Jessica Mathews began writing picture books for children at a young age. Her father would write down all of the stories she told him and they would read them together. Jessica wants to continue the tradition of making up stories for children, starting with her debut picture book, The Old Man and the Pirate Princess. Jessica wants to be able to work with schools, libraries, and after care programs to help children discover their love of reading, writing, and creating. She wants her books to inspire others as much as her favorite books inspired her when she was growing up. Jessica also publishes adult fiction under her pen name, J.L. Mathews. She hopes her work will inspire others to create something of their own to share with the world. Jessica is an active member of her local writers guild in St. Louis where she lives with her two cats, Storm and Knight. She recommends every writer join a literary organization to network with other writers and find their people. She also recommends adopting as many cats as you can. Read more about this authorRead less about this author