
That was such a beautiful story.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
What was it like reliving even the difficult parts of
your book as you wrote, were those moments where you
would have to like get up and walk away from
your computer or did you just power through?
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Honestly? I did both a little bit of both.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
That part that you just mentioned when that was a
very pivotal moment and motherhood for me because I was
afraid although I did keep my son, I kept my
son to keep his father with me, you know, and
admitting that it's something that you really don't hear a
lot of moms do, you know. But I know there's
(10:46):
somebody else that can feel that same pain and be like,
oh my god.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
I was there as well.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
So that's why I'm so open about it in the
book and vulnerable enough to put it out there and
be transparent.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
I wasn't ready.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I was keeping it to keep him and that moment
where I'm there's a moment that my son is in
a crib and he's looking at me and I'm like,
I don't have a job. I don't even know what
career I want to go into. I'm still being raised
by my parents. I'm twenty years old. I don't know
what to do. I look at him, I'm crying, like, yo,
why would you pick me to be your mother?
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Why would you do this? Why?
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Like, I don't know what I'm doing in Your father
just out here living his best bachelor life. He chilling,
he having funny out here, popping bottles in the clubs
and all of this stuff, and I'm here stuck with you.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
What am I supposed to do? And he's girl.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
My son looked at me and and he did a
little side smirk, was like cracked the smile, like.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
Girl, you doing way too much? Like you are doing
too much?
Speaker 1 (11:42):
And I honestly felt like I felt dumb in a
moment because I'm like, why am I asking him questions
like he can answer them?
Speaker 4 (11:50):
Why would you pick me? You don't get to pick
your parents.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
So I got to put my big girl panties on
the same ones that I took off that night.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
To conceive you. You know what I'm saying, I gotta
put them on.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
I gotta put them back on and become the mother
that I know I can be that my mother taught
me to be. You know what I'm saying, so that
that was a very emotional part, and that was one
of the moments I had to get up and walk
away from. And I was also afraid for my son
to read it because I never told that to him.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Wow. Yeah, well, I mean I admire people who are
brave enough to write a memoir. Yeah, because it's not
just your story, it's every person who's a part of
your life in that moment's story as well.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
So you got to go in and like, hey, I'm
writing this book.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Did you go through that process with all the people
that you you know, like all.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
All the guys in your past and family members, well.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Family members, yes, see ex is one of them is
in jail. Y'all gonna be able to when y'all read
the book, y'all will know who that is. One of
the other exes I don't talk to anymore. He's upset
with me still from you know, damage that I had
caused in our relationship years ago, you know what I mean. Yeah,
(13:05):
So I wasn't able to reach out to to a
few of the exes, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
But my family, yes.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Now Rome's other children's moms, uh, two of them.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
We don't talk.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
We don't speak, but I do respect them as mothers
because all of them are great moms. And then two
of them are like really good friends of mine as well.
So yeah, it was, yeah, it was. It was different then,
you know, writing in the book, you gotta change people
names because you don't want nobody to come after you
and try to sue you and stuff. But my truth
is my truth, and I don't care. But nobody say
I'm gonna change your name, but you gonna know what
us about you.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
So indirectly, your book is about your son Ashton, and
it made me an Ashton.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Fan, ooh thank you.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
How does he feel about this main character energy that
he has in your book?
Speaker 4 (13:54):
Oh my god. He first of all, my son just
knows he a star.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
He just he's like, oh man, because I wanted him
to read it, right, I told you I talk about
him being nervous, I mean me being nervous for him
reading some of the things that I think that I'm
cringing from him, you know, learning about. But I was like,
can you read the book before it comes out? Because
I don't want to. I want to avoid somebody else
(14:18):
coming to you telling you something about something that I
should have told you. And he was like, no, I'm
gonna read it when it come out. You know, he
real laid back and slicked like it's fa He talked
just like his daddy.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
I just and he's fourteen, by the way, not forty one.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
But he's like, nah, I'm gonna wait till it come out,
you know, I just I you know, I'm I'm cool.
And then I want to listen to it because you
did the audio book and I you know, I don't
want it to be boring. You know, I don't really
want to know about what you and my dad did.
I'm like, I'm not talking about us conceiving you. I'm crazy.
This is the journey that me and your dad went
(14:53):
on to raise you, you know, in the ups and
downs in our relationships. He like, oh, oh, all right,
well I read it when to come out. You know,
I'm be happy. I'm anna buy it and say he
ordered his own book like he ordered it. He paid great, yes,
with my money, but he ordered it a little broke though.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
So you know, it's interesting how outsiders will see the
end result in a person's journey.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
People who haven't been with you along.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
The way will assume you are where you are because
somebody either gave you something or you know, it was easy.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
Can't stand that.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
There is a clear theme for you, and that is
one I can identify with in this book.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Why was it important for you to show that?
