Ever since the age of four when she pilfered her brother’s comics, Elissa knew she wanted to be a writer. The road to publication, however, had a few detours. After graduating with a degree in English literature, she became a programmer (go figure). Years later, after an amicable parting with technology, she was an editor at a company that produced educational material, and after that, the fiction editor at a literary journal. Working with so many talented writers was what finally spurred her forward, inspiring her to write Journey of the Heart, her first novel. Originally from Montreal, Canada, Elissa now lives in Arizona with her computer-guru husband, and no, she doesn’t miss the snow. (It’s a dry heat, remember? And you can’t shovel heat.)