Neta Thiessen was born on October 26, 1944, to a Christian school principal dad and a high school librarian mom. Over the years the family traveled and ended up in Seattle, Washington. Along the way, Thiessen read numerous books and drew horses. She believed she'd eventually become an artist, but one day she began writing stories to go along with her drawings. Writing encompassed her life, and she submitted a story to Scholastic Magazine in which she won first place. With her earnings she bought a typewriter and thus started on her prestigious writing career. Thiessen planned to attend Wheaton College in Illinois but decided to start at a college closer to home and chose Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, Oregon. Here she met the man who would later become her husband and writing partner, Dave Jackson. After a year in Portland, Thiessen transferred to Wheaton and corresponded by letters with Jackson until he moved to Illinois and they wed. Thiessen, now Jackson, worked for David C. Cook Publishing Co. as an editor and raised her family—one son and two daughters. Eventually Jackson and her husband were in a position to start writing books together. They have had incredible success with the Trailblazer series, the Hero Tales series, and the Secret Adventure series. She also co-authored Too Young to Die and other books with Dave. Her Yada Yada Prayer Group books are her solo efforts with over 400,000 copies sold. Jackson worships at the Chicago Tabernacle where she has gained much insight for her writings.