J.G. Jakes was born and raised on the family's southwest Georgia farm. Her formative years fostered such an appreciation of wholesome values taught by farm life that she counts herself as a true daughter of the soil. Now as a retired schoolteacher, she pursues her love for writing life's lessons attuned to characters with honor, integrity, and formidable challenges. Her keen interest in the lives of strong and inspiring women and men is cultivated into her books as she continues to share the extraordinary stories of ordinary people.