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Because you really show where you came from to where
you are both personally as a mother, as a partner,
and as a professional.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Absolutely it was. It's showing people a different side. Like
I wasn't born with a silverspone. I was never given
a silversphone. Everything I have I worked for and there
are I'm so glad that you brought that up. It's
so many people that think that they are the reason for.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
My success, you know.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
It is so many people that think that if I
had a dollar for every person, girl, I'd be rich
just off that, you know. But I worked very hard
and my fans can see and they can attest to that,
and they can yeah, they can testify to that fact
because everybody saw me when I was broke with the
bonnet on riding around in the car. You can hear
(16:19):
my car, my brakes squeaking and everything. I'm making videos,
I'm roasting people who got more money than me, and
I'm thinking about, oh my god, is this gonna say.
I'm gonna be people gonna be able to see me
for this. Some of the things I'm saying, the jests
with the mess was birthed on Instagram. I went the vine,
I went you know, I got the call from Martin
because he saw my videos. I got the call from
(16:41):
Nick Cannon because he saw my talent online. I got
the call from Mike Epps and Kevin Harten, all these
people who helped pour into me during my journey because
they saw my talent, right, not because somebody else put
me on you know. But I will say I am
happy for any and ever re opportunity.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
That somebody has given me along the way.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Nick Cannon plays a big role in the early part
of my career by being the first person to put
me on TV. Like he creates opportunities for anybody that
he believes in, and I love I love that about him.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
So yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
And then also my god, Charlotte Easy, you know, that's
that's my guy. Man.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
Charlemagne is a great mentor and he has been.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
I've been friends with him for about nine years now,
nine ten years, and he always told me what he
saw for me, and to see it come to fruition
ten years ago. He told me what he saw for me,
and a lot of it is similar.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
To what he told me.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
When did you see it, wool.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I'm I'm honestly still trying to see Okay, trying to
see it just honestly speaking, I'm still trying to see it.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
For me.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
It is very is very surreal for me, Like I
still don't I don't see it how everyone else sees it.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
Right now? Is me living my life.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
I feel like I got so much more work to do.
I feel like i'm you know, I'm in these uncomfortable seasons.
But discomfort is really really good because it's taking me
out of my element and it's making me work ten
times harder.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
You know.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
So, I, well, you wrote a book. Come on, give
yourself some credit because that is something that is something
that a lot of people think about.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Yeah, and how many people actually do it and then
actually you can hold it in their hands. Yeah, you know,
so give yourself lots and lots of credit for all
the things that you have done. And you have done
a lot and you got a lot more to give us. Yes,
So one of the most powerful lines in the book.
You know, I love borrowing a.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Good quote from somebody.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
God gave me what I asked for. I didn't think
about the person I needed to be to keep it.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
That is oh powerful, because a lot of times we
tell God what we want, we pray very entitled and
I have prayed very selfishly to God like this is
what I want, this is what I want. We tell him,
we tell him, we tell him, and then when he
gives it to us, we're not ready. We're not always ready.
We don't always know what that takes, what the hard
(19:19):
work takes. We're not in And even when we find
out the hard work that it takes to get to
where we want to be or where we aspire to.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
Be, we're not even ready to do the work.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
We still want to have the control, Like you know
what I mean, we're not ready to get rid of
old habits, so we're not ready to close one door
before we walk through the next.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
So we're not able to receipt. Like you don't want
to hit.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
You want everything from God, but you don't want to
hear what he's telling you to do to get it right.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
You want to keep it or to keep it.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Yes, because that was the thing, like, oh, I know
how I know what to do to get it. Yeah,
And it's like, that's what hit me about it being
so profound, is that, Oh I got it, now I
gotta keep it. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
There is a process in that.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Too, right, and sometimes that's harder than getting.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
It an goodness, gracious, ain't it?
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Can you tell I'm going through something personal? Love it here?
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (20:14):
I can see.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
I'm like, what is it?
Speaker 4 (20:16):
Let me try to fiction mass allum, what's happening?
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Well?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
I have to tell you what I really did.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Also love about your book is the honesty and the vulnerability,
and that's what makes it a page turner.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
What kind of feedback have you received.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
On how your book has impacted others and what do
you hope people take away from it?
