Hayley Shines is a poet, lyricist, and storyteller born and raised just outside of Austin, Texas. She carries old soul music in her bones and writes with the voice of a millennial heart — shaped by the Grateful Dead, the long road back to herself, and a love of live music that has never dimmed.

She wrote the first draft of Heart Jam Journey four days before giving birth to her daughter. Her book and her baby arrived into the world at the same time. That is who she is.

As a mother, bonus mom, and wife, Hayley writes with the wisdom of lived experience and the intimacy of someone who knows love in its many forms. Her work advocates for women, radical self-acceptance, and the courage to release shame. At the core of everything she creates is one belief: friendship with yourself is the most powerful lifeline you can build.

She is still learning — in real time — everything she writes about.