MEET THE AUTHOR

For as long as I can remember, I’ve liked reading and making up stories. Even before I learned to write, I would try to put my thoughts on paper by sounding out words and drawing pictures. I grew up in North Dakota (one of the coldest places in the U.S.) but spent a lot of time in California playing on the beach in Malibu with my brother, sister, and cousins.  

In elementary school, I spent countless hours daydreaming and writing in my journal. When we went to the mall, I headed straight to the bookstore. I also read anything and everything I could get my hands on, including my mom’s fashion magazines (Bazaar, Elle, Vogue, which I now subscribe to myself). My Mom owned (and still does) her own business designing and making clothes. When I was young, she also made clothes for children and I did some modeling for her. Seeing her using her creativity every day inspired me to go after my own creative pursuits. In fifth grade, I wrote a story about a dog and read it to my class and people liked it and asked me to finish it. I was so interested in new words that I somehow won the school spelling bee.

I wrote for my high school paper and won a couple awards and was selected as the representative from my school to enter a nationwide writing contest. I chose to go to Boston University, where I wrote for the newspaper and worked at the alumni magazine. I started out as Journalism major but switched to Communication when I found out that I was more interested in making up stories than following the structure required to report the news. I studied abroad in New Zealand and worked as an Event Planner at the Auckland Museum which was an amazing experience.

Eventually, my job relocated me to Arizona, but I travel as much as I can (especially in the summer since it’s so crazy hot here). I enjoy going to new places and meeting interesting people. An important part of being a writer is being curious about the world around you. I’m always asking questions and don’t ever want to stop learning.

I still am a kid at heart in many ways. I love the beach and collecting shells and splashing around in the ocean. And hanging upside down from the monkey bars. And acting goofy.

I also enjoy dinner parties, hiking, tea, movies, fall leaves, evenings with friends, dancing, yoga, chips and salsa, art museums, decorating, and chocolate. 

SHEILA NAZARI