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (20:36):
My god, So the impact.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
People are writing reviews online, Like I'm getting people that
I never even listen. People that did not like me
are hitting me up, and they didn't like me because of,
you know, just online things. You know, they equate me
to whatever they see online and they don't know, they
don't know the real jests. They don't know this side,
(21:00):
you know, like I was a person trying to figure
it out, just like you. You know what I'm saying, so
I'm hearing that people are like and the reason why
and how I know they don't like me is you
are not my cup of tea.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
But damn, this book was good. Oh my god, I'm
going through this. I'm going through that.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
I swear y'all, Baby Daddy reminds me of my baby daddy.
But I don't see me being where y'all two are now.
But I know if I read this book again, I'll
probably go and have a conversation.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Girl.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
I bought the book for my son's father, and da
da da da dada.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Like, I've just been getting a lot of positive feedback
and I'm so so happy about it. And what I
hope people take away from it is just because the
relationship part does not work with you and your co
parent doesn't mean that y'all can't still come together and
be a different type of family and have a different
type of bond, you know, a friendship to raise your kid.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
Because what I said in the beginning.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
A happy mom and a happy day d will raise
a happy kid. Like you don't realize when you're trying
to be bitter and you're trying to hurt your co parent,
the same way that they hurt you. You're not doing
anything but tainting the mind of your kid because you
may think your kid is young and they're turning a
(22:18):
blind eye to your moods and your energy because.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
Of something their father did to you or something their
mom did.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
But they're absorbing at all, and they're gonna regurgitate it
in school and their relationships back to you, you know,
and you're trying to figure out what's going on. Why
why is he acting up? Why is he talking back?
Why is he getting sent home from school? Why is
he Because that's the energy that you exue, like, that's
the energy you're putting into them, you know. And then
(22:44):
another thing, learn how to accept and let go. I
had to learn how to accept that me and Rome
would not be together, and I had to let that go.
And that's how I was able to move forward with
him as his friend, and we came together and we
have a beautif for village now, a beautiful village. I
love how he is with my husband because he and
my husband are close. They talk outside of me, They
(23:07):
plan things together with Ashton, without Ashton.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
He calls my husband for advice. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
My husband may call him for advice because my my
husband is a first time father, so he'll call Rome.
Rome got five kids, five different shit experience, you know
what I'm saying, a lot of experience.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
So who else know better than Rome?
Speaker 3 (23:26):
You know?
Speaker 1 (23:26):
But I love the book. It's going to be very impactful. Again,
and you do not have to be a parent to
buy it.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
No.
Speaker 4 (23:32):
Yes, you could be thinking about having kids please, or.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
You could be like me.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
I ain't got a kid the first but I could
relate to the humanity of your story.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Yeah, thank you, because ultimately it's a book about relationships.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Yes, you know, so I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Page seventy three because I had a felony on my
record for identity theft.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
That's for my next book. Is there a next book?
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Bro?
Speaker 4 (23:56):
It is the next book? Yes, one or two out
of three, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Yes, it is definitely a next book because I have
so much more to write about outside of co parenting.
Oh God, God, how I was just a rebellious teenager
and things that I had to go through which shape
how my life is today.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
I'm so glad to hear that.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Yeah, because I really felt as this book came to
a close with a very happy ending.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
I said, oh there's more, oh girl, a lot more.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
So.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
If people want to know more about Jess on stage,
on the radio, on social as a writer, what's the
best way to connect with you and learn more about you?
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Yep, my website Just Hilarious Official dot com. I may
be in a city near you very soon. If not,
there is a place on my website where you can
type in your city. If I've never been to your city,
you want to see me and stand up. Also on socials,
I'm just Hilarious Underscore official on Instagram. I'm Just Hilarious
Official on Facebook. I don't be on Twitter because it's
too much going on over there, and y'all are very
(24:53):
toxic over there on Twitter, so I don't be doing that.
Although I got one, but I don't run it, so
don't think you're gonna find it there, find me there.
TikTok I do because of my son, Oh my god, girl.
If we get another social media platform, I don't know
what I'm gonna do because I don't even know how
my son ride. My tiktime Snapchat is back, oh my god.
But mainly my website Just Larrisofficial dot com. Facebook and Instagram.
