Ernestine B. Colombo fell in love with words when she was a child. Writing poetry and stories became her daily ritual and passion. After earning a B.A. in Journalism from the City College of New York, she went from one job to another until she landed a position at a huge banking corporation. The job became her life. She became immersed in task and duty. Writing was forgotten. Colombo retired in 2011. At first, she lost herself in the healing touch of her garden. Color and pattern took the place of fluorescent lights and deadlines. Seasons passed, the garden expanded, but there were no new words. In 2016, she began a journey of the mind and heart. The result is her first novel, Returning Souls, the story of a woman who gets a second chance at life. Hopefully you will recognize yourself somewhere in these pages. You may start believing we all get a second chance. Poetry is no longer forgotten. In December 2017, Colombo won First Honorable Mention in the PawSome Poetry Contest, sponsored by the Institute of Children's Literature, for her poem "Navajo Reservation, Canyon de Chelly". Ernestine can be found living in a suburb of New York City with her partner Michael and her three cats, writing, gardening, and watching the hummingbirds go from flower to flower, taking a sip from each one.
