Cynthia Leitich Smith

Cynthia Leitich Smith

Cynthia Leitich Smith is the New York Times and Publishers Weekly best-selling author of the Feral series, which includes Feral Nights, Feral Curse and Feral Pride, as well as the Tantalize series, which includes Tantalize, Eternal, Blessed and Diabolical. Cynthia is also the author of several highly acclaimed children’s books, including Jingle Dancer, Rain Is Not My Indian Name, and Indian Shoes. Cynthia was named a Writer of the Year by Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers in recognition of Rain is Not My Indian Name. Cynthia has been twice featured at the National Book Festival. Her titles have been honored among Notable Children’s Trade Books in Social Studies, Oklahoma Book Award finalists, NEA Choices, CCBC Choices, Bank Street Choices, Children’s Crown List selections, YALSA Popular Paperbacks, and more. She was named the first Spirit of Texas Young Adult author by the Young Adult Round Table of the Texas Library Association and the first young adult author to be honored with the Illumine Award by the Austin Public Library Friends Foundation. In 2013, the Austin chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators instituted the Cynthia Leitich Smith Mentor Award in her honor. In 2014, Feral Nights was named winner of the Writers’ League of Texas Book Award, and Cynthia was appointed to the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Her website at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com was named one of the top 10 Writer Sites on the Internet by Writer’s Digest and an ALA Great Website for Kids. Her Cynsations blog at cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ was listed as among the top two read by the children’s/YA publishing community in the SCBWI “To Market” column. Cynthia makes her home in central Austin with her husband, award-winning children’s-young adult author Greg Leitich Smith. Master Class Leader