(25:16):
That's all I can handle for right now. And the
book is available everywhere everywhere in stores, Walmart, Target, Barnes
and Nobles, Books a Million, Simon and Schuster, Amazon dot Com,
and listen. I am pleased to announce that I made
number one for new sellers for the book for the
book List and Amazon, and then the Booklist, I made
number one for co parenting and family genre.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
I'm so happy.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
It was awesome. Congratulations Helen.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
I'm so happy. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
Thank you for coming on and talking to us about
the book, and I wish you so so so much success.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Another show in the books.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Join us for the next episode of the Public Library Podcast.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
A place to check out book box
Anytime ash Roman and I go somewhere where we're together,
Rome wants to be the one who dresses ash Rome
sometimes forgets that besides being a preteen with his own
sense of style, our son knows exactly how to throw
that shit on. I was about to go off on
this man, but I looked in the backseat and saw
Ashton waiting for me to react to his dad the
(00:21):
way he knew I wanted to. Ashton cracked a little
size smile looking up to the sun roof. I let
out a deep sigh, closed my eyes and counted.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Welcome to the Public Library Podcast. Sorry, here's your host.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
And podcast librarian Award winning PUET, future bestselling author and
host of one of the most listened to radio shows
in America, Helen Little. Hello, book lovers, and welcome to
another episode of the Public Library Podcast. I got a
very special guest today. Jess Hilarious is here and her
(00:58):
book is Till.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Death Do We Parent? Yes, ma'am, thank you so much
for being here.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Hi, Helen, how are you?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I'm great.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I'm happy and honored to be on your podcast. When
you talk to authors about their.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Books chat, well, you know, I am really glad to
talk to you about yourself.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I loved it.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
We got to tell people what the book is about.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, So the book is about my co parenting journey,
raising my son with his father at a very young age.
I was nineteen when I found out I was pregnant,
and I thought that I was going to have the sun,
the moon and the stars given to me by this
man who was a boy, but in my mind at
that time, he was my man, right, and that was
(01:37):
my mindset. I'm going to be a wife, I'm gonna
have children, and we're gonna have the white pick of fence,
the dog, the everything, the kid, the kaboodle.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
All at you know.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
And that was quickly abrupted by all the adversities that
we had to face in our relationship. And if it
wasn't for me trying to force that peace to that puzzle,
like no, you are gonna be my man, you are
gonna be I thought I was completely in control of
my life. You know, you know, how delusional of me, right,
but yeah, you know, and I'm twenty when I have
(02:06):
my kid and everything, and then we go through things
and then we end up having a beautiful relationship and
raising our son together. So that's why the book even
exists because till death do we parent.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
It's a life sentence. Parenting is a life sentence.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
So you decided to write this book specifically to tell
that story or how did it come about?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
The like? You know, I think I should write a book.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
About this because we are best friends right now, like
we're like brother and sister. And I know that that's
kind of weird when you first hear it, right, but
it's something beautiful about going through turmoil and facing dysfunction
and toxicity and all of that and then coming out
of it on the other side close, like really close,
like it never happened.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Although it happened, and we got through it.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
We did the work so it wouldn't keep happening, you
know what I mean. It's just something real beautiful about that.
Because when I mentioned earlier, my mindset was to be
a wife and all that I had to change my
mindset and my mindset went from okay, his wife to
now his friend because with all of that happening, I
(03:11):
had grown to be bitter and I didn't see us
being friends.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
I didn't see that wasn't on my Bengo card.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
After I was I'm gonna hate this guy forever whatever,
and I'm going to try to show up to be
the best parent I can for my son while I'm
a bitter baby mama. That's like oil and water. It
didn't flow like that, Yeah, because I started to bleed
the energy onto my child.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Oh yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
And that's ultimately who feels it, you know, your child.
And so once I became a happy person, I was
able to be a happy mom, which raised a happy kid.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Did you always know you were going to write a book?
Speaker 4 (03:50):
No?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Wow, I didn't realize I was going to write a
book until maybe two years ago.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Wow, Yes I did. I never thought.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
I don't know why I never thought about writing one.
I love books, I love I love reading. I love
reading our stories most of all. But I never thought
I would write it. But I honestly thought that we.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Would have a show before a book.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
But to put it in a piece of literature is
amazing and very impactful because it can help a lot
of people, whether you have kids or not.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
I agree with there.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
And one thing I know about you from going to
your shows and seeing you on stage is you are
a great storyteller.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yes, So that carries over into.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
The book, and what was it like reliving these stories
and putting them down on paper for the world to see.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Helen now we coulokn agrees because I was pregnant when
I wrote this book.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Wow, I was pregnant.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
So imagine like having to relive while you hate your
first baby daddy, why you would the current baby daddy,
you know what I mean? And so I found myself
like just hormonal and the emotional. And then I had
to get on the own with Jerome, my firstborn.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Son, who the book is about.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
I had to get on the phone with him and
he had to help me relive a lot of the
trauma that he had put me through. And I'm not
just gonna put it all on him. I take accountability
in the book as well, which is very important for
us moms to do.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Because we ignore a lot of flags.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
A lot of people can play full blown victim if
they want, but I saw a lot of the flags
and I just ignored them because of what I.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Wanted, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
But it was it was liberating yet challenging writing it.
