InD'Introduces: Jessica James!

Award-winning author Jessica James had an epiphany while buzzing along at 100+ miles per hour in a Vietnam-era Huey helicopter—she has the greatest job in the world!
After changing her college major six times and career three times, James finally discovered her true calling is writing military and historical fiction that spans from the Revolutionary War to modern day. She has ridden a horse across the site of Pickett’s Charge, and cruised in a Huey over the grounds of a machine gun shoot, all to immerse herself in the subject area.
By weaving the principles of courage, devotion, duty, and dedication into each book, she attempts to honor the unsung heroes of the American military—both past and present—and to convey the magnitude of their sacrifice and service.
James is a two-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and has won more than a dozen other national literary awards including the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Romantic Suspense and a Gold Medal from the Military Writers Society of America.
From her epic debut novel “Shades of Gray” to her military suspense novel “Meant To Be” (hailed by Publishers Weekly as “an endearing page-turner”), James presents the
gritty, heartrending issues of love and war in such a way that keeps readers turning pages. Her books are featured in library collections all over the United States, including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy, and her fans include both men and women.
As a way to combat the sedentary lifestyle of a writer, James stays physically active by working part-time as a stagehand. She has been involved in almost one thousand performances, ranging from country bands and stage plays, to operas, symphonies, and ballets, and has had the privilege of working with such notables as Vicki Lawrence, Luke Bryon, Roy Clark, and the Smothers Brothers, to name a few.
James resides in Gettysburg, Pa., and has a passion for old houses, animals of any kind, and first edition 19th century books. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Military Writers Society of America, and is an avid supporter of military-related charities through her book sales.
Her latest book, “The Lion of the South” was released in April, and is described as “The Scarlet Pimpernel” meets “Gone with the Wind” in a suspenseful novel that leaves the lives of two men--and the destiny of a nation--in one woman's hands. A tale of espionage, intrigue, and deception during the Civil War.