Giselle was born in Havana, Cuba.
She and her family emigrated from Cuba during tumultuous times to the United States when she was five.
"As a young child, I was acutely aware of the gravity of the situation by observing my parents' anxious faces when we left the country. It was difficult to leave behind my grandfather, whom I was very close to, as well as two uncles and a cousin. I remember looking back as my dad carried me to the plane bound for the U.S. and seeing my grandfather, who stayed behind in Cuba. He was a stoic man, and I had never seen him cry before."


Giselle age five. Havana, Cuba.

Before starting her writing career, Giselle had a strong interest in medicine. "I've always been fascinated by the body's ability to heal itself and since I was a highly active kid I had many opportunities to observe it happen. One of my favorite things to do was to take a running jump to grab a banana from a tree that grew in our yard. It was my version of a snack-on-the-go. Of course, I would sometimes miss my target and fall, ending up on my face without the banana! Then I'd watch in amazement as the cut or scrape on my skin mysteriously disappeared under a Band-Aid, and in just a few days it was as good as new! That meant it was back to the banana tree or the perilous Jungle Gym bars for me! I think I must have kept the Band-Aid company in business!"

Her interest in medicine continued into adulthood. She studied Natural Health and earned her postgraduate degree, Doctor of Philosophy in Natural Health, as well as her Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from The National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Oregon. During this period, she balanced her emerging writing career, authoring technical journals and magazine articles about health and nature, with her work as a naturopathic physician. "I found a job writing about environmental issues with Outdoor World and E The Environmental Magazine. I was nervous about working with Jim Motavalli, the editor of E, because of his vast journalistic experience and writing skills. Of course, the adage of Murphy's Law didn't disappoint and after being cautioned that the most hated thing to an editor is if you don't get their name right, I misspelled his last name using a b instead of v in my first query letter to him! I couldn't believe it when he pointed it out. But I was relieved and happy to see that he just underlined the error and assigned me the project anyway. I worked on several more for E after that and never forgot that gaffe."

Books:   Her first published book was a children's story titled Nicholas and the Magical Wind (2005), followed by a second book, The Off-Limits Watermelon Patch (2006). In 2007, she wrote her first poetry collection, The Wayfarer's Stone: Tales of Twilight Dreams. That year, The Wayfarer's Stone was nominated for the prestigious California Book Awards of The Commonwealth Club. In 2009, she released her second poetry book, Cold Blue Flame, a collection of reflective and melancholic poetry.

Her debut novel, The Burning of Grey was published in 2012, followed by her second novel, Rivers Never Fill the Sea, in 2018. That same year, California experienced the devastating Woolsey fire, prompting Giselle to release a compilation of poems, both old and new, titled Fire Lily. This book is dedicated to the victims of the wildfire that affected Southern California on November 8, 2018. She and her family were personally affected by the tragedy. "It was the scariest fire I've seen! You felt totally surrounded by fire. It was dramatic to see the smoke-filled black sky with towering red flames reaching up to it. The 101 Freeway - a main artery that runs south to Los Angeles and north to Santa Barbara from where I live - was closed in sections. If you tried to escape going north or south, the road was flanked by walls of flames several feet high that you'd have to perilously drive through. Some friends lost their homes, and two lost their lives trying to flee the flames." Read about her experience with the fires HERE.

In 2021, her fourth poetry book, Desert Rose: Notes on the Intangible Realm of Emotions was released. It is a reflective work comprised of short verses that delve into her thoughts on loss, love and finding a way back to peace and harmony after the sudden loss of her mother. More on the significance of the title HERE.

In 2022, her third novel, Two Wolves was published. "The story is set in the mid-1800s gold rush era. It's a journey into the human psyche, where greed has found its way into the heart of a group of friends distorting and eroding their very core. I think lack of contentment with what one has and the excessive and insatiable desire for possessions, wealth, or power is one of the deadliest forces on earth." You can watch the book trailer HERE.

Her fifth poetry book, Evoke, was released in August 2023. "Evoke is divided up in four sections. The Essence, Tales and Musings, Terrene, and The Sea. The book contains poems about mystery, fantasy, and natural enchantment. But I also delve into human emotions. Included in the book is the addition of insights. Each poem has details on what inspired it on the back pages of the book."   To read an excerpt from Evoke, click HERE. Follow the link to the book trailer HERE.

Giselle lives in California. When she's not working on a book, she enjoys photographing nature, cooking, and listening to her favorite music.