I was born in Dunfermline, UK, but I’ve lived in London, Glasgow and Prague, Czech Republic. I’ve been writing as long as I can remember, starting with Blake’s7 fan fiction when I was 11. I now write mysteries and supernatural horror, with the odd bit of science fiction too.
I’ve had short stories published in The Innsmouth Free Press and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. That last piece, The Spectre of Olšanské Hřbitov, was nominated for an Edgar for best short story. It didn’t win, but to find the nomination was still a warm-and-fuzzy moment. A modern-day crime fiction novel, The Men of The Rose, was shortlisted for the 2011 CWA Debut Dagger award. That didn’t win either, but it gave me the chance to attend the Harrogate crime writing festival and go to a swanky awards party which had free sandwiches. The book was subsequently given the working title “Rozparovač“, which means “The Ripper”, and is on hold for a while.
I took up art in 2013, whilst I was stuck at home, going through various rounds of chemo and radiotherapy that my oncologist said was a waste of time. I’d done some art at school, crashed the Higher and got a B and I’d learned model making and scenic painting at theatre school, but all my teachers told me I had the artist ability of a fungus. As an adult though I’d tried a few bits of arts and craft and with the advent of the internet, I got some feedback on it from people who weren’t art teachers, and who said the stuff wasn’t bad. So I went through YouTube tutorials and websites on portrait painting and just kept trying different things.
I’m now attempting to get better at landscapes too, and to master oils and watercolour as well as my usual acrylics. It’s still very much a work in progress.
Follow me on Twitter – @JessicaMRamage or Instagram – @jessicamramage
Or use the form below:
J M Ramage -Work In Progress 