Allen Wells grew up in Jackson, MS where he spent a lot of his time with his head stuck in a book or creating worlds through his words or solving problems and puzzles.

 

When he isn’t writing, he’s trekking across the world, designing building engineering systems, in Alexandria, VA where he currently resides.

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Hi there! My name is Ha. I’m a primary school teacher, blogger, author, wife to my high school sweetheart, and mama of two. My debut picture book, MY FOREVER HOME was inspired by my experiences of living in a refugee camp in the Philippines as a child. It is set to be published in the Summer of 2023, and I can't wait! You can connect with me on Instagram and Twitter

@hellomrsdinh

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Kelly Swemba has been passionate about big feelings since she was little. She’s a nurse with a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing and a preschool aid for children with autism. Her debut will be published in 2023.

 

She lives in Ohio with her husband, two children, and their fluffy goldendoodle. When not writing, she enjoys being outside, going to the library, and playing strategy board games which she may (but most likely not) win against her kids.

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 @Kswemba

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I’m Susan Yoon--a writer of books for children and an avid hobby doodler. I have a debut picture book, Waiting for Tomorrow, coming out in 2023. Hope you’ll check it out.

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Growing up I was not an avid reader or writer, although I did both, very slowly and steadily. Eventually my love of writing caught fire, and although I’ve done all kinds of writing — from poetry to screenplays to short stories — it was writing stories for kids that made me feel like my words had found their true home.

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https://www.susanyoon.com/

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Omar Abed is a Palestinian-American writer of picture books and computer code. He hopes his writing brings adults and children together in ways that only a shared story can. In his spare time, Omar enjoys running around with his two-year-old son, playing basketball, and watching movies with his wife. He's based in Philadelphia, PA and Northern Virginia.

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https://www.omarabed.com/

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My name is Kim-Hoa and I am a picture book author/illustrator and an amigurumi artist.

My two children inspired me to become an author/illustrator. One day while reading, my daughter asked why there weren’t any characters like her. It made me think about how nice it would be for my little girl to be able to identify with a character similar to her. That’s how my dream of publishing a children’s book came about. I hope to achieve that some day and to be able to dedicate it to my little girl and others like her.

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http://kimhoaung.com

Marietta Apollonio is an author-illustrator who grew up in New York making mud pies, reading comic books, and playing in the woods. She holds a BFA in illustration, and during her 20 years as a freelance illustrator, enjoyed eight-years as co-op gallery co-owner and 10-years at a Boston based graphic design firm. She spends her time as an "adult" illustrating and writing for picture books, visiting local libraries and bookstores, horseback riding, making mud pies, and exploring the woods of central Massachusetts with her family.

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Hello! I am a consultant by day, chicken farmer on weekends, and a children’s book author in all the time and spaces in between.

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My stories are inspired by life experiences, family interactions (I have a huge family), lots of animal videos and just moments that make me giggle. Ideas spark any time of the day but hot showers are the best time!

I am represented by Katherine Wessbecher from Bradford Literary Agency.

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https://www.angelakrans.com/

Kailei Pew is a wife, mother, and children's book author represented by Emily Forney of Bookends Literary. She loves writing books that help kids see they can do anything they set their minds to. Kailei's debut middle grade book, KID MADE will be coming to you from Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan Summer 2023. Her debut picture book will follow in Fall 2023. 

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KaileiPewBooks.com

Malcolm Newsome is a children's and Young Adult author represented by James McGowan of Bookends Literary. He is the cofounder of Black Creators in KidLit. His upcoming books include DEAR STAR BABY (@beamingbooksmn, 2023) and 
SYDNEY'S BIG SPEECH (@harpercollinsch, 2024).

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https://www.malcolmnewsome.com/

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Jen is a writer, cartoonist, and elementary school teacher from the Bay Area, California. She is also the co-creator of Sunday Haha, a free weekly comics newsletter for kids. REGGIE, the first in a series of early reader graphic novels,

will be published in Summer 2023 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

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https://reggiecomic.com/

DK is an author/illustrator whose debut picture book, GIRAFFE IS TOO TALL FOR THIS BOOK comes out in 2023 with Page Street Kids. She loves to draw animals and nature and enjoys quirky and subversive humor. Before becoming an author/illustrator DK filmed wildlife in Africa, was a collegiate and professional athlete, and taught middle school English. DK received a PBChat mentorship with Cori Doerrfeld in 2019 and was a PBParty finalist in 2020. When not writing and illustrating, you can find DK going on adventures with her husband and kids, playing sports, or reading a good book - while petting a cat or dog. 

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Website: www.DKRyland.com