Look and Listen

Biography

Lisa A. Shiel is the author of "Backyard Bigfoot: The True Story of Stick Signs, UFOs, & the Sasquatch," a ForeWord Magazine 2006 Book of the Year finalist. Critics have praised Backyard Bigfoot, saying “[it] is as informative as it is entertaining” (Midwest Book Review), “[it is] one of the best types of investigative reporting I've seen” (Reader Views), and “you may agree or not with her conclusions but you will be entertained by the discussions” (The Mining Journal, Marquette). Lisa was recently elected president of the Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA). As a recognized Bigfoot expert, Lisa has been interviewed by big-city newspapers, drive-time talk radio hosts, local and national magazines, and TV reporters. In 2005, she founded the Michigan Upper Peninsula Bigfoot Organization (MUPBO) to explore all aspects of the Bigfoot phenomenon, from sightings to evolution to UFOs. Lisa has a master's degree in Library Science. She currently pens a blog, Bigfoot Quest, as a companion to the MUPBO site.

Inspiration

I began writing as a hobby, out of love for language and storytelling. My personal experiences with the paranormal led me to write about Bigfoot, UFOs, and other strange phenomena in fictional contexts. When I started researching Bigfoot, I realized virtually all the books on the subject dealt with the same topics--the same sets of sightings, the same theories, the same people. I decided to write a book of my own, concentrating on my personal experiences and theories, because no one else had written about the things I'd experienced.