About Me

Some say JaNay Brown-Wood came out of right out the womb filled with stories to tell and the unlimited energy and excitement to tell them.  She was the type of child that created long, drawn out plays with her Barbie dolls, teddy bears, and Polly Pockets—and these dramas always included singing.  In sixth grade, her teacher predicted that she would become a famous author, and JaNay is eagerly making her way down that path as a Teller of Stories.  

JaNay grew up with the grapes of Fresno, California within a community overflowing with creative family members and stories to tell.  She has two loving and supportive parents, Lee and Marci, and two wonderful sisters, Erin and Taylor; and not to mention a gigantic extended family filled with a grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins, cousins, cousins galore!  

Through her schooling years, JaNay would constantly find herself 1) plopped down in front of a computer or notebook jotting away stories, songs, and poetry, 2) involved in adventures through books and movies, or 3) somewhere front-and-center, loudly stealing the show. She attended Aynesworth Elementary where she loved learning and partaking in extracurricular activities, as well as participating  in shows and competitions such as The Peach Blossom Poetry Contest, Tournament of Champions, Odyssey of the Mind, talent shows, and class performances.  It was in elementary school that she realized how much she loved writing.  She wrote and illustrated her first series of unpublished picture books for fun called Taylor the Tyrannosaurus Rex and many stories featuring Detective JaNay who went on adventures to save those in need.  After elementary, JaNay attended Computech middle school where she wrote her second picture book Taylor the Tyrranosaurus Rex Finds a Costume and then on to Sunnyside high school where she participated in drama, sports, leadership and so much more, while continuing to fill her notebook up with works of creative writing.

Not only does JaNay have a passion for writing and performing, but she has a strong calling for educating as well.  Her interests led her to UCLA where she graduated with her BA in Psychology and Applied Developmental Psychology, and then on to CSU Sacramento where she earned her MA in Child Development.  

Through the years, JaNay has been a performer, preschool teacher, camp counselor, poet, silly-song singer, youth specialist, designer of curriculum, Harry Potter lover, college professor, reader, jellybean eater, and someone who truly cares about our future generations.  Currently, she works as an Early Childhood Education professor at American River College and is married to her fantastic husband Catrayel, who was also her high school sweetheart (they were the first black couple to be crowned Sunnyside’s Homecoming king and Queen back in high school).

Although JaNay is early on her path to publishing, she continues to persevere, just like her character Imani from  Imani’s Moon, her first publication and the winner of the  NAESP Children’s Book of the Year Award.  JaNay will not stop until she reaches own her dreams, or the moon, whichever comes first.  JaNay has sold poetry to Highlights for Children and has several manuscripts she is perfecting for publication.  She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and is someone who truly enjoys hearing, writing, and telling stories!

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