Short version: Sela Carsen is an award-winning author of paranormal and sci-fi romance—with or without sex and dead bodies. Your pick. She maintains a permanent nerd-on for fairytales and mythology, and openly hoards reference books about obscure folklore. Born a wanderer, she and her family have finally settled in the Midwest. Until they move again, at least. Long and rambly, but funnier version: In addition to writing, I’m a wife to a Darn Near Perfect Husband and mom to Two Great Kids. They used to be the Monkey children, but they seem to have settled down a bit. (That’s going to come back and bite me on the butt as soon as you read this!) I have a BA in French (utterly useless, but fun at parties) and another BA in Communication. While I was getting the Communication degree, I wrote for my alumni magazine, dipped my feet into advertising, took want ads at the local paper and even wrote obituaries. I was also a reporter at a small-town daily, but soon realized I didn’t have a true journalist’s instinct. After that, I was busy being married and having children, but when my youngest was about a year and half old, I was standing in the shower when a scene popped into my head. Why does that always happen when you’re in the shower and you can’t get a pen and paper? Anyway, I got the soap out of my eyes, dried off and headed straight for the computer where I wrote it all down. And boy, did it stink. Whew! I’d been reading romance novels for years so I figured I should be able to write one, right? Are you done laughing? Let me know when you’re finished. Ok, then. It took about twenty false starts and a work I now call The-Regency-That-Wouldn’t-Die before I finally got disgusted with myself and started writing this funny little scene in a Louisiana cemetery. That little scene became Not Quite Dead and it’s the first manuscript I ever finished. After much angst and rewriting on my part, I eventually sold it to Samhain Publishing, who released it in August 2006. Since then, I’ve placed several other stories, but that first one will always be special to me. I’m a member of Romance Writers Of America and can usually be found at the bar during national conferences.