Elisa Stilson Magagna, pen name EC Stilson (born February 2, 1983) is an American publisher and editor, and was one of the founders of Wayman Publishing and Literati Publications. Stilson is also known for her memoirs, musical talents, and personal appearances speaking across the United States.

Biography

Stilson attended Brighton High School. After graduating from high school two trimesters early, Stilson traveled to Hawaii and became a homeless violinist with guitar player Cade Hirsch Morris. Months later they returned to Utah, married, and had children. In 2001, her father was diagnosed with

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel mo ...

. In 2003 her second child, a boy, died of birth defects after living 2½ months, and her marriage started failing. It was during 2001–2003 that Stilson wrote her first memoir, ''The Golden Sky''. In 2005, in an effort to cope with stressful situations, Stilson went back to school and received her

associate degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The fi ...

from Western International University. In the following decade, Stilson wrote seven more novels under the pen name EC Stilson and also earned her bachelor's degree from Western Governors University. In 2015 Stilson married Michael Magagna, former host of Utah After Hours (KWCR). The two moved to Idaho where Stilson was diagnosed with melanoma stage 2B in 2018. In 2020 this progressed to stage 4 melanoma, and doctors projected Stilson would only live two years following this diagnosis. While battling cancer, Stilson began blogging again, and her blog, "Crazy Life of a Writing Mom," hit one million views. She and her family have begun checking things off of her bucket list together. Some of these items have included skydiving, visiting Italy, and even singing the "Star-Spangled Banner" at a semi-pro baseball game.

Business

In 2011, Stilson started a blog called ''Crazy Life of a Writing Mom''. She considered blogging a business endeavor and wrote every day for an entire year. In 2011 Stilson founded Wayman Publishing. Five of its books became Amazon bestsellers in 2012, many of them in large categories such as women's memoir. Wayman Publishing went out of business in the fall of 2014. From 2011 to 2013, several of Stilson's books were published, including ''The Sword of Senack'', ''How to Lose a Tooth'', and three memoirs in ''The Golden Sky'' series. In 2020-2021, Stilson began fighting terminal melanoma and wrote two memoirs about those experiences: ''Two More Years'' and ''Ring the Bell.'' The latter became a bestseller within the first month of its release.Cancer Memoir Tops Charts
/ref>

Bibliography

* How to Lose a Tooth (2011) * The Golden Sky (2011) * The Sword of Senack (2012) * Bible Girl & the Bad Boy (2012) * Best of ECWrites (2012) * Homeless in Hawaii (2012) * How to Avoid Having Sex (2013) * Two More Years (2022) ISBN 1622537815 * Ring the Bell (2023) ISBN 9798854651738

Additional publication credits

* Christmas Lites I (2011) * Christmas Lites II (2012) * Open Doors: An Anthology (2012) * Open Doors: Fractured Fairy Tales (2012)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hirsch, Elisabeth American book publishers (people) American children's writers American book editors People from Price, Utah 1983 births Living people American women children's writers 21st-century American women