And one of the best things that came out of
writing it while I was pregnant with Jerome.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Was he told me.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
After we wrote it, after he read it, like, Yo,
I'm so sorry writing this book with you or helping
you write this book.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Was it was.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
It was emotional because I didn't realize that I was
that fed up of a person to you. We were
so young, and so I didn't realize that I caused
a lot of hurt that had a rippel effect on
your relationships after me. You were picking men in relationships
based on what you It just went through with me
(06:15):
like everybody became like somebody that you had to help,
like a project or some sort.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
Because I got a soft spot.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
A soft spot. I had a soft spot for men
who needed something they had voids.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
To fill, you know what I mean. So I would
always right exactly and we.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Do that at the expense of our feelings and you know,
our hearts and we're great people. That that's a side,
that's one of the down sides of having a big
heart and trying to take on a man as a project.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
No, no, no.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
And he apologized to me about that because he was like, dang,
your relationship with me shaped how you went on about
to be in the world with other men, you know
what I mean. And I'm sorry I caused all of that, y'all.
I'm very very sorry, but I'm glad. I'm grateful. It
makes me a lot more grateful for our relationship now.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
So I love it. I don't regret it.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, yeah, that's really big.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
You know. One of the things I enjoyed most about
your book is hearing your voice on the page. Y,
thank you. A lot of people are involved with making
a book come to life.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
How are you able to keep it?
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Jess? Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
I implement comedy and my personality in everything I do.
I wouldn't be me if I didn't.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I think that's why sometimes when I'm overthinking and trying
to take comedy out of or my personality out of things,
it's visual like for anybody to see that I'm struggling, like,
oh no, Jess ain't being herself. She's trying, she overthinking,
she thinking too hard, like even my rate like the
radio job, I want a breakfast club, and I'm like,
like my fans can see, my co host can see, like, yo,
(07:51):
take a deep breath, just be yourself like you're you're
trying to fit in when you don't have to.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
You already in.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You know, and and that's just putting humor in everything.
I'm like, I'm a natural humorous person. You know, it's
gonna come out. It's gonna come out wherever I am.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Well, it came out on the train when I was
reading in front of people. I would be reading and
I would just bust out laughing and people would look
at me like, what's going on with her?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Life is funny because it'd be life and sometimes and
you bring that out in your book. How much did
you find yourself even laughing or even crying in the
process of writing.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
I laughed a lot. I cried a lot. The crying,
I'm gonna equate that to me being pregnant.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Okay, right, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I can't believe he did this to me and my
husband walking the room like I did what now, I'm like, no,
not you, not you?
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Who was Rome? You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (08:45):
But I laughed a lot. I laughed a whole lot
because a lot of it was funny. It wasn't funny
in the moment when I was going through it, but
when I look at it, I look back on him,
I'm like, Yo, what what was I doing fighting Rome?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Other? Baby mother?
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Why was I Why was I fighting one of the
other baby mothers, dragging her across the parking lot. Why
did I say that the little baby girl didn't have
no eyebrows? I didn't have to say that, even though
she didn't, you know, yeah, she was born with a
cute little ball face.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
But it's all right, you know. Why did I have
to say that?
Speaker 1 (09:16):
You know, and and and that's why I ended up
fighting the girl, you know, That's why she ended up,
you know, challenging.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Me to a fight.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
And I just was like, oh my gosh, you know,
but I look back at it, and a lot of
it is funny, and all you can do is laugh
at some of it, and and say, yo, you was
buck wild. Yess that that's all I kept saying about.
Your eye was wild. Oh my god, Rome was wild.
We were wild as a team. But now but now
(09:43):
everything we're reformed. We're great parents. We could be serious
a little bit, you know, a lot more than we
used to be. But laughing is medicine, Helen. Yes, we
gotta laugh, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
And you gotta be able to laugh at yourself, at yourself.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
I do it the best.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
At the end of chapter one, your revelation, when your
son goes from being the baby to being Ashton.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
That was such a beautiful story.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
What was it like reliving even the difficult parts of
your book as you wrote, were those moments where you
would have to like get up and walk away from
your computer or did you just power through?
