- Photo by Brandi Spray Photography
I was born in Milwaukee, WI at the tail end of the baby boom. My family moved a couple times while I was growing up, ending up in Moorhead MN. The only reason I survived childhood was because I had entire worlds to escape into through the school library. That is where my love of reading began. I never did very well in school, not because I was stupid, but because I was usually off in my own world, one populated by space pirates and warrior princesses. I fooled a couple years away in college before joining the National Guard. After 8 years in the Guard and working crappy part time jobs I went back to college and did it right. I have a BA in History, which is probably why I work in the financial department at Medicare.
I am a member of the SCA, a non-profit education organization that studies the renaissance and middle ages. See? I have to do something with that History degree! In the SCA I am known as Maria Maddalena da Monreale. No, actually, I’m known as “Maddy” since Maria Maddalena is quite a mouthful. When I decided I needed a pen name, Maddy Barone was an easy choice. I already answer to Maddy, and Barone is a play on my rank of baroness and my Italian heritage.
I am a writer of paranormal romance. I’ve been writing since junior high. Werewolves, time travel and handsome princes who can wield magic and lead armies are my thing. Real life tends to be stressful. I want to give readers the same escape that I had while I was growing up. While I don’t think spending every hour in a fantasy world is healthy, escaping for a few hours is rejuvenating.
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A few random facts about Maddy Barone:
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I hate hot weather, so it’s a good thing I live in North Dakota.
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I don’t have a sense of smell.
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In college I was a member of the MSU Heritage Dancers. I learned and performed dances from Scandinavia, Germany, Mexico, Israel, Hungary, Italy, Scotland, Ireland, Turkey and more.
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I spent eight years in the military before going back to college, where I inexplicably scored high enough in English on the entry exam that I didn’t have to take Freshman English.
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I am allergic to cats, which is probably why I’m a dedicated cat lover and currently am owned by two.
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I love to spin wool and silk, which is why I learned to knit. I had to do something with all that yarn I made.
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I have been a member of the Society For Creative Anachronism for about 15 years. The SCA is an educational non-profit organization that studies and recreates the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
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I am known *insert self-important throat-clearing* as Her Excellency, Baroness Maria Maddalena da Monreale in the Kingdom of Northshield. Which basically means that I pay the same amount as anyone else for a cup of coffee.
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I was forty-eight years old before I decided I needed to be serious about my writing and actually worked up the courage to submit something to a Real Publisher.
I would love to hear from you. Feel free to:
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Mail me at
Maddy Barone
PO Box 9995
Fargo ND 58106
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