About the Author
Tracie Angela Greene became hooked on writing at age six after her first fiction was bound into a book for the school library. She kept writing and around age ten; she won third place in the Ebony Jr writing contest with her first science fantasy. Language Arts was always her favorite subject and as a middle schooler, she even enjoyed diagramming sentences—an assignment dreaded by most seventh graders. Although creative writing was her favorite, Tracie also liked writing nonfiction.
Fast forward to her senior year of high school, Tracie was the yearbook editor and onward while earning a BFA at Pratt Institute in Fashion (her second love), she was a freelance writer for a couple of beauty magazines and interned at lifestyle magazine, Essence. After graduating, Tracie landed a sweet temporary gig as assistant editor at lifestyle magazine, Black Elegance aka BE. There, she received byline credits for several feature-articles she wrote.
Life happened as in Tracie not landing a full-time editorial position but needing to pay bills, so she took a position as a foster care caseworker. The work was fulfilling but not enough to keep her in New York and a few years later, she left her college-town and moved back home to Atlanta where she carved out a career in the arts nonprofit sector which required a lot of writing.
Years passed and Tracie continued to amass and hone her writing skills until finally, she unleashed them to write the story she yearned to read. While working full-time, she spent much of her leisure time writing and researching the publishing industry. Several years later, with her manuscript completed—filled with optimism—she sought representation. She was repeatedly “checked” by the reality of the industry’s lack of interest in science fantasy written by Black female authors.
After more than a year of rejections, she took a break and joined a writing critique group who helped her refine her manuscript and indirectly gain the confidence to self-publish. About a year and umpteen manuscript-drafts later, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tracie resigned from her full-time job of ten years resolved to publish her book.
The following spring, after establishing her own publishing company (TAGreene Publishing House, LLC), Tracie published her debut novel—Enisi The Bleu Realm. It was never an option not to. Reflecting on her accomplishment, she delighted in realizing how aspects of her life from as far back as her childhood inspired elements of her novel. Like growing up in a suburb of Atlanta and gazing upon a lush temperate forest from the deck of her parents’ home. She played fearlessly in those woods and loved to go to a dreamy field of tall willowy grass that bordered the woods. Like when at Pratt, Tracie worked in the library where she regularly hid in the “stacks” flipping through the pages of vintage Ebony magazines, and one day, flipping to some photos of her father. It was surreal. She discovered an article about her father that no one in her family knew existed including him. Like her emotionally gripping experiences as a New York caseworker. Like her grandmother, who didn’t think twice about rearing other family members’ children when needed. Like her other ancestors, a blend of blood and "love" relatives who were determined, southern, Black folks. They were business owners, cooks, teachers, doctors, maids, administrators, librarians, soldiers—educated in schools, and the streets. Like growing her own fascinating gardens! Like knowing as herstory unfolds, her creativity is God in action.
