About the author

Valerie Biel

<p>Valerie Biel’s debut novel&nbsp;<em>Circle of Nine – Beltany</em>&nbsp;has been honored as a 2015 Kindle Book Award Finalist, a finalist in the Gotham Writers' YA Novel Discovery Contest and the Readers' Favorite Book Award Contest as well as being a B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree. The final installment in this series -&nbsp;<em>Circle of Nine: Sacred Treasures</em>&nbsp;- has also received a B.R.A.G. Medallion and was short listed for the Eric Hoffer Book Award grand prize, earning the First Runner-Up distinction in the YA category. In addition to the young adult stories in the Circle of Nine World, she has also authored two middle-grade novels. <br><br> When she’s not writing, she’s working on freelance publicity projects and assisting other authors through her business&nbsp;<strong>Lost Lake Press</strong>&nbsp;or teaching about writing topics at conferences, libraries, and schools. She’s a member of a fantastically fastidious critique group through her membership in the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). When Valerie’s away from the computer, you might find her working on community theater projects, local history preservation, wrangling her overgrown garden, traveling the world, and reading everything she can get her hands on.&nbsp; <br><br>​​​​​​​Once upon a time, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in journalism and political science. Now, she lives in rural Wisconsin with her husband and children and dreams regularly of a beautiful cottage on the Irish coast where she can write and write and write.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p>