M. J. Daspit

MJ was born in Princeton, New Jersey in 1951. After graduation from Cornell University in 1973, she became managing editor for The Writings of Henry D. Thoreau in association with Princeton University Press. She volunteered for naval service and was commissioned in 1976. During her naval career, she earned a Masters Degree in National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School. Subsequent to retirement as a Commander, she earned a Masters Degree in adult education from Western Washington University. She settled in San Diego, California in 1996 and taught English at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California.

After visiting the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for several seasons, MJ and husband Gary Greksouk decided to leave the big city and move to Ashland, Oregon, a town of about twenty thousand. Since 2004 she has enjoyed the many diversions the Rogue River Valley has to offer. She is an avid bird-watcher, runner and gardener. For the past four years she has participated in the 'adopt a row' program at Thistlecroft Vineyard, tending vines, harvesting and making her own Bordeaux style red wine.

As a freelance journalist, and photographer, her lifestyle articles and author interviews have appeared in Ashland Magazine, The Ashland Daily Tidings, and Beer Northwest. MJ's published works include ROGUE VALLEY WINE (Arcadia Publishing, 2011) and LUCY LIED (Fireship Press, 2014). MJ is currently looking for representation for a novel about murder, infidelity and property management titled THE FROG GAUNTLET.