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Karelia Stetz-Waters remembers a time when happy endings romantic love was a holy grail she thought she would never find. Stories about lesbians all ended tragically. At seventeen, she was certain the best she could hope for was to die nobly for the woman she loved (who would never love her back, of course). Four years later, she saw her true love across a crowded room, and they have been together for twenty-plus years.

Knowing that happily-ever-after is possible for everyone, Stetz-Waters has made it her life’s mission to craft happy endings about women finding true love with other women. She is also on a quest to spread “cliteracy” across the country, using her work as a romance writer to teach readers about female sexual anatomy, desire, and pleasure.

When she’s not shopping for model clitorises or writing love stories, she’s teaching at a writing at a community college in rural Oregon where her students inspire her everyday with their bravery, creativity, and perseverance. She also teachers for the Golden Crown Literary Society Writing Academy, a creative writing program for queer women. It’s been her honor to mentor writers who are now her peers and colleagues. Karelia also loves to garden, draw, and play with her pug-mix, Willa Cather.

Karelia has a BA in Comparative Literature from Smith College and an MA in English from the University of Oregon. She is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.