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About Elissa
I write paranormal romantic fiction and metaphysical/new age non-fiction. I love
to write about magick (spelled with a "k" to differentiate between stage magic
and real magic) because I live a magickal life. I enjoy investigating all things
paranormal and have developed extensive knowledge and expertise in areas such as
alternative healing, intuitive development, Wicca, Feng Shui, Tantric Yoga and
more. I have spent the past fourteen years teaching others to open up
intuitively, increase the "chi" in their lives, and understand the beauty and
magic of the Wiccan faith. I hold Bachelor degrees in Communication and Creative
Writing and a Master's degree in Communication from the University of South
Florida. I live with my wonderful and expanding family in Florida. In addition
to writing, I enjoy singing karaoke (and do a pretty mean rendition of
Evanesence's "Wake Me Up Inside"), reading, meditating, playing with my two
kitties, and spending time with my yummy partner, my step kids, my eight
brothers and sisters, and numerous nieces and nephews.
The Writing Journey
I
first started writing stories when I was around nine years old. As a
teenager, I penned soap opera like sagas starring my friends (who waited
anxiously for the next chapter) and was in big trouble if I missed a weekly
installment! My stories all had romantic themes. When I wasn't writing, I was
reading. My first introduction to romance included the Harlequin Presents line
of books. (Of course, I read under the covers with a flashlight when I was
supposed to be sleeping.) My love of a good book and a romantic story never
faded. As an adult while putting myself through college and working a full-time
corporate job, I continued to write in my spare time as a means of stress relief
- and simply because I just couldn't NOT write. I joined RWA (Romance Writers of
America) and TARA (Tampa Area Romance Authors) and through these groups, learned
about the craft and the business of writing. I entered contests, pitched to
editors and agents at conferences, and kept writing and rewriting and honing my
craft. Seriously stubborn by nature (I'm a Capricorn), I refused to give up no
matter how often those rejection letters came.
One night, I had a dream so vivid it stayed with me for days. From that dream,
the idea behind my book Between Light and Dark was born. (It was originally
titled: Axiom of Light and Dark) I wrote the book and entered it in the 2007 On
the Far Side Contest. Between Light and Dark won the 2007 On the Far Side
Contest (hosted by the Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal Chapter of RWA) and
caught the eye of final round editor judge, Alicia Condon at Dorchester
Publishing. In January of 2008, "the call" came and the book sold to Dorchester
Publishing as part of a 2-book contract. I also landed a fantastic agent in the
process!
Future Plans
My
first novel to be published is titled
Between Light and Dark
and is a November 2008 Dorchester Love Spell release. It is already available
for preorder on Amazon.com, Borders.com, and Barnesandnoble.com. It will be
available 10/28/08 at your local bookseller. The
sequel to
Between Light and Dark, titled
Darkness Rising is a 2009 Dorchester
release. I'm working on book
III of the series tentatively titled
Reclaim the Light. And I have about a gazillion other
projects in the works.
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