My name is… Jason Gallaher, like Gallagher but with no second “G”. If I had a nickel for every time my name gets misspelled, I’d have enough money to fund my own Super PAC that would work entirely on getting unicorns elected into office.

I am a… horrible singer, reader, mermaid enthusiast, Angelica Huston aficionado, Hufflepuff, holder of half full glasses, Kardashian supporter, Andalite seeker, Pomeranian cuddler, picture book and fantasy-adventure writer, First Lady hopeful, and enjoyer of coming up with self-descriptors.

As a kid, I was… ready to take on life! I’m fairly certain I would start each day like SpongeBob SquarePants, springing out of bed and shouting, “I’m ready!” But picture a little seven year-old with a mullet doing that.

Writing is… … … … I’m still thinking … … This is a hard question because writing means so much to me. I think a lot of the time for a lot of us writers, writing is the way we get to express ourselves. To express our joys and our sorrows and our fears and our courage. A lot of the time writing is my time to laugh, and I try to make others laugh along with me. The world is tough, and I really do believe in that old cliché that laughter is the best medicine. But I’ve also realized in the past eighteen months or so that I use writing as a means to figure myself out. Or maybe it’s more that my subconscious uses my writing to reveal things about myself that I didn’t realize were hidden in all those gray wrinkles. This especially applies to the last two middle grade manuscripts I’ve written (and that I’m still hoping get published). They’re all about gender issues and body acceptance, and I didn’t really understand until writing these works how boxed in I’ve felt by gender rules and how humans are allowed to express their gender. My feminine energy is a huge aspect to my being that I didn’t know I was suppressing as much as I was until I wrote characters who either came to embrace their feminine self or respect that femininity is just as strong as masculinity. I hope I get to share those stories with the world someday so that more kids of all ages feel they have a safe space to display their gender and their masculine and feminine energies however they choose.

Reading is… the foundation of everything! The ultimate tool to master language and the world around you! So much fun for everyone if we could all get out of each other’s way and let any person read whatever they want to read whenever they want to read it without shaming them for their reading choices. Read graphic novels! Read gossipy tabloids! Read books that are pink! Read BuzzFeed listicles! Read whatever the Hexxus you want, just read!

Books are… delicious. Like, Julia Child level scrumptious.

Did you know… that the one man I want to adorn me with jewelry other than my husband is Jeff Probst? I would give anything to have Jeff drape that Immunity Idol necklace across my chest on Survivor. So far I’ve been unsuccessful at having them see in me what I see in them, but a fella can dream (I love you, Jeff).

You can find me… ruminating on the world and gender and writing at www.jasongallaher.com, chatting books on YouTube at www.youtube.com/c/jasongallaher, tweet tweeting on Twitter @DraftingJason, or never being able to take a flattering picture on Instagram @DraftingJason.

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Don’t miss Jason’s Whobert Whover: Owl Detective, which Kirkus called “A cracking whooooo-dunit.”

And get excited for Jason’s next book, Porcupine Cupid, illustrated by Lori Richmond!

Jason’s headshot was taken by David-Gabe Photography.