Jean Holloway's debut novel Ace of Hearts started 29 years ago in answer to a bet. Her sister Lori said, "You read so much, I bet you could write a book" and Jean answered, "I bet I could."

Jean Holloway's oldest memories are of reading. She let the words carry her away to places only  her imagination could take her. Stephen King and Dean Koontz are her ultimate tour guides and honorable mentions go to Jean Auel and Agatha Christie. Jean sometimes felt more at home in their cleverly crafted worlds than in her own.

Life's Detours

Jean's biological mother died when she was thirteen, the age where puberty reared its ugly head. Needless to say, she was a wife and mother at seventeen and divorced at twenty. She later met her second, current, and final husband, Fred. 

Pen to Paper

Accepting her sister's bet would prove more challenging than easily merging her love for reading great horror and mystery classics. In 1980, she wrote the first draft of Ace of Hearts longhand. Over the next two decades the manuscript matured with technology, to typewriter to word processor and finally to computer in 2003.

Bet Accepted...Again

In 2004, Lori once again challenged Jean to introduce Ace of Hearts to the world.  She pushed Jean to print several copies of her manuscript and she even paid for Jean to attend the National Book Club Conference Convention in Atlanta, GA. 

Not willing to say no to such a tempting challenge, Jean went and handed her manuscripts out in a room full of Zane fans and book clubs began talking! She met her soon-to-be publisher that weekend. Three months later, Jean signed a contract, went through the editing process and "Ace of Hearts" was born!

Dream Deferred

Jean Holloway has published her sophomore novel, Black Jack, and she's currently writing the third installment to the Deck of Cardz series.

But most importantly, Jean's story is one of hope. And to never give up your dream.

Jean currently resides in Kennesaw, GA with her husband, six children, and a growing bunch of grand- and great-grand children.

To learn more about Jean Holloway visit her online at www.deckofcardz.com.