Jill grew up on her family's homestead on Washington state, near Carnation, Washington, where she raised cattle to pay for her college tuition, rode horses through the pristine foothills of the Cascade Mountain range and scribbled stories in her spare time. After earning an English degree from Whitman College (what better way to go through college than to constantly read books?), she traveled, worked in advertising, taught Sunday school and volunteered before becoming a writer.

When she's not hard at work on her next story, Jill can be found chatting with a friend, stopping for a cafe mocha with a book in hand, and spending quiet evenings at home with her family.