About
Jessica L Myers was born to Dutch parents in Melbourne, Australia, and as a toddler travelled with her parents to many parts of Europe.
As a child Jessica’s vivid imagination and quiet demeanor led her to the imaginary worlds of books. Even at a young age her love for the supernatural was prevalent, with her first loved books being R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series. Following that she took an interest in other non-fantasy fiction, including Virginia C. Andrews series Flowers in the Attic.
In her teen years Jessica spent many private school hours writing poetry and dark short stories, and took up sketching some of the terrifying things that came from the graphic nightmares she’d grown up with.
As an adult and after meeting the love of her life, Jessica moved to Brisbane, Australia, got married and started a small construction business with her husband. With the birth of her son, Jessica suffered PPD and found escape in her books and their fantasy landscapes. It was in this time that her need to write flourished. In 2009 the decision was made and the first words to her YA novel What Lies Inside were written.
When she’s not writing, Jessica balances being a stay-at-home mum with her families business needs while making time to get to the gym and take family vacations.
Story Behind The Book
In the beginning my decision to write a novel came from dark and desperate place. It was in the months following the birth of my son, the angel of my life and the one thing that makes me continue on each day. Apart from having an emergency C-section, followed by many other issues after his birth, postpartum depression set in. Many things made me feel like an inadequate mother, wife, and even human being. I was sinking fast.
Reading became my escape from reality. The only problem was that the stories I was reading didn’t speak to the pain I was feeling. So I had an idea, a last stitch effort to reach out for something to hold on to.
This was my light bulb moment.
I would write my own story, the story I wanted and needed to read. A story where the turmoil of my current and previous struggles were the driving force.
That day the first words to What Lies Inside were written, and something amazing was started. More than an escape, the determination to write this story gave me a purpose. It became a channel to take everything I was feeling—the anger, the despair, and the loneliness—and turn it into an outlet that helped me through one of the darkest periods of my life.
