By Peter Berton

YNOT – Upbeat, yet down-to-earth; fun, yet no-nonsense. It would be difficult to find better descriptors for T-girl performer Jonelle Brooks. Oh — add high-energy. She jumped in to provide her own introduction before YNOT.com had a chance to ask the first a question.

“I am just your average small-town country girl from a little town in Florida,” she said. “I grew up on a farm, where we raised sheep and hogs, and then attended a performing arts conservatory where I focused on dance — mainly classical ballet.

“I was very involved in clubs at school and was the first and only ‘boy’ ever to be a part of my high school’s multinational award-winning dance team. When I was 18, I was accepted to New World School of the Arts in Miami on a merit-based scholarship for dance. Dance was my first college major.

It was in Miami where I first began dressing in drag,” Brooks said. “I was hired by a very well-known female impersonator to back-up dance for a large pageant.”

YNOT.com: What motivated you to transition?

Jonelle Brooks: It was while dancing in the pageant that I began to realize I wasn’t just a very feminine gay boy. I began working as a drag queen and quickly determined I did not just want to impersonate women at night. I wanted to live full time as female. Around age 20 I began transitioning through hormone therapy.

How did you get into the adult business?

Well, it was actually quite simple — a lot easier than I had imagined it to be. I submitted photos to Isabelle at Shemale-Club.com, and she wanted me to come to [Los Angeles] to shoot for them. After a week-long shoot in L.A., I was soon offered a solo site.

I shot several sets for SMC and TgirlPinups.com. Since then I have shot exclusively for my site, JonelleBrooks.com, with the exception of Wendy Williams’ site. I love Wendy, and she is SMC. So it was okay.

Many people don’t understand why I stay exclusive, or even have said that I signed an exclusive contract. I choose to be exclusive because I am in this for the long haul. I don’t want to overexpose myself, and to me being exclusive is the best way to avoid that.

How has the business matched your expectations? How have things been different from what you expected?

Coming from the drag scene, I was prepared for people who would gossip or not be happy for you or what not. But honestly, my experience has been very positive.

I work with an amazing group of people who are extremely professional and honestly have my best interests at heart. Nick Milo is an amazing photographer and director, and I owe him for so much. He’s great at his job, but also a great friend and mentor. Isa loves her girls. She does everything she can to make sure we are happy and well taken care of.

There are two gals in this biz who are always there to lend an ear or advice — Wendy Williams and Danielle Foxx. They, too, have entertainer backgrounds, so we all click on that level. I look forward to the biz continuing to meet and exceed my expectations.

What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishments to date?

I would have to say being named TGirl Model of the Year for Shemale-Club.com is my biggest accomplishment to date. I was and still am so shocked, because I have not been doing this for very long. I am very honored and hope I can continue to have fans connect with me via my site as well as SMC.

Having Wendy Williams for PR is also an accomplishment for me, since she has been able to add so much to my career. It’s crazy to me that me, a small-town farm girl, has [a public relations agent] — it’s weird. Wendy has even been able to get me a signing here in Daytona Beach, which is way too cool, and I am looking forward to it.

What is the funniest or most unexpected thing that has happened to you on the job?

Nick Milo came to Miami last summer to shoot the bulk of my design photos and opening content for my site. We did this one shoot on Ocean Ave., the busiest street in South Beach. We waited for there to be an opening in traffic so I could walk down the middle of the street, stripping off my cover-up into a bikini while he snapped away.

I was embarrassed, but I made it though. I get shy with so many people staring, but the pics were cool, and I am glad to have done it.

What do you see as the secret to your appeal?

I think everyone likes the girl next door. I don’t take myself seriously at all, because to me I am still the barefoot country girl I have always been. If you ask my closest friends, they will tell you that I am as real as they come — maybe too real.

I don’t toot my own horn; I definitely don’t call or consider myself a porn star. That’s just silly for me to even think.

I truly enjoy myself and I am having a lot of fun. Nothing is forever, so I am soaking it up while I can.

What are your future plans?

I plan to continue working on my site and bringing some kinky fetishes and different things to the table. There aren’t many things I won’t do, so stay tuned for my whore-ish excursions.

I am taking it one day at a time. There isn’t any rush for me to take every job offered or try to pose for everyone and their cousin or be in every DVD ever. All things will come in time, and I believe timing is everything.

Here’s to another great year of photography and meeting new people!