J. S. Andersen was born into a family of artists in New Mexico, USA, whose creativity rubbed off on them since a young age. Being diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, their mind never stopped racing or creating worlds. After many long years, the decision was made to channel that energy into creating the world of Sura for their debut book, Free Are the Wicked, in the hopes of highlighting the importance and dangers of societal ostracism, and that everyone deserves a chance, regardless of who they are.