Our Authors

Meet our authors:


Lisa M. Basso
A Shimmer of Angels, Month9Books, January 2013
A Slither of Hope, Month9Books,  Spring of 2014

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Lisa M. Basso was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She is a lover of books, video games, animals, and baking (not baking with animals though). As a child she would crawl into worlds of her own creation and get lost for hours. Her love for YA fiction started with a simple school reading assignment: S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. When not reading or writing she can usually be found at home with The Best Fiancé that Ever Lived ™ and her two darling (and sometimes evil) cats, Kitties A and B.

Joshua David Bellin


Survival Colony Nine, Margaret K. McElderry Books, September 2014

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I've been writing novels since I was eight years old (though admittedly, the first few were very, very short). I taught college for twenty years, wrote a bunch of books for college students, then decided to return to writing fiction. SURVIVAL COLONY NINE is my first novel, but the sequel's already in the works!  I love to read (mostly YA fantasy and science fiction), watch movies (again, mostly fantasy and sci-fi), and spend time in Nature (mostly catching frogs and toads). I'm the world's worst singer, but I play a pretty mean air guitar.  Oh, yeah, and I like monsters. Really scary monsters.


Kym Brunner
Wanted: Dead or in Love, Merit Press, May 2014
One Smart Cookie, Omnific Publishing, Spring 2014


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Kym Brunner's method of creating a manuscript: write, procrastinate, sleep, repeat. She's addicted to Tazo chai tea, going to the movies, and reality TV. When she's not reading or writing, Kym teaches 7th grade full time. She lives in Arlington Heights with her family and two trusty writing companions, a pair of Shih Tzus named Sophie and Kahlua. She's repped by Eric Myers of The Spieler Agency.


Cherie Colyer
Embrace, Omnific Publishing, December 2011
Hold Tight, Omnific Publsihing, August 2013
Challenging Destiny, The Wild Rose Press 2014

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Cherie believes there’s a little magic in everyone. She also believes in following her dreams and never giving up. Her books are proof of that. Besides writing, Cherie enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, the great outdoors, and she loves a challenge. While she has had many great experiences, what she finds most satisfying is seeing her children and stories grow into their own exciting and distinct entities.

Cherie lives in Illinois with her family.

Dorothy Dreyer
My Sister's Reaper, Month9Books, May 2013
Book 2 (Title to be announced), Month9Books, Sping 2014

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Dorothy Dreyer is a Philippine-born American living in Germany with her husband and two teens.  She writes young adult books that usually have some element of magic or the supernatural in them. She also likes to read those kinds of books. Aside from reading, Dorothy likes movies, chocolate, take-out, traveling, and having fun with friends and family.  She tends to sing sometimes, too, so keep her away from your Karaoke bars.

Kate Evangelista
Taste, Crescent Moon Press, April 2012
Reaping Me Softly, Omnific Publishing, October 2012
Unreap My Heart, Omnific Publsihing, September 2013
Til Death, Entangled Teen, March 2014

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When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she lives in the Philippines and writes full-time.

If you want to know more about this quirky writer who loves romance and fantasy and everything in between, click here.

Kelly Hashway

Touch of Death, Spencer Hill Press, January 2013
Stalked by Death, Spencer Hill Press, August 2013
Face of Death, Spencer Hill Press, January 2014
Into the Fire, Month9Books, April 2014
The Monster Within, Spencer Hill Press, April 2014

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Kelly Hashway is a former language arts teacher who now works as a full-time writer, freelance editor, and mother to an adorable little girl. In addition to writing YA novels, Kelly writes middle grade books, picture books, and short stories. When she’s not writing or digging her way out from under her enormous To Be Read pile, she’s running and playing with her daughter. She resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter, and two pets.

Jessica Hawke

Phantom Touch, Crescent Moon Press, November 2013

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Jessica Hawke is the author of the YA paranormal Phantom Touch and an upcoming urban fantasy series. While she would love to say that she's been writing for her entire life, that simply wasn't the case. After a brilliant stint as a story-writer in third grade, she mostly kept to writing papers for school until she headed off to college. From eighteen onward, she spent too much time thinking about the book she might eventually write instead of just writing it. At twenty-six, she finally realized the book would not write itself and got down to the surprisingly difficult yet rewarding work of writing a novel. Her favorite genres to read and write are urban fantasy, dystopian, and paranormal. When she is not writing, she works as a middle school teacher, which is often stranger than fiction. 

