about Lisa Cerasoli

Read Lisa's blog at leezasplace.org

After four years (and a few more beers) at Arizona State University, Cerasoli obtained a very practical theater degree, then transported herself by way of a Honda Accord (that would be stolen twice by year's end) to the City of Angels.

She booked her first series, Acapulco Bay, within nine months, then spent two-plus years as a series regular on General Hospital, playing the quirky role of "V." She then booked a string of guest star roles: Oh, Grow Up, Diagnosis Murder, Pensacola, two recurring roles on The Pretender as "Zoe" and Boomtown. In the fall of 2002, Lisa and her manager, Sandra Siegal, met with Ken Atchity of Atchity Entertainment, International about her script, On the Brink of Bliss and Insanity. He said, "Sounds like a novel." She went home, blew out three chapters…and was hooked on writing.

On the Brink of Bliss and Insanity was published through Five Star Publications, Inc. in 2009. In May of that year it took "Honorable Mention" at the San Francisco Book Festival and was chosen as "A Top Pick for New Fiction" by Midwest Book Review. In March of 2010, it became a finalist in Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year Awards. Her "style" has been compared to J.D. Salinger and Bret Easton Ellis (Less Than Zero) by Disney producer Sean Madden. The screenplay is currently optioned in Hollywood.

Her second book, the memoir As Nora Jo Fades Away evolved quite naturally when Lisa and her family took in her grandma upon diagnosis of Alzheimer's. It's due out April 2010. Lisa also turned this sly, humorous and heart-wrenching manuscript into the pilot proposal, Confessions of a Caregiver. Along with another pilot "in the works" and a feature Rom Com (romantic comedy) being shopped in the domestic and foreign film markets, Lisa's currently working on two projects with fitness friend Lesley Goldberg (www.atyoursideprivateexercise.com) and culinary expert Bethany DeMeuse (www.elitefitnessandcuisine.com). And in between all that, as Senior VP of Development at Five Star Scripts she's waiting to be further inspired by you!