Author
I am an independent, six-foot tall, Southern California girl.
At twenty-one years old, I thought that sentence explained an awful lot. A youth of the 80’s, I was raised by my mom in a blue collar beach town called Ventura. After receiving an AA at Ventura’s local Community College, I moved to Baltimore to complete a bachelor’s degree, then on to Massachusetts driven to complete a master’s.
It was at UMass that I met my partner, Vijay, a culture abiding Indian man from Hyderabad. We started out as friends, dated against his better judgment and began our marriage as working professionals. A few years later operation-family-planning began.
I quickly found myself in a cultural wind tunnel—spinning around wholeheartedly naïve of the complicated world around me. On occasion, I smack my head along the way. But mostly I grow, learn, and do it better the next time. The last fifteen years have been filled with joy, sorrow, life and death, cultural growth and absurdity.
What I thought defined me at twenty-one, is not who I am today. I am still that independent six-foot tall SoCal girl. But I’m also a foster-adoptive-bio mom, the daughter-in-law of a traditional Hindu family, and the wife of a man who has no prior relationship experience. Occasionally, I’m also draped in a sari, adorned with a bindi and doused in gold.
I began to journal on my first trip to India and soon realized what a wild ride this would become. I tell my stories not to upset traditions, beliefs, or lifestyle choices, but because I’ve enjoyed the ride, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way.
Illustrator
Kathrine is a mom of two wonderful boys and a freelance illustrator. She lives in Los Alamos, NM. When she isn’t illustrating, she enjoys spending time with her family and teaching art classes for kids. She also enjoys traveling, which provide relaxation and inspiration for new projects.
Missy, the Mister
Social Media
Martina Gajendran joined EC Press to share our stories and connect with readers through social media. She has a degree in political science from UCSD, is an outdoor enthusiast and lover of dogs. Martina enjoys spending time with her family, exploring San Diego’s hiking scene, and playing a significant amount of Flee the Facility on Roblox with her young step-son. Come meet her at one of our events!
Book Design
Jodi Giddings lives in peaceful North Idaho with her husband, daughter, and a small zoo. She earned her master’s degree in book publishing in 2007 and works as a freelance book designer and editor. When not catching random typos and typesetting books, she enjoys spending time with family, boating on beautiful Lake Pend Oreille, driving her ’57 T-bird, and romping with her Wheaton Terrier named Watson
EC Press Values
EC Press is a small imprint, publishing books based on real life experiences. We value kindness, tolerance and inclusion and strive to create titles that are based on real stories. Each title represents an experience or is inspired by an exceptional person or moment.
Your support of EC Press will not only support the indie-professionals behind the story, but also help support charities that are doing meaningful work in our communities, making us all stronger and whole as we move through our communities and lives.
The people and events which inspire each story determine where donations from book sales will go. With every book purchased, EC Press gives back 50% of the profits to the designated charity of choice. EC Press currently makes donations to three non-profits: Promises2Kids and The Gentle Barn, and Voices for Children. As titles are added, additional charities will be considered.
When you buy our books and read them, your reviews (on Goodreads and Amazon) and your recommendations help us continue our mission of supplying inclusive literature and supporting the community around us. There is no limit to what a little seed of kindness, inclusion, or tolerance can grow into.
