J. Steven Spires

Although recently becoming a new children's book author, J. Steven Spires or "Steve" has been an elementary teacher in Slidell, Louisiana for the past 27 years.

Steve earned a journalism degree from the University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS where his love for writing was practiced daily as he wrote for the local newspaper, as well as, the university radio and television stations. Later, Steve earned a M. Ed. from the University of New Orleans. His writing aspirations simmered as a "someday" dream while he taught third grade, married and had five of his favorite mischief makers - his children who have kept he and his wife, Eve, busy for the last few years. Finally, in 2005, during a mandatory evacuation for Hurricane Katrina, Steve began writing the first of many children's stories. "It's hard to believe that it took a hurricane to launch my writing career. But since that first story, I have not stopped writing. Hurricane Katrina may have flooded New Orleans with water, but it flooded my mind with stories," Steve says.

Steve is a member of SCBWI (Society of Children's book Writers and Illustrators). Three Little Shrimp is his first published work.

Steve and his wife, Eve, reside in Slidell, LA with their two of their five children (Steven Jr., Christopher, Andrew, Victoria, and Ryan).