I am a North Carolina speculative fiction writer, mostly dark fantasy and paranormal, but I don't really color inside the lines. I published my first short story when I was fourteen, and my mom insisted I use a pen name. I took some creative license with my actual first and middle names, and Meri Elena was brought forth.

I have published two novels in my young adult urban fantasy series, Nightfall and Blood Magik. The third book is slated for publication at the end of 2026. In addition, I have published a smattering of short stories. Two of them are in the Off the Beaten Path series of paranormal anthologies. I also have a podcast, Herbarium of the Bizarre, about strange and interesting plants. I've got to make use of that plant biology degree somehow.

I live in Kernersville, NC with my three cats: Joon, Wednesday, and Autumn. I work in communications for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, but on weekends I can often be found at conventions around the southeast.