ABOUT Melissa A. Ivanco-Murray
If there is anything at all in this world that is certain, it is that whenever attempting to write, one will either have a dog or a cat demanding attention,
and likely crawling in one's lap.
Melissa A. Ivanco-Murray grew up in southwest Virginia, where she developed a love of reading, painting, sewing, and walking through the woods singing to squirrels. Melissa graduated with two bachelors of science degrees in Russian and International Relations (along with a track in Nuclear Engineering just for fun) from the United States Military Academy in 2011. Her experiences at USMA as well as her subsequent service add a ferocity to her storytelling that sets her apart from other contemporary fantasy novelists. Across worlds inspired by Slavic mythology and folklore, Melissa pits realistic characters against fantastical odds they can only overcome through a combination of cleverness, creativity, and sheer grit.
Melissa currently resides in Rocky Mount, Virginia with her husband Sean and a verifiable horde of fur children (and one human child on the way). In between pursuing a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literature, Melissa continues to pursue her passions: writing chiefly among them. And, more recently, moonlighting as Malice in the indie metalcore band Olga's Burning Sparrows.