AUTHOR BIO

Valerie Anne Burns, As a writer and author, Valerie Anne will be one of the contributors with her essay, “Off God” from her book, Caution: Mermaid Crossing, Voyages of a Motherless Daughter for an anthology under the theme of Rituals published by Bell Press and in print November 2022. Also, in November 2022, “Gulfstream Awakening” from her book will be published in The Remnant Archive. The following essays form her book have also been published including “Flying Nighties” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tough Times Won’t Last but Tough People Will, released November 2nd, 2021. She's had two essays published in HerStry Literary Magazine: “Venice Vision” in September 2020 and “Your Bed” May 2021. Libretto Magazine published “He’s on Top of the World and I’m Not” June 2021. In September 2021, she received a Finalist Award from Page Turner Awards in the category of manuscript submission. Valerie Anne was awarded scholarships to the 2019 Santa Barbara Writers Conference and the 2016 Prague Summer Writing Program. In addition, she was sponsored on a trip to Italy and The Dominican Republic for a breast cancer survivor retreat, where an essay from her book became a launching point for the workshop presented, “Living and Healing Through Color.” She traveled to Rome September 2022 for the same nonprofit where she blogged about her experience. She previously worked in Hollywood as a story editor and in production, as well as, having her own business as a makeover specialist for home décor and wardrobe.

Santa Barbara is home and the place where Valerie Anne has survived breast cancer. Being near the ocean brings out her “inner mermaid” and gives her the peace and clarity she needs to write, along with the strength and grace needed to mother herself through life’s stormiest weather.