Selina Marcille

Quick Facts

Genres: YA fiction, adult thrillers, personal essays, memoir

Education: MFA in Fiction Writing (SNHU), MA in English (ULM), BA in English (UNH)

Memberships: Association of Writers and Writing Programs, Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education, Pop Culture Association

TEDx Speaker: “How Conspiracy Theories Generate Creative Skepticism” (2023)

Based in: New Hampshire

I grew up on Cape Cod where I spent most of my time reading under twinkle lights in my closet and imagining myself into other worlds. As a first-generation college student, I studied literature, classical philosophy, and sociology at the University of New Hampshire, then traveled to Louisiana to study English and cultural criticism at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where my thesis examined how the Harry Potter series encodes cultural racism—a topic that launched what would become a long love affair with the way stories shape our beliefs about the world.

I earned my MFA in Fiction Writing from SNHU’s Mountainview program, where I worked with mentors including John Searles, Robin Wasserman, Jo Knowles, and Katie Towler. My thesis was Pierce, a young adult mystery novel. My first published novel, The Corpse Artiste, came out in 2020—a cozy YA mystery about a reluctant mortuary intern, a missing body, and a potential zombie problem. My short story “Pizza Friday” appeared in the Once Upon a Book Club Christmas collection in 2021.

I’m currently at work on two novels: Livvy Baker’s Kiss of Death, a YA supernatural mystery about a girl whose kisses reveal the future, and The Crossroads Killer, an adult thriller inspired by the only recently solved Bear Brook murders in my home state of New Hampshire. I’m also writing Mom Guilt: Baby Brain Betrayals, a memoir-in-essays about neurodivergent parenting, imposter syndrome, and the impossible expectations we internalize long before we ever hold a baby.

By day, I’m an interdisciplinary professor of English, Literature, the Humanities, and Sociology.  My courses include Creative Writing, Banned Books, Popular Fiction, the Cultural Impact of Taylor Swift, and the Sociology of Conspiracy Theories—which was the subject of my 2023 TEDx talk on how analyzing conspiracy theories builds creative skepticism.

I’ve attended Thrillerfest, AWP, and various writing conferences where I’ve fangirled hard over writers including R.L. Stine, Charlaine Harris, Meg Gardiner, and Cassandra Clare. 

I live in New Hampshire with my husband, two hilarious daughters, two geriatric cats, and a small flock of backyard chickens. I listen to audiobooks obsessively, have a fondness for smutty romance, and love a killer twist—especially if it involves an actual killer.