KATIE KERIDAN has always loved to write, whether she was stapling paper together to make her own booklets or sharing the results of research trials in scientific journals as a pediatric neuropsychologist. While Katie enjoyed contributing to cancer research, she enjoyed creating her own stories more and slowly moved from facts to the fantastical. Her award-winning debut young adult fantasy novel, REIGN RETURNED, was published in 2022, and the sequel, BLOOD DIVIDED, was praised for featuring “…sharply etched characters, a chilling portrayal of social justice, and powerful, emotionally fraught prose” by Kirkus Reviews. Her work has been published in HIGHLIGHTS HELLO MAGAZINE, THE BLUE NIB, YOUTH IMAGINATION MAGAZINE, RED FEZ, THE RED PENGUIN REVIEW, SAND CANYON REVIEW, and EVERY DAY FICTION. She loves sharing her writing with others who feel different, misunderstood, or alone. Katie lives in Northern California with her husband and two very demanding cats.

K. X. SONG is a diaspora writer with roots in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Raised between cultures and languages, she enjoys telling stories that touch on collective memory, translation, and the shifting nature of memory and history. A Highlights Foundation Fellow and HG Wells Turnill Prize honoree, she has been awarded residencies at the Ragdale Foundation and the Anderson Center at Tower View. She is the author of AN ECHO IN THE CITY and the forthcoming THE NIGHT ENDS WITH FIRE, her adult fantasy debut. You can learn more at kxsong.com.

Katie Keridan discussing BLOOD DIVIDED with K. X. Song