Yamile Saied Mendez

Yamile Saied Mendez is the author of many books for young readers, including Furia, a Reese's YA Book Club selection and the inaugural winner of the YA Pura Belpre Award. She was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina. A Walter Dean Myers Grant recipient, she is a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts and a founding member of Las Musas, a marketing collective of Latine authors.Amparo Ortiz is the author of Blazewrath Games and Dragonblood Ring. She was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and currently lives on the island s northeastern coast. When she s not teaching ESL, she s streaming K-pop videos, vlogging for her eponymous YouTube channel, and writing about worlds both contemporary and fantastical.