IO Spears grew up during the 1970s-80s in the small working-class town of Derma, MS in a community called "Churchill" or as it's affectionately known "The Hill." The Hill is aptly named because it sits on a bluff overlooking much of the rest of the town. During the 1980s, residents of The Hill didn't have much money, but they made up for it with love, a sense of community, and lots of creativity. Derma was not without all of the things that haunted most Mississippi towns like racism, drugs, and poverty, but IO Spears found her outlet through imagination. IO Spears now reside outside of New Orleans, LA, and as any writer who has visited Nola will tell you, this place is fuel for the creative mind. IO Spears is married and has three adult kids. She has a huge extended family and thinks of her grandmother every single day.
