Kelly J. Baptist was born and raised in Michigan, but like Rose in Facing The Rising Son, her roots are in the South. Kelly is the award-winning author of eight books for kids, including Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero, The Electric Slide and Kai, and the NAACP Image Award-nominated Eb & Flow. In this next season of writing, Kelly strives to highlight the importance of knowing your family history and using it to fuel your present and future. Powered by her faith and heart for young people, Kelly is launching Kejeba Ink Publishing, which will publish serious writers under age 18. A huge Kobe Bryant fan, Kelly applies Mamba Mentality to the craft of writing. She is an HBCU grad (Oakwood University) and a member of Zeta Phi Beta, Sorority, Inc.