I am an experienced and award-winning writer and editor with more than a decade's experience working for consumer and trade magazines, as well as books. What began with a BFA in writing, literature and publishing from Emerson College in Boston led to an exciting editing and writing career in monthly, bi-monthly and quarterly magazines with circulations/distributions ranging from 19,000 to 650,000.

From health to fitness, travel to bridal, profiles to in-depth news stories, shopping guides to fashion, design to engineering and entertainment to humor, I've covered the gamut. Although lifestyles, travel and health are my bread and butter, I enjoy all types of assignments, as they give me glimpses into unfamiliar territory and a chance to meet fascinating people. (Everyone's got a story to tell.)

WRITING

My credits include Florida Travel + Life, Pregnancy & Newborn; Modern Bride; Travelgirl magazine, where I helped launch the new title and served as 'Romance Editor' for three years; Cape Cod Magazine; Vegetarian Times; Arthritis Today; Pregnancy; Inside MS; Classical Singer Magazine; PT Magazine; Georgia Trend; Atlanta-area lifestyles magazines Points North, Lifestyles Magazine, Tuxedo Road, Atlanta Sports & Fitness and Gwinnett Magazine; and Create Magazine's Southeast edition. I have contributed to WebMD, Men.com, St. John's Traveler, St. Thomas Traveler, Fertility Authority and the Arthritis Foundation websites.

EDITING

I provided coverage and served as editor for the LilaGuide, a compilation of family-friendly information in the Atlanta area. I served as Managing Editor for Points North, Cape Cod Magazine and Lifestyles Magazine and Contributing Editor of the national consumer magazine Pregnancy & Newborn. I also recently revised "Alternative Treatments for Arthritis: An A to Z Guide," originally written by Dorothy Foltz-Gray and published by the Arthritis Foundation.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Prior to launching my freelance career in September 2006, I spent three years serving as the managing editor of Arthritis Today, a bi-monthly, national consumer health and lifestyle magazine with more 650,000 circulation and newsstand sales, writing and editing health features focusing on alternative medicine. I have also held Editor-in-Chief positions for "I Do" … For Brides, a quarterly, regional bridal magazine with a presence in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Washington, D.C./Virginia/Maryland, and a newsstand distribution of more than 160,000; and for CE News, a national, monthly, business trade magazine for civil engineers. During my early career, I served in various editorial positions, including Managing Editor of Display & Design Ideas, a monthly publication of VNU Publications in New York; an editor with the United States Tennis Association's magazine and book publishing house, H.O. Zimman Inc.; Adams Media's JobBank Series book publishers; and children's publishing houses, Blackbirch Press and Candlewick Press.

HOME LIFE

When I'm not spending nearly every free moment at my laptop (an Apple, as I'm addicted to all things Apple, especially my iPod), I enjoy traveling, thus my travel writing. I jump at any chance to hit the road (or, preferably, a beach) and have traveled extensively. (I prefer Boston to New York; London to Paris; and Martha's Vineyard to Key West, if that tells you anything about me.) As if I wasn't busy enough, I'm also the proud mommy to a daughter and a son, 15 months apart and under 6! (Maybe that's why I love traveling so much!) Because I grew up in South Florida and went to college and spent much of my adult life in Boston, I'll tell you I'm from Boston or Ft. Lauderdale, depending on where you're from! I'm currently relocating to the Philadelphia/Central New Jersey area, which excites me because of it's proximity to Philadelphia, Manhattan, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore--lots to explore!

MY LIGHTER SIDE

Favorite Movies: I'm a sucker for romantic comedies: "Sense & Sensibility", "Pride & Prejudice", "When Harry Met Sally…"
Must-Read Authors: Jane Austen, Stephen King, Maya Angelou, Sophie Kinsella, Anita Shreve, Nick Hornby
Must-Hear Music: I keep the standards like U2 and Dave Matthews mixed in with new favorites like Fall Out Boy, The Killers, Joshua Radin and Damien Rice. A band that deserves so much more airplay than they get: Better Than Ezra. I often listen to Internet radio stations in the U.K. as well as Martha's Vineyard Radio.
Best Sports: Tennis and baseball – Go Red Sox!
If I Won the Lottery: I'd buy a luxury apartment on a cruise ship so I could just take off and explore all parts of the world.
Must-Watch TV: "Grey's Anatomy", "Entourage" & the "Amazing Race" are the only shows I make time to watch.
Pictures on My Desk: Random pictures of my daughter and son, as well as pictures of me with my two closest friends, one celebrating a birthday and another celebrating an upgrade to business class on a flight to London.
Favorite Curse Word: Ala James Lipton … ha, we'll keep this PG.

Want to get to know me more? Just drop me a line at lissa@lissapoirot.com. I look forward to hearing from you!