About Cyn

Cynthia Leitich Smith is the New York Times and Publishers Weekly best-selling author the Feral series, which includes Feral Nights, and the Tantalize series, which includes Tantalize, Eternal, Blessed, Diabolical.

Two graphic novels, Tantalize: Kieren's Story and Eternal: Zachary's Story, both illustrated by Ming Doyle, complete the Tantalize series.

These adventure-fantasies are originally published by Candlewick Press in the U.S., Walker Books in the U.K. and Australia/New Zealand, and additional publishers around the globe.

Cynthia is also the author of several children's books, including Jingle Dancer, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu; Rain Is Not My Indian Name and Indian Shoes, illustrated by Jim Madsen; all originally published by HarperCollins.

Cynthia has written several essays and short stories. These include:

• a letter in Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves, edited by E. Kristin Anderson and Miranda Kenneally (Zest, 2012); 
• "Mooning Over Broken Stars," which appears in Girl Meets Boy, edited by Kelly Milner Halls (Chronicle, 2012); 
• "Isolation," which appears in Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories, edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones (HarperTeen, 2011); 
• "The Wrath of Dawn," which appears in Geektastic: Stories from The Nerd Herd, edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci (Little, Brown, 2009); 
• "Cat Calls," which appears in Sideshow: Ten Original Tales of Freaks, Illusionists, and Other Matters Odd and Magical, edited by Deborah Noyes (Candlewick, 2009); and 
• "Haunted Love," which appears in Immortal: Love Stories with Bite, edited by P.C. Cast (BenBella, 2008);
• "Riding with Rosa" appeared in Cicada magazine (March/April 2005);  
• "A Real-Live Blond Cherokee and His Equally Annoyed Soul Mate," which appears in Moccasin Thunder: American Indian Stories for Today, edited by Lori Marie Carlson (HarperCollins, 2005)--all published for ages 12 and up.

Cynthia's home base on the Web is www.cynthialeitichsmith.com. She lives in Austin, Texas.

More Information

Cynthia was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Her previous states of residence are: Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, and Oklahoma.

Michigan Law School reading room

She graduated with degrees in news/editorial and public relations from the White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas, Lawrence in 1990 and from the University of Michigan Law School in 1994. At Michigan Law School, she was senior editor of The Michigan Journal of Gender & Law. Cynthia also studied abroad in Paris, France during the summer of 1991 via Tulane University Law School and the University of Paris IV.

Her website at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com offers articles, interviews, reading recommendations, publishing news, and annotated links. It was named one of the top 10 writer sites on the Internet by Writer's Digest and recognized among "Great Sites for Kids" by the American Library Association in the "Authors/Illustrators" category.

In addition, her blog, Cynsations, was named one of the two most read by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. School Library Journal said of Cynsations, “If you read only one blog, this is it!”

See also Essays and Articles by and About Cynthia Leitich Smith, her Awards and Honors, and Author Events.

Cynthia is an active member of the Austin chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the Writers' League of Texas.