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Honestly? I did both a little bit of both.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
That part that you just mentioned when that was a
very pivotal moment and motherhood for me because I was
afraid although I did keep my son, I kept my
son to keep his father with me, you know, and
admitting that it's something that you really don't hear a
lot of moms do, you know. But I know there's
(10:46):
somebody else that can feel that same pain and be like,
oh my god.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
I was there as well.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
So that's why I'm so open about it in the
book and vulnerable enough to put it out there and
be transparent.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
I wasn't ready.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I was keeping it to keep him and that moment
where I'm there's a moment that my son is in
a crib and he's looking at me and I'm like,
I don't have a job. I don't even know what
career I want to go into. I'm still being raised
by my parents. I'm twenty years old. I don't know
what to do. I look at him, I'm crying, like, yo,
why would you pick me to be your mother?
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Why would you do this? Why?
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Like, I don't know what I'm doing in Your father
just out here living his best bachelor life. He chilling,
he having funny out here, popping bottles in the clubs
and all of this stuff, and I'm here stuck with you.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
What am I supposed to do? And he's girl.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
My son looked at me and and he did a
little side smirk, was like cracked the smile, like.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
Girl, you doing way too much? Like you are doing
too much?
Speaker 1 (11:42):
And I honestly felt like I felt dumb in a
moment because I'm like, why am I asking him questions
like he can answer them?
Speaker 4 (11:50):
Why would you pick me? You don't get to pick
your parents.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
So I got to put my big girl panties on
the same ones that I took off that night.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
To conceive you. You know what I'm saying, I gotta
put them on.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
I gotta put them back on and become the mother
that I know I can be that my mother taught
me to be. You know what I'm saying, so that
that was a very emotional part, and that was one
of the moments I had to get up and walk
away from. And I was also afraid for my son
to read it because I never told that to him.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Wow. Yeah, well, I mean I admire people who are
brave enough to write a memoir. Yeah, because it's not
just your story, it's every person who's a part of
your life in that moment's story as well.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
So you got to go in and like, hey, I'm
writing this book.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Did you go through that process with all the people
that you you know, like all.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
All the guys in your past and family members, well.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Family members, yes, see ex is one of them is
in jail. Y'all gonna be able to when y'all read
the book, y'all will know who that is. One of
the other exes I don't talk to anymore. He's upset
with me still from you know, damage that I had
caused in our relationship years ago, you know what I mean. Yeah,
(13:05):
So I wasn't able to reach out to to a
few of the exes, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
But my family, yes.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Now Rome's other children's moms, uh, two of them.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
We don't talk.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
We don't speak, but I do respect them as mothers
because all of them are great moms. And then two
of them are like really good friends of mine as well.
So yeah, it was, yeah, it was. It was different then,
you know, writing in the book, you gotta change people
names because you don't want nobody to come after you
and try to sue you and stuff. But my truth
is my truth, and I don't care. But nobody say
I'm gonna change your name, but you gonna know what
us about you.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
So indirectly, your book is about your son Ashton, and
it made me an Ashton.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Fan, ooh thank you.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
How does he feel about this main character energy that
he has in your book?
Speaker 4 (13:54):
Oh my god. He first of all, my son just
knows he a star.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
He just he's like, oh man, because I wanted him
to read it, right, I told you I talk about
him being nervous, I mean me being nervous for him
reading some of the things that I think that I'm
cringing from him, you know, learning about. But I was like,
can you read the book before it comes out? Because
I don't want to. I want to avoid somebody else
(14:18):
coming to you telling you something about something that I
should have told you. And he was like, no, I'm
gonna read it when it come out. You know, he
real laid back and slicked like it's fa He talked
just like his daddy.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
I just and he's fourteen, by the way, not forty one.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
But he's like, nah, I'm gonna wait till it come out,
you know, I just I you know, I'm I'm cool.
And then I want to listen to it because you
did the audio book and I you know, I don't
want it to be boring. You know, I don't really
want to know about what you and my dad did.
I'm like, I'm not talking about us conceiving you. I'm crazy.
This is the journey that me and your dad went
(14:53):
on to raise you, you know, in the ups and
downs in our relationships. He like, oh, oh, all right,
well I read it when to come out. You know,
I'm be happy. I'm anna buy it and say he
ordered his own book like he ordered it. He paid great, yes,
with my money, but he ordered it a little broke though.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
So you know, it's interesting how outsiders will see the
end result in a person's journey.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
People who haven't been with you along.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
The way will assume you are where you are because
somebody either gave you something or you know, it was easy.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
Can't stand that.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
There is a clear theme for you, and that is
one I can identify with in this book.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Why was it important for you to show that?
