I've been a voracious lover of books all my life. I grew up performing in a family bluegrass/gospel band, reading constantly as we traveled hither and yon playing state fairs, high school auditoriums, and music festivals. I majored in theater in college and spent my 20s busking on street corners, working as an old-school late-night DJ, and doing voiceovers. Between 1980 and 1994, my voice was heard on more than 3,000 radio and television commercials, and I read more than 2,500 books.

In 1994, when my kids were 5 and 7, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Writing was my life raft. I used the chemo downtime to finish my first two novels: Crazy for Trying, a roman à clef about an old-school late-night DJ, and Sugarland, a modern retelling of the Psyche/Eros myth. I managed to place both books with tiny but terrific literary presses. My first big bestseller Bald in the Land of Big Hair, a memoir about being a young mom with cancer, was published by Harper Collins in 2001. (Spoiler Alert: I lived!)

The success of BLBH sparked a syndicated newspaper column, major magazine pieces, and invitations to participate in high-profile book projects. The collaborative magic of ghostwriting took me back to my creative roots in theater and music, and I loved it. I still do. At it for 20+ years, I've collaborated on 30+ memoirs and novels. Ghost life is complicated and not for everyone, but I find it endlessly fascinating.

Reading and writing are my compulsion and privilege. I live on the beach in Washington State with artist Gary Rodgers, my husband of 40+ years.

Life is beautiful, and I am profoundly grateful.

Hope all is well and groovy in your world ~
Joni Rodgers