BIO - MERRIE DESTEFANO

Author Bio

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR AND ARTIST, Merrie Destefano studied art at Northern Illinois University, met her husband at a kazoo parade, rides her bike almost every day, laughs at all jokes, and ugly cries during corny movies.
Her books have been published by HarperCollins, Entangled Teen, Walter Foster, and Ruby Slippers Press, and, most likely, she is writing her next book while you're reading this. She has worked for Focus on the Family, The Word For Today, Engaged Media, and PJS Publications, and her magazine work includes editor of Victorian Homes magazine, Zombies magazine, Haunted: Mysteries And Legends magazine, American Farmhouse Style magazine, Vintage Gardens magazine and founding editor of Cottages & Bungalows magazine. Her co-authored art books include How To Draw Vampires, How To Draw Zombies, and How to Draw Grimm's Dark Fairy Tales.

Born in the Midwest, she now lives in Southern California, where she runs on caffeine, and shares her home with rescue dogs and cats. And although she dearly loves science fiction, in her heart of hearts, she still doesn't believe airplanes should be able to fly.

Her writing awards include:
• 2010 Mount Hermon Writer of the Year
• 2019 Realm Award for Supernatural/Paranormal/Horror: Shade: A Re-Imagining of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (Self-published through Ruby Slippers Press.)
• 2019 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award, Silver Medal Winner: Young Adult Fiction — Horror/Mystery for Shade: A Re-Imagining of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (Self-published through Ruby Slippers Press.)
• 2019 YARWA Athena Award, Second Place: YA/NA Speculative Fiction for Valiant (Entangled Teen).