Welcome to my website. 

Thank you for visiting my online home to discover what’s what with me and my writing. For my story as an artist, check out the National Endowment for the Arts’ United States of Arts map. I am honored to represent my adopted state of Delaware.

If you want to know more ABOUT me, see below. From my welcome page, you can probably tell that I grew up in the country. Open fields, big sky, tall trees, and young cows often appear in my stories.

My debut novel, The Murderess of Bayou Rosa, is now available here.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you’ll stay a while.

Ramona

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Professional bio:

Ramona DeFelice Long writes fiction, creative nonfiction, personal essays, and memoir. Her writing has appeared in literary, juvenile, and regional publications both in print and online, many with “review” in the title. She also shares her work through literary readings and open mics.

Ramona has been awarded grants and fellowships from the Delaware Division of the Arts, the Pennsylvania State Arts Council, the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation,  the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, plus local awards from Philadelphia Stories, the Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild, and the Delaware Literary Connection. In 2014, she was selected as the first Fellow for the Cape Henlopen Poetry and Prose Writers Retreat. In 2016, she was awarded a Masters Fellowship in Fiction from the Delaware Division of the Arts. Her story as an author was posted on the National Endowment for the Arts’ United States of Arts map to represent the state of Delaware.

Personal bio (told with pictures)

The logo found throughout this website is a stylized pen and fleur de lis. The pen reflects my vocation as an author/editor, and the fleur de lis reflects my Louisiana French cultural heritage. The symbol was created for me by graphic designer Betsy Molina Mortenson. More of Betsy’s work can be found at BetsyMoDesign.

This is the earliest known photograph of me. I am three years old. I grew up in a small town in south Louisiana called Golden Meadow, in a neighborhood with my mother, father, three siblings, one grandmother, aunts, uncles, and 10,000 cousins. My relatives spoke French and English, or a combination. Despite my expression in the photo, it was a happy childhood.

Now I live in Delaware, by way of several years in western Pennsylvania. I am active in the First State, Delmarva, and Eastern Pennsylvania arts scenes.  The Delaware state insect is a ladybug. It was adopted in 1974 by the state legislature after an aggressive campaign by a class of 2nd graders.

Every morning, at 7:00 a.m., I write for one hour. Some of my Facebook friends join me. I wrote about this practice, and my writing life, for the National Endowment for the Arts’ United States of Arts story project. I was delighted that my arts story was selected as one of Delaware’s representatives. I was more delighted when the NEA lifted a quote to create this poster. The project was a celebration of the NEA’s 50th anniversary.

I collect vintage linens, vintage tableware, vintage postcards, and vintage fabrics. I like old stuff.