About Stephanie
Stephanie Cranford writes happily-ever-afters for nerds (and the occasional jock).
After spending twenty years as a lawyer, musician, conrunner, and book reviewer, Stephanie Cranford has turned her attention to bringing readers into the world of romance through her works, including her debut novella, “A Gift of Honor,” from Dragonblade Press. Best known for her “Geek Romance” roundups for Twin Cities Geek magazine, Stephanie lives in the Twin Cities area, Minnesota, with her spouse and their dog, Freddy.
In 2016, Stephanie started writing book and music reviews for Twin Cities Geek, primarily romance novels and classical music. After several years in the short story mines, she submitted a full novel to Dragonblade Publishing’s “The Write Track” contest, and she placed fifth runner up, winning a place in a novella collection. That novella, “A Gift of Honor,” was published in August, 2024. Her work has been described by readers as “elegant queer historical fiction” and having a “strong, unmistakable voice.”
Born in Ohio, Stephanie moved to Minnesota for law school in 2009. In the Twin Cities, she rekindled her childhood love of hockey. (Let’s Go Wild!) She’s also amassed a number of indoor hobbies, including baking, knitting, sewing (especially stuffies), and collecting more books than she will ever read. Stephanie volunteers on the convention committee for CONvergence, a SFF media convention based in the Twin Cities, and she has been on panels about historical fiction and conrunning. It’s possible you might spy her there, dressed in historical garb or cosplaying as her favorite lawyer, Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk).
Follow Stephanie on social media @StephCranford (Bluesky), @Steph.Cranford (Instagram), or @StuffysStuffies (crafting Instagram).