Jess is a storyteller who had the very good fortune of growing up in a family of readers, writers, and artists, in a house full of literature.

Riley’s debut novel, Driving Sideways, was released by Ballantine Books in 2008. Selected as a "Breakout Book" by Target, it returned for a fourth printing within three months of release. Her other fiction includes the novels All the Lonely People (2012) and Mandatory Release (2013) and a novella, Closer Than They Appear (2013).

Over her 26-year grant writing career, she has written more than 350 grant proposals securing more than $65 million in state and federal funding for hundreds of clients. Riley left full-time grant writing in 2024, after six years as department director. Prior to that, she worked in restaurants, retail, a cheese factory, and a medium-security prison.

Her novel-in-progress, Secondhand Stardust, was recently selected for mentorship in the 2026 Write Hive program. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and dogs.