Stella May

My name is Marina Sardarova. Stella May is my pen name (or my alter ego). In many regards, we are very different, even though she is me. She's more daring, braver and self-assured; she knows exactly what she wants. She writes because she loves it nd because she has stories inside of her. She never listens when people tell her she cannot do something simply because it's impossible. She believes in herself. In short- she's a much better version of myself.

I was born in the sixties of the last century in a country that doesn't exist anymore: the former Soviet Union. However, I am not Russian-I'm Armenian and proud of my heritage.

Literature and music are my two great passions.

I graduated from a Conservatory (or Music Academy) with a diploma in musicology.

When I moved to the United States, I quickly realized that I needed to learn English more than I needed to eat. Because while I could easily survive on water and bread, I absolutely refused to live without books. And so, I taught myself English.

As soon as I was able to read books, my life became whole again. And the absolutely crazy idea of writing started to slowly emerge from somewhere within...

I guess that's when Stella May first started to emerge. She didn't have her own name yet, or her own identity. She was still hiding behind me, unsure and hesitant.

Then, one night, I saw in my dream a very young woman, almost a girl, who was standing in the middle of a crowd, clutching a baby. She was skinny, badly dressed and scared. She had green eyes and curly red hair, and her name was Natasha. She was at the JFK airport. Somehow, I knew that. I also knew that the baby wasn't hers. Above her head I saw a banner: Welcome to the United States of America. And that's how the idea of Rostoff saga (Once & Forever ) came to me. And that's when Stella May was born.

Why Stella May? Well, it's really simple: Stella is the name of my favorite aunt whom I adore; May is my birth month. And the initials - S M - are my own, only in reverse.