Marie Croke

Marie Croke is a Fantasy and Science-Fiction who won the Writers of the Future Contest (Vol. 28) with the story "Of Woven Wood." She has since gone on to have almost forty stories published in numerous anthologies and magazines such as Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Diabolical Plots, Apex Magazine, Zooscape, Lackinton's, Apparition Lit, Dark Matter Magazine, Cast of Wonders, and Fireside! Her work leans toward the literary dark fantasy and sci-fi, with occasional forays into the light and humorous, and often centers some form of mystery at its core. Themes that often appear in her writing relate to relationships with oneself or family, acceptance of oneself or one's passions regardless of cultural pressures, depression and its costs and effects, and the subversion of cultural norms or traditions. She went to bed with a miniature dictionary (she still has it) before she was school-aged. She's been an avid reader since kindergarten and has been writing stories since first grade. She borrowed (more like stole...temporarily) books from sisters and hid them under her pillow. It made her sleep better. During high school she was the editor of the school newspaper. She holds an Economics degree from St. Mary's College of Maryland, and has worked in finance and written articles for her local newspaper. Her hobbies include crocheting (preferably in the winter months), birding, kayaking, and aerial dancing (apparatus of choice being the lyra and hammock). She currently lives in Maryland with her family, all of whom like to scribble messages in her notebooks when she's not looking.