Meet Elisa

Elisa Stilson Magagna — known to readers as EC Stilson — grew up in Utah and finished high school two trimesters early. Not long after, she set off for Hawaii, where she spent time as a homeless violinist playing alongside a guitarist. Those years became the seeds of the stories she would one day tell.

Life tested her early. In the space of a few years her father was diagnosed with cancer and she lost her second child, who was born with birth defects. She poured that grief into her first memoir, The Golden Sky, and into learning — earning an associate degree and later a bachelor’s degree while writing eight novels under her pen name.

Writing, publishing & the stage

In 2011 Elisa founded Wayman Publishing and began her blog, Crazy Life of a Writing Mom, capturing the funny and outrageous moments of everyday family life. It reached a million views. She went on to co-found Literati Publications and has published memoirs, novels and anthologies, while also becoming known for her music and for speaking to audiences across the United States.

Choosing hope

In 2018 Elisa was diagnosed with melanoma. By 2020 it had reached stage 4, with an initial prognosis of two years. Rather than retreat, she started checking off a bucket list — skydiving, traveling to Italy and singing the national anthem at a baseball game — and wrote about it all in Two More Years andRing the Bell.

That spirit is the heart of Tips to Happiness. Each short episode shares a true story of kindness, resilience or unexpected grace, with one simple message running through them all: you aren’t alone.