Swashbuckling Fantasy

Margaret Peterson Haddix is the New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty books for kids and teens. She grew up on a farm in Ohio and worked as a newspaper reporter and copy editor in Indiana before her first book, Running Out of Time, was published. Since then, the books she has written include the Greystone Secrets series, the Shadow Children series, the Missing series, the Mysteries of Trash and Treasure series, and many stand-alones. Her books have been honored with an Edgar Allan Poe award and numerous state readers choice awards. Margaret and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, where they raised their two kids. You can learn more about her at haddixbooks.com.

Obert Skye is the author of the bestselling Leven Thumps series, the Creature from My Closet series, the Witherwood Reform School series, and the Mutant Bunny Island series. As far as he knows, he has never been attacked by either bunnies or newts. There is still time, however. He lives in Arizona with his family. Learn more about him at www.obertskye.com.

Alan Snow studied fashion design and illustration at Salisbury. He worked as a wedding dress designer, car designer and tree surgeon before becoming a children’s book illustrator. He has also been involved in a number of computer animation projects, including a Peter Gabriel video.

Anne Ursu is the author of the acclaimed novels The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy, The Lost Girl, Breadcrumbs, and The Real Boy, which was longlisted for the National Book Award. The recipient of a McKnight Fellowship Award in Children’s Literature, Anne lives in Minneapolis with her family and an ever-growing number of cats.

Jane Johnson is a novelist, historian, and publisher. She is the UK publisher of many bestselling authors, including George R.R. Martin. She has written for both adults and children, including the bestselling novels The Tenth Gift and The Salt Road. Jane is married to a Berber chef she met while climbing in Morocco. She divides her time between London, Cornwall, and the Anti-Atlas Mountains. Connect with her on Twitter @JaneJohnsonBakr, on Facebook @Jane-Johnson-Writer, on Instagram @JaneJohnsonBakrim, or visit her website at JaneJohnsonBooks.com.

Kai Meyer is one of Germany's most successful authors, with millions of books sold worldwide. His novels have been translated into thirty languages. The British edition of The Flowing Queen (published in the U.S. as The Water Mirror) won the 2007 Marsh Award for Best Children's Book in Translation, and his historical novel The Vow was turned into a movie by celebrated German director Dominik Graf. Kai lives in Germany

Linda Buckley-Archer is the author of the critically acclaimed Gideon trilogy. Originally trained as a linguist, she is now a full-time novelist and scriptwriter. She has written a television drama for the BBC and several radio dramas, as well as various journalistic pieces for papers like the Independent. The Gideon Trilogy was inspired by the criminal underworld of eighteenth-century London.

D. J. MacHale (""The Scout"") is a bestselling author and is also a director, executive producer, and creator of several popular television series and movies. He lives in Southern California with his family, where they spend a lot of time backpacking, scuba diving, and skiing

Scott Westerfeld is the author of ten books for young adults, including Peeps, The Last Days, and the Midnighters trilogy. He was born in Texas in 1963, is married to the Hugo-nominated writer Justine Larbalestier, and splits his time between New York and Sydney. His latest book is Extras, the fourth in the bestselling Uglies series.