Jessica Rowley Pell Bird Blakemore, known by her pseudonym J.R. Ward, is a renowned American novelist born on April 19, 1969. She has made a significant impact in the literary world with her captivating stories. Under her maiden name, Jessica Bird, she writes contemporary romance novels, while as J.R. Ward, she is famous for her paranormal romance novels.

Ward is a three-time winner of the Romance Writers of America RITA Award. She won the award once as Bird for Best Short Contemporary Romance for From the First and twice as Ward for Best Paranormal Romance for Lover Revealed and Dearest Ivie. Her books have been consistently featured on The New York Times Best Seller list.