Heather Anastasiu
Heather lives just south of Austin, Texas and is currently finishing up her Master's in Literature with an emphasis in Children’s Literature at Texas State University. She’s a self-proclaimed nerd, attracted to anything fantasy or sci-fi, especially if there’s smooching involved. GLITCH is her first novel, the first in a trilogy! She spends her free time writing, reading, getting tattoes and loving on her hubster and cutie-pie kiddo.
Lenore Appelhans
Lenore writes speculative fiction for young adults and is represented by Stephen Barbara of Foundry Lit & Media. Though a US citizen, she lives in Frankfurt, Germany where she works as an award-winning freelance advertising copywriter, collaborates on picture books with her husband (illustrator Daniel Jennewein) and gives into the frequent demands of her three fancy Birman cats. She started reviewing books on her blog Presenting Lenore in April 2008 and won the BBAW (Book Blogger Appreciation Week) awards for Best YA Blog and Best Author Interviews in 2010.
Shari Arnold
Shari Arnold grew up in California and Utah but now resides in Connecticut, with her husband and two kids, where she finds it difficult to trust a beach without waves. She writes Young Adult fiction because it's her favorite. And occasionally she takes photographs.
Jennifer Bosworth
Jennifer Bosworth was born with no idea who she was or how she got here, and had little choice but to make things up as she went along. At a young age, she learned to read and write, and decided that’s what she would do for the rest of her life. Many years later, Jenn and her husband moved to California, and she fell in love with the strange, eclectic, trying, and often wonderful city of Los Angeles. Then she wrote a book about what would happen if her beloved city were destroyed. That book is STRUCK, slated for release May 8, 2012 from FSG/MacMillan. Let’s hope the world is still around by then.
Debra Driza
I’m Debra Driza, and I’m a physical-therapist-turned-Young-Adult-author and a stay-at-home mom. Not to be confused with a stay-at-home mistress—those are the ones who eat bon-bons and watch soap operas all day long. The soap operas sort of fall by the wayside when you have a seven-year old, a three-year-old, three dogs (one of them seriously defective), one extremely messy husband, and deadlines to meet.
Seriously, though–my family is great. I wouldn’t change one second of our crazy, messy, unorganized lives. What this house lacks in a paper or dog-free spot on the couch, it makes up for in laughter and hugs.
I’m represented by Taylor Martindale of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. The first book in my YA sci-fi thriller series debuts in Fall 2012 from Katherine Tegen Books/Harper Collins.
Emily Hainsworth
Emily Hainsworth writes YA paranormal thrillers and is represented by Mary Kole of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. She was raised in upstate New York, but quickly fled its gray skies for the sunny Rocky Mountains. She studied English and psychology at the University of Colorado, and though she spends her days working around cats and dogs, writing for young adults is her true passion. She counts F. Scott Fitzgerald and the dark thrillers of Christopher Pike among her influences. Emily currently resides in Denver with her husband, cat, and standard poodle. Through to You is her first novel. She's hard at work on her next.
Jay KristoffJay’s debut novel, STORMDANCER, a dystopian fantasy set in steampunk feudal Japan, will be published by St Martin’s Press/Tor UK in the 2nd quarter of 2012. STORMDANCER was sold at auction as the first part of a trilogy, but Jay has yet to think of a cool enough name for the entire series. He is represented by Matt Bialer at Sanford J Greenburger Associates.
Jay prostituted his writing arm in the soulless crack-house that is “creative advertising” for over ten years. He’s hocked petrol guzzling monstrosities to sexually inadequate men, salty condiments to schoolchildren, and toilet paper to anyone with a bottom. He has won several awards that nobody outside the advertising industry gives a toss about.
He is 6’7 and has approximately 13870 days to live. He lives in Melbourne with a wife that is far too beautiful and intelligent for the likes of him, and the world’s laziest Jack Russell.
He does not believe in happy endings.
Jodi Meadows
Jodi Meadows writes dystopian/fantasy/kissing books for teens. (And grown ups who still feel like teens.) Her stories are represented by (Princess) Lauren MacLeod of the Strothman Agency.
Jodi lives in the Shenandoah Valley with an army of ferrets (are YOU ready for the revolution?), a Kippy*, and a husband. Her hobbies revolve around spinning, knitting, and admiring expensive fibers from afar. Ask her about the benefits of wool.
She has a fascination with numbered lists and parenthetical asides.
*A Kippy is a cat.
website ~ goodreads ~ facebook ~ twitter
I wrote my first paranormal screenplay at the age of thirteen and named it after a road sign. Convinced it would find its way into the hands of a film director and me and my best friend would be cast in the starring roles, I entrusted it to my school drama teacher. DANGER ALIVE never made it to the big screen, but I continued to write and daydream my way through school and university, graduated with a first BA (Hons) in Film Studies, and spent the next few years working in the British Film Industry. I worked as a runner and a camera assistant, and fantasized about writing and directing my own movies. In 2000, I wrote and directed the short film COLOURS, which sold to Canal Plus (2001), and also camera operated on the Bafta nominated film AKA (2002). Today I can be found somewhere between Paris and London, along with my French husband and two young sons. The Glimpse is my first novel. It will be released by Faber & Faber in June 2012.
