Mitzi Zilka was born in Portland, Oregon. She went on to earn her master’s degree in Business Management from the University of St. Thomas, a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University, and a Professional Music degree from Portland Community College. Much of her previous work entailed writing for trade magazines and newsletters. Mitzi writes a regular freelance feature for Skamania Pioneer Press in Stevenson, Washington, called River Folk – meeting one neighbor at a time. When she’s not writing, she is singing professionally and teaching jazz at Portland Community College. Water Fire Steam is her debut book.