Shana Smith was born in Hilo, Hawaii and moved to Gainesville, Florida with her parents and sister as a teenager. She attended the University of Florida and Eckerd College, receiving a Master's degree and Ph.D. candidacy in Biological Oceanography from the University of South Florida. She has lived for most of her adult life between her "two hometowns" of St. Petersburg and Gainesville, Florida. For the past twenty-five years, she has been known to many across the state of Florida and the U.S. as the children's musical persona "Shana Banana" (www.ShanaBanana.com), winning national awards from Parent's Choice, iParenting, NAPPA, and Just Plain Folks, and receiving two first-round Grammy nominations.Shana's first book, "Meditation for Moms and Dads: 108 Tips for Mindful Parents and Caregivers," was the result of navigating Zen practice while raising her two children. "Islands of Cedars" is her first novel, directly inspired by her love of wild Florida and her wish to celebrate its best qualities while mindfully bringing awareness to current environmental threats, racial inequity, and a need for balanced history. She currently working on her next historical fiction novel, based in Micanopy, Florida.
