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After a long break from my personal writing, I have found inspiration for my next project – a book focusing on the NICU journey my husband and I recently went through.

Our daughter, Sophia Elizabeth Woods, was due Dec. 31 of 2021. Following complications, she was born at 29 weeks on Oct. 15 at 1 ib 6.6 oz. After nearly three months in the NICU, she is finally home.

The NICU journey is a long and traumatic one. There is little information readily available, and many people who want to support loves ones don’t understand the journey well enough to effectively offer support.

With my NICU journal at my side, I will be creating a story of our journey with the working title, “Within the NICU: The journey of Sassy Sophia.”


Sophia after she was first born
Sophia when she was originally due to be born

Meet the Author

Jennifer Maria Woods was born in October of 1994 and lives in a small town in Ohio. She enjoys writing and currently works as a journalist for her local paper.

Jennifer married her high-school sweetheart, Casey, in 2017. Casey and Jennifer recently had their first little one, Sophia Elizabeth Woods. She was born Oct. 15, 2021 at 1 ib 6.6 oz at 29 weeks. Her due date was Dec. 31. After almost three months in NICUS, Sophia is finally home and doing great!

They have several fur babies: a dog named Red, a pup named Pearl, two adorably stubborn litter mates named Bella and Jack, and a black cat named Salem.

She has a deep passion for writing and helping others. Gaining new experiences is important to her.

She graduated with an associate of arts from Southern State Community College then attended Wittenberg University in Dayton, Ohio. She then completed a Bachelor’s in specialized studies: Rhetoric of English, Rhetoric of Theater at Ohio University.

Reading Habits

Jennifer prefers to write and read fiction although she has considered some nonfiction projects as she grows in her profession as a reporter. Her favorite genres include young adult, romance, dystopian and speculative fiction.

Her favorite books are “The Sea-Wolf” by Jack London and “The Sound and The Fury” by William Faulkner. She adores the Anita Blake novels by Laurell K Hamilton, the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, “The Baker Street Irregulars” series by Robert Newman and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

Jennifer loves to read romantic comedies for fun and has considered writing her own one day. Her preferred author in romantic comedy is Max Monroe. One of her favorites by another author is “The Opposite of Wild” by Kylie Gilmore.

Red Woods joined the family in October of 2017 when he was about six months old. He is a playful and loving dog who likes to bark at the mail truck. He loves running in circles outside with a ball in his mouth.

Preferred Shows & Movies

When she does watch TV shows, she likes to binge-watch one series at a time in chronological order. Her favorite shows includes Psych, M*A*S*H 4077, The Nanny, Dr. Who, Burn Notice, and NCIS LA.

Jennifer enjoys watching anime and reading manga with her favorites being Snow White With The Red Hair and Fairy Tail.

Superheros are a must watch: Static Shock and Batman Beyond are two of her favorite animated series with her overall favorite hero being Batman.

Movies she would re-watch a thousand times includes Pirates of the Caribbean, Halloweentown, The Princess Bride, Once Upon a Song, Another Cinderella Story, The Wedding Planner, The Parent Trap (1998) and Shrek.

Pearl Woods joined the family in September of 2018 when she was about three months old after being abandoned with her siblings. Pearl loves attention and playing. Every-time mom (Jennifer) sings, Pearl whines and licks Jennifer’s face until the singing stops.

Video Games

The game she has played the most of is Sims. She misses the original and has played every version including Sims 4 along with several of the expansions. Today, she prefers Sims 3.

The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is the next game close to her heart with unique characters, interesting lore, in-game books, and a huge world to explore. Other favorites include Overwatch, Catherine, Saints Row, Grand Theft Auto V, Danganronpa and The Nonary Games.

Salem Woods was about three weeks old when he joined the family in September of 2017 after being found abandoned. He was so excited once he first used the litter pan all on his own. Today he is a large cat at about eight pounds and loves to play with Pearl, attack feet and sit in windows.

Other Interests

Jennifer loves to swim for recreation and exercise. She also enjoys yoga. Shopping and movie nights with her best-friend are two of her favorite past-times. She enjoys crocheting, coloring, cuddling with her fur babies and laughing with her husband. Last minute trips and spur-of-the-moment plans are favored over planned ones as once she is home and in her own world, she likes to stay there.

The Woods family (Jennifer and Casey with Pearl and Red) took part in a shop hop geared toward pets in their hometown. Picture courtesy of Guard Home Photography: https://www.facebook.com/guardhomeimage/