Her father was a cook and her mother a homemaker and writer.[1] Jones grew up in Speigle Heights, a neighborhood of Lexington, Kentucky, in a house with no indoor toilet.[3] Jones grew up in a storytelling family: Her grandmother wrote plays for her church, and her mother constantly made up stories to entertain the children and other family members.[3] Jones recalled, "I began to write when I was seven, because I saw my mother writing, and because she would read stories to my brother and me, stories that she had written".[6] Although she was described as painfully shy, many of Jones's elementary school instructors recognized her writing skills and encouraged her talent to grow.[7]