Thirty years ago, Bermudian Joya (Simmons) Nelson Kezas was a single mother with a passion for writing.

She would toil with her poetry and short stories during every spare moment, but in between working two jobs, taking care of her sons and shuttling them around to soccer practices there was never enough time in the day to finish her writings, let alone get them published.

Now that her sons are grown and she’s retired, Mrs Nelson Kezas is making up for lost time.

She is currently the author of four published books, including three collections of poetry and a children’s book called Mrs Rabbit’s Pie.

She will be signing copies of her books at Brown & Co on Saturday from 1pm to 3pm.

Mrs Nelson Kezas, 67, started getting serious about her writing three years ago.

“I finally had the time and got inspired,” she said. “I had started teaching Children’s Virtue Classes at a Baha’i Centre, which is like Sunday School, for children ages two to eight. We teach them about different virtues like honesty, forgiveness, kindness, truthfulness and love.

“And in order to teach them I had to be creative. The children made me tap into that creativity within me and I started putting those thoughts down on paper.”

As a retired social worker, Mrs Nelson Kezas said she has always been passionate about children.

Her first children’s book Mrs Rabbit’s Pie is designed to teach young people those same values they learn in her Virtues Class.

It also aims to show there are consequences to every action, as character Tweety Rabbit, the neighbourhood pest, had to learn the hard way.

She has another children’s book coming out soon called Tweety Rabbit’s Birds & Bees Story, which is set to be published in the UK.

While a third book entitled Tawny and the Forbidden Swimming Pool, based on a tale from her childhood where a girl disobeyed her parents’ orders and went swimming off the rocks and hit her head. That story should be released in the near future.

Mrs Nelson Kezas lives in California with her family, but said her upbringing in Bermuda still has a large impact on her writing.

“I still remember that old Bermuda where neighbours were so friendly and everyone knew everyone’s children and welcomed them into their homes,’ she said.

“You didn’t have to close your doors. It was such a sense of sincere regard for each other and other’s well-being and it was a joy to be a part of that family tree and community.

“You felt that you belonged and it helped me be who I am,” she said.

The author is hoping that she can instil some of those same qualities in children through her writing.

“I believe in children very strongly and know they are going to save the world and that they are the future,” she said.

“They are like seeds that are growing and blooming into a bud or flower, but they need pruning. Sometimes there are weeds that come up, which can infect the plant or the flowers in a bad way so I want to pass on those virtues of honesty, forgiveness, kindness, truthfulness and love through these books.

“I want to teach them from the time they are very young and try to make sure they understand it so it becomes a part of their make-up. That way as they grow they know they are to ‘Do onto others as you would have others to do onto you’. They are not going to steal or lie. It becomes a natural part of who they are.”

Ms Nelson Kezas is also passionate about writing poetry. She has found many people aren’t interested in reading poetry, but she said poems give her a place to write from the heart.

Her first book of poetry Faith’s Power Binds What Love’s Glue Seals features a lot of poems about faith and spirituality.

“My poems are written in the metric style of rhyme so all of them can be put to song or rap,” she said. “My other book of poetry is called Joya In Love and it speaks about loves lost and loves hoped or dreamed for and desired. It also speaks about loves forgotten and misused.

“It’s a woman’s book and I hope it inspires them. It can speak to women in their silent quiet yearnings, thoughts and feelings that they don’t articulate,” the author explained. “I hope I am speaking for them in a nice and moving way because this book just about covers every type of love that’s out there.”

Some of the poems are meant to encourage people looking for love, others serve as a warning and remind people to treasure the people in their lives. Another book called Poems From Joya will be available at the book signing this weekend. For more information, visit: www.joyaspoemsroom.com.