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When Jennifer was five and just learning how to read and write she knew then that she wanted to be a writer. It was a passion that grew deeper each year. Reading was a great escape and she devoured books. Laura Ingalls' Little House on the Prairie books captured her imagination. Judy Blume seemed to know exactly what Jennifer was feeling and she learned about life through Blume's stories and realistic characters. Reading and writing went hand in hand and still do today. |
College was inevitable so Jennifer went to Bridgewater State College, Massachusetts, close to her home. She majored in Business Management and minored in English. It seemed that everyone told her to major in business because with this degree, she was sure to land a good paying job. Jennifer was miserable and doing poorly. She decided during her senior year in college to reverse her major to English and minor in Business. This set her back and she graduated later than her class. But she was happy and finally doing something she enjoyed. Writing! This was her first lesson: don't follow the crowd - always follow your heart! |  |
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Jennifer didn’t even make it to her own graduation because she was focused on other more important things like following her heart - straight to Pensacola, Florida! She met Jeff through a good friend and although they lived a thousand miles apart, Jennifer was determined to find true love and experience life. Jeff was training with the Navy to fly jets. He became an F-14 RIO (Radar Intercept Officer). They spent the next eight years traveling the world. They lived in Japan for three years. Jennifer was the editor of the Skywriter, the base newspaper. Jeff flew in Desert Storm over Iraq in 1992/93. They also had their first son in Yokota, Japan. |
Today Jennifer lives in a small town north of Baltimore, Maryland. Jeff and Jennifer have two children, Eric and Emma who are both the love of their lives - and Jennifer's inspiration. She wanted to be a stay at home mom and have a career. She chose to write and teach out of her home giving her the best of both worlds. Even though she suffered from many rejections by publishers and editors, she persevered and continued to submit her work. The Reeds moved three times in Maryland and never felt rooted – until now. Two mini horses (Fritz and Sunny), a dog, three cats, goldfish and a hamster all live with the Reeds. Today, Jennifer's focus is on her family and then her writing and teaching. She has over 300 students through the Institute of Children’s Literature and finds a greater pleasure in helping others pursue their dreams to write for children. |   |
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