Mary Beatrice Banks grew up in Baltimore, MD. As a child, she loved to read Beverly Cleary and R.L. Stine. Banks, a Baltimore City College alumnus, graduated from Johns Hopkins University, where sh...view moreMary Beatrice Banks grew up in Baltimore, MD. As a child, she loved to read Beverly Cleary and R.L. Stine. Banks, a Baltimore City College alumnus, graduated from Johns Hopkins University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in the Writing Seminars in 2007. After her undergraduate studies, she entered the MFA program in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts at the University of Baltimore and graduated in May 2011. She is the owner of La Muse Press, an indie publishing house that is dedicated to showcasing the works of minorities and women.view less