Jo has ministered alongside her husband, Ed, in churches in North Central Pennsylvania and Northeastern Pennsylvania for thirty-five years. Jo holds a degree in Information Systems Technology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Care Management from King’s College.Upon retirement from her career as Director of Admissions for a large retirement community she turned her attention to her long-time passion of writing Christian fiction. Although she moved from Lawrence when she married, fond memories of her childhood in New England inspired her to write Garden of Hope.​Jo is a voracious reader and enthusiastic gardener, but what she really enjoys is cooking for her large family. Jo and her husband have four children and seventeen grandchildren. Presently, the O’Maras reside in Northeastern Pennsylvania.