Karen Strong is the author of critically acclaimed middle grade novels Just South of Home, which was chosen for several Best of Year lists including Kirkus Reviews, and Eden’s Everdark, a Junior Library Guild and BCCB Blue Ribbon selection. Karen is the editor of the young adult anthology Cool. Awkward. Black. and a Star Wars contributor featured in From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back and Stories of Jedi and Sith. Her speculative short fiction appears in the award-winning anthology A Phoenix First Must Burn. Born and raised in rural Georgia, Karen is an avid lover of strong coffee, yellow flowers, and night skies. You can visit her online at karen-strong.com.