Grace Anne McCluskey & "The Winter Elf"

Grace Anne grew up in the grand countryside of the Missouri foothills, tromping in the mud and building playhouses with six brothers and sisters. With animals, trees to climb, forests to explore, and adventures to have, imaginative play was the center of her growing up. When her dad became sick for many years with severe Lyme Disease, Grace Anne struggled to find how she, just a child, could help manage the stress and chaos of a family illness. It was hard for the parents and children to truly connect. However, before bed, they always gathered to listen to their dad read the fantastic stories of C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Brain Jaques, and other amazing writers. The ability the stories had to whisk her away and provide a new perspective of the world did not go unnoticed. By age 10, Grace Anne began writing stories for her younger siblings to help them sleep or deal with the loss of a farm pet. She avidly studied creative writing, including taking an intensive in Hollywood under the creators of blockbuster films. After graduation, Grace Anne majored in Psychology to further understand how her characters might come to life in realistic and relatable ways and also to strategically provide therapeutic guidance and new perspectives through the crafting of her words.   Learn more about Grace Anne's book at https://thewinterelf.com/