Shannon Messenger graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she learned—among other things—that she liked watching movies much better than making them. She studied art, screenwriting, and television production but realized her real passion was writing for kids and teens. She’s the internationally, New York Times, and USA TODAY bestselling author of the award-winning middle grade series Keeper of the Lost Cities, as well as the Sky Fall young adult series. Her books have been featured on multiple state reading lists, published in numerous countries, and translated into many languages. She lives in Southern California with her family and an embarrassing number of cats. Find her online at ShannonMessenger.com and @SW_Messenger on Instagram, X, and Facebook.

Celina Frenn grew up in Latin America, where she explored the rainforest, entertained her sisters with made-up superheroes, and hid her thick bottle-cap glasses from her mother’s camera. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English, Celina was determined to use what most people considered to be a useless degree and then shocked herself by succeeding. As a freelance writer and showrunner, she has worked with brands like My Little Pony, LEGO Star Wars, and Thomas the Tank Engine, and she recently adapted the New York Times bestselling book Keeper of the Lost Cities as a graphic novel. Celina lives in California with her animator husband and growing family. She loves screaming at video games, devouring books, and collecting swords in large quantities—much like a dragon collecting treasure.