Shannon Hale

Shannon's mother says she was a storyteller from birth, jabbering endlessly in nonsensical baby-talk. Once she could speak, she made up stories and bribed younger siblings to perform them in mini-plays until, thankfully, an elementary school teacher introduced her to the wonder of written fiction. At age 10, she began to write books, mostly fantasy stories where she was the heroine.

She continued to write secretly for years while pursuing acting in television, stage and improv comedy and a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Utah. Shannon was finally forced out of the writers' closet when she received her Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Montana.

A few years and many rejections later, she published her first book, "The Goose Girl," an ALA Teens' Top Ten and Josette Frank Award winner. Enna Burning, River Secrets and Forest Born continue the award-winning "Books of Bayern" series. Newbery Honor winner "Princess Academy" is followed by New York Times best seller "Princess Academy: Palace of Stone." She is currently writing a third book to complete the series. "Book of a Thousand Days" received a Cybils award and was featured on many best of the year lists. Her first book for adults, "Austenland," spawned a movie which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, where the movie was purchased by Sony Pictures Classics. It can be seen in theaters nationwide. Shannon co-wrote the screenplay with director Jerusha Hess. A companion novel, "Midnight in Austenland," is now in paperback. Her third book for adults, "The Actor and the Housewife," was the City Weekly readers' choice winner for best novel of the year. She and her husband Dean Hale co-wrote the graphic novels "Rapunzel's Revenge," an Al Roker's Book Club for Kids selection, and its sequel, Utah Book Award winner "Calamity Jack."

Shannon's latest, "Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends," was published October 2013. She makes her home near Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, with her super-human husband, their four young children, and their pet, a small plastic pig.