Award-Winning Author

By day, I am a Diet Mountain Dew-jazzed manager at an international software company, but in the wee hours of the morning, I write young adult novels.

All of my books deal with some kind of serious issue, such as anorexia, self-harming, bullying, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, sexual assault, mental illness, drinking, academic pressure, or suicide, and I try to balance these tough topics with hope, honesty, and humor. There's also a whole lot of plot because I love a good story and a little bit of romance because who doesn't like that?

I have spoken to high school students in creative writing classes in my community, as well as in YA panel discussions in literary festivals. You can follow me on Twitter @KhristinaChess, where I actively hang out with the #5amwritersclub, although I actually start writing at 3 a.m.