Hello! This is by far the most difficult thing to write about- myself! I am a proud Oklahoma native, with strong roots in America's Heartland. I graduated from Southeast High School in Oklahoma City and later, The University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Journalism (which, no one told me newspapers would be closing all across the country!).

Writing has always been something that came easily to me. For some reason I had no problem sitting at my computer and pouring out a ten page essay in an hour, while my peers were still struggling with an introductory paragraph. Though I loved writing, I never saw it as a 'career option'.

Last summer, my sister and I travelled to London and Paris. Nothing opens one's eyes like experiencing a new country! I realized on the flight home, that events in my life had taken place and were intricately arranged for me to come to this point- I knew I was supposed to be a writer. It was my destiny to live by my pen.

So, from that moment on, I wrote. I wrote on napkins, I wrote on gum wrappers, I even wrote on a few walls (*note: Jessica Akers does not condone graffiti but does appreciate a spontaneous writing binge). Then one day, a line from my book, The Speaker, popped into my head. I wrote it down and went from there! Before I knew it, I had written thirty pages!

Besides writing and reading (of course!) I enjoy listening to music. I love music! Songs are, in my opinion, little stories. You have about 3 minutes to get your point across, so you had better make it good! I love old music such as: The Beatles, The Allman Brothers Band, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones; the list would take up an entire page!

I still live in Oklahoma with my precious miniature pinscher, Pinny Lane (for those Beatles fans out there, you know where she got her name!) and my family. While I'm on the subject- thank you to my mother, father, sisters, (and brother-in-law) for encouraging my crazy, wacky, sometimes annoying sense of humor and enabling me to succeed.

The Speaker is my first Young Adult/Middle grade book, set to be released May 20th! I'm working on a few more writing projects and I will leave updates about their status on the website- so make sure you check back!