Janine Williams, known by her pen name J.L. Williams, is a New Zealand author with a rich background spanning Fiji, England, and various parts of New Zealand. Her childhood took her from Whanganui to Dunedin, Levin, and Auckland, where she attended Hillary College. It was there that Janine immersed herself in a multicultural environment and began learning Te Reo Māori.

After completing her university education, Janine worked in insurance before dedicating herself to raising her five children. Her professional journey also included roles as a note-taker for deaf tertiary students, which deepened her understanding of the challenges faced by young people with hearing loss. She also ventured into pottery, running her own studio. Now residing in rural Northland with her husband, Janine balances her life between managing a small orchard business and her passion for writing children's literature. Her writing routine involves early mornings and quiet focus, often complemented by beach retreats for inspiration.

Janine’s writing career began later in life, but she has since made significant strides. Her manuscript Seaside Countdown was shortlisted for the Storylines Joy Cowley Award in 2015. In 2020, she won the Storylines Janice Marriott Mentoring Award for her manuscript Holding the Horse. This historical junior fiction set in New Zealand in 1946 was published by Ocean Echo Books in 2022, earning a Storylines Notable Book Award in 2022, and was shortlisted in the NZSA Best First Book category at the 2023 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. The sequel, Like the Wind, published in 2023, and also received a Storylines Notable Book accolade.

Through her vibrant storytelling and dedication to her craft, Janine continues to make a meaningful impact in children's literature in Aotearoa New Zealand.