About

Eriel (like the mermaid) holds a BA in English with minors in Creative Writing and Business from the University of Houston, and an MFA in Writing from the University of Texas at Austin's New Writers Project. Her work has appeared in literary journals such as Edible Houston, Gulf Coast, and Boned, as well as on the audio platform Dipsea.

Her writing blends food, family, and Southern culture with fantasy and romance, and her stories often draws from her culinary roots. She was raised by generations of chefs, (briefly) ran a catering business, and spent years embedded in restaurant communities. Food has always been how the people in her life survive, connect, and show love. That sensibility lives at the heart of everything she writes.

By day, she works in health research, helping connect patients with clinical trials as a care option—and writing some of the most outrageous out-of-office replies you've never seen. Sometimes they come with prizes.