Friday Night Reads: Jessica Matthews

This Friday I'll be hosting my fifth #FriNightReads starting at 7p MST on my author Facebook featuring St Louis Writers Guild President and writing sister, Jessica Matthews, with her urban fantasy, Death Adjacent. Now, here's more from this week's featured indie author:

How did you first start writing?

I have been writing stories since before I knew how to write. I used to make up stories and my father would write them down for me. Then, we would read them together at bedtime. That is how the picture book Chicken Noodle Soup was born. I hope to get it illustrated and published someday. 

Why do you love it?

I have always loved making up stories and entertaining others. The look on someone's face when they read one of your stories is why I love writing. Since I primarily write picture books, I get to see children's faces light up or hear their laughter when they read one of my stories and find out the vampire hangs out in his underwear or the ninja farts. It's the best feeling to know that you have elicited an emotion in someone else when they have read what you have written and knowing that you only wrote that thing in the first place because of the feelings it created in you. I write because I have to. I have stories that other people need to read. But, to see other people share the same emotions you had when writing the piece is why I love writing.

More on Jessica:

Jessica Mathews has been telling stories since before she knew how to write. Jessica has always loved creating new worlds. Her father would write down all of the stories she told him and read the stories they made up together at bedtime.

Jessica continues the tradition of making up stories by writing picture books. Her debut picture book,