Hi, I’m JP Martin—an author, illustrator, and lifelong storyteller based in Orlando, Florida, where I live with my wife, our three kids, a dog, and two cats. Life here is busy, loud, creative, and full of inspiration—much like the stories I write.

How stories found me

The first books I truly fell in love with were the R.L. Stine Goosebumps series. I owned every one I could get my hands on, devouring them with equal parts excitement and fear. As I grew older, my reading tastes expanded into classic dystopian novels like 1984 and Fahrenheit 451, along with a deep love of history. I strongly believe in the idea that you can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been, and that belief often finds its way into my storytelling.

Nursing, empathy, and storytelling

Before becoming an author, I worked as a nurse, and that background profoundly shapes how I write. Nursing is, at its core, a calling to help people—physically, emotionally, and sometimes spiritually. Much of my work involved caring for people who were scared, vulnerable, and overwhelmed by unfamiliar surroundings. A big part of my job was helping them feel safe and reminding them that everything was going to be okay, even when the situation felt daunting.
That same instinct carries into my stories. I write with the hope that readers—especially young ones—feel comforted, encouraged, and a little braver by the time they reach the final page.

How I write

I don’t come from a formal writing background in English or literature, and I see that as a strength. I write from the heart. I don’t fully outline or plan every turn—I sit down, start typing, and let the story take me where it wants to go. My hope is that readers experience the story the same way I do: discovering it moment by moment.
I’m also not a morning person, so most of my writing happens late at night, chasing chapters before the sun comes up. It’s a kind of controlled chaos, and it’s where I thrive.

Family as inspiration

Being a parent has a huge influence on my work. All three of my kids have completely different personalities, and pieces of them often show up—intentionally or not—in the characters I write. Their humor, fears, curiosity, and courage constantly remind me why stories matter and why representation of different kinds of personalities is so important.

A love of creating

I love creating in all forms. Beyond writing, I build things, make music, design graphic art, and explore photography. There is so much beauty in the world, and the ability to create within it is one of the most exciting things to me. One of my favorite quotes comes from Dead Poets Society, when Robin Williams’ character explains that while medicine and law are necessary for survival, poetry and love are what we live for. That idea sits at the heart of everything I create.