Storytelling runs in Malissa's family, so few people were surprised when she made the transition from voracious reader to avid writer. She started out writing terrible poetry and bad song lyrics in middle school, but found her stride in writing novels and short stories. She majored in Creative Writing and French at Knox College and recently completed her MFA in Popular Fiction at Stonecoast. Though Fantasy is her literary darling, she's written a fair share of science fiction, mainstream fiction, poetry, and even French translation. Her work has appeared in literary magazines, as e-books, and in STEAMPUNK III: STEAMPUNK REVOLUTION, edited by Ann VanderMeer. Malissa lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she mountain-gazes while planning her next trip to visit castles for writing research. Her online home is at www.malissa.com.