Hi! I’m Tessa.

Author of Christian books for teenage girls - actress - speaker - Jesus lover - and overall a creative influencer for God’s kingdom.

Here’s a little about who I am and my story…

 
 

I hope to encourage teens and young women to fall more in love with Christ and pursue their God-given calling. 

Why?

Because when I was a tween and teen, I spent years struggling with self-shame and insecurity. These struggles prompted me to hide in shame–and it was there, in the midst of this loneliness, that I fell into the arms of my Father. In His embrace, I finally understood the truth of my identity. 

I learned how to define myself through the lens of the Word rather than the world. 

As I fell more in love with my Savior, my purpose for living became clearer. It was freeing to discover that every aspect of who I am was chosen + designed with a purpose.  

And the purpose of that purpose is to win souls for the kingdom of God.

 

This desire to serve as an “influencer” for Christ prompted me to pursue a writing career when I was still in high school. I never doubted that I would pursue writing someday; after all, I had been writing ever since I was old enough to hold a crayon. While I was in high school, I knew I wanted to go ahead and set the foundation for my future ministry. 

So, I attended my first writing conference at 16 years old. It was at that conference that I met my first publisher, and my debut novel, Purple Moon, was published when I was 19. 

I have continued to write teenage Christian fiction and teenage daily devotionals since then. 

Along the way, I have worked in the publishing industry to further support my mission of shedding God’s light through the written word. In an effort to provide more clean and Christian youth books, I launched Illuminate YA–the teen fiction imprint with LPC Books–in 2017. My role as a literary agent has provided a way for me to aid other authors in their publishing journey as well.

Life is too short for us to ignore the gifts God has given us to expand the gospel. 

That’s why I enjoy speaking to teenagers as well.

By sharing the story of how God healed me from self-shame and insecurity, it’s my prayer that they, too, will be encouraged to embrace their unique design.


That way, they can carry out their divine purpose. 

A purpose that involves being an influencer for God’s kingdom.

If you are a teen or young woman reading this, I want to share with you a tidbit that I wish I’d known when I was younger: 

You don’t need to be like everyone else. God has called you to stand out from the crowd so that you can shine His light into this world. There are people who are hungry for the influence you were designed to offer. Matthew 5:14 (NLT) says, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” How can you shine your light if you’re keeping yourself hidden in shame?

If this is a struggle for you, please don’t hesitate to send me an email and let me know. I am happy to pray with you! You are welcome to shoot me a DM on Instagram as well.

If you would like to receive encouragement straight to your inbox, I invite you to sign up for my email list. 

Thanks for reading this, and I look forward to staying in touch! 

Love and lattes,

Tessa

christian author for teens
christian ya fiction

these are a few of my favorite things...…

Spending time in God’s Word.
Autumn.
The mountains.
Antique stores.
Old books.
Dark chocolate.
Worship music.
Mentoring young writers.
Editing books.
Franklin, TN.
Bookstores.
Fitness (specifically barre, kickboxing, and pilates).
Books by my favorite authors, Karen Kingsbury, Rachel Hauck, and Francine Rivers.
Music from some of my favorite artists: Jon Mclaughlin, Needtobreathe, Josh Garrels, Ben Rector, & Mat Kearney.
Country music.
Christian young adult fiction.
Time travel and/or time split fiction.
Reading classic Christian literature (Andrew Murray, Thomas Kempis, Brother Lawrence, etc.)
Reading motivational books, specifically by John Maxwell.
Collecting coffee mugs.
Creating art journals and mixed media artwork.
Starbucks.
Peanut butter.
Art exhibits.
My imperial Shih-tzu named Brewer.
Spending time with family.
Breakfast.
History.
Drinking herbal tea in the evenings.
Sunrises.
Inspirational films.
Musicals.
Painting my nails.
Wearing rings.
Paris.
Lavender essential oil.
Learning new things.
Giving gifts.
Staying updated on current events and social issues.
Card games.
Photography.
Healthy food.
The ocean.
Traveling.
Views from an airplane.
Meeting new people.
Writing in my prayer journal.
Conversations at coffee shops.

 
 

here’s my bio

Tessa Emily Hall wrote her first novel at sixteen and hasn’t stopped writing stories for teen girls since. Now a multi-published author, her latest book, INFLUENCER, invites young women to discover their God-given potential and use their gifts for His glory. She once worked as a literary agent and YA acquisitions editor, gaining a front-row seat to the world of publishing. Now, she channels that experience into helping other writers bring their books to life through editing, coaching, and copywriting with her business, Salt and Light Copywriting LLC.

 

Tessa lives on the coast of South Carolina, where you’ll often find her reading on the beach while her husband surfs, sipping iced coffee, or wandering through art galleries for inspiration. Her favorite form of “productive procrastination” is connecting with readers on social media (@tessaemilyosborn) and through her newsletter. Stop by her online home anytime at TessaEmilyHall.com.