 

Kristi Helvig
Burn Out, Egmont, April 2014
Book 2 (Title to be announced), Egmont, 2015

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Kristi Helvig is a Ph.D. clinical psychologist turned sci-fi/fantasy author. You can find her musing about Star Trek, space monkeys, and other assorted topics on her blog. Kristi resides in sunny Colorado with her hubby, two kiddos, and behaviorally-challenged dogs.

Margo Kelly

Who RU Really? Merit Press, 2014

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Margo Kelly loves to be scared … when she’s reading a good book, watching a good movie, or suffering from the hiccups. She loves writing thrillers for young adults and hopes her stories give you the goose bumps or the itchies or the desire to rethink everyday things. Margo is represented by the not-so-scary, but totally awesome, Brianne Johnson of Writers House.

Kendall Kulper

Salt & Storm, Little Brown, September 2014

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I’m a Young Adult fiction writer born and raised in northern New Jersey and currently living in the wilds of Chicago (where I dream of one day returning to the land of thin-crust pizza). I graduated from Harvard University in 2008 with a degree in History and Literature (you can find out more about the program here. It is seriously awesome.). After graduation, I worked for three years as a journalist for Bloomberg Radio in New York City. It was a fantastic, wild first job where I covered a range of topics from nitty-gritty economics to sports to arts to health and sciences. Eventually, though, the novel sitting on my hard drive grew and developed, and I discovered that even a ten-hour day at the office couldn’t keep me from spending an hour or two every night writing. With my then-fiancé living and studying in Chicago, I made a decision: quit my job, get married, move to Chicago, and write full time. Since arriving in Chicago in September 2011, I’ve spent my days writing (and blogging about writing). My work spans a variety of genres—hard sci-fi, political dystopian, and historical fantasy—but it all focuses on the theme I find most interesting: that tumultuous, defining moment in a teenager’s life where they have to figure out who they really are and what they really stand for. I'm represented by Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger, Inc, and I currently live in Chicago with my husband, Dave, and Abby, my chronically-anxious Australian Shepherd.

Katie O'Sullivan

Son of a Mermaid, Crescent Moon Press, May 2013
Blood of a Mermaid, Crescent Moon Press, Spring 2014

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Katie O’Sullivan lives with her family and big dogs next to the ocean on Cape Cod, drinking way too much coffee and inventing new excuses not to dust. She writes YA and romantic suspense novels, as well as working as an editor. For the last four years, she’s worked as the Editor of CapeWomenOnline.com magazine and writes “The Write Way” column for the magazine.

Carol Oates
Shades of Atlantis, Omnific Publishing, 2010
Ember, Omnific Publishing, 2011
Iridescent (Ember #2). Omnific Publishing, 2012
UNTITLED Omnific Publishing, 2014

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Carol Oates has never been one to remain still for long. After her mother’s mad dash to the hospital through the empty city streets of Dublin, Ireland, Carol made her debut into the world in the early hours of Christmas morning. Since then her pace has not slowed down in the least. Carol was introduced to the world of supernatural books when, as a child, her family moved to a coastal suburb of north Dublin known as Clontarf; famous as the birthplace of Bram Stoker, the prolific author responsible for breathing life into the legendary story of “Dracula.” This stirred in Carol an early passion for reading about all things supernatural. When that passion was combined with a deep interest in the history and folklore of Ireland, as well as an active and vivid imagination, Carol Oates, the author, was born. Carol’s love of writing about anything not entirely “human" emerged.

L.V. Pires
http://lisavpires.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/photo-27.jpgExtension, Crescent Moon Press, 2014

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Lisa Veronica Pires (pronounced Pier-ez) is a MFA candidate with Spalding University specializing in Writing for Children and Young Adults. A former teacher, Lisa graduated from Vanderbilt University, Peabody College, with a Master’s in Education and prior to that a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park. She’s published with Gypsy Shadow, named a finalist in the Saturday’s Child Press Fiction Writing Contest in 2013, and awarded an Eileen Spinelli Scholarship in 2011. Her upcoming novel, Oliver Conroy and His Repossessed Soul, was recently accepted for publication with Crescent Moon Press. She’s a member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators), AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs), and the MWA (Maryland Writers’ Association).

Heather L. Reid

Pretty Dark Nothing, Month9Books, April, 2013
Book 2 (Title to be announced), Month9Books, 2014

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Heather L. Reid is both American and British and has called six different cities in three different countries, home. Her strong sense of wanderlust and craving for a new adventure mean you might find her wandering the moors of her beloved Scotland, exploring haunted castles, or hiking through a magical forest in search of fairies and sprites. When she’s not venturing into the unknown in her real life, she loves getting lost in the worlds of video games or curling up by the fire with good story. For now, this native Texan is back in the Lone Star State, settling down with her Scottish husband and working on the sequel to her Young Adult paranormal debut, PRETTY DARK NOTHING.

