Melissa A. Ivanco-Murray is the author of Destined, the first installment of the Circle series; the novella Bound, which complements the series; and the recently released Hidden, the second installment.

Melissa grew up in southwest Virginia, where she developed a love of reading, painting, sewing, and walking through the woods singing to squirrels. She graduated with two bachelors of science degrees in Russian and International Relations (along with a track in Nuclear Engineering just for fun) from the United States Military Academy in 2011. Her experiences at USMA as well as her subsequent service add a ferocity to her storytelling that sets her apart from other contemporary fantasy novelists. Across worlds inspired by Slavic mythology and folklore, Melissa pits realistic characters against fantastical odds they can only overcome through a combination of cleverness, creativity, and sheer grit.

Melissa currently resides in Charlottesville, Virginia with her husband Sean and a verifiable horde of fur- and feather-children. In between taking care of the farm and pursuing a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literature, Melissa continues to pursue her passions.