ENTERING THE WORLD ON AN AVERAGE FRIDAY BACK IN JANUARY OF 1988, DARIA ELLEN PEEKES HAS SINCE THEN CALLED DENVER, COLORADO HER HOME. GROWING UP SHE CONSIDERED HERSELF A BIT OF A "DORK" HIDING AWAY IN HER BOOKS AND IMAGINED WORLDS WITH A FEW FRIENDS THANKS TO GIRL SCOUT TROUPS OR DANCE CLASSES BUT WASN'T EVER THE MOST SOCIAL OF BUTTERFLIES. NEVER QUITE THINKING SHE WAS MUCH OF A LOOKER THROUGH MOST OF SCHOOL, SHE ALSO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY SO MANY OF HER PEERS WERE SO "BOY CRAZY". SURE SOME OF THEM WERE NICE, BUT THEY JUST WEREN'T WORTH THE FUSS IN HER MIND. INSTEAD HER FOCUS REMAINED ON ALL THINGS FANTASY. SHE ATTENDED EVERY HARRY POTTER BOOK AND MOVIE RELEASED IN FULL SLYTHERIN ATTIRE, RELIGIOUSLY WATCHED BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER FROM PREMIERE TO SERIES FINALIE, AND WAS CONVINCED SHE WAS SAILOR MOON IN ANOTHER LIFE. THESE THREE THINGS IN PARTICULAR LED TO DARIA FOLLOWING HER PASSION INTO WRITING HER OWN STORIES. WHICH MEANT A NEVER ENDING STRUGGLE DURING SCHOOL OF CONVINCING PEOPLE THAT HER CREATIVE WRITING DEGREE WAS NOT SO SHE COULD BECOME AN ENGLISH TEACHER. AN EAGER PARTICIPANT IN NANOWRIMO, IT ONLY TOOK A FEW YEARS POST COLLEGE FOR ONE OF HER NOVELS TO BECOME STRONG ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY SHOP AROUND, AND NOW IS IN THE MIDDLE OF GETTING THE ENTIRE SERIES PUBLISHED. IT DEFINITELY HAS MEANT DARIA'S LIFE COULD BE DEFINED AS "ALL WORK AND NO PLAY" AND SHE'S NOW DOING HER BEST TO CHANGE THAT AND ACTUALLY MAKE SOME FRIENDS AGAIN.