Shawna Romkey

Speak of the Devil, Crescent Moon Press, March 2013
The Devil Made Me Do It, Crescent Moon Press, early 2014

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Shawna grew up around farms in the heart of Missouri but went to the University of Kansas, was raised in the US but now lives on the ocean in Nova Scotia with her husband, two sons, two rescue dogs and one overgrown puppy from hell. She’s a non-conformist who follows her heart. She has her BA in creative writing from the University of Kansas where one of her plays was chosen by her creative writing professor to be produced locally, and two of her short stories were published in a university creative arts handbook. She earned her MA in English from Central Missouri State University where she wrote a novel as her thesis. She’s taught English at the university and secondary levels for close to twenty years and can’t quite fathom how all of her students have grown up, yet she’s managed to stay the same. She’s a huge geek and fan of Xena, Buffy and all kick ass women, and loves to write stories that have strong female characters.

Monica Ropal

WHEN YOU LEAVE, Running Press Fall 2014

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Monica Ropal lives in friendly Minnesota with her husband and three children--to whom she lovingly refers as her three-ring circus. In addition to writing and playing ringmaster, she works part-time as a Hospice Nurse. Her contemporary YA The Body of Cooper McCay is her first novel, and will be released by Running Press in the Spring of 2015

Kat Ross
Some Fine Day, Strange Chemestry, July 2014

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I grew up in New York City and worked as a bike messenger, legal secretary, coat check girl and iguana-brander before settling on a career as a reporter and editor. Confession: I didn't write a word of fiction between the Reagan and Obama administrations, although I secretly wanted to and finally got around to it when my daughter turned four, which just goes to show that it's never too late to follow your fifth-grade dream. I do believe that journalism taught me to wage war on adverbs and fluff, so my master's degree and associated student loan debt is not entirely pointless. The main thing is that I love to read, and good books are the best writing teachers. I'm represented by the kind and brilliant Jeff Ourvan of Jennifer Lyons agency.

Wendy S. Russo
January Black, Crescent Moon Press, January 2013

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Wendy S. Russo got her start writing in the sixth grade. That story involved a talisman with crystals that had to be found and assembled before bad things happened, and dialog that read like classroom roll call. Since then, she’s majored in journalism (for one semester), published poetry, taken a course on short novels, and watched most everything ever filmed by Quentin Tarantino. A Wyoming native transplanted in Baton Rouge, Wendy works for Louisiana State University as an IT analyst. She’s a wife, a mom, a Tiger, a Who Dat, and she falls asleep on her couch at 8:30 on weeknights.

Rebecca Taylor
Ascendant, Crescent Moon Press, June 2013

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I am a writer of young adult fiction living in Colorado with my husband and two children. I travel as far and as often as possible, love the smell of campfires, and frequently sleep in tents—although I’m not opposed to five star hotels. When I’m not writing, I’m probably reading or watching old movies on Netflix. I dream of one day owning a small beach cottage with a cobblestone path that leads directly to the sea—inside you’d find me drinking Yorkshire Gold tea, typing in my pajamas and wooly socks and sitting next to a warm fire.

Jessica Therrien
Oppression (Children of the Gods #1),  ZOVA Books, February 2012
Uprising (Children of the Gods #2), ZOVA Books, May 2013


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Jessica Therrien is the author of the young adult paranormal fiction series Children of the Gods. Book one in the series, Oppression, was published by ZOVA Books in February of 2012 and became a Barnes & Noble best-seller shortly after its release. The second book in the series, Uprising, will be available in May of 2013.

Aside from her Children of the Gods series, Jessica’s work can also be found in a published collection of flash fiction stories called Campaigner Challenges 2011. Out of over 350 submissions her story, The Soulless, won first place for people’s choice and fourth place in the judging round of Rachael Harrie’s Writing Campaign Challenge. Her story, Saved, is also available as part of the anthology.

Jessica spent most of her life in the small town of Chilcoot, California, high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this town of nearly 100 residents, with no street lights or grocery stores, there was little to do but find ways to be creative. Her mother, the local English teacher, inspired her to do all things artistic, and ultimately instilled in her a love for language.

In 2003, Jessica attended California State University Long Beach where her passion for language found her studying Chinese, and in 2005 she moved to Taiwan to study abroad. From 2005 to 2006 Jessica was fully immersed in the Chinese language as she attended National Taiwan University, and in 2008 she graduated from San Diego State University magna cum laude.


Jessica currently lives in Chula Vista with her husband and is working on book three in her Children of the Gods series.