Jean Marie Ward

Jean Marie Ward writes fiction, nonfiction and everything in between. Five of the eleven new stories in her well-reviewed first collection of short fiction, DRAGONS, CATS, AND FORMIDABLE FEMMES (Ginger Blue Publishing) made TANGENT ONLINE's 2024 list of Recommended Reads. Her other short fiction publication credits span the alphabet from ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINE to the anthologies of Zombies Need Brains. Her first novel, WITH NINE YOU GET VANYR (written with the late Teri Smith) finaled in both the science fiction/fantasy and humor categories of the 2008 Indie Awards.

Her first art book, ILLUMINA: THE ART OF J.P. TARGETE, provided an in-depth look at award-winning artist J.P. Targete’s covers and conceptual art. Her second nonfiction title, FANTASY ART TEMPLATES, marries the superb illustrations of artist Rafi Adrian Zulkarnain with pithy descriptions of over one hundred fifty creatures and characters from science fiction, fantasy, folklore and myth.

A former assistant producer of the local access cable TV program MYSTERY READERS CORNER, Ms. Ward edited the respected webzine CRESCENT BLUES for eight years and co-edited UNCONVENTIONAL FANTASY, a six-volume collection of fiction, non-fiction, and art celebrating the fortieth anniversary of World Fantasy Con. She has also contributed interviews and articles for publications as diverse as the then SciFi Channel’s SCIENCE FICTION WEEKLY, the bestselling military strategy volume STRATEGY STRIKES BACK, GALAXY'S EDGE MAGAZINE, Romance Writers of America’s ROMANCE WRITERS REPORT and BUZZYMAG.