Chelsey Blackketter Simmons was born in a small town in Oklahoma. She has always been a writer at heart, enjoying all aspects of writing. She feels the ability to express yourself in a way that others may relate to is one of her true joys in life. She believes that children's books have a beautiful way to help tackle difficult topics and create a bridge for opening the opportunity for having the tough but important converstaions with children. 

Another joy in her life is her family. She is married to an amazing and supportive husband (who also helped illustrate her first book) and together they have a blended family with 7 beautiful children. They range in ages from 11-21 and keep her days busy but full of love. She spends most of her time in a classroom surrounded by little ones as a Kindergarten teacher at a local school district where she has worked for the past 11 years. When she is not laughing with her Kindergartners, or on adventures with her family she enjoys sneaking away for a fun movie, listening to music or of course reading and writing! Chelsey is very excited to have accomplished one of her lifelong dreams- to publish her first children’s book, and is looking forward to writing more in the future!