My Story
Each book is an adventure, each page a journey. For the writer and reader alike. For a writer we bare our souls, for the reader, you open yours. Together we create a magical bond that no one but those who went on the same path can ever understand.
Drawn to the magic of books her whole life, Stef M Ensing always had a wild imagination. She created epic tales with just about anything she could get her hands on; from dolls to pencils and scissors, anything would become her characters, acting out the stories she would see in her mind.
Everything changed for her when, at the age of twelve, Stef was introduced to the concept of creative writing. A whole new world had opened up for her. Writing became her escape, her lifeline, her way to interpret the world around her. It was a part of her as much as breathing.
Her muse could take her anywhere, the curious sprite flitting from one genre to the next, excited for anything that might sate its appetite. But fantasy became her addiction, romance her sweet surrender.
And, though life has dealt troubling and ongoing blows to her health, Stef stubbornly refuses to give up. Her hope will not falter that one day her work will be published. A dream that is coming true soon thanks to self-publishing.
Stef lives with her loving husband and two adorable cats: Oren and Loki. The three of them are most of her world, the cats demanding that to be so of course.
She knows absolutely nothing about social media, marketing, or generally acting like a normal human but hey weird is fun, right?
Most of her time is spent writing, playing video games, or going to doctor appointments. She is housebound, suffering from chronic migraines (came down sick in 08 and the pain just never stopped) along with depression, severe anxiety, PTSD, ADD, and dyslexia (what a word to make dyslexics spell). Basically when they were handing out the bad things she accidentally tipped over the bucket.
Each day she tries to remind herself to find one positive thing and takes things one step at a time.
Acknowledgments
To be honest, I never thought I’d get to this point. I dreamed it, I yearned for it… but actually believe that one day I would hold my work in my hands? I don’t think I truly thought it would happen.
But others did.
They supported me, listened to me in my mad rambles of story plots, character building, world building, helped me talk through plot knots. No matter what story I had jumped to, they were there to listen, encourage me to not give up, even if the only time they could spare was a few minutes to vote on a character name or whether to go down Plot A line or Plot B.
I never would have been here without them. So this is my thanks to all of them. And a few specific callouts as well:
Dad, who fought the California school GATE program to get me into the after school writing class because I was so excited, despite not being “qualified” because I wasn’t in the advanced placement. Clearly it didn’t matter. I had written 50 pages by the time the class ended two months later and finished my first novel that same year. 193 pages.
Mom, for reading my very bad first attempts at writing when I was 12 and scattered attempts throughout high school all while working fulltime teaching.
My cousin Monica who shared my love of fantasy and managed to get me to open up and share my work with her and showed me that someone could thirst for my work.
My freshman English Teacher, Heidi, even though we have lost touch, you will always be the first teacher who encouraged my writing and believed in me. And you will always be the first teacher who made me think I could do anything with my passion. For someone who had heard she couldn’t for a lot of her life, this changed me in more ways than you could ever imagine. –And yes, I’m still working on that story for you lol.
Patty, who reminded me that stories, even the ones I wrote, were meant to be read. Even now I need to be reminded of that at times.
Vicky, who showed me that no matter how life hits you with obstacles, writing is not something you can lose. It will always be there for you. Even if it does get a little rusty. It will never disappear.
To Tara, who challenged me as a writer and a person, pushing me beyond the comfort zone I had fallen into and made me take the steps toward publication.
Betty and Dan, my in-laws, who have heard many of long-winded talks on my story– whether they hop around from story to story or have in-depth talks about the current one I’m working on – you are always willing to listen, no matter how long I ramble on.
And as always, to Jason, the list of clichés to call you are numerous but in the end, it will always measure the same. You are the person I can talk to about anything, the person I can tell anything, and the person that understands me to the deepest point. Which also means you understand how to get me out when I get lost in a story or tangle myself into a corner with plot holes or loops. I will love you forever and I am yours always.
Thank you everyone for all the different ways you have helped and encourage me.