Meet J. Lawson

Lawson was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa. As an only child, she learned early that imagination would be a constant companion. Lawson’s family read to her from birth, and she developed a love of books and an aptitude for reading at an early age. By seven years old, she was making her way through chapter books and in second grade, she was reading at a fifth grade level. Her parents questioned the material of her books at times, but were hesitant to harness her desire to learn and explore different genres. 

Lawson moved to Eldridge, Iowa the summer between fifth and sixth grade. When she started at North Scott High School Lawson met two teachers who fueled the fire already within her regarding literature. In her freshman year, Lawson’s English teacher, Ms. Judith Jacobs, discreetly but deliberately coaxed Lawson into developing her gift for poetry and writing. In her junior and senior years, Mr. Steve Mohr challenged all of Lawson’s self-imposed limitations and helped move her past her own insecurities. He also allowed her to be his teacher’s aide her senior year which ignited her desire to pursue an education in teaching English herself. 

 Lawson attended St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa where she obtained a BA in English. She attended Western Illinois University at their annex in Moline, Illinois where she obtained her MA in English. While her intention was to teach college English upon graduating, jobs were scarce in the Midwest. Lawson bounced between retail and office jobs, biding her time until she could find a position she could settle into. Unfortunately, shortly after obtaining her MA, Lawson’s job was eliminated. Since she now possessed an advanced degree, many places were hesitant to hire her stating she was “overqualified” for the positions. 

In a last ditch effort to avoid becoming homeless, Lawson began applying for position in Peoria, Illinois where the man she was dating lived. The first job she applied for what a Proofreader/Admin Assistant position with Medical Management Innovations, Inc. The company was impressed with her degree and offered her the position within hours. So Lawson packed up her life and moved to Peoria with her boyfriend. The position was the first one in which she could use her degree and she flourished with the company for ten years. During her time with MMI, Inc., Lawson married her boyfriend and gave birth to their son. The position allowed her the stability she’d craved and she found herself enjoying administrative work.

Lawson also began writing again; this time, a series. In 2019, Lawson self-published The Amulets; the first book in The Amulets Trilogy. Over the next year and a half, she published books two and three of the trilogy, as well as a personal project she’d worked on for years back in her college days. Lawson found an entire community of writers and met some great friends who enjoyed the same things she did. 

Today, Lawson still lives in Peoria with her husband, son, three dogs, and a hamster. She is an administrative assistant with Illinois Central College. She continues to write and help friends on their projects. She is currently working on a stand-alone fantasy novel as well as a paranormal fantasy series collaborative with a fellow author.