Adams, Jessica 1964–

∗ Indicates that a listing has been compiled from secondary sources believed to be reliable, but has not been personally verified for this edition by the author sketched.

PERSONAL: Born July 25, 1964, in London, England. Education: Attended the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.

ADDRESSES: Home—Bellingen, Australia; Brighton, England. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Hodder Headline, 201 Kent St., Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia.

CAREER: Astrologer and writer. Has worked as a columnist for Vogue, B, Cosmopolitan, Woman's Own, and Daily Telegraph; trustee for War Child charity.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

Single White E-Mail, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 1998.

Tom, Dick, and Debbie Harry, Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Cool for Cats, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2003.

I'm a Believer, Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 2004.

The Summer Psychic, Black Swan (London, England), 2005.

"MIND BODY SPIRIT" SERIES; NONFICTION

Astrology for Women, HarperCollins (Pymble, New South Wales, Australia), 1997.

The New Astrology for Women, HarperCollins (Pymble, New South Wales, Australia), 1998.

Fantasy Futures: The Amazing New Way to Predict Your Future … and Make It Happen, Penguin (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2002.

(With Jelena Glisic and Anthea Paul) 21st Century Goddess: The Modern Girl's Guide to the Universe, Allen & Unwin (Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia), 2002.

"AMAZING YOU!" SERIES FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Psychic Power, Hodder Children's Books (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2004.

Astrology, Hodder Children's Books (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2004.

EDITOR; "NIGHT" SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS

(With Chris Manby and Fiona Walker) Girls' Night In, HarperCollins (London, England), 2000, Red Dress Ink (Buffalo, NY), 2004.

(With Chris Manby and Fiona Walker) Girls' Night In: Gentlemen by Invitation, Penguin (Camber-well, Victoria, Australia), 2001, also published as Girls' Night Out/Boys' Night In, HarperCollins (London, England), 2001.

(With others) Big Night Out, Penguin (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2002.

(With Juliet Partridge and Nick Earls) Kids' Night In: A Midnight Feast, Puffin (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2003.

Kids' Night In 2: A Feast of Stories, Puffin (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2005.

(With Chris Manby and Fiona Walker) Girls' Night In 4, Penguin (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2005.

(With Maggie Alderson, Imogen Edwards-Jones, and Chris Manby) Ladies' Night, HarperCollins (London, England), 2005.

Creator of the Girls' Night In Journal and author of "Handbag Horoscopes," a series of twelve sign-specific astrology books.

ADAPTATIONS: Big Night Out was adapted as an audio book by Bolinda Publishing.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Astrobloke and Astrobabe, astrology books.

SIDELIGHTS:Author Jessica Adams told Yasmin Boland of the Yasmin Boland Web site that she became aware of her psychic abilities when she was eleven years old. When Adams saw her cat on her way home from school one afternoon, she later learned that it had been killed by a car earlier that morning. Adams began her career as a professional astrologer at the age of twenty-three and has since worked as a columnist on the subject for various magazines, including Vogue and Cosmopolitan. When asked in an interview posted on the ChickLit Web site where she gets her ideas for her books and columns, the author replied: "Most of my ideas are channelled to me from the spirit world, where there are lots of old authors and journalists knocking about who love nothing better than working with us on this side."

Adams wrote her first novel, Single White E-Mail, in 1998. In the story Victoria Shipworth strikes up an internet romance as a way to deal with her latest break up. As the relationship with the mysterious man progresses, other strange things concerning Victoria's friendships and career begin to occur. Sally Murphy, writing for Aussiereviews.com, called the novel "disarmingly accurate," and noted that the main character's "life is sad, funny and very real all at the same time."

Tom, Dick, and Debbie Harry followed Single White E-Mail and was Adams's first book to be published in the United States. The book features an ensemble cast of characters and outrageous situations; Richard (or Dick) marries Sarah, who is in love with his best friend, Tom. Dick's younger brother, Harry, has devoted his life to his Debbie Harry tribute band, and Dick's ex-wife, Bronte, is repeatedly contacted by the spirit of her dead horse. "If it seems a little much, it is—but the sheer lunacy is sort of fun," noted Tara Gelsomino in the Romantic Times Book Club Online. A contributor for Kirkus Reviews felt that Adams "weighs the story down with too much earnest relationship talk," but even so, there are "many honest laughs" throughout the novel.

In 2004 Adams published I'm a Believer, "a whimsical, poignant paranormal love story," according to a Publishers Weekly critic. The story tells of Mark Buckle, a junior-high science teacher, whose girlfriend Catherine is killed in a tragic car accident. After the funeral, Mark receives paranormal reminders of Catherine everywhere: their song is always on the radio, her perfume lingers in the air, and he hears her voice when no one else is around. Since the incidents are scientifically inexplicable, Mark reevaluates his beliefs about life and death and wonders where Catherine may be leading him. Although reviewers observed that the story did contain some flaws, they also pointed out many praiseworthy aspects. A Kirkus Reviews critic called the book "skillfully crafted and drolly amusing," but also pointed out that it "never quite manages to marry its twin strings of downbeat sarcasm and airy metaphysics." However, "it is a beautifully crafted, bittersweet, life-affirming story," wrote Carolyn Kubisz in Booklist.

In addition to her novels, Adams has written many nonfiction astrology books for both adults and teenagers. She has also served as coeditor of multiple short story collections, including Girls' Night In, Big Night Out, and Kids' Night In: A Midnight Feast. All of the profits from these collections are donated to War Child, an agency that offers relief to children victimized by war. Since 1999 the anthologies have raised over two and a half million dollars for the charity. As of 2005 the proceeds have also benefited No Strings, a charity that uses puppet shows to educate children in developing nations about important issues such as landmine safety and HIV/AIDS. In her interview with Boland, Adams commented on her charity work: "Without making a drama about it, I just think it's time to start giving back to the community. I think it's part of the law of the Universe."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 1, 2003, Carolyn Kubisz, review of I'm a Believe, p. 644.

Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2002, review of Tom, Dick, and Debbie Harry, p. 676; December 1, 2003, review of I'm a Believe, p. 1369.

Library Journal, June 1, 2002, Karen Core, review of Tom, Dick, and Debbie Harry, p. 192.

Publishers Weekly, January 5, 2004, review of I'm a Believe, p. 39.

ONLINE

Allreaders.com, http://www.allreaders.com/ (March 13, 2006), Harriet Klausner, review of I'm a Believe.

Aussiereviews.com, http://www.aussiereviews.com/ (March 13, 2006), Sally Murphy, review of Single White E-Mail; (March 13, 2006), Sally Murphy, review of Cool for Cats.

ChickLit, http://www.chicklit.co.uk/ (March 13, 2006), interview with author.

Girls Night In Web site, http://www.girlsnightin.info (March 13, 2006).

Jessica Adams Home Page, http://www.jessicaadams.com (March 13, 2006).

Romantic Times Book Club Online, http://www.romantictimes.com/ (March 13, 2006), Tara Gelsomino, review of Tom, Dick, and Debbie Harry.

Yasmin Boland Web site, http://www.yasminboland.com/ (March 13, 2006), author interview and profile.