Meri Elena is a North Carolina speculative fiction writer, mostly dark fantasy and paranormal, but she isn't much for coloring inside the lines. She published her first short story when she was fourteen (maybe don't go looking for that one) and now has two YA urban fantasy novels, Nightfall and Blood Magik. The third book is on its way as we speak. In addition, she has continued to write short stories. Two of them are in the Off the Beaten Path series of paranormal anthologies.