Jill Pepper Montz

Jill Pepper Montz was raised in the small farming community of Charlie, Texas, where her parents grew pecans. Her degrees in Business Administration from Midwestern helped her to become a driving force in the family's business. The Pecan Shed first opened its doors in 1981, and has since grown to 1,000 acres, more than 25,000 trees, two retail stores, and online sales that reach around the world. Jill loves running the stores while her dad and brother run the orchards (Jill's mom retired to be a full-time Memaw), though she could live without all the paperwork. She also works extensively with the Senior Junior Forum, a group of women who volunteer their time and talents to non-profit agencies in Wichita Falls. Jill now lives in Iowa Park, Texas, with her daughter Dotty Marie ("The Pecan Shed Girl"), where they're both kept extra busy with Dotty's extensive extracurricular and church activities.

When Jill became a single mom in 2010, she began posting her thoughts on social media, and was surprised to find how many people seemed to enjoy and relate to her stories and musings. She was encouraged by her Uncle Donny to turn her writings into a book, and decided to trust him (and God) and give it a go.

"Every parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, or anyone who has been around small children can tell very similar stories to mine ... I just put mine down in black and white. Dotty still provides endless stories for me to tell and I am forever blessed to be her mom. It's my favorite job on this planet."