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Because you really show where you came from to where
you are both personally as a mother, as a partner,
and as a professional.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Absolutely it was. It's showing people a different side. Like
I wasn't born with a silverspone. I was never given
a silversphone. Everything I have I worked for and there
are I'm so glad that you brought that up. It's
so many people that think that they are the reason for.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
My success, you know.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
It is so many people that think that if I
had a dollar for every person, girl, I'd be rich
just off that, you know. But I worked very hard
and my fans can see and they can attest to that,
and they can yeah, they can testify to that fact
because everybody saw me when I was broke with the
bonnet on riding around in the car. You can hear
(16:19):
my car, my brakes squeaking and everything. I'm making videos,
I'm roasting people who got more money than me, and
I'm thinking about, oh my god, is this gonna say.
I'm gonna be people gonna be able to see me
for this. Some of the things I'm saying, the jests
with the mess was birthed on Instagram. I went the vine,
I went you know, I got the call from Martin
because he saw my videos. I got the call from
(16:41):
Nick Cannon because he saw my talent online. I got
the call from Mike Epps and Kevin Harten, all these
people who helped pour into me during my journey because
they saw my talent, right, not because somebody else put
me on you know. But I will say I am
happy for any and ever re opportunity.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
That somebody has given me along the way.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Nick Cannon plays a big role in the early part
of my career by being the first person to put
me on TV. Like he creates opportunities for anybody that
he believes in, and I love I love that about him.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
So yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
And then also my god, Charlotte Easy, you know, that's
that's my guy. Man.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
Charlemagne is a great mentor and he has been.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
I've been friends with him for about nine years now,
nine ten years, and he always told me what he
saw for me, and to see it come to fruition
ten years ago. He told me what he saw for me,
and a lot of it is similar.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
To what he told me.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
When did you see it, wool.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I'm I'm honestly still trying to see Okay, trying to
see it just honestly speaking, I'm still trying to see it.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
For me.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
It is very is very surreal for me, Like I
still don't I don't see it how everyone else sees it.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
Right now? Is me living my life.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
I feel like I got so much more work to do.
I feel like i'm you know, I'm in these uncomfortable seasons.
But discomfort is really really good because it's taking me
out of my element and it's making me work ten
times harder.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
You know.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
So, I, well, you wrote a book. Come on, give
yourself some credit because that is something that is something
that a lot of people think about.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Yeah, and how many people actually do it and then
actually you can hold it in their hands. Yeah, you know,
so give yourself lots and lots of credit for all
the things that you have done. And you have done
a lot and you got a lot more to give us. Yes,
So one of the most powerful lines in the book.
You know, I love borrowing a.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Good quote from somebody.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
God gave me what I asked for. I didn't think
about the person I needed to be to keep it.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
That is oh powerful, because a lot of times we
tell God what we want, we pray very entitled and
I have prayed very selfishly to God like this is
what I want, this is what I want. We tell him,
we tell him, we tell him, and then when he
gives it to us, we're not ready. We're not always ready.
We don't always know what that takes, what the hard
(19:19):
work takes. We're not in And even when we find
out the hard work that it takes to get to
where we want to be or where we aspire to.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
Be, we're not even ready to do the work.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
We still want to have the control, Like you know
what I mean, we're not ready to get rid of
old habits, so we're not ready to close one door
before we walk through the next.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
So we're not able to receipt. Like you don't want
to hit.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
You want everything from God, but you don't want to
hear what he's telling you to do to get it right.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
You want to keep it or to keep it.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Yes, because that was the thing, like, oh, I know
how I know what to do to get it. Yeah,
And it's like, that's what hit me about it being
so profound, is that, Oh I got it, now I
gotta keep it. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
There is a process in that.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Too, right, and sometimes that's harder than getting.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
It an goodness, gracious, ain't it?
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Can you tell I'm going through something personal? Love it here?
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (20:14):
I can see.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
I'm like, what is it?
Speaker 4 (20:16):
Let me try to fiction mass allum, what's happening?
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Well?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
I have to tell you what I really did.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Also love about your book is the honesty and the vulnerability,
and that's what makes it a page turner.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
What kind of feedback have you received.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
On how your book has impacted others and what do
you hope people take away from it?
