Marjorie J. Frazier

Born in Hannibal, Missouri (boyhood home of famed author "Mark Twain"), located on the Mississippi River, Marjorie absorbed the rich Midwestern and southern flavors of this cozy town while growing up. With its rolling hills and distinct four seasons, she and her siblings (along with cousins and childhood friends -- usually led by her artistic and engineering-inclined brother, Jody) would build go-carts, club houses, snow igloos and scary houses with extensive tunnels and other fun things that attracted the entire neighborhood! In addition, her mother Margaret was a gifted baker (as well as songwriter and artist) and her pies, popcorn balls, fudge, cinnamon rolls and other specialties equally attracted the neighborhood parents and kids alike. (Marjorie would later discover that she also had her mom's gift for baking.) Her oldest brother, Bob, and youngest brother, Da'rrell, were the "witty" ones and each had a unique gift for gab. Bob, a bona fide genius, had an incredible memory. In fact, one of her fondest memories was when he led the family in an impromptu recital of "The Wizard of Oz" and mimicked the voice of the Cowardly Lion impeccably! In addition to the experiences of being raised in a large, close knit, extended family, headed by her grandfather, Vincent (head chef at the original, infamous Mark Twain Hotel), and her strong-willed, clever-quipped grandmother, Madie, there was the added layer of living in such a colorful town as Hannibal at the time. It included building homemade rafts on the Mississippi, joining the entire town (it seemed) in heading down to the river banks to watch fireworks on the 4th of July, participating in the fence-painting contests (and other historic-based events), and catching barrels of snakes (mostly the boys) during one epidemic summer! Living in Hannibal, however, was not without challenges. Being a minority in a southernly township, also meant there was racial tension at times which would sometimes escalate into riots. For instance, her mother and others were outspoken catalysts and protesters for social and educational change in the town during the height of the Civil Rights movement! In fact, her brother, Bob, was one of the first African Americans to attend integrated schools in the 60s. However, all in all, there was more harmony than not among Hannibal's citizens. Through Marjorie's formative years, even though blacks were the minority in this predominantly white locale, there was a mindset of equal opportunity as EVERYONE was afforded the same education because there was ONLY ONE junior high and high school! So, in addition to setting a tone of unlimited possibilities, this fostered an attitude of acceptance and open-minded thinking regarding other races and cultures. All of these experiences helped to cultivate Marjorie into the universal-thinking, thresh hold-crossing and bold-stepping creator and revelator that she's become today!! This is evident in all of her work. After graduating college at the University of Missouri - Columbia (Mizzou) in Business Administration (although her creative writing and marketing classes were among her favorite), Marjorie lived for a time in Kansas City, Missouri. She later moved to Los Angeles to penetrate the fabric of entertainment where she now resides with her two sons, Tylan and Verlondon. After several years of working on the corporate side of Hollywood's top entertainment studios, where she developed a strong network of industry insiders, she is now channeling her energy into her deep passion for writing.