First off, this is a kind of serious-ish picture of me. And I am not a serious-ish person -- at least not all the time. Not even most of the time. But all authors are required to have the obligatory Author Photo, so here it is. My hair probably doesn't look like that any more.

Here's the "official" bio:

Neesha was born in Punjab, India, where she lived until she was almost five. For the next twenty years, she was in Toronto, Canada until she moved to the US. As a teenager, Neesha began writing her own stories. In the next decade or so, her writing would appear in various anthologies, journals, and magazines.

Neesha holds a BA in Film and Media Arts from Ryerson University in Toronto, and an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School For Social Research in New York City.

Her independent films have screened at international film festivals, she has taught literature and creative writing courses to undergraduate freshmen in New York, served as a board member for many arts and cultural organizations, and counseled women and youth in crisis.

SHINE, COCONUT MOON, her first novel, made the Smithsonian's Notable Books for Children list and was selected as one of the Top 100 Books of 2009 by the New York Public Library's Stuff for the Teen Age. The novel was also nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association as well as the online CYBILS award.

Neesha's second novel, JAZZ IN LOVE, released to rave reviews from online bloggers and industry professionals. It was picked as a top YA selection by the Pennsylvania School Librarians' Association and  was selected for Bookslut's Recommended Summer Reading List. Click on the Interviews and Reviews tab above for links to some of the online reviews.

INTO THE WISE DARK, a time-travel fantasy, released March, 2012. The Canadian Children's Book News had this to say, "Neesha Meminger’s third novel, Into the Wise Dark, is rich in languid tones and emotional fragility, particularly when she’s describing Pammi’s connection to Zanum and her boyfriend Dhan. Indeed, it is one of the best sex scenes I’ve read in a long time, describing the passion, fear and all-encompassing joy of first love, without the clichés... [T]he novel’s lyrical rhythms give the reader a sense of history, ancient Goddess spirituality and the emotional turmoil of Pammi’s experience. Inspired by South Asian mysticism and history, teens will appreciate this rich tapestry of experience that shows the multicultural reality of our modern world."