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (20:36):
My god, So the impact.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
People are writing reviews online, Like I'm getting people that
I never even listen. People that did not like me
are hitting me up, and they didn't like me because of,
you know, just online things. You know, they equate me
to whatever they see online and they don't know, they
don't know the real jests. They don't know this side,
(21:00):
you know, like I was a person trying to figure
it out, just like you. You know what I'm saying, so
I'm hearing that people are like and the reason why
and how I know they don't like me is you
are not my cup of tea.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
But damn, this book was good. Oh my god, I'm
going through this. I'm going through that.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
I swear y'all, Baby Daddy reminds me of my baby daddy.
But I don't see me being where y'all two are now.
But I know if I read this book again, I'll
probably go and have a conversation.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Girl.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
I bought the book for my son's father, and da
da da da dada.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Like, I've just been getting a lot of positive feedback
and I'm so so happy about it. And what I
hope people take away from it is just because the
relationship part does not work with you and your co
parent doesn't mean that y'all can't still come together and
be a different type of family and have a different
type of bond, you know, a friendship to raise your kid.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
Because what I said in the beginning.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
A happy mom and a happy day d will raise
a happy kid. Like you don't realize when you're trying
to be bitter and you're trying to hurt your co parent,
the same way that they hurt you. You're not doing
anything but tainting the mind of your kid because you
may think your kid is young and they're turning a
(22:18):
blind eye to your moods and your energy because.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
Of something their father did to you or something their
mom did.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
But they're absorbing at all, and they're gonna regurgitate it
in school and their relationships back to you, you know,
and you're trying to figure out what's going on. Why
why is he acting up? Why is he talking back?
Why is he getting sent home from school? Why is
he Because that's the energy that you exue, like, that's
the energy you're putting into them, you know. And then
(22:44):
another thing, learn how to accept and let go. I
had to learn how to accept that me and Rome
would not be together, and I had to let that go.
And that's how I was able to move forward with
him as his friend, and we came together and we
have a beautif for village now, a beautiful village. I
love how he is with my husband because he and
my husband are close. They talk outside of me, They
(23:07):
plan things together with Ashton, without Ashton.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
He calls my husband for advice. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
My husband may call him for advice because my my
husband is a first time father, so he'll call Rome.
Rome got five kids, five different shit experience, you know
what I'm saying, a lot of experience.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
So who else know better than Rome?
Speaker 3 (23:26):
You know?
Speaker 1 (23:26):
But I love the book. It's going to be very impactful. Again,
and you do not have to be a parent to
buy it.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
No.
Speaker 4 (23:32):
Yes, you could be thinking about having kids please, or.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
You could be like me.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
I ain't got a kid the first but I could
relate to the humanity of your story.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Yeah, thank you, because ultimately it's a book about relationships.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Yes, you know, so I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Page seventy three because I had a felony on my
record for identity theft.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
That's for my next book. Is there a next book?
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Bro?
Speaker 4 (23:56):
It is the next book? Yes, one or two out
of three, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Yes, it is definitely a next book because I have
so much more to write about outside of co parenting.
Oh God, God, how I was just a rebellious teenager
and things that I had to go through which shape
how my life is today.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
I'm so glad to hear that.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Yeah, because I really felt as this book came to
a close with a very happy ending.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
I said, oh there's more, oh girl, a lot more.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
So.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
If people want to know more about Jess on stage,
on the radio, on social as a writer, what's the
best way to connect with you and learn more about you?
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Yep, my website Just Hilarious Official dot com. I may
be in a city near you very soon. If not,
there is a place on my website where you can
type in your city. If I've never been to your city,
you want to see me and stand up. Also on socials,
I'm just Hilarious Underscore official on Instagram. I'm Just Hilarious
Official on Facebook. I don't be on Twitter because it's
too much going on over there, and y'all are very
(24:53):
toxic over there on Twitter, so I don't be doing that.
Although I got one, but I don't run it, so
don't think you're gonna find it there, find me there.
TikTok I do because of my son, Oh my god, girl.
If we get another social media platform, I don't know
what I'm gonna do because I don't even know how
my son ride. My tiktime Snapchat is back, oh my god.
But mainly my website Just Larrisofficial dot com. Facebook and Instagram.
(25:16):
That's all I can handle for right now. And the
book is available everywhere everywhere in stores, Walmart, Target, Barnes
and Nobles, Books a Million, Simon and Schuster, Amazon dot Com,
and listen. I am pleased to announce that I made
number one for new sellers for the book for the
book List and Amazon, and then the Booklist, I made
number one for co parenting and family genre.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
I'm so happy.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
It was awesome. Congratulations Helen.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
I'm so happy. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
Thank you for coming on and talking to us about
the book, and I wish you so so so much success.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Another show in the books.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Join us for the next episode of the Public Library Podcast.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
A place to check out book box
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