"Whatever you can do, or believe you can do, begin it now. Genius has boldness, power and magic in it. Begin it now!" - Goethe

Melissa C. Marsted, MA, graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Classics and was also awarded a graduate degree in Organizational Management from Antioch University. She loves to participate in outdoor adventures and experiential travel with her family and often creates free-lance articles from these experiences which have appeared in regional California newspapers and magazines. She has a passion for researching historical events to create educational children's fiction for picture books.

She lives in Santa Barbara, CA with her very active sons, William, age 14 and Peter, age 12; they participate in sports that include soccer, tennis, baseball, volleyball and lacrosse. As a family the activities we do together - trail running with their Jack Russell terrier, they spend time traveling, skiing, cooking and playing games. Melissa has run eleven marathons, including one along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Her biggest accomplishment in 2007 was summiting Mount Whitney and most recently ran the trails of the Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile.

Mission Statement:
"Through my writing, my intention is to inspire a curiosity for adventure and to instill a respect and appreciation for nature and all that the world has to offer. Many of my themes reflect a sense of self-awareness, self-discovery and self-confidence. My hope is to have my readers believe that by living each day to the fullest, their dreams can come true."

Email: info@melissamarsted.com