Born in Lakeland, Florida, my family moved to Orchard Park, New York when I was little. It’s a small town about an hour outside Buffalo. Beautiful country, I grew up running and hiding in trees and playing in a ravine sporting a shallow creek. The stunning beauty and fresh air fostered the imagination.
My parents introduced me to books at an early age, and I quickly became hooked on fantasy. It wasn’t long before I started writing my own short stories. I would even ‘bind’ my own books, but, much to my regret, none of them made the move between New York and Utah when I was sixteen.
I spent the spare time of my senior year working, writing, and horseback riding. My English teach, Mrs. Loffgren, helped encourage my writing, and I ended up winning one of eight spots to a creative writing seminar put on by Salt Lake County.
After graduating from Hunter High School, I continued my writing education by taking classes at home and earning a degree in Freelance Writing. It took me over two years to write Wizard’s Secrets, my first fantasy novel. It was published by Publish America in May 2006. I continued writing and finished the second novel in the Mistress of Beasts Saga, Chasing Demons, a year after that. It was released by Outskirt’s Press in April 2009. The third book in the series, Divide & Conquer is complete with a tentative Spring 2010 release. Between writing these, I’ve branched out into another world, creating a novel in a land called Fidelia entitled Daemon Child. I’m working toward a 2010 release on that one as well.
I’ve been blessed with a wonderfully supportive husband who encourages me, giving me the opportunity to focus on writing and horseback riding, the two activities I enjoy most.
I can be contacted at Rachel@rlgeerdes.com.
