Howdy! I’m Jennifer.
This page doubles as a bio and the beginnings of a press kit.
Here’s my (probably current) short-ish author bio:
Jennifer Willis loves tales of magickal mayhem, unlikely adventure, and playful intrigue.
She is the author of the Haunted Coast paranormal cozy mystery series, the Norse-themed Rune Witch urban fantasy series, and the MARS science fiction romance books. She writes the monthly “Why We Look Up” column for Sky & Telescope on the philosophy of stargazing. She’s the writer behind the (sadly discontinued) Northwest Love Stories feature in The Oregonian and has a byline in the British Fantasy Award-winning Women Destroy Science Fiction from Lightspeed, named one of NPR’s best books in 2014.
An amateur backyard astronomer and avid collector of backpacks, she lives in Oregon with her dude, a giant dog, a cranky cat, and possibly a family of raccoons residing under the house.
Some social media channels where you might find me:
Bluesky . CounterSocial . Facebook . Instagram
Mastodon . Post . Spoutible . Threads . X/Twitter
And now a longer and more detailed version of the bio, in first-person . . .
I’m a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon. In non-fiction, I specialize in topics related to living, spirituality/religion, sustainability, and health. My articles have appeared in The Oregonian, The Christian Science Monitor, Salon,The Portland Tribune, The Writer, The Lund Report, Ancestry Magazine, Aish.com, Vegetarian Times, Spirituality & Health, and other print and online publications at home and across the globe.
In fiction, I focus on urban fantasy and playful mayhem. My print titles and e-books are available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, iBookstore, Google Play, and local bookstores.
I am a former member of the Northwest Independent Writers Association. I was the editor of the 2015 NIWA Anthology and the 2014 NIWA Anthology, and I served as the 2013 Director of NIWA’s Seal of Quality (NSQ) program.
In my previous life as a corporate and technical writer I put in time in IT, public health, financial management, software and web development, non-profit, and general business environments and produced all sorts of pretty things, including business plans, investor proposals, user guides, policy and procedures manuals, legal guidebooks, marketing letters, websites (content and coding), press releases, presentation materials, and newsletters.
Awards, Fellowships, and Workshops
- NIWA’s inaugural Adam Copeland Award, 2014.
- International Reporting Project fellow, 2011.
- Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop for Writers participant, 2011.
- Futurescapes Writers’ Workshop participant, 2018.
- Rainforest Writers Retreat participant, 2020.
Events: Presenter and Panelist
- Orycon 43: panelist, 2023.
- Orycon 41: panelist, 2019.
- Orycon 40: panelist, 2018.
- Orycon 39: panelist, 2017.
- Orycon 38: panelist, 2016.
- Westercon: panelist, 2016.
- Orycon 37: panelist, 2015.
- Orycon 36: panelist, 2014.
- NIWA Symposium on Independent Publishing: presenter, 2014.
Education
- Duke University: A.B., Religion, cum laude.
- University of Southern California: George Lucas Film School certificate program.
- Center for Creative Leadership: Leadership Development Program.
- The New Seminary: interfaith ordinand (M.Div. equivalent).
- University of Metaphysical Sciences: B.Msc., M.Sc. (ABD), Ph.D (ABD).