Mara is the owner and empress of Fact & Fiction. She received her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing from Purdue University and found her home Missoula in 2002 while pursuing post-graduate studies at The University of Montana. She loves giving (and receiving) book recommendations of all genres. She is an avid poet, painter, thrift-shopper, and adventurer. Her book of poetry, Blood is Not the Water, was published by Foothills Publishing in 2021 and received an honor award from the Montana Book Award.