Elizabeth Norris
Liz Norris briefly taught high school English and history before trading the southern California beaches and sunshine for Manhattan's recent snowpocalyptic winter. She harbors dangerous addictions to guacamole, red velvet cupcakes, sushi, and Argo Tea, fortunately not all together. Her first novel, UNRAVELING (Balzer+Bray April 2012), is the story of one girl’s fight to save her family, her world, and the one boy she never saw coming.
Veronica Rossi
I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Growing up, I lived in Mexico, Venezuela and finally ended up in the United States, moving from the east to the west coast. I now live in California.
Cali is where it’s at.
By the time I graduated from UCLA, I had attended more schools than I can count. I was always the new girl, and never minded it terribly.
I think my upbringing fostered a healthy imagination. Yes, I had imaginary friends and still do. Now, I dignify them by calling them “characters.”
Writing is more than a pursuit for me. It’s a passion. An obsession. An activity I devote countless hours to. You get the idea.
What else about me?
1.I’ve never met a dog I haven’t loved.
2.I’m trained as a fine artist - oils, baby. Oils.
3.I wish Great Depression clothing would come back.
4.I’m on the anti anti-carb diet.
5.A short list of other favorite things: Bernini, Peonies, Archery, Roar Pinot Noir, Wasabi (the only consistently good reason to cry), and my MacBook Pro, who is named Leo.
Jennifer Rush
Jennifer Rush writes young adult and middle grade fiction. She is represented by Joanna Volpe of Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation. She lives in Michigan, in the same town where she grew up, right on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Though she dreams of one day escaping to warmer corners of the earth, she will forever love her hometown and the freshwater that surrounds it. Easily bored, Jennifer has held many jobs, including a laundromat attendant (where she met her husband) and an apartment manager (twice). She wrote a book at each job, but expects nothing will compare to writing a book as a job.
A mother of two, a wife to one, Jennifer currently lives with her family in a noisy little house, but is looking forward to one day having a writer's cottage to call her own, where the carpet will be devoid of smashed fig newtons. Check out her blog or follow her on Twitter.
Kristen Simmons
Kristen was raised in Sparks, Nevada, just below Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In high school she was a triple threat of awesomeness: Girl Scouts, Jazz Choir, and marching band. She attended several colleges in several states before finally receiving a BA in psychology and a master’s in social work. After working everywhere from a domestic violence shelter to a group home for at-risk teens, she became a mental health therapist. After surrendering to the addiction of all things chocolate, she became a Jazzercise instructor.
Kristen is married, and has a rescued greyhound named Rudy. Her first novel, ARTICLE 5, the first installment of her young adult dystopian trilogy, will be released by Tor Teen in February 2012. Learn more about Kristen and her writing at KristenSimmonsBooks.com.
J.A. Souders
J.A. Souders was born in the heartland with an overactive imagination and an over abundance of curiosity that was always getting her into trouble.
Because she never grew up, she decided she’d put her imaginary friends to work and started writing. She now lives in the land of sunshine and palm trees with her husband and their two children and is an active member of the RWA, CFRW, YARWA and SCBWI.
She is represented by Natalie Fischer of the Bradford Literary Agency and her debut novel, RENEGADE, will be released Fall 2012/Winter 2013.
She loves meeting and talking with new people, so feel free to follow her on twitter, like her on facebook, email her or check out her website for a list of conferences or activities she'll be attending.
Because she never grew up, she decided she’d put her imaginary friends to work and started writing. She now lives in the land of sunshine and palm trees with her husband and their two children and is an active member of the RWA, CFRW, YARWA and SCBWI.
She is represented by Natalie Fischer of the Bradford Literary Agency and her debut novel, RENEGADE, will be released Fall 2012/Winter 2013.
She loves meeting and talking with new people, so feel free to follow her on twitter, like her on facebook, email her or check out her website for a list of conferences or activities she'll be attending.
Tamara I. Stone
Blissfully married. Occasional superhero in the eyes of two remarkable small people. Animal lover. Avid reader. Gadget freak. Music addict. Dreadful cook. I write Young Adult fiction about fun stuff like travel, music, romance, and normal people with extraordinary talents.
My debut novel, TIME BETWEEN US, is the story of a fiercely determined girl who wants to leave her quiet existence, and gets her wish (in addition to facing some difficult choices) when she meets a time traveler who can hold her hands and take her anywhere she wants to go at the speed of thought. It will be published by Disney-Hyperion in Fall 2012.
Susanne Winnacker
Susanne Winnacker studied law and lives with her husband, a dog and three bunnies in the Ruhrgebiet, Germany. She's a full time writer and she loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals.
